New posts on the MacStadium blog
13 October 2016
As we continue the merge with MacStadium, most of the new blog posts have been written on the MacStadium blog. Here are a few you may have missed if you aren't following over there:
Tips on upgrading from OS X 10.11 to macOS 10.12: For the most part, things have been smooth but there are some things to watch for in the upgrade. And get a good backup.
A review of a "New Mac" scented candle: Yes, you read that right. It's what we all said we'd do some day but never got around to doing.
How to setup a Mac server as an MDM using Profile Manager: Super useful for small businesses, or even families that are starting to get a lot of iOS devices in the home.
Setup a file server with Resilio on a Mac mini: It's a secure and simple file sync server. It's much like running Dropbox on your own hardware.
We've written VPN tutorials for the last 5 releases of OS X and we'll soon be posting the tutorial for macOS Sierra. Keep an eye on the Macstadium twitter account for that and other future posts.
Tips on upgrading from OS X 10.11 to macOS 10.12: For the most part, things have been smooth but there are some things to watch for in the upgrade. And get a good backup.
A review of a "New Mac" scented candle: Yes, you read that right. It's what we all said we'd do some day but never got around to doing.
How to setup a Mac server as an MDM using Profile Manager: Super useful for small businesses, or even families that are starting to get a lot of iOS devices in the home.
Setup a file server with Resilio on a Mac mini: It's a secure and simple file sync server. It's much like running Dropbox on your own hardware.
We've written VPN tutorials for the last 5 releases of OS X and we'll soon be posting the tutorial for macOS Sierra. Keep an eye on the Macstadium twitter account for that and other future posts.
Mac mini hosting in UK and US East
08 August 2016
When we announced our merger with MacStadium, we told you there would be a lot of new and exciting features. Things are coming along.
We’ve just updated our pricing page with all sorts of options. You can now choose between hosting in three locations: Las Vegas, Atlanta and Dublin. These US locations help us cover coast to coast here in the States. The Dublin location is perfect for those in the UK, Europe and into North Africa.
Of course we still offer Mac mini colocation. Now we also have options for using a Mac mini and using a Mac Pro. (On a geeky sidenote, we were also recently awarded a patent for our custom built Mac Pro racks. Now we can scale, quickly, in nearly any location if needed.)
If you'd like to see all the new options in once place, just take a look at our new pricing page.
As always, if you have any questions, just send us a message. We're happy to help.
We’ve just updated our pricing page with all sorts of options. You can now choose between hosting in three locations: Las Vegas, Atlanta and Dublin. These US locations help us cover coast to coast here in the States. The Dublin location is perfect for those in the UK, Europe and into North Africa.
Of course we still offer Mac mini colocation. Now we also have options for using a Mac mini and using a Mac Pro. (On a geeky sidenote, we were also recently awarded a patent for our custom built Mac Pro racks. Now we can scale, quickly, in nearly any location if needed.)
If you'd like to see all the new options in once place, just take a look at our new pricing page.
As always, if you have any questions, just send us a message. We're happy to help.
Some changes here at Macminicolo
05 April 2016
This is it. The blog post I wasn’t sure I’d ever write. Partly because I knew it’d have to be about me and I’m a pretty private person. But also because I wasn’t sure this would ever happen without some difficult choices. Sometimes you have to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong. So here it goes…
I'm Brian Stucki. I’ve been running Macminicolo for over ten years. For half that time, I ran the whole thing alone. Later, Justin joined me for data center duties. Running a hosting company is a mixed bag opportunity. It’s exciting because you get to be involved with cutting edge technology. In a niche like Mac hosting and colocation, the customers are always intelligent and working with them lets me be a small part of what they’re building. I’ve tried very hard to do good, honest work and do right for our customers and the community. For every email I’ve received confirming the death of the Mac mini, I’ve also received emails from people who put a Mac mini into our data center and it saved their business.
The other side of hosting company ownership is constant connection to the online world, middle of the night support tickets, and a nagging worry that tech will change and you’ll be out of business. I call it the SBO ulcer. (I am not a doctor but I’m guessing many of you feel it too.) I remember listening to a podcast about when Instapaper was sold and had a lot of the conversation resonate with me.
