Fresh headless install of Lion (client) on Mac Mini (Server)

All,
I have a Mac Mini (Server) with two internal drives. I have successfully been running Lion (client) headless (no monitor or keyboard) for some time since I had originally 10.6 installed and upgraded to 10.7 using the Mac App Store. For backup I nightly clone my primary internal drive to the secondary drive using SuperDuper.
I'm having a problem with my Lion install which means that I want to do a fresh install. I'm stuck as to how to do this. I've tried:
1. Boot from primary disk; run Install Lion app; system reboots, freshly installs the O/S, with Screen Sharing on but doesn't wipe the disk, leaving the problem that I'm trying to get rid off.
2. Boot from the secondary disk; format the primary disk and do a fresh install on the primary disk. However this doesn't work as once the install is underway and it's re-booted onto the primary disk screen sharing is disabled and so I can't see what's going on.
(I know that it's possible to use screen sharing during a server install with no username and the first eight characters of the serial number - but this doesn't work with the Lion client installs.)
Anybody with any ideas?
Thanks in advance - Jonathan.

Here's what I would do. It might be handy to run a keyboard and monitor to the Mini at least during this process.
Reboot into the Recovery partition. Once in, launch Disk Utility. Wipe your boot volume and repartion. Create single partition called 'Server HD'. Now, quit Disk Utility and select the option to reinstall Lion. Install it on your new partition.
This should work just fine for you.

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Apple has not announced system requirements yet, so anything anyone here can say will just be a guess. My guess is that I can't image that 10.7 won't support 2010 hardware, but again, that's just a guess. We'll have to wait until Apple releases official specifications, which probably won't happen until sometime next spring. Beyond that, there's nothing more we can say.
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Regards.

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[Background]
In fact I want to make use of its strongest computing power (amongst available Mac Mini computers in store), quad-core CPU & dual disks, to run music applications (DAWs). Operating systems are put at SSD, and data is put at traditional harddisk. As some music applications (e.g. Calkwalk Dimension) only support 10.6 currently, I need to down-grade from Lion server to Snow Leopard workstation. Also I think applications can run faster in a hardware with workstation OS (rather than server version). Please correct me if this belief is wrong.
Thanks / Howard.

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AGStudio.pro
as I know, it is impossibe to install ssd and hdd in this model
Thats incorrect, who told you that?    Ive installed a second 7mm drive in several Mac Minis and own 2 myself. Typing on same now.
(you can put in a second 9.5mm drive rather than a 7mm drive, however it takes nimble fingers unless you want to completely remove the dual drive caddy from inside the mac Mini)
see youtube video on installing second drive in the Mini
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnrhin2ed8E
AGStudio.pro
   I don't need a server.
Then you dont need the mac mini server.    All you need is a standard mac mini.
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Help! Can't install SSD in my new Mac Mini Server (2012)

Previously I've purcahsed Mac Mini servers and removed one of the two drives, replacing it with an OWC SSD. The hardware change was not hard to do and resulted in incredibly good computers for my employees to use which allowed us to retire several old, slow and abandoned-by-Apple Mac Pros. There were no issues with reformatting the computers after they had SSDs put in.
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I'm not sure how or what is different between the Standard 2012 Mac Mini and the 2012 Server...? However it looks like your Server also uses Fusion like or similar to the regular Mac Mini's.
"The version of Disk Utility that comes with Fusion Drive is unique. Earlier versions of Disk Utility can't be used with a Fusion Drive."
Have a look at > Mac mini (Late 2012) and iMac (Late 2012): About Fusion Drive
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I have an older Intel Mac Mini running fully updated Snow Leopard with an upgraded CPU (Core2 Duo), RAM (2GB), and hard drive.
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It's not the graphics card it is the fact that it is an "upgraded"
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Hi.
I am trying to do a clean install of ML on a Mac Mini Server. This is just a test machine, so not interested in any backups, etc.
The machine is a Mid 2011 Mac Mini, and had Lion Server on it to start with (has been re-installed, reimaged, etc multiple times in it's short life with me so far ..)
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I have a successfully created and tested USB stick with OS X ML install on it. I boot the mini with the USB stick, and once the installer options are available, I use the disk utility to create my software raid 1 config. Once this is completed, I proceed with the rest of the install.
Before I can go any further, I am warned that the installer will NOT be able to create a recovery partition, and use time machine backups on this drive.
If I break the raid and install on either one of the drives, the install proceeds without any problems.
Is there a method I can use to do a clean install on this machine with the drives configured as RAID 1?

