Can login to Server Admin across inet to server, share server screen, but...
...can't login into the f'ing server while screen sharing is displaying the Login panel.
I've just about had it. Snow Leopard Server is NOT ready for prime time. After trying endlessly to configure the server "Properly" using Server Admin and Workgroup Manager, it became apparent (too too tooo many long long tales to tell here..) that there was absolutely NO WAY snow leopard server was going to work "as advertised". Once I accepted this, I did the following:
1. Demoted the OD to a stand alone.
2. rebuilt the LDAP database.
(Please do not ask if DNS is working properly. YES. WITHOUT ANY DOUBT. WITHOUT ANY CONFLUENCE OF ALL POSSIBLE CHECKS, RE-CHECKS, CHANGEIP's, Lookup's ETC>>>>> DNS IS ABSOLUTELY WITHOUT A DOUBT COMPLETELY WORKING FLAWLESSLY).
3. Open "Server Preferences" (Server management GUI that works for novices).
4/ Added users (Which creates an OD Master)
5. Managed shares;
(Side note conclusion: If you do not possess the Unix commandline expertise to manage an OD on Snow Leopard: THIS IS YOUR ONLY OPTION. ALL OTHER ATTEMPTS AT USING WGM and SA will FAIL!!... WARNING WARNING WARNING!!!! ONLY USE SERVER PREFERENCES OR YOU WILL BE SO SO SORRY!!!! ...I know it affords little control and no granularity...but the alternative is DON'T WORK AT ALL)
6. Now I AVOID WGM and SA LIKE THE PLAGUE: TRUST ME: THEY SIMPLY DO NOT WORK. I'm sure if you know the other 75% of command line instructions you can kinda use them a little bit.
Anyway, after trying to mange my clients' network with Server Preferences, I made the foolhardy mistake of clicking the Security Panel and exposing all services including VPN. Indeed SL Server warned me that it wasn't a good idea...but it let me do it....thus putting the server into a state where NOBODY (even on the local network) could access the server. The only option? Hard reset.
After the reset I can NO LONG log into the server via Screen Sharing USING THE SAME UN/PW I HAVE USED Post number 1 and 2 above. I can SSH into the server. I even ran Diskutil repairpermissions. But NOOOOOO.... I can't login into the server USING THE SAME UN/PW I use to SSH....Won't work. Ain't gonna happen.
So now I guess I am F'd again. JUST LIKE WINDOWS. GOTTA START ALL OVER AGAIN!
Anyway...
SNOW LEOPARD SERVER???? Absolutely NOT READY for prime time. Do not waste your time/money. You are better off with ubuntu, red hat etc...
At least with those there isn't the delusion that you can manage a network with gui.
Crappy product Apple. Very crappy product. Want proof? Reboot the server using the install DVD. Choose utilities->Disk Utility. Repair Permissions. Sit back and watch the screen roll by with tons and tons of fixes. All done? Fabulous. Now, without rebooting, without restarting...do it again. Execute Utilities-:> Disk Utility-> repair permissions. Are you tired yet? You can do it all day, all night...the permissions will NEVER be fixed. What does that tell you?
If you can help, (based on the posts to this forum I doubt it. I'm certainly NOT alone). Fantabulous. Otherwise, I'll resign myself to a product that is looking more and more like Windows everyday. Can't get it to work? 3-finger salute doesn't work? ahhh well...RE-INSTALL!!!! START OVER!!! You got time. Right?