Server application

AusS2000 · 08-15-2012, 09:27 AM

Things have changed quite a lot with the packaging of OS X and OS X Server. Prior to Lion they were two entirely separate installs. With Lion and Mountain Lion you install the base OS, then if you are installing Server you run the Server application and it runs a wizard and sets up the OS X Server services.

I have two Mac minis. One was purchased as a Lion Server and qualified for the free upgrade to Mountain Lion and Server. I went through the process today and am now (for reasons I won't go into here) doing a TimeMachine Restore (only 4.5 hours to go!).

The other Mac mini is running Mountain Lion and I have tried running Server on it but it fails authentication. I assume it is tied to the serial number of the mini it was downloaded for. But now when I go into the App Store and search for Server it comes up as 'Installed' so I can't purchase another copy. I've tried deleting the copy on my mini and that causes App Store to show the price of $20.99 but when I attempt to purchase it it say I have already bought it and just reinstalls it.

Does anyone know how the licensing and installation is supposed to work these days?

agentx · 08-15-2012, 11:23 AM

When you buy a Mac Mini Server you get 1 licensed copy of Lion/ML & Server software for your use on that model of machine...you cannot use/install it on other machines. If you buy a retail version of Lion/ML/Server you can install it on 5 machines in your "house" for non commercial use.

If you have 5 servers in a business environment you have to buy Lion/ML & Server 5 times or if you have more than 20+ you can use the business store to get a redeem code rather use than Mac App Store for purchasing....ahhh but you cannot buy it 5 times on same ID so you have to setup 5 ID's. It is all a load of crap really and leaves small business's in a bad situation as you cannot buy more than 1 copy of OS/software with same ID.

AusS2000 · 08-15-2012, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agentx


	ahhh but you cannot buy it 5 times on same ID so you have to setup 5 ID's.

Thanks, that explains it. What a PITA.

I recently made a graphic of a guy jumping through hoops into a brickwall to describe how Microsoftian Apple's upgrade process had become. Seems I'm glad I didn't throw that one out.

agentx · 08-15-2012, 06:42 PM

But there are also stupid ways round it. which us folks witnout VPP do.
Create a master ID for company for purchasing with CC attached or top up with gift cards. Only the people that make purchasing decisions have this ID.

you then gift the app to a special ID for company (with no CC attached) I call it an "installer ID" everyone has password for this account so can login and pull down apps & OS updates and install purchases. You can gift the same pp to same ID more than once. What a kludge.

There are other workflows that I have cobbled together to do the right thing. We ave also done similar with iOS deployments.

It has been hell on earth in some cases....unravelling the enigma code is a close approximation. When VPP comes it will help but the underlying system is bloody awkward.

AusS2000 · 08-17-2012, 03:40 AM

Well that didn't work!

I signed up a new Apple ID and purchased a second copy of Server.

Fired it up just to get the same error message:
'A server with the specified hostname could not be found.'

I didn't specify a hostname!

agentx · 08-17-2012, 04:19 AM

This is mighty odd. Not sure what is going on there but it sounds like a botched server install.

agentx · 08-17-2012, 06:01 AM

Sp you need to clear out server components not just server.app or backup, wipe an reinstall fresh ML update to server then restore data. I have seen some oddities when server.app cannot connect to the localhost (with lion 10.7.0). I ended up wiping and starting fresh.

AusS2000 · 09-04-2012, 07:57 AM

I eventually solved the problem. Just a matter of installing as root.

When I took the server out on the server room I migrated my user account to it. This user account was from a non-server version of Lion. So I assume some non-server settings carried over and confused the install of Server.

08-15-2012, 09:27 AM	#1
AusS2000 Prospect Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 33	Server application Things have changed quite a lot with the packaging of OS X and OS X Server. Prior to Lion they were two entirely separate installs. With Lion and Mountain Lion you install the base OS, then if you are installing Server you run the Server application and it runs a wizard and sets up the OS X Server services. I have two Mac minis. One was purchased as a Lion Server and qualified for the free upgrade to Mountain Lion and Server. I went through the process today and am now (for reasons I won't go into here) doing a TimeMachine Restore (only 4.5 hours to go!). The other Mac mini is running Mountain Lion and I have tried running Server on it but it fails authentication. I assume it is tied to the serial number of the mini it was downloaded for. But now when I go into the App Store and search for Server it comes up as 'Installed' so I can't purchase another copy. I've tried deleting the copy on my mini and that causes App Store to show the price of $20.99 but when I attempt to purchase it it say I have already bought it and just reinstalls it. Does anyone know how the licensing and installation is supposed to work these days?

08-15-2012, 11:23 AM	#2
agentx Hall of Famer Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Brighton, UK Posts: 3,807	When you buy a Mac Mini Server you get 1 licensed copy of Lion/ML & Server software for your use on that model of machine...you cannot use/install it on other machines. If you buy a retail version of Lion/ML/Server you can install it on 5 machines in your "house" for non commercial use. If you have 5 servers in a business environment you have to buy Lion/ML & Server 5 times or if you have more than 20+ you can use the business store to get a redeem code rather use than Mac App Store for purchasing....ahhh but you cannot buy it 5 times on same ID so you have to setup 5 ID's. It is all a load of crap really and leaves small business's in a bad situation as you cannot buy more than 1 copy of OS/software with same ID. Last edited by agentx; 08-15-2012 at 11:35 AM.

08-15-2012, 06:42 PM	#4
agentx Hall of Famer Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Brighton, UK Posts: 3,807	But there are also stupid ways round it. which us folks witnout VPP do. Create a master ID for company for purchasing with CC attached or top up with gift cards. Only the people that make purchasing decisions have this ID. you then gift the app to a special ID for company (with no CC attached) I call it an "installer ID" everyone has password for this account so can login and pull down apps & OS updates and install purchases. You can gift the same pp to same ID more than once. What a kludge. There are other workflows that I have cobbled together to do the right thing. We ave also done similar with iOS deployments. It has been hell on earth in some cases....unravelling the enigma code is a close approximation. When VPP comes it will help but the underlying system is bloody awkward. Last edited by agentx; 08-15-2012 at 06:46 PM.

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08-17-2012, 03:40 AM	#5
AusS2000 Prospect Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 33	Well that didn't work! I signed up a new Apple ID and purchased a second copy of Server. Fired it up just to get the same error message: 'A server with the specified hostname could not be found.' I didn't specify a hostname!

08-17-2012, 04:19 AM	#6
agentx Hall of Famer Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Brighton, UK Posts: 3,807	This is mighty odd. Not sure what is going on there but it sounds like a botched server install.

08-17-2012, 06:01 AM	#7
agentx Hall of Famer Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Brighton, UK Posts: 3,807	Sp you need to clear out server components not just server.app or backup, wipe an reinstall fresh ML update to server then restore data. I have seen some oddities when server.app cannot connect to the localhost (with lion 10.7.0). I ended up wiping and starting fresh.

09-04-2012, 07:57 AM	#8
AusS2000 Prospect Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 33	I eventually solved the problem. Just a matter of installing as root. When I took the server out on the server room I migrated my user account to it. This user account was from a non-server version of Lion. So I assume some non-server settings carried over and confused the install of Server.