Mac mini as home server install#
Mac mini as home server Pc#
Mac mini as home server windows#

(The latter being fast, responsive, portable, and capable of handling modern multimedia standards and useful for a fast-growing range of productivity tasks.)

Mac mini as home server Pc#

Though Mac mini still has some use as a Mac server, or as a gateway Mac drug for PC switchers, when it comes to more intensive work youвЂ™ll inevitably choose a higher-end Mac or an iOS device. And while you may have all these things somewhere in your home, the cold reality is that the existing model is completely outclassed by the entry-level iPad in performance terms. With that, the operating costs are at about 4,50 Euros per month:Дў5 watt * 24 h * 30 (days) = 18 KWh * 0,25 (EUR) = 4,50 EURД¬onsumption measured with Voltcraft Energy Monitor 3000 Shopping Guide 1.A Mac for under $500 is still a really attractive choice for many in the market for a new computer, and Apple certainly sells lots of these to people who donвЂ™t want the best Mac but still want a Mac.

Mac mini as home server windows#

My standard setup with 3 Linux and one Windows Server averages at about 25W and is upВ 24Г—7. How to get the Thunderbolt Ethernet Adapter workingВ is explained here.

Mac mini as home server install#

Install with customized ISO by William Lam.

Step by step instruction by William Lam.

With that howtos you should be able to install ESXi without problems: VMTN Community has solved most of the known issues. SetupДЄs mentioned, the standard installer fails with an PSOD. Howto install a second drive with a Data Doubler is also explained at YouTube. The Desktop Version (MD387/MD388) is only made fore a single hard drive but it can be extended with Data Doubler. Howto install the SSD is well explained at YouTube. If you have the Server Version (MD389), you can simply replace the second hard drive with a SSD. To replace or add hard drives you have to take apart the Mac mini. This can be achieved by twisting the bottom cover anti-clockwise. To install additional memory you have to open the Mac mini Unibody chassis. As a home lab, or a small home server it should be fine. To clarify, the system is not supported by VMware (No HCL entry), so do not use this System in a productive environment. The system has hardware support for virtualization and a 64-bit capable CPU.В There are some tweaks required to get ESXi 5.x installed because the installer usually fails with a PSOD when you try to install the basic ESXi Image.

Data Double (required to fit a second drive intoВ MD387/MD388).

Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter.

To run ESXi I would suggest to have additionally: Mac mini is a fully configured ready-to-run system including:

Apple Mac Mini MD389LL/A Server - Intel Core i7 (Up to 4x 3.3 GHz).

Apple Mac Mini MD388LL/A - Intel Core i7 (Up to 4x 3.3 GHz).

Apple Mac Mini MD387LL/A - Intel Core i5 (Up to 2x 3.1 GHz).

The Server version has two 2,5' hard drives: The latest version offers 3 models which are different in CPU performance and HDD capacity. Mac mini offers great performance and is small in size and power consumption and thus makes it a great candidate for running ESXi at home. In this post I am going to cover capabilities, accessories andВ issues you might encounter in the newest release: Mac mini MD387, Mac mini MD388 and the slightly enhanced Mac mini Server MD389 from 2012/2013. There are many opportunities to consider when you wantВ to build a VMware vSphere Lab or a Homeserver. Running ESXi on a Mac mini made by Apple is nothing new.