Client-Mac OS X ?

Is there any possibility to use a Mac (e.g. my 8-Core Mac Pro),
as a host, so that many smaller Macs (e.g. my Mac Mini G4)
are only the clients without their own OS (so basically just screens)?

At my university we have a server with some Windows Server Software.
Every computer is accessing to it, and even gets its OS from the
Windows Server so that every computer is basically notthing more
than the screen, mouse and keyboard. The Server does all the tasks
and processes everything, all apps e.g. are only on the server.
The clients (mac mini) are only for input like keystrokes and of
course displaying 🙂

my aim is "not to replace the mac mini". If it could just utilize
one of my 8 cores in the Mac Pro, that would suffice... The
more the better.

Mac Pro 2009 8x2.26 8GB Ram, Mac OS X (10.5.6), 4870 Ati, Default Hdd,

Posted on Jun 23, 2009 5:35 PM

Reply
5 replies

Jun 23, 2009 8:03 PM in response to ShadowEmporio

OS X Server does support NetBoot, which would do what you are asking. It does not dedicate a core to the client. You would also probably be best off using a dedicated server for this task. In other words, you wouldn't be lending spare cores to the clients. The server would host images that the clients would boot and run from, and you shouldn't expect to use the Mac Pro as your personal Mac and use it as a server at the same time. Overall performance might be OK (or not) but the server OS is not the same as the client OS, so once you install OS X Server on a Mac Pro you should expect that some apps you want to use and would run on a client OS would not work as expected.

Jun 29, 2009 1:03 PM in response to ShadowEmporio

I think the Windows software is called 'Terminal Services' all clients are 'Thin clients' and behave just as you describe.

I do not know off any similar service on OS X server,the Netboot feature requires a full client 'iMac etc' and loads a full version of OS X modified for you infrastructure. All apps run on the local machine not on the server, but home directories and shared directories could be on the server.

I could be wrong but that is what I understand.

Jul 1, 2009 6:29 PM in response to ShadowEmporio

guess netboot isn't exactly what I was searching.


Netboot would be how the software bits are loaded into the target box.

Want that my Mac Mini's hardware doesn't process anything, it shall not even have a harddrive (unless its required for a thin client software)... The Mac Pro shall do everything.


What you are describing here was once known as a classic "dumb terminal" design where a VT100 terminal connected into a central VAX computer via serial terminal line, and later as an X Window display, and more recently as a "thin client" or other such; to something akin to a SunRay terminal, or what Microsoft calls Terminal Services, or a [VNC|http://the.taoofmac.com/space/VNC] display.

Apple doesn't do this configuration particularly well, save for loading Mac OS X client software down into the box and operating as individual hosts. Possibly with OpenDirectory and related authentication to control access and options. Here, I'd probably look around for true" "thin client" terminals here, and use the Mac boxes to run Mac OS X software. Full-on Mac boxes are comparatively expensive, as "thin client" boxes and terminals go.

The most direct analog here is Aqua Connect Terminal Server, a commercial product.

Or VNC or ARD.

Or screen sharing, with Mac OS X Server running on your Mac Pro box. Here, you can connect in via Screen Sharing. (Available via Server Admin.)

Its quite like virtualization I guess


Virtualization is entirely different technology, at least in the local vernacular.

Jul 1, 2009 6:43 PM in response to ShadowEmporio

There is no thin client Mac. Anywhere. The closest that you will get to WTS is AquaConnect Terminal services. There is no way for you to provision one of the eight cores on your Mac Pro to be used by a TS or Netboot client. It just doesn't exist -for now. To do what you wish to do with Apple hardware and OS X, Netboot is the only way to do it. Period.

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Client-Mac OS X ?

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.