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!

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!

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!

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!

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!