How to turn off Open Directory in OS X Server 10.8.2

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How to turn off Open Directory in OS X Server 10.8.2

I am configuring a MacPro with ML Server 10.8.2 for internal-only use. I have DNS working on it (with the annoyance that it goes out of its way to break wildcard host names, and it doesn't know how to properly create the zone files to allow a secondary DNS server to do reverse-name-lookups properly). I have only 2 users (admin and Time Machine), Time Machine is working for client Macs using the Time Machine user account, and File Sharing is working (using either account), sharing a RAID of internal drives an a pair of USB-attached external drives.

I briefly turned on Open Directory, just to see if I wanted or needed to go that route. I entered an Open Directory admin (diradmin) with a password. Looked around the options and decided I did NOT need to use Open Directory just to get the Time Machine stuff working, and I was right.

However, now the Server App shows Open Directory is "On." When I go to that tab, I get a message stating that there was an error reading the settings file for Open Directory services. I click it "Off" but it refuses to turn off. When I come back to the tab, I get a pop-up window with a message about an error reading the settings and the Off/On switch moves back to "On" and the green light never goes off next to Open Directory in the list of services.

I've rebooted the machine and after the reboot, sometimes, it appears as if I can add/delete/modify Users and Groups. Other times, after the reboot, the +/- buttons are greyed out and I cannot add/edit/modify Users and Groups. I have not yet tried to add/delete/modify users yet because I'm leery of trusting the server with this error message.

Can anyone help me to remove anything and everything related to Open Directory so that it is "off" as if I never ever turned it on? Or any suggestions on how to fix this short of a reinstall?

Can I download and install the Server app on a differnt machine and then just copy the Server app over to this machine? Will that zero out the Open Directory stuf that I'm trying to get rid of?

Thanks in advance.

Mac Pro, OS X Server

Posted on Nov 27, 2012 9:47 AM

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Answer 1

GeneAnaya Author

Level 1

0 points

Nov 27, 2012 1:45 PM in response to GeneAnaya

I think I solved my problem by running the following command:

sudo slapconfig -destroyldapserver diradmin

diradmin is the name of the Open Directory admin account I created.

The Open Directory Service now appears "off" and no longer had the green dot next to it in the list of services.

Obviously, NOT a good solution to someone who was actively using Open Directory as this appears to have deleted all the data associated with Open Directory.

Users and Groups now allow me to add/delete/modify.

Sad to see an Apple product have such issues.

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Answer 2

prbsparx

Level 1

30 points

Nov 27, 2012 10:54 PM in response to GeneAnaya

Gene,

You are correct, in your case, running sudo slapconfig -destoryldapserver is the best course of action. You don't even need diradmin at the end.

You are also correct that this deletes everything associated with OD.

Glad to see you were able to solve it on your own. Open Directory typically has issues when you don't have DNS setup for the server itself properly (including forward AND reverse) other times it tends to just work.

Of course OS X Server as an app introduced a whole new slew of interesting issues...

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