Running OSX Tiger Server locally.

[wezzy]

Hi guys wonder if you can help.

I’ve got a Headless mini running Server 10.4.11 at work on the sly, I’ve got Software Update service up and cooking and working on getting NetBoot going too. (Without DHCP)

(my server is called tigerserv for reference.)

Problem is to get Software update to work I had to change the host name of the server machine to ‘tigerserv.local’ rather than just ‘tigerserv’ so that the index.sucatalog file uses the correct paths to the ‘/usr/share/swupd/html’ folder. Main reason for this was the while the updates on the server were listed, they still ended up being pulled from apple as the host name couldn’t be resolved.

Prior to this work round, I was manually editing the ‘index.sucatalog’ file.

However now I want to get NetBoot working, and it looks like I’ll have to revert the host name back as the NetBoot is complaining the host name and DNS don’t match. I have an Image set up and its displaying in Startup Disk, I can even choose it and network boot from it (by boot I mean I get as far as Square icon with globe> the grey screen with spinning globe> then the blue screen with mouse pointer…..) but thats as far as it gets.

I changed the the host name back to ‘tigerserv’ and hey presto I reach the installation menu! But then Software Update is bust again 🙁

I suppose my question is : How do I get both services to run using ‘tigerserv.local’ as the hostname?

If anyone can make any sense out of this post I’d be glad for any assistance 😛

Cheers

Wez.

[khiltd]

Is this server running BIND and do the client machines know about it? If so you probably have it misconfigured for what you’re trying to accomplish and the contents of a relevant zone file would be helpful.

[wezzy]

Thanks for the response khiltd.

I’m not using BIND, to be honest I wouldn’t know where to begin. Could it be something worth looking into? As far as I can tell I need a way of redirecting and traffic looking for ‘tigerserv’ to ‘tigerserv.local’ may be this could be done client side?

As far as client machines ‘Knowing about the server’, it is running stand-alone for software update, and ideally NetBoot (next on the agenda would be a task server). All this needs to run stand-alone as we already have a Active Direcory and LDAP running through a Win Server though the Macs don’t use this.

Cheers

Wez.

[khiltd]

DNS is always worth looking into if you want to find things by name rather than number since that’s what makes it work. The .local names don’t function outside the subnet or if the router blocks such traffic. If you don’t have anything mapping these names to addresses and if you don’t have any clients that are told where to find these maps then I’m afraid your traffic’s going nowhere.

[wezzy]

Heres the server log for netboot

[code]Feb 26 17:23:02 tigerserv bootpd[324]: BSDP DISCOVER [en0] 1,0:d:93:5f:3a:d2 NetBoot001 arch=ppc sysid=PowerMac10,1
Feb 26 17:23:02 tigerserv bootpd[324]: BSDP OFFER sent [1,0:d:93:5f:3a:d2] pktsize 355
Feb 26 17:23:07 tigerserv bootpd[324]: BSDP INFORM [en0] 1,0:d:93:5f:3a:d2 NetBoot001 arch=ppc sysid=PowerMac10,1
Feb 26 17:23:07 tigerserv bootpd[324]: NetBoot: [1,0:d:93:5f:3a:d2] BSDP ACK[LIST] sent 10.13.4.64 pktsize 300
Feb 26 17:23:16 tigerserv bootpd[324]: BSDP INFORM [en0] 1,0:d:93:5f:3a:d2 NetBoot001 arch=ppc sysid=PowerMac10,1
Feb 26 17:23:16 tigerserv bootpd[324]: NetBoot: [1,0:d:93:5f:3a:d2] BSDP ACK[SELECT] sent 10.13.4.64 pktsize 358
Feb 26 17:29:13 tigerserv bootpd[443]: interface en0: ip 10.13.3.108 mask 255.255.224.0
Feb 26 17:29:13 tigerserv bootpd[443]: server name tigerserv
Feb 26 17:29:13 tigerserv bootpd[443]: subnets init using domain . failed:
Feb 26 17:29:13 tigerserv bootpd[443]: bsdpd: re-reading configuration
Feb 26 17:29:13 tigerserv bootpd[443]: bsdpd: shadow file size will be set to 48 megabytes
Feb 26 17:29:13 tigerserv bootpd[443]: bsdpd: age time 00:15:00
Feb 26 17:29:13 tigerserv bootpd[443]: BSDP INFORM [en0] 1,0:14:51:61:e9:3a arch=ppc sysid=PowerMac11,2
Feb 26 17:29:13 tigerserv bootpd[443]: NetBoot: [1,0:14:51:61:e9:3a] BSDP ACK[LIST] sent 10.13.4.62 pktsize 300[/code]

This time I got as far as finalising the installation (image of 10.4.6 DVD PPC) but the install screen displays “there were errors installing the software” Surely incorrect DNS would have halted this sooner?

Am I correct in thinking that the booter file is transferred using TFTP, then once the client system is launched NFS takes over? Maybe NFS can’t resolve the DNS?

[wezzy]

Ok just found out something interesting! Xcode prevents NetInstall from completing. Just need to create a new image without it selected for install.

Will post success or misery in a couple of days as I have a day of work 😀

Wez.

[wezzy]

SUCCESS!!!

DNS was a Red-Herring! I removed Xcode from the install image and hey presto!

Also have Software Update working with the Hostconfig file set to ‘tigerserv.local’

Now all I need to do is get on with Task server!

Cheers

Wez. 😛

[Author]

Posts