Over the last decade, the business has been very successful. It has grown well financially but just as important to me is that it also has a great reputation. Macminicolo is the name for Mac hosting and Mac mini information. I’m very proud of this position and I’m happy that people have this view of Macminicolo. With a good name like ours, I receive an offer to buy the company about 5 times a year. I’ve always turned them down because I wasn’t interested in changing things, or the company was undervalued, or just because the new owners would have done a horrible job in running this niche service. Often, they didn’t understand what made it special and they just see the dollar signs. That would have hurt me to sell, and would have left my customers/friends in a bad place. No thanks.
Now, I could just announce this with no explanation and be done with it. I could also write one of those generic acquisition posts focused on sunsets and brands and blah. Instead, I’ll be forthright and real like I’ve always tried to be with customers.
Here is my family. (How’s that for keeping it personal?) My wife and kids are the most important thing in the world to me. This sale has helped me put a little money away for a rainy day and relieved some dad stresses like making sure my girls can go to college and that I won’t have to be a burden to my boys when I’m old and senile. This sale also lets me see more of them now. For ten years, we haven’t been able to take a truly disconnected vacation. I’ve always monitored and maintained the data center even from afar. Frankly, kids deserve to be with their dad in the wilderness where nothing can interrupt them. Merging my company allows me to do that but still have plenty of eyes and hands at the data center to keep good service. This, by far, is my main reason for merging.
Second, I think we’re on the cusp of a major change in how tech companies host their products. Companies that offer online services are looking for more control of their data and offerings. Startups and businesses are moving away from huge, faceless hosting companies so they can control their own data and have more direct hands on servers, etc. I want to be sure that they can look at Mac hosting options that are large enough to be viable, but personal enough to be a good partner. While I think we’re good at the latter, I can’t offer the former on my own. We'll still be the best at working with the individual colo customer. But now with this merger, we have all sorts of additional options. Need 500 OS X VMs running across dozens of Mac Pros? No problem. Want hundred of Mac minis, Pros and blades in place tomorrow to use for your company? Sure. Want to build a personal ACN in three diverse locations to deliver your podcast episodes? Coming right up.
Finally, I found a good company with good people and a long-term plan. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve had a number of offers over the years. Four months ago, I got a call from Greg, the CEO at MacStadium. Since that time, we’ve had many conversations about what could and should take place. When it comes to Macs in the data center, they’re doing some great things already. They have a great mix of knowledge and also a willingness to learn and grow. That’s rare.
MacStadium is based in Georgia. They recently expanded to Ireland as well. They were looking to offer another data center on the West coast and that’s part of what led them to me. Rather than start from scratch, Macminicolo gives them immediate space in this part of the United States and hundreds of great customers already on board. They’ve committed some significant investment to make this location even more robust. As mentioned earlier, I’ve also committed to take a major role at the company. This will allow me to do the things I enjoy (i.e., promote the Mac as a hosting option, teach people how to use OS X in the data center, be a known friend for customers) but step away from the things I’d like more help with (i.e., middle of the night support tickets, invoicing, network expansions.)
I'm Brian Stucki. I’ve been running Macminicolo for over ten years. For half that time, I ran the whole thing alone. Later, Justin joined me for data center duties. Running a hosting company is a mixed bag opportunity. It’s exciting because you get to be involved with cutting edge technology. In a niche like Mac hosting and colocation, the customers are always intelligent and working with them lets me be a small part of what they’re building. I’ve tried very hard to do good, honest work and do right for our customers and the community. For every email I’ve received confirming the death of the Mac mini, I’ve also received emails from people who put a Mac mini into our data center and it saved their business.
The other side of hosting company ownership is constant connection to the online world, middle of the night support tickets, and a nagging worry that tech will change and you’ll be out of business. I call it the SBO ulcer. (I am not a doctor but I’m guessing many of you feel it too.) I remember listening to a podcast about when Instapaper was sold and had a lot of the conversation resonate with me.
Over the last decade, the business has been very successful. It has grown well financially but just as important to me is that it also has a great reputation. Macminicolo is the name for Mac hosting and Mac mini information. I’m very proud of this position and I’m happy that people have this view of Macminicolo. With a good name like ours, I receive an offer to buy the company about 5 times a year. I’ve always turned them down because I wasn’t interested in changing things, or the company was undervalued, or just because the new owners would have done a horrible job in running this niche service. Often, they didn’t understand what made it special and they just see the dollar signs. That would have hurt me to sell, and would have left my customers/friends in a bad place. No thanks.
So what has changed?
