Built a fileserver - wait for 10.8 or install OSX 10.7/10.8DP now?

[empeh]

Hi,

 

I built a fileserver with the following specs:

Intel DH67CL mobo

i3 proc with HD3000 graphics

8GB ram

3 3TB HDDs

1 2TB HDD

1 60GB SSD

GeForce GT430 (99% sure- bought for Linux compatibility with HDMI audio)

 

 

I'd like to install Mac OS X on it. If I get the DP4 10.8 preview, will I be able to easily upgrade to the stable release? If not, do you suggest I wait until the stable release comes out, or will setting up the stable release not take so much time?

 

Will the hardware I have work with hackintosh? What method would you suggest I go about to install hackintosh on this system? I would like to keep the Windows 7 and Linux partitions, if possible...

 

Thanks!

[3.14r2]

Will the hardware I have work with hackintosh?

It should work, not sure which version should be better (Snow Leopard, Lion or MLion) though.

 

If I get the DP4 10.8 preview, will I be able to easily upgrade to the stable release? If not, do you suggest I wait until the stable release comes out, or will setting up the stable release not take so much time?

Don't know, I haven't even upgraded to Lion yet

 

I would like to keep the Windows 7 and Linux partitions, if possible

You have plenty of hard drives to install to. Don't know how these disks are used (RAID, JBOD or both), but it would be wise to keep OS X on a dedicated HDD, to avoid additional problems with other OSs and to make OS X management easier. Windows and Linux can coexist on the same HDD more or less peacefully, while OS X should better be on a separate drive.

 

Sure there is an issue with Windows 7 being intolerant to other boot loaders (read when it's booted by GRUB or other boot loader). This includes problems with service pack installation. There might be other things about it I'm not aware of...

 

As for the file server as such, why wouldn't you stick with Linux? IMO it would be better OS for such tasks. OS X good too, bot it's not the primary goal it was designed for.

[empeh]

So I can't partition my SSD to install OS X on? The hope was to use the SSD for each OS install for the speed.

 

I'm considering moving to FreeNAS ultimately. Right now this file server also serves as a htpc. I am building a htpc now that will run Win7 (though I read that xbmc now supports HD Audio on Mac, so I may try to do a mac htpc, if possible...). I just miss using OS X full time and I'd use the fileserver as a desktop machine as well. If I can install 10.8 on my Thinkpad T420, then that would be fine and I wouldn't feel the need to have OSX on this desktop, I just assumed installing OSX on a desktop is easier than a laptop....

 

I saw an OS X 10.7.x guide for the Thinkpad T420... would be nice to know if it can be upgraded to 10.8, either now or when the final release becomes available...

 

 

PS: What is the best method to install OSX on this hardware?

[3.14r2]

So I can't partition my SSD to install OS X on? The hope was to use the SSD for each OS install for the speed.

There is difference between "can easily be done and will work good" and "can be done it will be more difficult and will not necessary work good". OS X on a separate HDD/SSD is the first case, while all 3 OSs on the same SSD, is the later case.

 

OS X is different from Windows and Linux in many ways. It is not intended to be run on any PC except Macs. When you run it on a PC, you do "it can't be done but may be done if really needed" kind of things. Therefore it may be considered experimental (to some extent). Experimental things not always behave as expected and may need some fixing.

 

Now, imagine that you have a working PC, that you use all the time and it has 3 different OS on the same disk. If you play a lot with OS X, a time may come then it would be easier to reinstall it, then to fix it. In such case other OSs may be effected too (even to the point of loosing everything and doing clean install of all 3). Linux and Windows sometimes crashes too...

 

Linux, OS X and Windows, all uses different boot loaders and different file systems. If put on the same SSD, this would give you a very complex system of software, that would not necessary be easy to manage. I don't say "it can't be done" or "it's impossible". You may have all the 3 on the same SSD. Some people here do this and are quite happy about it.

 

OS X installer is made to work with GPT disks (all Macs use GPT disks, so this is quite logic). OS X can work on MBR disk, but it can't be installed on MBR disk (non patched OS X installer will not let you install it on MBR disk). There two ways around it - use patched installer or install OS X to a separate disk, then clone it back to MBR type disk. So it can be done. Or avoid the above pain in the ... and install to a separate disk.

 

Other way is to use GPT disk to install all OSs to. But Windows will support it only if: Windows is 64-bit and motherboard has UEFI2.x. Linux has its own vision on GPT disks. See the overall complexity? Do you really need it?

 

I just miss using OS X full time and I'd use the fileserver as a desktop machine as well. If I can install 10.8 on my Thinkpad T420, then that would be fine and I wouldn't feel the need to have OSX on this desktop

If all computers/devices that would connect to the server are Windows/Linux based, then there is no valid (IMO) reason to use OS X instead of Linux for that purpose. If you really want to play around with OS X, install it to a notebook where it would be safe to explore the limits (instead of putting to risk the PC you most likely need to be available most of/all the time).

I just assumed installing OSX on a desktop is easier than a laptop....

It depends on the hardware. Sometimes notebooks are easier.

 

I saw an OS X 10.7.x guide for the Thinkpad T420... would be nice to know if it can be upgraded to 10.8, either now or when the final release becomes available...

The way I see it, most "BRAND NEW" versions of many modern OSs (software as well) are made just for the sake of releasing something (to rise profits by selling "new and better" products on regular basis, instead of doing it periodically when a need for an upgrade arise). I see no reason to adopt the "latest and greatest", if there is a stable and predictable older version (unless you really need the feature of the "latest and greatest"). Therefore I'd think that Snow Leopard (which will most likely not be updated to say 10.6.9 therefore bringing possible new issues above already known one) would be perfectly suitable for the notebook. Lion may be updated soon and bring some unexpected "features". ML is not officially released yet, therefore it's hard to predict what to expect from Apple on this one.

 

PS: What is the best method to install OSX on this hardware?

From retail disk/app store.

[empeh]

Thanks! But what do you mean the best method to install OSX on this hardware is from the retail disk? I have a retail disk-- so I just stick it in and it will install? I thought I needed a hackintosh installer or sorts, and had to edit ktext files?

[3.14r2]

But what do you mean the best method to install OSX on this hardware is from the retail disk? I have a retail disk-- so I just stick it in and it will install? I thought I needed a hackintosh installer or sorts, and had to edit ktext files?

You can install from a distro disk or from a retail disk. Distro disk is a patched ready-to-install disk, which can be used as is (just like Windows install disk). Retail disk will not boot on a PC (as it meant to be used on Macs) - you will need a special boot disk to boot in to, then swap it with retail OS X disk and continue the installation.

 

Be sure to read several guides before attempting any kind of installation - you should know what you are doing or else you'll get yourself in to trouble.

[empeh]

Thanks for your help. So when you said "

Lion may be updated soon and bring some unexpected "features"." you mean you shouldn't upgrade minor releases because it can cause your system to b0rk? So it's not safe to upgrade even minor revisions (e.g. 10.7.1 to 10.7.2) because of "unexpected features" which could make your system unstable? So once you install one version of OS X, you should not upgrade unless shown by the community to be okay?

 

Is it easier to install a VM of OS X rather than a full installation of OS X on my computer? Perhaps it is better to install Win7 on my T420 and use OS X in a virtualbox or vmware VM?

 

 

The reason I want 10.8 is because of the iCloud sync/integration. That is *really* nice!

 

Thanks for fielding my questions!