SUS - Clients "up to date" when they are not

Question

OS X Server 10.5.6 running on PPC is being used as Software Update Server. I have let it download everything (258 packages) to the local server.
All clients are "unmanaged." After a bunch of monkeying around I finally got my own client machine to see the server and find the 10.5.7 update.
Now trying to get the next batch of test clients to work. One is 10.4.11 PPC, another is 10.5..6 MacBook. Both indicate my server's IP address in the Software Update application title bar, but after considerable "Checking" they respond as being Up to Date, when clearly they are not.
How I've set things up:
Server Admin:
- Web is on and active (only the default domain on this machine)
- Software Update is on, port 8088, Automatically Copy is checked, Automatically enable is checked, Purge ischecked. No bandwidth limits.
- all packages have been downloaded and are enabled
- DNS is not enabled
Clients:
- I used Terminal in each client manually and executed this line:
sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate CatalogURL http://192.168.0.20:8088/index.sucatalog
While I can see maybe the 10.4 PPC system possibly being incompatible (though I have read to the contrary), I don't understand why the 10.5 MacBook wouldn't work.
I read other threads and google nuggets, but none seem to apply or help.
Need some ideas. Thanks.
-- gw

Answer 1

On your server, run this in Terminal.app:
changeip -checkhostname
It should return:
Primary Address = 123.45.67.89
Current HostName = server.domain.com
DNS HostName = server.domain.com
where '123.45.67.89' is the IP address of your SUS and 'server.domain.com' is the FQDN of your SUS.
If it doesn't, then fix your DNS first. Then change the HostName in Server Admin to the FQDN of the server. Then, in Terminal.app, run:
changeip /LDAPv3/127.0.0.1 123.45.67.89 123.45.67.89 oldhostname newhostname
where '123.45.67.89' is the IP address of your SUS and 'oldhostname' is the 'old' name of the server and 'newhostname' is the FQDN of the server.
Then, on your SUS, check this file /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/Preferences.plist by opening it in Property List Editor and looking for the keys:
Root > System > ComputerName
and
Root > System > HostName
They should both be set to the FQDN of the machine.
Then on the clients, in Terminal.app, do (the line below may be wrapped because of length):
sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate CatalogURL http://your.SUS.com:8088/
where 'your.SUS.com' is the FQDN of your SUS.
This will set the global prefs for Software Update for all users.
Note that you do not have to include the 'index.sucatalog' as part of the URL, because if you do, Software Update will generate the URL as this: http://your.SUS.com:8088/index.sucatalog/index.sucatalog. Which of course will not point to the 'index.sucatalog' on your SUS.