Setting up MacMini home server... software?

[palebluedot]

I am setting up my old 2012 Mini to be a home server. I have a Time Capsule that I have used as a NAS and has served me well, but I decided I will just use the Mini for NAS purposes and the TC solely for Time Machine backups.

Ideally I'd like the Mini to also act as a syncing service and VPN. I am looking at Seafile for the syncing service, but any thoughts on a good VPN for macOS? Any other software I should be looking at?

Is it worth it to setup an "Open Directory" so each "user" (my spouse and I) can automount network shares when we connect on our various Mac and Windows machines to the network?

Thanks for any input!

 

[chrfr]

You don’t need the Server app for file sharing, and Open Directory has nothing to do with automounting shares, so don’t bother with it.

 

[palebluedot]

You don’t need the Server app for file sharing, and Open Directory has nothing to do with automounting shares, so don’t bother with it.

Is there any benefit to running LDAP/Open Directory for "auto config" stuff like VPN and the like? My wife is not going to think to connect to a VPN or network shares.

Any recommendations on good VPN software? Thanks for your reply!

 

[chrfr]

Is there any benefit to running LDAP/Open Directory for "auto config" stuff like VPN and the like? My wife is not going to think to connect to a VPN or network shares.

Any recommendations on good VPN software? Thanks for your reply!

No, Open Directory doesn’t give you anything for that either.
MacOS has a built in VPN server. This thread has some information- there’s a link to Apple’s guide to setting it up via command line, and also a link to a 3rd party GUI configuration app that isn’t free but makes the process simpler.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/vpn-server-for-mojave.2142862/

 

[haralds]

Stay on High Sierra. The Server app 5.6.1 has all the original options, but some are hidden from the side panel until enabled from the View menu.
Alas they removed Filesharing, TimeMachine Serving, and Content Sharing to the Preferences>Sharing panel. I preferred a single view for this.

 

[Infinite Vortex]

I'm using 3 x Mac mini 2011s running El Capitan with Server and it works fab. Server on its own (anything prior to Mojave that is) will do everything you want on its own. The only thing it doesn't do for me is VPN from Android devices. I haven't spent any time in working this out but if you're using Apple devices you won't have a problem.

I find OpenDirectory really useful to only have to manage your Users & Groups from the one place rather than having to do it in 3. But if you only have the one server, and for only 2 people, it most likely won't help you much.