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Tuesday 5 July 2011
Friday 14 March 2008
NetInstall
I have successfully created NetInstall images and have been installing them via the network!
I was having major problems getting going, as I got errors creating images (with System Image Utility) and with configuring and starting up NetBoot (on Leopard server). With a bit of perseverance and trial and error, I've managed it.
Firstly, making an image was a troublesome. I built my iMac by installing and configuring it to a state where I wanted this to be my image (for installing other iMacs). So following the scant Apple instructions, I installed Server Utilities on this iMac and used System Image Utility to make the image. The first attempt went well, but for some strange reason, subsequent attempts failed again and again (see this thread).
I gave up doing it this way, and obtained an external firewire HDD. I plugged this into my iMac and used Disk Utility to make an image of the iMac's HDD (using the restore facility). Once I had this on my external HDD, I attached it to my Leopard server, and proceeded to use System Image Utility on the server itself. Low and behold, the image is created properly...
Secondly, I had lots of problems trying to start up the NetBoot service on Leopard server. Initially, the problems were related to the fact that my NetInstall images weren't created properly, but once I had this solved, I still had problems...
The solution was, once the image has been successfully created I had to move them into the following directory for the NetBoot service to recognise the images:
/Library/NetBoot/NetBootSP0
Once done the NetInstall image(s) appear, and then I can start the NetBoot service!
I was having major problems getting going, as I got errors creating images (with System Image Utility) and with configuring and starting up NetBoot (on Leopard server). With a bit of perseverance and trial and error, I've managed it.
Firstly, making an image was a troublesome. I built my iMac by installing and configuring it to a state where I wanted this to be my image (for installing other iMacs). So following the scant Apple instructions, I installed Server Utilities on this iMac and used System Image Utility to make the image. The first attempt went well, but for some strange reason, subsequent attempts failed again and again (see this thread).
I gave up doing it this way, and obtained an external firewire HDD. I plugged this into my iMac and used Disk Utility to make an image of the iMac's HDD (using the restore facility). Once I had this on my external HDD, I attached it to my Leopard server, and proceeded to use System Image Utility on the server itself. Low and behold, the image is created properly...
Secondly, I had lots of problems trying to start up the NetBoot service on Leopard server. Initially, the problems were related to the fact that my NetInstall images weren't created properly, but once I had this solved, I still had problems...
The solution was, once the image has been successfully created I had to move them into the following directory for the NetBoot service to recognise the images:
/Library/NetBoot/NetBootSP0
Once done the NetInstall image(s) appear, and then I can start the NetBoot service!
Tuesday 4 March 2008
A Working Wordpress-mu!!
I finally got Wordpress-mu working on my Mac OS X server!
The problem is, it is running on Mac OS X Tiger - not Leopard! I had lots of problems getting (v1.3.3) working on Leopard - the Apache server kept on crashing! Here and here are some posts to forums where I asked for help, but with no avail. The last conclusion I came to was that there seems to be some problems in the 'libresolv' library that caused Apache to fall over.
I eventually gave up, like everything I've tried to get working on Leopard server, it simply does not work! There always some component that causes something else to fall over! I attempted, for the third time, re-install Leopard server with case-sensitive journaled mode but that did not solve the problem... I went back to Mac OS X Tiger server edition and with some fiddling about with Wordpress-mu, it worked!
Now users can register, make and read post, and even upload pictures and post attachments! Hurrah!
The problem is, it is running on Mac OS X Tiger - not Leopard! I had lots of problems getting (v1.3.3) working on Leopard - the Apache server kept on crashing! Here and here are some posts to forums where I asked for help, but with no avail. The last conclusion I came to was that there seems to be some problems in the 'libresolv' library that caused Apache to fall over.
I eventually gave up, like everything I've tried to get working on Leopard server, it simply does not work! There always some component that causes something else to fall over! I attempted, for the third time, re-install Leopard server with case-sensitive journaled mode but that did not solve the problem... I went back to Mac OS X Tiger server edition and with some fiddling about with Wordpress-mu, it worked!
Now users can register, make and read post, and even upload pictures and post attachments! Hurrah!
Thursday 7 February 2008
Windows XP drivers on MacBook Pro
So I used Bootcamp in Leopard to install Windows XP... read the documents on the web about drivers and stuff but could find them... so during a search for 'right-click'-ing on the trackpad of the MacBook, someone pointed out that the drivers are on the Leopard install disk!
But the thing is, once Windows XP is installed, you insert that Leopard install disk (booted up in Windows) it becomes the drivers disk and auto installs the drivers you need, like the graphics and wireless, as well as the trackpad drivers that allows you to put two fingers and use the button for a right-click (and also allows you to drag with two fingers).
However, I still can't hold down CTRL and click to get a right-click... hmm, obviously missing something else here...
EDIT: 9/02/2008
So after discovering the above 'drivers CDROM' I proceeded to do the same with the Windows XP install on my iMac - and guess what? It broke the graphics driver big time - I couldn't set the resolution to anything except 4-bit colour! I had to roll back the graphics driver (and so it was a good thing that I had the proper installed drivers!) The drivers supplied by Apple also broke the Apple wireless keyboard and mouse! These two items worked before the drivers started installing - and after they simply did not work. BE WARNED!
But the thing is, once Windows XP is installed, you insert that Leopard install disk (booted up in Windows) it becomes the drivers disk and auto installs the drivers you need, like the graphics and wireless, as well as the trackpad drivers that allows you to put two fingers and use the button for a right-click (and also allows you to drag with two fingers).
However, I still can't hold down CTRL and click to get a right-click... hmm, obviously missing something else here...