In short, I’ve decided to sell ownership of Macminicolo and merge it with another company. I will stay on as President of Macminicolo and also serve as a Vice President of the parent company, MacStadium.Now, I could just announce this with no explanation and be done with it. I could also write one of those generic acquisition posts focused on sunsets and brands and blah. Instead, I’ll be forthright and real like I’ve always tried to be with customers.
Why did you sell the company?
For me, it boils down to three reasons:Here is my family. (How’s that for keeping it personal?) My wife and kids are the most important thing in the world to me. This sale has helped me put a little money away for a rainy day and relieved some dad stresses like making sure my girls can go to college and that I won’t have to be a burden to my boys when I’m old and senile. This sale also lets me see more of them now. For ten years, we haven’t been able to take a truly disconnected vacation. I’ve always monitored and maintained the data center even from afar. Frankly, kids deserve to be with their dad in the wilderness where nothing can interrupt them. Merging my company allows me to do that but still have plenty of eyes and hands at the data center to keep good service. This, by far, is my main reason for merging.
Second, I think we’re on the cusp of a major change in how tech companies host their products. Companies that offer online services are looking for more control of their data and offerings. Startups and businesses are moving away from huge, faceless hosting companies so they can control their own data and have more direct hands on servers, etc. I want to be sure that they can look at Mac hosting options that are large enough to be viable, but personal enough to be a good partner. While I think we’re good at the latter, I can’t offer the former on my own. We'll still be the best at working with the individual colo customer. But now with this merger, we have all sorts of additional options. Need 500 OS X VMs running across dozens of Mac Pros? No problem. Want hundred of Mac minis, Pros and blades in place tomorrow to use for your company? Sure. Want to build a personal ACN in three diverse locations to deliver your podcast episodes? Coming right up.
Finally, I found a good company with good people and a long-term plan. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve had a number of offers over the years. Four months ago, I got a call from Greg, the CEO at MacStadium. Since that time, we’ve had many conversations about what could and should take place. When it comes to Macs in the data center, they’re doing some great things already. They have a great mix of knowledge and also a willingness to learn and grow. That’s rare.
MacStadium is based in Georgia. They recently expanded to Ireland as well. They were looking to offer another data center on the West coast and that’s part of what led them to me. Rather than start from scratch, Macminicolo gives them immediate space in this part of the United States and hundreds of great customers already on board. They’ve committed some significant investment to make this location even more robust. As mentioned earlier, I’ve also committed to take a major role at the company. This will allow me to do the things I enjoy (i.e., promote the Mac as a hosting option, teach people how to use OS X in the data center, be a known friend for customers) but step away from the things I’d like more help with (i.e., middle of the night support tickets, invoicing, network expansions.)
Conclusion
I can’t explain just how much I had to think about this decision. I’ve put a lot of time, energy and attention into building Macminicolo. In the last few months I have performed the calculations, said the prayers, applied the SBO Ulcer test and projected the best and worst case scenarios. I ran the options by successful people I know and trust. Everything pointed to making this decision and I’m excited for it.Wordpress hosting with Macminicolo and ServerPilot
04 April 2016
One of the more common requests from potential customers is to have a server to "host a bunch of wordpress sites." Often it is a small hosting company that just needs a server that they own and control to host the sites of their customers. This is definitely possible on OS X with a LAMP install, or you can even do it manually. (Though, that takes some skill.)
If you’re looking for a rock solid Wordpress server on a Mac mini, ServerPilot plus Ubuntu is a great option. (Remember, you can run Ubuntu natively on a Mac mini, or as a virtual machine.)
ServerPilot is a service that will optimize an Ubuntu server for Wordpress as well as any other PHP application. It goes really well with services like DigitalOcean or Rackspace as that’s what it’s mostly designed to do.
We are an OS X heavy company for sure. We love it. But sometimes there’s a single purpose for a server here. If that purpose is wordpress hosting, this is a great option.
The main reason is that it will be on a machine that you own and control. When you or your customer has data on the machine, it’s good to be in control of the machine.
Pricing is another consideration. DigitalOcean is great. You have a lot of options for service levels. If you look at the pricing, it’d be pretty easy to match or exceed many of the available hardware plans. For instance, a server with 8GB of RAM and an 80GB SSD would be $80/mo. You could put your upgraded Mac mini in a data center with 16GB of RAM and 1TB SSD and host it for as low as $35/mo.
With Rackspace, well, who knows really. I tried to look at pricing and options but I was lost in the site and mostly just backed away from my browser.
