Mac Mini: do I need a screen?

A

aicul

Registered
Hello folks,

I'm considering purchasing a mini as a file server that my macs would access by wifi. However I have no screen to connect to the mini.

Does anyone know if there is a way to temporarily connect the mini to the screen of an iMac or Powerbook to start it up?

I guess once th emini is up and running I don't need the screen anymore.

Thanks
 
Once it's up and running, you don't need a screen, keyboard or mouse. You can use VNC, Apple Remote Desktop, TimBukTu to control (run) the machine from another, but you do need the screen, keyboard and mouse to set it up.
 
but in all seriousness, If you are just going to be using it as a file server, ssh wont be very much more usefull than any of the others. good luck!
 
I am a HUGE mac lover so don't start flaming this please. I buy as much Apple merchandise as possible to support them. But I have a MUCH better solution for a file server. I am using (don't work for them) 2 Rebyte servers in two different locations that sync to each other for data protection. They are raid boxes. I use a Via motherboard that requires no fans so it runs very quiet. You get data protection from the raid and it works great for file serving, media serving, video, etc. You can put one together for about 400-500 dollars depending on storage needs. I put 2 together with 1 terrabyte each for about 2100 total. They run on Linux, but you do not need to know anything about linux to make them run. They are plug and play. www.rebyte.com - if anyone wants more info, I can answer questions. I am pretty jazzed about them and they work as advertised.
 
PS. They require no monitor, mouse or keyboard after setup (which takes about 10 minutes). They have a web interface that you can perform any task from.
 
pipermalibu said:
I am a HUGE mac lover so don't start flaming this please. I buy as much Apple merchandise as possible to support them. But I have a MUCH better solution for a file server. I am using (don't work for them) 2 Rebyte servers in two different locations that sync to each other for data protection. They are raid boxes. I use a Via motherboard that requires no fans so it runs very quiet. You get data protection from the raid and it works great for file serving, media serving, video, etc. You can put one together for about 400-500 dollars depending on storage needs. I put 2 together with 1 terrabyte each for about 2100 total. They run on Linux, but you do not need to know anything about linux to make them run. They are plug and play. www.rebyte.com - if anyone wants more info, I can answer questions. I am pretty jazzed about them and they work as advertised.
Click to expand...

Seems like an unnecessary thing for doing personal backups. I can understand for a small biz, but for at home backups for multiple computers that is overkill.
 
I am a semi-pro photographer. All of my RAW files are 8-12MB each. Each weekend I shoot 2-3 hundred shots, keep about 100 or so. Processed images are 20-60MB each. 10,000 + mp3 files, 3 powerbooks with 60GB drives, all 2/3 full. And its just me and my wife. So far we occupy over 350GB of data, and we have not even started storing video yet. Hard disk space is like a garage, the more have the more you need. I know its overkill for just a one or two internet surfing, word processing house - BUT - you get redundancy with a raid (easy and near automatic disaster recovery) and since nearly everything is going digital in our lives, you can use it for so many things. I have a Audiotron in the stereo cabinet pulling mp3's off it, an Airport Express pulling mp3's in the bedroom, and all those pictures we take eat tons of space. (Don't you hate to throw way even marginal pictures of someone you really love?) - All of it for less money than most PC's and superior flexibility and performance and peace of mind.
 
Interesting - so they're basically a flash disk that installs like an IDE drive? I tried to watch the movie that shows you how it works, but it won't load...
 
Yep, just a flash disk that installs in the IDE socket on the motherboard. Preloaded and configured for the purpose of making a NAS Raid. Works really good....and you can't beat the price!
 
just start use the mini with your powerbook screen (sort of). connect them with firewire and then hold alt when you start the powerbook and choose the minis hard-sdrive as start disk.
 
[missed Decado's post - D'oh. It's beautifully simple.. but does it work with a fresh mini? ]

Couple of things to add/question...

For remote access (VNC style); which video cards need a dongle to keep the OS drawing the display even when none is attached? Anyone out there got a mini that you can VNC without a display attached?
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Mac mini as a file server might be overspend if file serving is all you want... there's a new product due out from LaCie - the Ethernet Disk Mini that you should have a look at. It has a 250GB, 7200rpm drive (much bigger and faster) on the end of a 100BaseT (fast but not gigabit) connection for half the price. And it doubles as a USB2 external drive - which is nice.

If you want iTunes streaming or anything like that then it won't be any good - and there's no built in wireless - so you'd need a wireless router to plug it into but it's caught my eye. LaCie do good stuff.
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Gosh darnit I want a me a McMini - connected to the living room telly - the stereo and plug a little keyboard into it for some iLife fun with my kids. Oh and for a little file sharing too.
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Oh and the reByte thing looks interesting, pipermalibu, you got some more setup info - maybee you could grab a pic of the cases you've got them in - 'cos that sounds like a very good system. (I'm also a semi-pro photographer. More semi that pro though.) But how do you stream your mp3s to the AirPort Express?
--

Gabs
 
The Mac Mini doesn't need a monitor, adapter or dongle to run headless. Apple states that.
 
Well ALL,

Thanks for the feed-back. All sounds good.

The CRT option is clean but we'd rather not have such a box in the house.

The S-Video solution requires a TV. We don't have one (you read that right, NO TV!). I'm actually waiting for Apple to issue a serious TV demodulator for the Mac.

Concerning the file server, maybe I should have been clearer. Most of the time this mini would be used as a source for iLife products such as iTunes. So I actually need more than a file server, I need something that can run these applications also (ie. iTunes music sharing over airport). Maybe even use it to pipe internet to airport. Hence the idea of a mini.

Getting a mini with a large disk or extra disk (and airport) would also resolve the smallish 60Gb disk of the powerbook. Those photos are getting voluminous...

Originally Posted by Decado
connect them with firewire and then hold alt when you start the powerbook and choose the minis hard-sdrive as start disk.
Click to expand...
I guess this should also work between iMac an powerbook. I'll try this tonite!

Originally Posted by gdekadt
It's beautifully simple.. but does it work with a fresh mini?
Click to expand...
Can someone answer this?

Thanks again...
 
Originally Posted by gdekadt
It's beautifully simple.. but does it work with a fresh mini?
Click to expand...

I think you'll need to start the Mini on it's own with a monitor, keyboard and mouse to finish the initial setup before using Target Disk Mode, could be wrong though.
 
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