macOS Server from an Old Small Home Computer!

If you have an old Mac Mini in your house laying around, you can give it another and more purposeful use: turn it into a macOS Server. Since it will be sightly slow for the every day use, it would be a far better idea to leave it turned on as low profile server.

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The macOS Server, a Mac Mini from 2011

I have a Mac Mini from 2011. This old computer which was stored in a shelf for a year since it became slow. But what if I could modify it (or do some ‘tuning') so it does a significant work?

What I have to do now, is find a place where I can leave it 24 hours, 7 days a week turned on. It still works and has many useful ports connect a handful of devices that will enhance the server. Here you can read a review about the features when it was launched, back then in 2011.

Uses of a macOS Server

There are many ways to take advantage of the old but new repurposed machine. Each of these applications may not seem worth enough by themselves (and maybe they are expensive). But combined, they provide lots of value.

Home Theater

Movie playback with YouTube, Netflix or directly from a file is convenient in a computer. Just connect it with a HDMI cable to the TV and you are ready to start.

Cache Server

Apps or updates downloads are faster since they aren’t actually downloaded from the internet anymore. Instead, they are stored locally in a server.

Also called as “Software Distribution Accelerator”. This is how it works: If you download an app or an update from the App Store or Mac App Store for the first time, you download it from the nearest Apple servers.

It frees some bandwidth!

The next time another device in your network download the same app or update, it won’t download it from the nearest Apple servers. Instead, from the cache server. Thus saving bandwidth for another uses.

Music Playback

Instead of using the Mac Mini in a basement or a warehouse, why not using it on a living room where a social meetings take place? This way, you could plug 2.1 speakers to get decent audio output.

Music over Streaming Services

The 2 most popular music streaming services are Spotify and Apple Music at this moment. Install the app (sometimes called ‘client’) and you can listen to music while the Mac Mini is also working as server.

Music over Files

Streaming services aren’t the only way to enjoy music. If you have your music library in MP3 or AAC files, then iTunes is a very popular and convenient option for the macOS server.

Music over Optical Media

Does your music resides in compact discs or ‘CD’s? Not a problem! With the macOS you easily have CD playback. Since there is no optical drive, you need get one compatible with macOS.

File and Backup Server

Since Apple stopped the development of the Time Capsule, you could use the Mac Mini to host a Time Machine backup server for every Mac in the network.

Furthermore, the Mac Mini could store many huge files and make them accessible through the local network. The traditional method is to store them in an external USB hard drive, which works great. The problem occurs when 2 or more people need to access the same files. That's why placing these files in the Mac Mini could solve this problem.

Central Printer and Scanner

While many bureaucracy procedures have moved paperless, virtual and online, there are times when printing a document, photo or illustration is required. Instead of connecting a printer or a scanner to a single computer, they could be connected to the macOS Server and give this service to another devices in your local network.

Legacy Ports Server

There are plenty of electronic devices that require a bulky adapter to make it work since many technologies have shifted in some way. This example applies to Blu-ray discs, SD cards, FireWire, etc. The Mac Mini can host the required adapter and then serve the other devices.

Next Chapter of macOS Server

In the next posts, I am going to write more about what internal upgrades can you give to the computer. Find out in the next blog posts!

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