Snow Leopard on Mac Mini Server

I bought a Mac Mini (call it TheOtherMini) a few months ago, and was recently given a server. Wanted to install SL on the server.

I couldn't install from TheOtherMini's DVD, it said it would not install. I managed to install using Hotman's excellent tutorial except...

I forgot to add the applications from the 2nd DVD before I did any updating or migration of users, and now when I try it says I can't install on this machine.

I didn't need to do anything with kexts, the original server install didn't have the ones mentioned in Hotman's tutorial, and the ethernet Just Worked.

Is there a way to persuade the applications DVD to play ball?

Do I need to do something odd like install them on an external hard disk attached to TheOtherMini and then copy the result to the Mini Server?

Is there somewhere on Apple's site I can download them? Server is currently running 10.6.8

Install Snow Leopard on Mac Mini Server.

Short story:

• Mac Mini Snow Leopard Server purchased June 2011.
• Installed Snow Leopard 10.6.3 onto Macintosh HD2 from Install DVD via external USB DVD drive.
• Installed Snow Leopard 10.6.8 update via Software Update.
• (Optional) Erased and renamed Server HD.
• Sighed.

Long story:

My procedure was, fortunately, simple and painless.

The machine, of course, came with SL Server installed, I had already updated to SL Server 10.6.8. I was lucky to purchase what seemed to be the last copy of ("regular") Snow Leopard 10.6.3 Install DVD at the local Apple store.

Popped it into external USB DVD drive, clicked the arrows and followed standard install procedure - it defaulted to installing to Macintosh HD2: perfect. It installed fine, restarted as part of the procedure and defaulted to startup Snow Leopard 10.6.3 on Macintosh HD2.

Ethernet wasn't working (didn't even show up in System Preferences>Network) so I downloaded SL 10.6.8 update via Software Update. Restarted. Everything works fine: Ethernet... I even checked DVD player, played with a few apps. I erased the Server HD and renamed it "Macintosh HD1." It sits now as an empty Volume with 499.32 GB available.

Notes:

It boots quicker now: booting to SL Server was slow.

Had installed (old version of) Lounge Lizard soft synth and my midi controller/keyboard was connected via USB - always worked fine on my G4 tower, but was dropping the connection every few minutes while running with SL Server 10.6.8 on new mini. Issue is resolved now with SL 10.6.8.

I'd read most of the posts here about using target disk mode, kexts, etc., but took a chance going the direct route and it worked. (Perhaps because it's a newer model?)

Hope it's this simple for everyone else going forward.

Now that we have Snow Leopard figured out, what about Lion? 😁

No worries, I just installed non-server Lion over Snow Leopard Server on a mid-2010 Mac Mini Server. Here’s how:

1. You can’t just go to the App Store and buy Lion Client. That would be too easy. The App Store doesn’t allow installing the non-server version over Snow Leopard Server :-/

2. If you have a separate non-server Snow Leopard mac, buy Lion client from the App Store from that machine (even if you don’t plan to upgrade that machine). Note, if you DO plan to upgrade that machine, run Software Update first in Snow Leopard...

3. When Lion finally downloads and asks you to click Continue, DON’T DO IT. Instead, open your /Applications folder and drag the following file to your Desktop:

Install Mac OS X Lion

This is important, since this file self-destructs after it installs itself.

4. You’re going to need a DVD (which I used) or a 4GB or larger USB thumb drive.

If you want to go the thumb drive route, follow the instructions here:

http://subrosasoft.com/blog/2011/07/create-a-bootable-mac-os-x-10-7-lion-flash-d rive/

Else, follow along with me below (all credit to the folks at the above link for figuring out that InstallESD.dmg is the actual installer…).

5. Right-click on “Install Mac OS X Lion” and select “Show Package Contents”

6. A Finder window will open up. Click into the “Shared Support” folder.

7. In this folder, there’s a file named “InstallESD.dmg” Option-drag this file to your Desktop (or right-click it and select Copy, then right-click on your Desktop and select Paste).

8. Right-click on the InstallESD.dmg on your Desktop and select “Open With->Disk Utility”

9. In Disk Utility, click the Burn icon and insert the blank DVD.

10. Once the DVD has finished burning, insert it into your external DVD drive on your Mac Mini, reboot the Mini and hold the option key down until you get a screen that let’s you select the DVD to boot from.

