OS X Server & Plex newbie questions

[thierrym]

Hello,

I currently own a Mini, which I use with Plex for enjoying shows and movies. With the new Apple TV and the brand new Plex app, and because I want to learn about server as well, I would like to turn the mini into a headless server, running mostly caching service, time machine and Plex server.

I have been through the Ars Technica pages about OS X server, and learnt a lot, but there are still some little things I can't get my head around:

• when setting up a server, do you need to create a new user account?
• running headless, does this user need to be logged in onto the server?
• if no user needs to be logged in to run all server services, is it possible to start third party services (Plex Server for instance) without any user logged in?

In short, it is not clear to me how the concept of user accounts is used on a server, apart from accounts to log on client machines.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and sorry if the questions seem not clear or make no sense.

edited: everything is running OS X El Capitan and latest version of the OS X server app.

 

[Geeky Chimp]

1. You do not need to create an additional account to install or run OS X Server
2. The Server Services will run automatically without any users logged in to the Mac Mini
3. I don't use Plex but it should be possible to start Plex Automatically without any users logged in. If not directly then you may be able to create a LaunchDaemon plist to do this.

Hope that helps.

Ps. The Apple Pro Training Series (OS X Server Essentials - currently Yosemite) might be of interest to you too.

 

[satcomer]

Hello,

I currently own a Mini, which I use with Plex for enjoying shows and movies. With the new Apple TV and the brand new Plex app, and because I want to learn about server as well, I would like to turn the mini into a headless server, running mostly caching service, time machine and Plex server.

I have been through the Ars Technica pages about OS X server, and learnt a lot, but there are still some little things I can't get my head around:

• when setting up a server, do you need to create a new user account?
• running headless, does this user need to be logged in onto the server?
• if no user needs to be logged in to run all server services, is it possible to start third party services (Plex Server for instance) without any user logged in?

In short, it is not clear to me how the concept of user accounts is used on a server, apart from accounts to log on client machines.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and sorry if the questions seem not clear or make no sense.

edited: everything is running OS X El Capitan and latest version of the OS X server app.

Look at Todd Olthoff videos.

Here is the first of the new 10.11 Server series:

 

[thierrym]

Look at Todd Olthoff videos.

Here is the first of the new 10.22 Server series:

Thanks. I'll definitely have a look.

 

[thierrym]

1. You do not need to create an additional account to install or run OS X Server
2. The Server Services will run automatically without any users logged in to the Mac Mini
3. I don't use Plex but it should be possible to start Plex Automatically without any users logged in. If not directly then you may be able to create a LaunchDaemon plist to do this.

Hope that helps.

Ps. The Apple Pro Training Series (OS X Server Essentials - currently Yosemite) might be of interest to you too.

Thanks. Noted for 1 & 2. 3 seems a bit more difficult, at least to me.

 

[hwojtek]

edited: everything is running OS X El Capitan and latest version of the OS X server app.

Unless you want to learn _a_lot_ about OS X Server, your Plex does not call for using OS X Server at all.

 

[Fabian90]

Actually you DO have to be logged in for Plex services to run, only the default OSX Server services run without.

 

[satcomer]

Actually you DO have to be logged in for Plex services to run, only the default OSX Server services run without.

Well if he checked marked the Plex server to the Login Items it might be a solution,if he saved the Plex server password to keychain.

 

[Fabian90]

Well if he checked marked the Plex server to the Login Items it might be a solution,if he saved the Plex server password to keychain.

Well the name says it already, login items. They open at login. So you can't use it without login.

 

[satcomer]

Well the name says it already, login items. They open at login. So you can't use it without login.

No. It's a App that needs launching just like any other App. The only difference it links to the other Plex app like Client app that is now on the new Apple TV. The Plex library server application serves the library to the Plex client app.

 

[thierrym]

And if I login, run Plex Server as a login item and then run a script to lock the screen (or to go back to login screen via fast user switching), will it continue to run?

 

[satcomer]

And if I login, run Plex Server as a login item and then run a script to lock the screen (or to go back to login screen via fast user switching), will it continue to run?

Just have it lock auto if no input is detected. That would fix your inquiry

 

[sandcastle]

And if I login, run Plex Server as a login item and then run a script to lock the screen (or to go back to login screen via fast user switching), will it continue to run?

Yes. All "server" services and Plex Media Server will continue to run fine, with the screen locked.

I have a mac mini server, with server functionality running (MDM, Calendar, Contacts, Caching etc.) and a separate, non-admin user account (local, not network from memory) called "Plex" that is set to automatically login, and auto mount NAS folders, and autostart Plex Media Server (and Plex Home Theatre). If the screen / user account locks, everything is still running fine and accessible externally (other clients, external networks etc.).

Have fun.