How to use Mac Mini Server as media server

I recently purchased a Mac Mini Server and want to make it my media center accessed by my TV.
This is what I have on my network:
1x Mac Book Pro
3x Mac Books
4x iPhones (2x iPhone 4, 2x iPhone 3Gs)
1x iPad
1x 1TB external Drive
1x Time Capsule 500 Gig
I want to figure out a way to easily put all the Video/Photos and Music onto the Mac Mini Server from all phones, computers and iPad.  I then want to be able to watch them from my TV.
I then want all the devices to be able to see the videos/photos from them in real time if needed.
Does anyone know how to accomplish this?
Thanks,
Darren

iCloud when available later this year will help a lot. However in the mean time the only option is to either
sync all the iPhones/iPads to their computers
copy all the libraries on to your Mac mini and then import them in to the master library
login via file sharing to each computer and then import them in to the master library
use FireWire Target Disk mode and import them in to the master library

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    If you are using standard you will be asked for, and can enter something like the following :
    domain : crystal-palace.mac.private
    machine : crystal-palace
    if you are doing the "enterprise" mode you will also have to enter crystal-palace.mac.private in one more field,
    Each machine will have a fixed PRIVATE IP address in the form of "192.168.1.n" and a "Computer Name" that was unique within the ZONE (the group of machines) via "System Preferences ---> Sharing".
    Once you switch to the "enterprise" mode you can add more machines (using the "Computer Name" above) with their respective private ip addresses.
    If you are using the "enterprise" mode, You want to setup Open Directory initially as "standalone", once that is working promote it to "Directory Master" via the "Settings" Tab. If you are using the "standard" mode, the Open Directory is setup automatically as "Directory Master" but there doesn't seem to be any way to add to the DNS, I think you have to use "Directory Utility" to do this. But if you've gotten this far it is easier to promote the setup mode to "enterprise" with "Server Admin".
    I have a 1TB drive partitioned into 8 logical drives , the first seven standard partitions are named BUP_1 through BUP_7 and are provide 93 GB each. They are setup as test drives. The last partition is named TM_1 which is used for Time Machine backups and it provides close to 280 GB of backup storage.
    On the first partition, I installed OS X 10.5.7 along with some basic applications that I normally use. I then created a dmg installer that I saved to TM_1 using disk utility and used that to install the image on the remaining six partitions (BUP_2 ... BUP_7).
    The seven standard partitions then have OS X 10.5.7, which I basically use as test drives. It is here that I attempted different things trying to get this to be a simple deal. If one attempt didn't work I moved on to the next partition...
    The BUP_n already have USERNAME setup as localadmin, not admin CHECK step ( 4 ) below. Also note that the dscl commands all have a dot following them.
    Steps that worked for me, that allowed me to select the setup mode for os x server.
    ( 1 ) Boot mac into single user mode by holding down (CMD-S) during startup until you see text scrolling on the screen.
    if the text on the screen stops, and you don't get the "root # " cursor, you may have to hit return once in order to get it. Once you get the root cursor you will need to enter the following commands very carefully. On the paths you can type part of the path and hit tab for auto completion. Everything is case sensitive...
    NOTICE that USERNAME needs to be substituted with the correct shortname from step ( 4 ) in steps ( 6 ), ( 7 ) and ( 8 )
    ( 2 ) $ mount -uw /
    ( 3 ) $ /bin/launchctl load /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.DirectoryServices.plist &
    ( 4 ) $ dscl . -list /Users
    ( 5 ) $ rm -R /Library/Preferences/
    ( 6 ) $ rm -R /Users/USERNAME/
    ( 7 ) $ dscl . -delete /Users/USERNAME
    ( 8 ) $ dscl . -delete /Groups/admin GroupMembership USERNAME
    ( 9 ) $ rm /var/db/.AppleSetupDone
    ( 10 ) $ rm -R /var/db/dslocal
    ( 11 ) $ mkdir -p /var/db/dslocal/nodes
    ( 12 ) $ cp -Rp /System/Library/DirectoryServices/DefaultLocalDB/Default /var/db/dslocal/nodes/
    ( 13 ) $ cp -Rp /System/Library/DirectoryServices/DefaultLocalDB/dsmappings /var/db/dslocal/
    ( 14 ) $ passwd
    ( 15 A) $ shutdown -h now (if you want to reboot outside of single user mode)
    OR
    ( 15 B) $ exit (if you want to continue booting in single user mode)
    I think that to make this an easy install, there should be a small script from Apple that you can run once OS X, and OS X Server are installed, and updated, that reset everything to pristine, so that after running the script everything that needs to be removed, or reset is done so that you can go through the normal 17 screens that allow for simple setup of OS X Server, just like if you had been able to boot from the OS X Server disk.
    The answer I got from Apple Support is that when new machines come out it takes a while to get the correct drivers and release an installer disk for OS X Server. The unfortunate part is that there is no simple way to allow the installer to select which mode they need for the particular installation. They are forced to take the "enterprise" mode...