If you have a Mac mini with Ubuntu installed, you can have ServerPilot log into the machine and automate the setup on a number of things. From their site:
What ServerPilot Does
When you signup with Macminicolo, we'll put OS X on the machine by default. From there, you can install a VM of Ubuntu. If you prefer to have Ubuntu boot natively, just mention it when you signup and we'll take care of it for you at no cost. Once the machine is live, follow the tutorial below:
First you need to get the Mac mini ready. To do this, you have to enable the root user for SSH with a password. Don’t be afraid. We’re jumping in terminal:
Connect to your machine with your regular user in SSH
First we’ll enable it in sshd_config
comment out the following line:
Just below it, add the following line:
Writeout with Control-O and then exit
Then set a password for root
And then finally, reload the SSH service
Then you can exit terminal.
Now it’s over to ServerPilot where you can create an account.
Once you login, you’ll be able to add a server to your account.
It’s pretty simple by filling in the IP address, the root password, and the password that you’d like server pilot to use.
The machine will run through the automated process
And it will confirm when the machine is ready
When it’s done going through the process, then you're all set to create your first app. (You can also log back into your server and change the root password if you’d like. Serverpilot no long needs it for access.)
It will confirm the install
And you can add multiple domains for that install
Then you can go to your URL and it'll show you the default install of Wordpress
Then you can go back and add as many domains as you'd like to run on your server
One of the benefits of a Mac mini is that there are so many ways to use one in a data center. IF you're looking for dead simple wordpress installation and hosting, this is a great route to take. As usual, if you have anything to add to this tutorial or other tips on running a Mac mini server, you can find us on Twitter @macminicolo.
A helpful tweet from a Macminicolo customer
If you’re looking for a rock solid Wordpress server on a Mac mini, ServerPilot plus Ubuntu is a great option. (Remember, you can run Ubuntu natively on a Mac mini, or as a virtual machine.)
ServerPilot is a service that will optimize an Ubuntu server for Wordpress as well as any other PHP application. It goes really well with services like DigitalOcean or Rackspace as that’s what it’s mostly designed to do.
Why would you want to use a Mac mini for this?
We are an OS X heavy company for sure. We love it. But sometimes there’s a single purpose for a server here. If that purpose is wordpress hosting, this is a great option. The main reason is that it will be on a machine that you own and control. When you or your customer has data on the machine, it’s good to be in control of the machine.
Pricing is another consideration. DigitalOcean is great. You have a lot of options for service levels. If you look at the pricing, it’d be pretty easy to match or exceed many of the available hardware plans. For instance, a server with 8GB of RAM and an 80GB SSD would be $80/mo. You could put your upgraded Mac mini in a data center with 16GB of RAM and 1TB SSD and host it for as low as $35/mo.
With Rackspace, well, who knows really. I tried to look at pricing and options but I was lost in the site and mostly just backed away from my browser.
More on ServerPilot and a Mac mini
If you have a Mac mini with Ubuntu installed, you can have ServerPilot log into the machine and automate the setup on a number of things. From their site:
What ServerPilot Does
- Software Installation – ServerPilot installs all of the software your server needs, including PHP, MySQL, Nginx, and Apache.
- Firewall Configuration – ServerPilot secures your server with an iptables firewall.
- Automatic Updates – ServerPilot keeps your server's packages updated.
- Simple Control Panel – ServerPilot's control panel makes it easy to host multiple sites on a server, manage databases, change PHP versions, deploy SSL, and more.
- AutoSSL – With AutoSSL, ServerPilot enables free SSL certicates for your apps' domains.
- Stats and Monitoring – ServerPilot provides stats and monitoring for your servers and apps. (Paid)
How to get started
When you signup with Macminicolo, we'll put OS X on the machine by default. From there, you can install a VM of Ubuntu. If you prefer to have Ubuntu boot natively, just mention it when you signup and we'll take care of it for you at no cost. Once the machine is live, follow the tutorial below:
First you need to get the Mac mini ready. To do this, you have to enable the root user for SSH with a password. Don’t be afraid. We’re jumping in terminal:
Connect to your machine with your regular user in SSH
ssh user@IPAddressFirst we’ll enable it in sshd_config
sudo nano -w /etc/ssh/sshd_configcomment out the following line:
PermitRootLogin without-passwordJust below it, add the following line:
PermitRootLogin yesWriteout with Control-O and then exit
Then set a password for root
sudo passwd root And then finally, reload the SSH service
sudo service ssh reloadThen you can exit terminal.
Now it’s over to ServerPilot where you can create an account.