EDIT: 9/02/2008
So after discovering the above 'drivers CDROM' I proceeded to do the same with the Windows XP install on my iMac - and guess what? It broke the graphics driver big time - I couldn't set the resolution to anything except 4-bit colour! I had to roll back the graphics driver (and so it was a good thing that I had the proper installed drivers!) The drivers supplied by Apple also broke the Apple wireless keyboard and mouse! These two items worked before the drivers started installing - and after they simply did not work. BE WARNED!
Friday 1 February 2008
LDAP directory integration
So after quite a while of fiddling around with Leopard server, I've reached a milestone - I've successfully made my server bind to our LDAP server (for user authentication) and NIS server for user home directory NFS mounts.
At one stage I thought Apple had broken external LDAP directory binds as I'd set it up in the same way as I've done in Tiger, but it did not allow me to login and authenticate. After a few post around asking for help - I searched the Apple discussion forums to find this thread: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5791664 detailing an error I was getting when trying to examining the LDAP tree. I fixed the error as suggested and (a few other changes to sshd_config) I successfully logged in!
At one stage I thought Apple had broken external LDAP directory binds as I'd set it up in the same way as I've done in Tiger, but it did not allow me to login and authenticate. After a few post around asking for help - I searched the Apple discussion forums to find this thread: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5791664 detailing an error I was getting when trying to examining the LDAP tree. I fixed the error as suggested and (a few other changes to sshd_config) I successfully logged in!
Friday 25 January 2008
Leopard server
Sorry I have not made a post for a while (as if anyone is reading anyway ;))!
Happy New Year! :)
I have made some steps forwards and some major steps backwards with regards to Leopard...
I attended an Apple Seminar, at which I found out that I can not use the client imaging/building facilities in Leopard (server) in any mode apart from Advanced! I had installed Leopard server in Advanced mode before, only to find I couldn't get the Wiki and Blog facilities working and had to step back to Workgroup mode to get this to work.
Although the Wiki/Blog services, at first, are impressive (quite easy to setup and use) and were raved about by Apple at this seminar, but in reality, they are pretty poor in terms of configurability and flexibility - so not to be used for serious service provision!
Happy New Year! :)
I have made some steps forwards and some major steps backwards with regards to Leopard...
I attended an Apple Seminar, at which I found out that I can not use the client imaging/building facilities in Leopard (server) in any mode apart from Advanced! I had installed Leopard server in Advanced mode before, only to find I couldn't get the Wiki and Blog facilities working and had to step back to Workgroup mode to get this to work.
Although the Wiki/Blog services, at first, are impressive (quite easy to setup and use) and were raved about by Apple at this seminar, but in reality, they are pretty poor in terms of configurability and flexibility - so not to be used for serious service provision!
Tuesday 20 November 2007
Xserve Leopard Server Upgrade
I've been working on the Apple Xserve for a while now but haven't posted anything here (not that anyone is reading this ;)) because I have been waiting for a copy of the Leopard update to install on it.
With Tiger server, I managed to have a little play and experiment. I managed to create a mirror systems disk and successfully tested it out. Using these instructions on the Apple discussion forum. The one marked 'solved' is the one I followed even though it was for older version of OX Server.
I have now upgraded to Leopard server and attempted to do the same thing...
I chose the 'erase and install' option with the Leopard upgrade as I didn't have any data to keep. After the install, the new Leopard seems to have kept the RAID-1 I had setup on Tiger. I wonder if it wasn't already setup, would I had to have gone through the mirroring procedure like I did the first time (below)...
Mirroring of the 'system' disk on the Xserve is a pain since the Raid Utility does not allow you to perform operations, such as mirroring, on a 'mounted' filesystem (which the systems disk is). Therefore, you have you boot off another drive or the install disk or... before you attempt to mirror...
I have 3 disks in my Xserve, two the same size (68Gb) for mirroring and one larger, the third for situations like this - where I need to boot off it to be able to mirror my system disk!
So after the OS install or upgrade. I copied the all the systems (from Server HD) files to the third disk (Rescue):
I chose the 'erase and install' option with the Leopard upgrade as I didn't have any data to keep. After the install, the new Leopard seems to have kept the RAID-1 I had setup on Tiger. I wonder if it wasn't already setup, would I had to have gone through the mirroring procedure like I did the first time (below)...
Mirroring of the 'system' disk on the Xserve is a pain since the Raid Utility does not allow you to perform operations, such as mirroring, on a 'mounted' filesystem (which the systems disk is). Therefore, you have you boot off another drive or the install disk or... before you attempt to mirror...
I have 3 disks in my Xserve, two the same size (68Gb) for mirroring and one larger, the third for situations like this - where I need to boot off it to be able to mirror my system disk!
So after the OS install or upgrade. I copied the all the systems (from Server HD) files to the third disk (Rescue):
lebigmac:/ admin$ sudo asr restore --source "/Volumes/Server HD" --target /Volumes/Rescue/Once copied over all the files, bless the device that is 'Rescue':
Validating target...done
Validating source...done
Validating sizes...done
Copying ....10....20....30....40....50....60....70....80....90asr: did not copy blessed information to target, which may have missing or out-of-date blessed folder information.
....100
lebigmac:~ admin$ sudo bless --device /dev/disk1s2 -setBootThen restart the server. When it boots up check that '/' is mounted from /dev/disk1s2 and you can the start RAID utils and start mirroring (create a RAID-1 volume set) the two system disks. When done, set the original system disk device to boot:
lebigmac:~ admin$ sudo bless --device /dev/disk0s2 -setBootBelow are some pictures of RAID utils on Tiger server:
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