server.app restrictions & auto-generated config files killing my changes

First, don't use Server.app. It's way too restricted to be practical for serious use. I don't understand why they think this is a prime feature of Mac OS X Lion Server.

Instead, download the proper Server Admin suite.

Secondly, it's long been an issue that Server Admin can overwrite hand-crafted changes to configuration files, however, I can't say I've ever see it happen automatically at reboot - it typically happens if you make changes in Server Admin.

I don't know whether installing the Server Admin tools will make a difference.

Is the link you posted an extended "Server Admin"?

Yes. It's a link to the full Server Admin suite, along the lines of what you might have seen with previous Mac OS X Server versions - in any case it has way more options for configuring the services than the too-simple on/off switches of Server.app.

Hi

Assuming I've understood you correctly the version of 'Server Admin' you appear to have is the one Camelot is referring to. Server Admin in 10.7 Lion Server (not the "Server App") gives you access to all of these following Services and nothing else via its interface.

DHCP

DNS

Firewall

Mail (via an interface that has more configurable options than the same Service in "Server App")

NAT

NetBoot

Open Directory

Podcast Producer

RADIUS

Software Update

Xgrid

Some of the above are ones you've listed. As you've seen for yourself the "Server App" gives you access to:

Address Book

File Sharing (AFP, WebDAV and SMB)

iCal

iChat

Mail

Podcast

Profile Manager

Time Machine

VPN

Web

Wiki

and nothing else. FTP is only available via the command line as per this article:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4704

As you've already gathered, Lion Server's "Server App" is extremely 'dumbed' down and, in my opinion, for most veteran users of OS X Server, not in a good way.

HTH?

Tony

Hi

". . . what do I need to do, to get my config stuff I need written into the config files each time?"

Apart from the initial configuration of what little there is and judging by what you're describing, stop using the Server App. Like Camelot I'm surprised the config files are being overwritten? I'm also suprised as to why you appear to be rebooting the server on a regular basis? Apart from disabling the "Dedicate system resources to server services" option in Server App's Hardware seciont (which requires a reboot) you should not have to reboot at all. Leastways I very rarely have.

As Camelot has said it's long been known one should avoid using the Server's Administration applications if you're making changes to config files. In the past this used to be particularly applicable to certain aspects of the Mail Service and a number of other services. Perhaps this has now changed in a major way? Unfortunately Apple are not really making too much information available anyway. Perhaps this too may change sometime soon?

Perhaps you could explore the serveradmin command line to start/stop services as well as configuring them? There does not appear to be a Lion specific command line administration manual but the one that is still downloadable for 10.6 should come in handy?

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/IntroCommandLine_v10.6.pdf

Page 17.

HTH?

Tony