Snow Leopard Client vs Server

[Dronecatcher]

I have a 2010 Mac Mini Server on the way that has High Sierra installed - I'll be returning it to either it's native Snow Leopard Server or the desktop version.

Does anyone have any insight into whether there's a performance difference between the two? I'll add that I have no need whatsoever for the enterprise features the server edition has.

 

[barbu]

I think the main difference is simply the server.app front end. I can’t imagine any performance difference.

 

[Amethyst1]

I'll add that I have no need whatsoever for the enterprise features the server edition has.

In that case, I'd go for the client because the server edition might have additional ‘stuff’ running in the background which might consume resources <paranoia>or provide an attack surface</paranoia> — you should be able to turn all that off though.

I greatly prefer the server edition’s blue default wallpaper to the client’s purple

 

[Dronecatcher]

In that case, I'd go for the client because the server edition might have additional ‘stuff’ running in the background which might consume resources <paranoia>or provide an attack surface</paranoia> — you should be able to turn all that off though.

I greatly prefer the server edition’s blue default wallpaper to the client’s purple

Yes, will probably go with client version - just wondered if anyone could report a performance difference.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

No source, but I’m pretty sure I recall reading that the server OS’s had a kernel that was tuned slightly differently, to optimize for lots of background processes vs foreground ones.

 

[B S Magnet]

I have a 2010 Mac Mini Server on the way that has High Sierra installed - I'll be returning it to either it's native Snow Leopard Server or the desktop version.

Does anyone have any insight into whether there's a performance difference between the two? I'll add that I have no need whatsoever for the enterprise features the server edition has.

Nah, there really isn’t. Everything aside from the Server applications and a single file in the CoreServices directory which toggles client from server mode is basically the only material differences between the two. The bones beneath are the same. That toggle also changes the characteristics of the Sharing and Security prefPanes, as Server mode offloads some of those services to something more robust (i.e., the Server Admin.app, handling Firewall and things like AFP, SMB, etc.).

Aside from my SL-PPC box, all my SL Macs run client since I’m not using them as file/media servers.

 

[Dronecatcher]

Client it is then! Thanks all.

 

[YanniDepp]

You might need to put the system clock back to install Snow Leopard.

Apple OS installers are signed with a security certificate that expires after a year. It doesn’t let you install the OS after the certificate expires. It gives you a very unintuitive error that doesn’t tell you what the problem is.

This applies to Modern downloaded OS installers from the App Store. Not sure if applies to older CDs and DVDs.

I have to set the system date and time back to 2012 whenever I install Mountain Lion on an older Mac. You can do it from the terminal inside the installer.

 

[B S Magnet]

You might need to put the system clock back to install Snow Leopard.

Apple OS installers are signed with a security certificate that expires after a year. It doesn’t let you install the OS after the certificate expires. It gives you a very unintuitive error that doesn’t tell you what the problem is.

This does not apply to Snow Leopard.

This applies to Modern downloaded OS installers from the App Store. Not sure if applies to older CDs and DVDs.

It doesn’t. That feature only emerged once Apple began to distribute their OS for A) “free” and B) online-only. This combination began with Lion.

 

[Amethyst1]

a single file in the CoreServices directory

ServerVersion.plist?

 

[B S Magnet]

ServerVersion.plist?

Yah. Rename it, log out, then reboot.

 

[Amethyst1]

Yah. Rename it, log out, then reboot.

Yup. This will also change the image displayed in About This Mac.