    I am not SURE whether the steps I have outlined above cover everything, that is why I am suggesting that if would be far more accurate if Apple provided an installer script when they have NON_BOOTABLE versions of OS X Server Installer.
    After three weeks and about 150 hours worth of work, I finally gave up and took the Mac Mini and OS X Server back and bought another iMac 24. Whenever a newer version OS X Server that is bootable on the newer machines comes out, I will get it another shot...
    The guy I dealt with at the Apple Store kept saying, it works, you're just not installing it correctly. He also said "I've installed OS X Server on a Mini". But everytime I asked him, "Was it a new new Mini?" and he would respond, "Well, NO!". I also asked him "Were you able to boot the Mini from the the disk ?", he responded "YES!"
    I ran into some other issues, for example one night I shutdown the server, and the next morning none of the passwords would work, not even the root password. So I came up with the following, hope this helps.
    PROBLEM :
    This morning for some reason the Mac Mini would not allow me to log in, neither as the Local Admin, nor as the System Admin. The database containing the login info must have become corrupted.
    FIRST LEVEL REPAIR ATTEMPT
    I started the machine using the Apple Install DVD, holding the "C" key to force the CD to boot
    Once the installer screen came up, hit return and select :
    ( 1 ) Menu Utilities -> Disk Utility -> Select the Drive -> Repair Permissions
    ( 2 ) Menu Utilities -> Disk Utility -> Select the Drive -> Repair Disk
    ( 3 ) Quit out of Disk Utility...
    ( 4 ) Menu Utilities -> Reset Password
    ( a ) Reset the password for the root user
    ( b ) Reset the password for the local admin user.
    ( 5 ) Quit out of Reset Password...
    ( 2 ) Menu Utilities -> Startup Disk
    ( 6 ) Select the correct disk to use for re-start.
    ( 7 ) Re-Start
    ( 8 ) I tried this several times, but could never get the new passwords to work after re-booting.
    There must have still been some corruption in the database.
    SECOND LEVEL REPAIR ATTEMPT
    ( 10 ) reboot and to hold the CMD-S to boot into the single user mode.
    At the root prompt, type in the following commands. I might have to hit return, if there is a white cursor that appears to be hung up waiting for input, just hit return, then you should see the root prompt.
    First try :
    ( 11 ) root # fsck -f
    ( 12 ) root # mount -uw
    ( 13 ) root # passwd
    ( 14 ) root # exit
    ( 15 ) when the login dialog appears try to login as root
    ( 16 ) if you can login, go to :
    ( a ) System Preferences -> Accounts and reset the password for the Local User in question.
    ELSE
    ( b ) Go to step ( 20 ) below
    THIRD LEVEL REPAIR ATTEMPT
    This is the command set to reset the local DB on the server
    20. $ reboot and to hold the CMD-S to boot into the single user mode.
    21. $ mount -uw /
    22. $ mv /var/db/dslocal /var/db/dslocal.old
    23. $ mkdir -p /var/db/dslocal/nodes
    24. $ cp -Rp /System/Library/DirectoryServices/DefaultLocalDB/Default /var/db/dslocal/nodes/
    25. $ cp -Rp /System/Library/DirectoryServices/DefaultLocalDB/dsmappings /var/db/dslocal/
    26. $ passwd
    FOURTH LEVEL REPAIR ATTEMPT
    ( 31 ) Shutdown the machine with the problem( we will call it the pm for problem machine)
    ( 32 ) attach a firewire cable to the pm on one end
    ( 33 ) attach the other end of the firewire cable to a good machine (call it gm)
    In my case the gm uses firewire 400, and the pm uses firewire 800, so I had to get a cable that had firewire 400 on one end, and firewire 800 on the other,
    ( 34 ) start up the pm while holding down the "T" key until you see a large image floating around the pm screen. This put the pm into the "TARGET" mode, now it will behave like a drive, and you should see the drive on your gm desktop.
    ( 35 ) You can now copy anything you need from the pm to the gm.
    ( 36 ) Make sure you BACKUP anything and everything you want from the pm to the gm
    ( 37 ) IF YOU ARE WORKING ON A MACHINE CONTAINING OS X SERVER :
    At this point, if nothing else has worked you will have to erase the drive and
    ( a ) re-install OS X, and
    ( b ) re-install OS X Server on the pm
    ( 38 ) IF YOU ARE WORKING ON A MACHINE CONTAINING OS X :
    At this point, if nothing else has worked, from the Install DVD you can
    ( a ) Archive and re-install OS X on the pm
    Another interesting thing that has happened several times now, is that I always install standard OS X on the first partition of the disk, and OS X Server on a different partition, and after installing OS X Server the machine would no longer boot from the standard OS X partition. This has happened like four different times, not sure what could be causing this problem. Booting from the install disk and running Disk Utilities to repair the disk (which comes back OK), and repair permissions always comes back with an internal error,and cannot be completed.
    I have no clue what could be happening. I always had to reformat the drive and instal OS X all over again.
    I have no clue what could be causing this to happen ?

