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Alex Duffield · May 27, 2001, 11:04 PM

Has any one done it???

I do mostly web development, and would like to run Server as my main OS... Can I just install over Client???

My Copy of Server should be here on Tue, so if no one knows, Ill let you know Tue night how it went...

jarends · May 29, 2001, 03:02 PM

I've never done it, but its usually best practice to start over in situations like that. It should work from what I've read.

If you install it over OS X though, you could end up with weird problems down the road that are difficult to explain.

Why are you running this as your main OS though? I don't think apple supports running classic with the server, and its not going to give you that many more features over the normal version of X to make it worth running on your desktop. Apache is the full version on both, the only difference is you don't get spiffy GUI tools to configure stuff on the server.

If you do web development, it makes sense to keep the server around, but I'd try to grab an imac or G3 or something else cheap, and use that as a dedicated server.

Alex Duffield · May 29, 2001, 03:13 PM

Well a big one would be user and group managment. I use groups daily on my OS9 system and it is the thing I miss the most.

Apple seems to think that group managment is just for servers. I just think that is nuts.

I like to have the gui tools for Apache as well as not having to build my own PHP, MySql and WebDAV .

I have PHP and MySql running on my Client system now, so If Apple just came to there senses and gave the client Group control (VIA a GUI) then I would stay with client.... Untill then Im going to try SERVER as my main OS.

Who knows, maybe some one will build a third party "Users & Groups" managment tool... I sure hope so...

qnxde · Oct 20, 2001, 06:57 AM

Can somebody please tell me, is OS X Server usable as a desktop? Does classic work under it? does it use much more ram? etc...

Scotttheking · Oct 20, 2001, 06:37 PM

I'm told (by apple) that you can run classic, as long as you have a 9 CD.

piracy · Oct 22, 2001, 08:26 PM

It's possible to install Server over Client, and it does indeed work, but this isn't supported or recommended by Apple. You'd be better off saving your home directory, apps, etc, and reinstalling clean.

Server can indeed be used as a desktop; it does everything Client does. In fact, Server is basically identical to Client except that it has the additional server modules and graphical configuration tools. If you're running the same services on Server that you would be on Client, it doesn't take any more RAM or system resources to run it.

entropic · Oct 23, 2001, 11:21 PM

I don't know why you would want to use Server as your desktop OS. It reason for existing is to serve files. If you are service files then using it as a desktop system will slow it down considerably. While you are running those photoshop filters you users will not get much bits. I run server here at home. It is on a machine in the server room, it is on a KVM with the webserver and it has 100 GB of storage and I restart it (ideally) only once every few months. I have 6 or so clients in various rooms that connect to the server. This means all the mp3s are stored on the server. Most of my documents are stored on the server. So any machine can get to the data. I have a firewall and everything is password protected. This is what a server is for. if you run it as your desktop OS it sort of defeats the whole purpose. Mac OS 9 (and prior) got Mac users used to the idea of peer-to-peer sharing, that is all fine and dany for casual sharing but the true power of file sharing is not peer-to-peer but client-server. That is what X server and ASIP are for.

-e

Cipher13 · Oct 29, 2001, 05:59 AM

I just installed Server over 10.1. Works perfectly. No worries.

I didn't install from the OSXS installer though; I did it from seperate packages inside the CD.

Brit Ben · Oct 29, 2001, 03:54 PM

Originally posted by Cipher13:
<STRONG>I just installed Server over 10.1. Works perfectly. No worries.

I didn't install from the OSXS installer though; I did it from seperate packages inside the CD.</STRONG>

I must admit a longing for services such as DNS and webcache, which I used to use on my linux wintel laptop. I use a PBg4, and travel a lot. I'd like to set up and manage a cacheing DNS server, and definately a large disk based webcache. I do often get people connecting to my laptop, and one of the really neat things to do it to form an ad-hoc network using the built in airport card... I dont know offhand if that still works in 10.1

Anyway, what is the *cheapest* LEGITIMATE way of getting a single user server license. I don't like to pay $700 for gui tools to the features largely already in 10.1

TIA,
Ben.

Cipher13 · Nov 1, 2001, 02:12 AM

If you could get your workplace to buy an unlimited license, or get you a license, that'd be the best way.

Thats what I did...

Or, you could try for an education discount, if you are a student/teacher.

Other than that... personally, I'd just learn how to configure it all by hand. Its a pain, yeah, but probably worth $800 worth of trouble...

If you could get access to an OSXS machine and see how it sets things up, then it'd be quite easy to learn how OSX handles it all.