This is the message that would happen with Lion, see this: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4649
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When you boot from a recovery partition you have access to certain tools, e.g. Disk Utility to restore a Time Machine back up, redownload the OS, etc.
The recovery partition provides a certain bit of convenience but isn't absolutely necessary to run the OS. When you see the message, doesn't it let you go ahead with the install, accepting that no recovery partition will be created?
If you need some of the recovery partition tools, you have a bootable USB stick as well as a backup of the Mt. Lion installer, no?

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Thanks

Here is what I'm attempting to get around that 'stall'.
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I'm downloading Lion client from the Mac App Store.
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Mac Mini Server to OS X Lion

All,
I am trying to get my head around the steps that I would need to do in order to upgrade my Mac Mini server that is currently running OS X 10.6 to OS X 10.7 Lion. I have already purchased the $29.99 Lion upgrade for our other machines in the house.
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Upgrading to Lion Server is a two step process in that the server part is a separate purchase and install. My understanding is that during the upgrade of SL Server, you run the Lion installer, then you'll be prompted for to purchase and download the Server add-on, if the installer does not already find it in your Applications folder. I'm not sure, but I don't believe you can use the old Server Tools on Lion. And I don't think you can "only" upgrade a SL Server to Lion without the Server add-on.
...I also worry about breaking things during the Lion install....
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Mac mini server on two different location

Hi,
With my partner we are working on very havy image file from two different location. we wont to be able to share those file to each other easly and quickly mad make sur those file are allways up to date.
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I did not buy the MAC mini server yet but as soon that I know the best soluiton and that it is possilbe to do so I will buy it.
- My second idea (if the first one is not possible or if you guy's convins me that my idea is stupide) would be to have one MAC Mini server in one location setup with an external hard drive in RAID 01. my partner will need to connect to this server through VPN. This solution seems to be a good option but my partner will need to copy the file in local to work on it (few Gb eatch file) and copy it back on the server when he finish to work on it.
With this solution I will also need to organise manual backup through another hard drive to avoid to have all our data in the same location.
Witch one of those solution seems the best and can work with MAC mini server? If you have another idea for my situation I m more then happy to read it.
Knowing that other user may need to access to my file, is the MAC Mini server VPN connection safe and fast?
Thank you in advance for your help.
Chris.

The fact that you are both working on multi-gigabyte
files, the statement BDAqua made about network speed
is a big issue. Small incremental changes in a single
multi-gigabyte file still require that entire file to be transferred.
There in lies the big issue with network speeds.
Basically, it seems idea 1 will probably not work well and
besides, RAID is for local drives and not for over networks.
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computer that has the application and the data and log into
it and work remotely. However, it sounds like these are image
files and working and any kind of graphics over a remote
connection is problematic unless there is a very high speed
network connection.
Second idea is the simple solution. As for the backup, that
can be automated with backup software and the backup could be
put any where.

Format the mac mini server 2010

Dear Friends,
good day
I have a Mac mini 2010 running OS X snow leopard server, when I bought it I had after few days later some booting issues ,, hence I visited maintenance center & they just format it and every things going fine after the initial setup.
Few days later I had issues with the web service (wiki) ... that's make me decided to format the Mac mini by using the installation DVD which come with it.. since I don't have an external super drive I use what they called remote disk function by inserting the server OS X installation DVD on my iMac 20" Intel 2006 and use the DVD remotely through wireless/Cable.
The wired thing when I choose the distention to install the os in the Mac mini server it gave me an error the you can't install an older version to this volume !
I never had such issues with my other Macs,, did any one face such problem ??
Thank you in advance for helping me out.
cheers mates

{quote:title=Rabeh wrote:}
The wired thing when I choose the distention to install the os in the Mac mini server it gave me an error the you can't install an older version to this volume !
{quote}
The problem is your mac os x server version is more updated than your Mac Os server DVD version . if you want to completely reformat and install it from the beginning you need to reformat the hard drive using disk utility ?
HIH
(Hope it helps)

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I thought it might be as simple as to put the OS X Server disc into the Mac Pro, install and then migrate the settings across, and then format the Mac Mini Server and install Snow Leopard. But when I put the CD into the Mac Pro, I got a message saying that OS X Couldn't Be Installed On This Computer.
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Try to put the MacPro in FireWire target disk mode and install the OS, or take the disk out and using an enclosure install. Do not clone, it will probably fail due to hardware differences. Try new installation not being plugged in the same network as the mini, setup DNS and transfer OD archive and other settings from the mini.
Regards
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Is it possible to install Lion client on to a Mac mini server?

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If you try to install a retail copy of Lion on the new hardware including 2011 Mini, it will refuse to boot from it - this is a deliberate and in my book completely unnecessary and unreasonable restriction by Apple.
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Fresh headless install of Lion (client) on Mac Mini (Server)

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