Mac OSX Server

Mac OS X Server should run on any Mac if I'm not mistaken. The difference is that Server includes the server tools needed for that Mac to act as a server.

However, I don't believe this is a requirement to run a Mac OS X based server. You could possibly do the same thing with the client version of Mac OS X, although you would have to manually modify the configuration files for Apache, mySQL, and others.

Does anyone know if someone's written a front-end for the client version of OS X that allows you to modify the config files for Apache and other server apps?
 
You don't even need the server edition of OS X to run as a server - the config apps are nice, make managing the server easier, but are not at all necessary.

I've never seen the tools in OS X server, but I'm biased in favour of hand editing config files - I prefer to know exactly what they say, rather than some GUI tool changing things for me...
 
You don't need the server OS to run as a fairly basic FILE server, no. But the actual Server OS offers POP/SMTP, DHCP, DNS, Web, proxy, firewall, VPN, and far more sophisticated management of Network Shares, access rights, user permissions etc., not to mention network booting and network-based Home folders.
 
It would be nice to have software update manage updates to the pop server, dns server, etc, but that's not a huge deal. You can always manage your own server installs (maybe with the help of fink) firewall scripts, etc.

I don't know a thing about what rights management you can do on shares though. I'm excited for proper posix acls in 10.4 though...
 
I am administrating a small graphic design office and at the moment we have 7 computers networked one of which we call the server. However this is simply a computer where all our work is stored. What would the advantages of running Mac OSX Server on this computer? Would it be worth it?

Thanks
 
While I think OS X is the best OS for the desktop, I don't see the point of running OS X Server. Apart from the nice GUI config tools, theres really nothing stopping you from putting YellowDogLinux on your mac and turning it into a server.

Plus, you save quite a lot in terms of $$$
 
Or even cheaper: Use a cheapo PC box with Fedora Core Linux (or sumthin' else) as the fileserver. The advantages of Mac OS X Server are laid out on Apple's pages about it. No need for Xserve hardware for your tasks, though...
 
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