
The first two uses are part of macOS Server, and Plex can run on any computer, it’s just easier to run it on a computer that’s not being used for anything else.

I use it to store some files, as a repository for Time Machine backups, and to run Plex media server, which allows me to access music and videos on my home network. I have been running a Mac mini server for years. MacOS Server has long been a tool for those users who need just a bit more than what their Macs can handle.

APPLE MACOS SERVER SOFTWARE

You could run all these services without the Server app, if you know the right commands to turn them on and manage them from the command line, using Terminal, but the Server app makes it easy so almost anyone can do it.Īpple says that “macOS Server is perfect for a small studio, business, or school,” and points out that “it’s so easy to use, you don’t need your own IT department.” This was very useful some years ago, but now, as most of these tasks are entrusted to the cloud-email, shared contacts and calendars, websites, and more-most people don’t need to run a server. The Server app, available from the Mac App Store, provides an easy-to-use interface to configure and manage services that are built into macOS.
APPLE MACOS SERVER MAC OS X
If you use an iMac or a MacBook Pro, you may not realize that, with some additional software, you could turn that computer into a server, a computer that can share files, host websites, run a virtual private network, and much more.Īpple’s macOS and its predecessor Mac OS X have long been able to work as servers with the installation of a single $20 app.