  • Used Mac Mini and reinstalling OS X

    I bought a used Mac mini (late 2009) with mountain lion installed.  The previous owner didn't do a factory reset, so I attempted to by using OS X Utilities and reformatting the hard drive.  I then attempted to reinstall OS X, but since I'm not the original registered owner, I can't get past the login dialog during the license verification stage.  What should I do at this point?
    Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

    The first thing to do with a second-hand computer is to erase the internal drive and install a clean copy of OS X. You—not the original owner—must do that. Changes made by Apple over the years have made this seemingly straightforward task very complex.
    How you go about it depends on the model, and on whether you already own another Mac. If you're not sure of the model, enter the serial number on this page. Then find the model on this page to see what OS version was originally installed.
    It's unsafe, and may be unlawful, to use a computer with software installed by a previous owner.
    1. If you don't own another Mac
    If the machine shipped with OS X 10.4 or 10.5, you need a boxed and shrink-wrapped retail Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6) installation disc from the Apple Store or a reputable reseller—not from eBay or anything of the kind. If the machine is very old and has less than 1 GB of memory, you'll need to add more in order to install 10.6. Preferably, install as much memory as it can take, according to the technical specifications.
    If the machine shipped with OS X 10.6, you need the installation media that came with it: gray installation discs, or a USB flash drive for a MacBook Air. You should have received those media from the original owner, but if you didn't, order replacements from Apple. A retail disc, or the gray discs from another model, will not work.
    To start up from an optical disc or a flash drive, insert it, then restart the computer and hold down the C key at the startup chime. Release the key when you see the gray Apple logo on the screen.
    If the machine shipped with OS X 10.7 or later, you don't need media. It should start up in Internet Recovery mode when you hold down the key combination option-command-R at the startup chime. Release the keys when you see a spinning globe.
    Some models shipped with OS X 10.6 and received a firmware update after 10.7 was released, enabling them to use Internet Recovery. If you have one of those models, you may not be able to reinstall 10.6 even from the original discs, and Internet Recovery may not work either without the original owner's Apple ID. In that case, contact Apple Support, or take the machine to an Apple Store or another authorized service provider to have the OS installed.
    2. If you do own another Mac
    If you already own another Mac that was upgraded in the App Store to the version of OS X that you want to install, and if the new Mac is compatible with it, then you can install it. Use Recovery Disk Assistant to prepare a USB device, then start up the new Mac from it by holding down the C key at the startup chime. Alternatively, if you have a Time Machine backup of OS X 10.7.3 or later on an external hard drive (not a Time Capsule or other network device), you can start from that by holding down the option key and selecting it from the row of icons that appears. Note that if your other Mac was never upgraded in the App Store, you can't use this method.
    3. Partition and install OS X
    a. If you see a lock screen when trying to start up from installation media or in Recovery mode, then a firmware password was set by the previous owner, or the machine was remotely locked via iCloud. You'll either have to contact the owner or take the machine to an Apple Store or another service provider to be unlocked. You may be asked for proof of ownership.
    b. Launch Disk Utility and select the icon of the internal drive—not any of the volume icons nested beneath it. In the  Partition tab, select the default options: a GUID partition table with one data volume in Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format. This operation will permanently remove all existing data on the drive.
    c. An unusual problem may arise if all the following conditions apply:
    OS X 10.7 or later was installed by the previous owner
    The startup volume was encrypted with FileVault
    You're booted in Recovery mode (that is, not from a 10.6 installation disc)
    In that case, you won't be able to unlock the volume or partition the drive without the FileVault password. Ask for guidance or see this discussion.
    d. After partitioning, quit Disk Utility and run the OS X Installer. If you're installing a version of OS X acquired from the App Store, you will need the Apple ID and password that you used. When the installation is done, the system will automatically restart into the Setup Assistant, which will prompt you to transfer the data from another Mac, its backups, or from a Windows computer. If you have any data to transfer, this is usually the best time to do it.
    e. Run Software Update and install all available system updates from Apple. To upgrade to a major version of OS X newer than 10.6, get it from the Mac App Store. Note that you can't keep an upgraded version that was installed by the original owner. He or she can't legally transfer it to you, and without the Apple ID you won't be able to update it in Software Update or reinstall, if that becomes necessary. The same goes for any App Store products that the previous owner installed—you have to repurchase them.
    4. Other issues
    a. If the original owner "accepted" the bundled iLife applications (iPhoto, iMovie, and Garage Band) in the App Store so that he or she could update them, then they're irrevocably linked to that Apple ID and you won't be able to download them without buying them. Reportedly, Mac App Store Customer Service has sometimes issued redemption codes for these apps to second owners who asked.
    b. If the previous owner didn't deauthorize the computer in the iTunes Store under his Apple ID, you wont be able to  authorize it immediately under your ID. In that case, you'll either have to wait up to 90 days or contact iTunes Support.
    c. When trying to create a new iCloud account, you might get a failure message: "Account limit reached." Apple imposes a lifetime limit of three iCloud account setups per device. Erasing the device does not reset the limit. You can still use an iCloud account that was created on another device, but you won't be able to create a new one. Contact iCloud Support for more information. The setup limit doesn't apply to Apple ID accounts used for other services, such as the iTunes and Mac App Stores, or iMessage. You can create as many of those accounts as you like.

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