Apple Apple XServe G4 1,33 Ghz - Server questions

Hi Everybody,

As some of you know/read I just bought myself a shiny new MacBook Pro 15". Replacing the 12" Powerbook. I just received a new battery from Apple (battery exchange program, never got around to ask a new one). So I think this is the best time to sell my precious powerbook, if I ever wanted too. It is a 1,5 Ghz G4, 768mb ram, airport, bluetooth 2.0 , superdrive, 80gb hd + lovely incase case. It is in lovely condition. How much do you think I can sell my baby for? After ebaying, I think 1000euro is a reasonable price (considering its condition, options and the new battery).

But this is not the reason for this thread. I've got my eye on a Xserve G4. Specs: 1,33 ghz, single processor, 1024mb ram, 60gb hd, dual ethernet. I don't have alot of experience with servers though. I can do a bit of terminal server managing, etc.. but I know little of Mac-servers. So offcours I have a bunch of questions, but first what I would like the server to do in my home-environment:
1. Connect my usb printers to it, so print-server.
2. Connect my Firewire External Harddrive to it (2x 500gb) so file server.
3. Use it to download from internet (iGetter ??)
4. Maybe run an FTP server
5. Maybe run an web server

So here are the questions:
1. Can I run firewire external harddrives on it and share them on my network?
2. It should have a gigabit ethernet connection, so does my MBP : how fast is this compared to USB 2 direct on my laptop? (for the external hd's)
3. Can I use it to download with for example iGetter
4. Do I require any non-free software to run a file server, print server, ftp server or web server?
5. Do you think this is usefull for home-use ? It would trade the Powerbook for it.
6. Any comments on this xserve? How good are they? It is in very good condition btw.

All comments ideas and suggestions are, as always, very welcome.

I'm tired of having to connect the external harddrives each time I need a file. And don't like to leave my laptop on all night to download something.

Regards, L

 

1) Yes, using AFP.
2) Considerably faster.
3) Do you mean download from the Xserve onto the MBP? If so, yes, if you set up ftp or http.
4) No, OS X comes with file sharing software (AFP), and a print server. For ftp you could use something like pureftpd, and you would use Apache for web server. I'm not certain if it comes with Apache pre-installed, if not I suggest using something like MAMP to set it up.
5) I wouldn't use an Xserve at all, but that's just my personal opinion
6) Read above answer

 

w/ OS X you can also use SMB/CIFS (Windows) shares, even with Mac volumes. Your X-Serve could also be used for streaming media, connecting older OS X macs to make a supercomputer, as well as many other uses. To configure Apache just goto 'Sharing' in System Preferences.

wsurritte

 

Fophillips is dead on with most stuff there, I'll chuck in my 2 pennies worth.

3) I'm reading this as you wanting to use the XServe as an always on download agent, in which case yes. Then just set up the d/l directory as an AFP SharePoint. OS X Server is not massively different to OS X (I'll come back to that in a sec.), you could probably use it as an everyday computer if you put a screen on it.
6) I think it's a capable server, but leading on to my next point....

It's been my experience that with enough digging around OS X Server doesn't actually have all that much functionality that isn't in OS X anyway. The big difference is Server comes with the GUI tools to make admin fairly straightforward.
But in your case it sounds like you'd get everything you want out of OS X with no hassle.

For example let's say you were using a PowerMac G4 running OS X...
1) Go to System Preferences > Print & Fax. You can share printers from there.
2) I believe some later G4s and certainly G5s have GbE, so the 'Considerably faster' comment certainly stands.
3) Still yes (if my understanding of this point was correct).
4) File Server : System Preferences > Sharing > turn on Personal File Sharing.
Print Server : System Preferences > Print & Fax > Sharing tab > Share these printers with other computers
FTP Server : System Preferences > Sharing > turn on FTP Access
Web server : System Preferences > Sharing > turn on Personal Web Sharing
5) & 6) You could even do this off of a Mac Mini or an iBook.

 

Thanks for your answers.
3. Use it download.
I meant using it to download from the internet, so I can use my MBP elsewhere. I can't see why that shouldn't work, but I wanna enter the queu's from my MBP.
Although indeed any OS X computer will do all of this... I still reckon a Server wich is on ALL the time, will do a better job at this. (more stable and up for the job).
Or should I just use my Powerbook for all of this?

thanks for all the answers.

 

Right, I get you.
I use G4 PowerMacs (mostly, plus a mix of others) running OS X (none server) for all sorts, always on.
Web server, file server, backup server, FW HDD host server, automated task server. Should be absolutely fine in your setup.

If you're not sure what to expect from leaving an OS X machine on 24/7 as a server I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

Hi Again thanks for your reply.

So why would anybody get a Xserve? (Besides the rackmount-feature).
They are alot more expensive then a normal Powermac and have limited use.

I guess I'll forgot about the whole Xserve thing.. my Powerbook has alot more uses then an server. Especially with the new battery.

L

 

Well, you shouldn't really underestimate the ability to rack mount a server, especially when you start taking into consideration things like XRAIDs (or any NAS/array type appliance), switches and autoloaders, etc. (Not much use in your case though, I would guess!)

There are still a few features in Server that you wont find in the vanilla OS X (eg, number of concurrent AFP connections), but when it really comes down to it it's the GUI tools that give you instant access to server like resources that you could spend hours configuring via the CLI if you did it with normal OS X.

 

@lovah: cluster together a few xserves like this and use them as rendering slaves for finalcut pro =, you'll see the reason xserves are certainly prosumer market toys, and if i were you i'd just use old powerbook for all that