Mac OS X Server 10.3 Panther: Visual QuickPro Guide [Paperback]

Schoun Regan (Author), Kevin M. White (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0321242521 | ISBN-13: 978-0321242525 | Publication Date: December 31, 2004 | Edition: 1

As the first server platform to let Mac, Unix, and Linux users share files and printers out of the box, Mac OS X Server promises to revolutionize the world of network administration (or at least make it a whole lot easier). Here to make sure you don't get left behind is Mac OS X Server: Visual QuickPro Guide. In this task-based guide, veteran Mac expert Schoun Regan shows you how to manage local networks, navigate the Unix file system permission architecture, and administer Internet and Web services. You'll also explore the ins and outs of IP-based file sharing and printing services and learn about all that's new in the latest of Apple's big cats, Panther Server: improved setup, management, and monitoring capabilities; enhanced Windows integration; new workgroup and desktop management tools; and more. Clear, concise language, step-by-step instructions, and loads of visual aids mean that even beginners can get up to speed on Mac OS X Server--quickly and efficiently--with this guide.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Schoun Regan is CEO of ITInstruction.com and leads its group of roving IT specialists, The Mac Trainers. Schoun routinely travels North America training users on Mac OS X, Mac OS X Server, Windows integration, and image management and deployment. He organizes and speaks at the Mac OS X Pro conference sessions at Macworld Expo and various other conventions, educational institutions, and businesses. Previously, Schoun was a Macintosh Network Support Administrator for a Fortune 100 company, and he has written for Tech Republic, Emazing, and other print and online magazines. He enjoys micro-brewed beer and still believes in mapping his own personal genome code and turning it into a board game.

Kevin White honed his skills as a technology coordinator for the University of Kentucky, where he achieved Ultimate Guru status. Using these powers for good, he roams the countryside sharing his knowledge of the “Apple way.” Since 2002, he has inspired throngs of Macintosh devotees at every stateside Macworld Expo to rise up against the Redmond hegemony. As Mac mercenary for hire, he answers to no one—except for his employers at ITInstruction and MacTown. Kevin lives on the road, but many suspect he has a secret lair somewhere in Louisville, KY.

Product Details

• Paperback: 472 pages
• Publisher: Peachpit Press; 1 edition (December 31, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321242521
• ISBN-13: 978-0321242525
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,833,926 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best OS X Server books out there, January 2, 2005

By 

Sohail Mamdani "Image Maker" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mac OS X Server 10.3 Panther: Visual QuickPro Guide (Paperback)

Covering Mac OS X Server in a single book is a hard, hard thing to do. You certainly can't get everything in there; there's just too much. But for all those limitations, the authors certainly manage to do an awesome job.

The fact is that the documentation included with Mac OS X Server - and the stuff available online at Apple's website - is woefully inadequate. This book fills that void and does it really well. From start to finish, the authors seem to have made every effort to avoid a situation where the reader looks at a section and goes "huh?" The section on Mail services is pretty cool, as is the stuff on Web Services and Open Directory.

This is a definite must-have for anyone working on or thinking about deploying Mac OS X Server, be it in an SMB setting or in larger-scale enterprise scenarios. Schoun Regan has a well-deserved reputation as one of Apple's finest Certified Trainers and his shows at Macworld are consistently packed. This book represents a healthy chunk of his knowledge and experience.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Content good, but too late and disorganized., February 25, 2005

By 

Mark D. Bej (Cleveland, Ohio) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mac OS X Server 10.3 Panther: Visual QuickPro Guide (Paperback)

The book is not bad, but it only handles "simple" stuff, if I dare call any computer administration simple.

People entering server administration should, first off, be those that are already considered power users or geeks by the majority of their coworkers. Such a person will already know the truly simple stuff, have acquired bits and pieces of more advanced knowledge, but need considerable direction on the concepts and issues of server administration. On this latter point the book is, unfortunately, far too sketchy, and some things are, I feel, a bit too sketchy for this sort of audience.

I should point out, too, that the famed Macintosh ease of use is here somewhat of a hindrance. I.e., the Xserve and Mac OS X Server setup is deceptively easy, to the point that bad setups are easy to do. Was Unix administration always intentionally hard, in order to "idiot-proof" it? One has to wonder... Given this problem, the book screams out for an introductory chapter on what issues there are in setting up a server, what possible solutions are, what the implications pro and con of each of these choices are, what setups are prerequisites for others, and so forth. The wet-behind-the-ears administrator could then create a flowchart of needed tasks, which this proposed introductory chapter could then reference for details.

Furthermore, the book's organization leaves much to be desired. I should think that security issues should be set up first, not relegated to a late chapter as in this book. DNS is handled in Chapter 3 I believe, yet there are items with dependencies on DNS that are described in earlier chapters. It would make sense to describe setting up user templates before users are actually set up.


For my part, I've already read the book twice and am now proceeding with my 3rd read-through, taking notes as I'm going as to what I need to do and in what order. I'm also taking notes on the files that will be modified as I'm doing this, so that I can take care to back up their original versions. This kind of information is thankfully in the book but unfortunately not stated up front in each section. This (i.e. "read the book through before starting any work") should appear as an instruction in the first chapter.

As to detail, one example relevant to our own situation (and likely many others') should suffice. Having already set up a web site, we wanted to set up the Xserve so that web requests go to the off-site web service while email is sent to the Xserve. The basics can be accomplished with Apple's GUI tools, but the details have to be done by hand in the text-based configuration files. Granted, books can be bought on DNS and BIND; but I don't really want or need a library of 10-12 books on all aspects of Unix administration.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Useful Format, January 23, 2005

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mac OS X Server 10.3 Panther: Visual QuickPro Guide (Paperback)

The Visual QuickPro Guides have an interesting design philosophy that is a cross between a tutorial and a reference book. I guess I'd call it tutorial based, but organized so that you can look up what you need and then get straight to what you are looking for without having to go one step at a time through a tutorial. They claim that this offers the fastest way to learn tasks and concepts. I find it hard to dissagree with this view.

Let's say you want to set up Mail Services. You can turn to Chapter 8 and go through the whole thing page by page. But, if you just want to set up mailing lists, the index will send to you to page 277 within Chapter 8 that tells you just exactly how to do this. The mailing list section is set aside so that while it logically flows through Chapter 8, you can also jump to just that section and not have to read about other parts of the mailing list program.