Mac Mini boxes

zmeu

@Andreix - make a pre-installed OS X; a shared HDD (“in Cloud”); auto-exec script to enable remote access via RDP or VNC. If you watch on their videos you’ll find out that all their Macs doesn’t have internal HDDs.

An short example can be redacted there https://github.com/MacMiniVault/Mac-Scripts/blob/master/setupscript/setupscript.sh

zmeu

There is a company in Europe who also do colo for those Mini beasts.

host_c

@zmeu said:
@host_c - those Macs can do almost anything if you use OS X but as I said (naughty) you cannot compare with an regular Server but if you still want to do so you should take a look into Mac Pro Cube (those with Xenon). If you have in plan to use Linux then you have to “bypass” some things - otherwise are getting hot. “5 years ago” - had no issues at all and i kept them online for 3 years. I moved them in a Rack with fans, etc. Kind reminder - stay away from AMD units. Yes - you can re-install any OS remotely, I posted there an YouTube video from MacStadium.

TOS: if you have in plan to use in prod for other things than doing some fancy stuff, you’ll need a programmer. 🤣

I am not interested in the Xeons or AMD, as the M1/2/3 is what's interesting.

I will dig up the M1 we have around and when I will have the "time" will play with it, unfortunately it is a MAC Mini M1 with only 8 GB ram. ( macs don't need 128 GB Ram to do stuff )

zmeu

@host_c you can play with (or run) virtualization too - Orka Desktop

host_c

Thx @zmeu , I will give it a try

th0r

@zmeu said:
There is a company in Europe who also do colo for those Mini beasts.

Would love to see this closet with new M4 Mac Minis

egoror

@dev_vps said: and can run 24x7 as server in a smaller space

Apple Silicon minis are meh servers, unless it's a remote build and/or testing machine.
Intel minis were good servers.. with Linux installed instead of mac os.

dev_vps

@egoror said:

@dev_vps said: and can run 24x7 as server in a smaller space

Apple Silicon minis are meh servers, unless it's a remote build and/or testing machine.
Intel minis were good servers.. with Linux installed instead of mac os.

My home “desktop” pc is actually an intel mini pc put in a basket “hidden” under the standup desk.

concept

@zmeu said:
There is a company in Europe who also do colo for those Mini beasts.

Those are 2014 mac minis.

Stationswift

@host_c said:

@zmeu said: Recently we have been re-designing > our own Datacenter (in Bacau) a land property
of 700 m2, core, network, and IP connectivity, and as part of this overhaul
I decided to spread around our love (idea) for Mac Mini's.

It is not about the Love for them, we do those little boxes for the punch they can do, I/we have only one problem, since we rent out rack space - BMC/ILO/IDRAC.

500 or 5000 KM away, it would be challenging to deploy / debug them / reinstall and so on.

If you own your DC, yes, I would definitely do MAC's and other stuff, even desktop CPU products, but remotely, trusting the hands on of the DC, I remain reluctant.

If you manage to find a good solution for remote access to them, I am all ears.

Storage wise, I am sure there is a way to do ISCSI to them....

Would some sort of external KVM do the job?
Something like the Sipeed NanoKVM or JetKVM perhaps?

Stationswift

@th0r said:

@zmeu said:
There is a company in Europe who also do colo for those Mini beasts.

Would love to see this closet with new M4 Mac Minis

I am drooling over the M4 Mac Minis, they look so powerful in such a small package. Imagine having what are basically Apple TVs racked up like that.

egoror

@zmeu said: Orka Desktop

https://eclecticlight.co/virtualisation-on-apple-silicon/

Viable for MacOS VMS, Liviable for Linux VMs.

zmeu

SirNeo

@zmeu said:
5 years ago

-- "Don't hate the hacker, hate the code."

I dont know what i like more, zip ties or the seif

p.s: Drop me a message on IRC with your new channel/nickname or add me on Discord. Want to ask you some stuff regarding this setup. Maybe instead of an EPYC thinclient i will buy a Mac mini

egoror

@concept said: Those are 2014 mac minis.

I also use one 2014 for home stuff. Despite a slow'ish CPU, non-existent cooling and soldered ram you can upgrade/replace both disks. Imo it's better value than latest raspberries and rk3688 SBCs.

zmeu

@SirNeo said: I dont know what i like more, zip ties or the seif