Once you login, you’ll be able to add a server to your account.
It’s pretty simple by filling in the IP address, the root password, and the password that you’d like server pilot to use.
The machine will run through the automated process
And it will confirm when the machine is ready
When it’s done going through the process, then you're all set to create your first app. (You can also log back into your server and change the root password if you’d like. Serverpilot no long needs it for access.)
It will confirm the install
And you can add multiple domains for that install
Then you can go to your URL and it'll show you the default install of Wordpress
Then you can go back and add as many domains as you'd like to run on your server
Conclusion
One of the benefits of a Mac mini is that there are so many ways to use one in a data center. IF you're looking for dead simple wordpress installation and hosting, this is a great route to take. As usual, if you have anything to add to this tutorial or other tips on running a Mac mini server, you can find us on Twitter @macminicolo.
Update:
A helpful tweet from a Macminicolo customer
@brianstucki I recently used @bitnami for WordPress @WordPress https://t.co/63B8R7kR06
— Wayne Stewart (@waynestewart) April 4, 2016
Some tweets you may have missed
30 March 2016
We try to keep the big posts and interesting topics here on the company blog. However, not everything deserves a full post. In those cases, we will tweet it out.
The problem with Twitter is that not everyone uses it on a regular basis. Also, the tweets kind of disappear as they travel down the timeline.
Here are some tweets that you might have missed over the last few months. If you'd like to keep up with new ones, be sure to follow us on Twitter @macminicolo. You can also fine me @brianstucki. Keep up by putting the official Twitter for iPhone app on your phone, or my personal favorite, Tweetbot.
Here are some tweets of interest, in reverse chronological order:
The advice I most often give about running a server: "Keep it simple. The less cogs in the machine, the better. Measure twice, cut once."
— Brian Stucki (@brianstucki) March 29, 2016
Docker for Mac beta released today. Thanks @docker! We’ll take a look and post tips for using it with a Mac server. https://t.co/XHusNYMynh
— Macminicolo (@macminicolo) March 24, 2016
Some of our minis have been in service for 10yrs straight.
— Macminicolo (@macminicolo) March 10, 2016
Pro: Lasting power.
Con: Customers have no idea how powerful newer minis can be.
Here’s another great way to put your Mac mini server to use. https://t.co/s9FW7NO0m6
— Macminicolo (@macminicolo) February 16, 2016
When we have any available, we’ll continue to list them at https://t.co/fW63HMjnWi https://t.co/m9cFcKmUV1
— Macminicolo (@macminicolo) February 11, 2016
Day starts off with a reprimand from a customer. You’re right, we can do better. :) pic.twitter.com/vzYAAGLJfz
— Macminicolo (@macminicolo) February 11, 2016
It’s been over a year since we had reason to tweet an issue here, but we have to post something so Twitter doesn’t mark us inactive. So, hi.
— Macminicolo Status (@MMCStatus) February 9, 2016
Data Privacy Day: Own your whole backup stack with @arqbackup sending your data to your own server at @macminicolo. https://t.co/fye7P8r65U
— Macminicolo (@macminicolo) January 28, 2016
On that note, our Pingdom performance page is always public for anyone to see. https://t.co/JJKF9okkyu
— Macminicolo (@macminicolo) January 7, 2016
A nice look at real-world usage of OS X from an iPad Pro. https://t.co/dp4MFnOwOa
— Macminicolo (@macminicolo) January 4, 2016
Using an iPad Pro only?
— Macminicolo (@macminicolo) December 18, 2015
Run OS X: https://t.co/biw6AC8SmE
Backup data: https://t.co/pbZBTB9M9q
Run a private VPN: https://t.co/39jbzCxCwD
"My machine is offline."
— Macminicolo (@macminicolo) December 15, 2015
"Which mini? Oh, you have the wrong Mac mini host."
"Dang. This iMessage support is easy. Maybe I should switch."
A radar has been filed to get those Mac minis to support 32GB. Feel free to add your support on it: https://t.co/ubX054M41R
— Macminicolo (@macminicolo) December 12, 2015
A nice walk down memory lane. Fun to watch that intro video by Steve Jobs again: https://t.co/mDy2ica9ka
— Macminicolo (@macminicolo) December 3, 2015
Current customers, we can do all sorts of upgrades for you. Need more space? more RAM? Upgrade to SSD? Pricing here: https://t.co/hbUitq2RX1
— Macminicolo (@macminicolo) October 21, 2015