11. Boot from the DVD (this will take a LOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGG time and it’ll sound like *****). Go to the store, or beach, or something...

12. You’ll finally get to a screen where you click continue to install.

13. The installation will start and, eventually, the screen will go blank for a LOOOOOOONNNGGGG time and it’ll seem like nothing is happening. The installer is creating a recovery partition from which, later, you can boot with Command-R to recover. Just let it happen.

14. Eventually you’ll see a screen with a Lion on it and it’ll take about 20 minutes more. Once it finishes, you’re done. Since all the drivers are newer than the Mini, it all just works.

While I didn't try it, I'm guessing you could probably also boot your Mini into Firewire target mode (hold the T key while booting) and plug it into the Firewire port of a non-server mac and upgrade it to Lion directly from the App Store :-)

Hey MacProCT

I know this is completely off topic but you wrote a very helpful script in a previous discusssion which is archived so I can no longer reply to the respective thread. I am have the same issue you were having with your Mac Mini (Mid 2010) where the sound keeps defaulting to the internak speaker everytime I restart the computer and I have to manually go into system preferences and change the output to the display. The discussion is here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2507526

Your thread is the 4th post from the bottom with the script in it, it works for me but I can not figure out a way to have the script run by defult when the computer is turned on. Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated, feel free to reply to this thread or email me at:

Anthonynava@csu.fullerton.edu

Thanks

Just wanted to post this here...so it may be helpful for other people who have put Snow Leopard on their 2011 Mac Minis. I too needed to install Snow Leopard on a new Mac Mini 2011 for some Pro Audio Software (Not Apple)...that was just flakey under Lion...ad I needed the system to be solid. I did this by following the same instructions in this thread and others. But...I then discovered for some of the pro level audio software and Sample Libraries I needed to install them via an "Internal Superdrive Drive". Booting in Target disc mode would not work for said software...and remote disc does not work either. So...I broke down and bought the MacBook Air Superdrive as the Apple Genius bar said it would work fine with the Mac Minis.

WRONG!!!

Only works fine with the Mac Minis when running Lion now...and if you did the above "hack" to get Snow Leoplard 10.6.8 on your new Mac Mini 2011...then the Apple MacBook Air Superdrive will not work.

But now I have discovered how to get it to work through some online research. In fact...this SIMPLE hack will work with most any Mac in the last couple years. I have also done it on my 2008 Macbook pro and it works just fine with the MacBook Air Superdirve as well. (In fact...it was my guinea pig system to try it on). So much for Apple saying that drive will only work on macbook Air and Mac Minis with approves OSs. <smirk> It works just fine by adding 7 characters to a plist file.

This was copied from a CyborgSam2011 on the Macworld forums...to give credit where credit it due.

http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20111107064435227

______________

The trick is to add "mbasd=1" to the Kernel Flags in com.apple.Boot.plist.

com.apple.Boot.plist exists by default in Lion, but not in earlier OSes.

There are multiple ways to edit a plist, I'll use TextEdit since every user has it. Since Lion already has com.apple.Boot.plist there are two subsets of instructions, one for Lion and one for all other OS Xes.

Bottom line: com.apple.Boot.plist will look the text between the starred lines when done:

*****************************************

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">

<plist version="1.0">

<dict>

<key>Kernel Flags</key>

<string>mbasd=1</string>

</dict>

</plist>

*****************************************

First, launch TextEdit.

--------------

For Lion:

Copy /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot.plist to the Desktop. Drag the file onto TextEdit's icon in the Dock. The file will look like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">

<plist version="1.0">

<dict>

<key>Kernel Flags</key>

<string></string>

</dict>

</plist>

Add the text "mbasd=1" (no quotes, no extra spaces) between <string> and </string>. It should look like the text between the starred lines above. Save and close the file.

--------------

For Snow Leopard and earlier:

In TextEdit create a new document (simple text....UTF-8...and no .txt extension), then copy all the text above into the document. Save it to the Desktop using the name com.apple.Boot.plist and close the document.

--------------

Finally: Copy the file to /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration and authenticate when asked. Restart, the SuperDrive will now work.