Related link: http://www.afp548.com/article.php?story=2005041722220621
With all the Mac world focused on the new version of OS X Client, I’m glad to see that folks aren’t totally ignoring the new version of OS X Server that goes with. The fine people at AFP548 have a detailed review of what’s new for the newest version of OS X Server.
Included are ACLs for filesharing, which is excellent news for anyone who’s ever had to deal with cascading group membership under previous versions of OS X Server. They provide a much more granular level of control than the user/group/other model that had been in use before. You can define ACLs to apply not only to files and users, but also to services, allowing a certain class of users to have access to services that others will not.
Open Directory got a bit of a boost as well, adding the ability to fully backup your OD Config to a .sparseimage for later restoration. Anyone who has ever had to resurrect one’s Open Directory configuration from scratch can tell you this is an incredible thing. In addition, you can secure, further, all your LDAP bindings using SSL, and Kerberos now supports a number of new services under 10.4 Server.
And while some people think mobile homes would be a bad thing to associate with an operating system, Apple begs to differ, and brings back one of the last truly missed features of OS 9: Portable Home Directories. Sure, Macintosh Manager made this possible back in the day, we’ve missed it since the bad old days, but now it’s back and ready for action. It allows for full home directory syncing with the primary server, giving you the ability to check out, re-sync, and check in your home folder.
Also included are a Jabber Server (complete with audio and video chat capability, using iChat), a version of Rael Dornfest’s blosxom weblogging tool built for Java and OS X Server [note after the fact- I have been corrected by a few readers to note that blosjom is more than just a simple port, but also a radical redevelopment of the original. Though based on blosxom, blosjom is a beast of different stripes], a Software Update server, virus protection for the mail service, a replacement for cron called “launchd”. For more on those, give the folks at AFP548 a look, they’re the one-stop shop for OS X Server tips, reviews, tricks and other bits of tasty information.
Got your Tiger Server rolling?
blojsom, not bloxsom
Apple's bundled Blojsom, not Bloxsom, with OS X Server.
blojsom, not bloxsom
Correct, and blosjom is just blosxom built for Java...
blojsom, not bloxsom
Hey Tom,
Tiger server is a mean beast. Can't wait to get my hands on it and I am sure that within weeks, our entire infrastructure will be based on it.
BTW, "Blojsom is inspired by Bloxsom" but calling it "just Bloxsom built for Java" is a bit unfair as I think it has long gotten ahead of Bloxsom in power and versatility. It is also a lot more complex and not as easy to configure, but that's where the Apple folks come in with their GUI tools and Open Directory integration.
Cheers from Germany.
See you at WWDC?
Oliver.
blojsom, not bloxsom
Thanks for the note Oliver, I've corrected the blog entry. I'd love to be at WWDC, but I don't think it's in the cards this year. I do want to get back to TenCon this fall, though.
blojsom, not bloxsom
I think you need to give David Czarnecki credit (mentioning Rael Dornfest but not David seems very odd) for Blojsom, which was inspired by blosxom's style, but is not a version of blosxom. Blojsom is a superb product in its own right, written in Java (blosxom is in Perl).
The O'Reilly book on Panther Server was GRRRREAT! So, when can we expect an O'Reilly book on Tiger server? Or has O'Reilly wearied of persuing each breed of big cat?