Warning, be careful when updating your server. I noticed a few hick-ups on my machine. I will update this post with my findings through the day when I find out more.

Leopard Issues:

• Resolved: My remote desktop isn’t working anymore, still looking into this one. Solution: It somehow works again after some time waiting, probably I was trying to fast

Working: Everything else does not look to be affected, even Postfix is as is (in contrast to Snow Leopard)

Snow Leopard issues:

• Postfix binary get’s replaced, you’ll have to do a ’sudo make install’ from the last install direcory to get it working again.

For the rest on Snow Leopard everything seems to be working as intended. Will do some more test during the day.

Read more about the update to 10.6.2 here and the security update 2009-006 here.

If you find anything please let us know in the comments and I will try to verify.

Update: No more problems found, I guess it was just a postfix problem and as Joe has commented I need to change the location to prevent future issues.

A new verison of Dovecot has been released a few days ago but I’ve only been able to test it today, sorry busy week.

The bugfixes include:

• Authentication: DIGEST-MD5 and RPA mechanisms no longer require user’s login realm to be listed in auth_realms. It only made configuration more difficult without really providing extra security.
• zlib plugin: Don’t allow clients to save compressed data directly. This prevents users from exploiting (most of the) potential security holes in zlib/bzlib.
• Added pop3_save_uidl setting.
• dict quota: When updating quota and user isn’t already in dict, recalculate and save the quota.
• file_set_size() was broken with OSes that didn’t support posix_fallocate() (almost everyone except Linux), causing all kinds of index file errors.
• v1.2.4 index file handling could have caused an assert-crash
• IMAP: Fixes to QRESYNC extension.
• virtual plugin: Crashfix
• deliver: Don’t send rejects to any messages that have Auto-Submitted
  header. This avoids emails loops.
• Maildir: Performance fixes, especially with maildir_very_dirty_syncs.
• Maildir++ quota: Limits weren’t read early enough from maildirsize file (when quota limits not enforced by Dovecot)
• Message decoding fixes (mainly for IMAP SEARCH, Sieve).

I’ve updated my test server with Mac OSX 10.6.1 The update went without any problem and my setup was not affected in a negative way. It took me some time to check everything.

If you want to read more on what is affected in the updates I would suggest reading the Apple support site for the 10.6.1 update.

In case of doubt, please make a full bootable disk image backup with Carbon Copy Cloner before you start. There are some people having reported problems with previous update so better be safe then sorry!

Allright, a bit later than I had anticipated and planned. But that’s what you get if Apple starts releasing stuff earlier then expected. It screws with your planning. But the instructions for installing the basic mailserver in 64 bits are finished and tested on my MacBook Pro. This new machine is a god send and worth every penny up to now.

Please note that these are my initial instructions using an upgraded machine. Next up I need to test the instructions on a clean install of Snow Leopard. When that’s done I will upgrade my Core Duo mini to Snow Leopard and see how the 32 bits version will work out.

Happy reading: The mailserver on Snow Leopard

Good luck and can you please let me know if it worked for you?

Here is a quick update on getting Apache, PHP and MySQL installations working again after the Snow Leopard upgrade.

For Apache I did a recompile and install because the config was completely lost (and I had no backup!) and this was the quickest way for me. The normal 64 bit Leopard instructions did the job for now, will look later at possible enhancements.

MySQL I could just startup with the System Preferences MySQL panel. Will do a recompile later today and will update this post with the findings. This as MySQL is updated to 5.1.38

PHP gave the most issues, but a comment from Nico helped out. This problem is valid for 5.2.9 and 5.3.0 but it should be solved in 5.3.1 as the bug was listed as solved in 5.3.1.dev

To solve the problem, follow the normal instructions on this site but after the configure statement you need to edit the Makefile which is created by ./configure

You need to add ‘-lresolv‘ at the end of the line which starts with ‘EXTRA_LIBS‘ like:

EXTRA_LIBS = -lmysqlclient -lssl -lcrypto -lz -lssl -lcrypto -lm -lxml2 -lz -licucore -lm -lxml2 -lz -licucore -lm -lmysqlclient -lz -lm -lmysqlclient -lz -lm -lxml2 -lz -licucore -lm -lxml2 -lz -licucore -lm -lxml2 -lz -licucore -lm -lxml2 -lz -licucore -lm -lresolv

As noted earlier, I will keep updating this blogpost till most issues are resolved or properly documented elsewhere on the site.

Update 1: MySQL compiled without a problem using the 64 bits Leopard instructions.

Update 2: Finished some of the PHP documentation on Snow Leopard:

• Compiling PHP in 64 bits mode on Snow Leopard
• Adding the GD module to PHP on Snow Leopard
• Adding the mcrypt module to PHP on Snow Leopard

Update 3: Added Apache install instructions:

• Compiling Apache in 64 bits mode on Snow Leopard

Update 4: Made a new page with all related Snow Leopard instructions. MAMP stack documented, mailserver will follow!

Last update: Mailserver instructions.

It’s looking mighty fine from a user perspective, even more now as I use my MBP for work in a Microsoft environment. The Exchange integration with Addressbook and iCal is very welcome. I will find out more next week when I get back in the office.

But as I also use my MBP as the 64 bit test server. I was very dissapointed to find out that a lot was gone aftet the upgrade. All launchdaemon plist files where gone so nothing was started. Postfix binary had been replaced (was to be expected). All the configuration for Apache was gone, Postfix config replaced (but old ones renamed). Still assessing most of the damage at the moment.

But first success was that the Apache installation for Leopard also works for Snow Leopard. Don’t forget to install the XCode package from the Snow Leopard install DVD.

By the way I had to buy a copy today (which was hard because it was sold out at many places) because the family pack was not yet available.

I will post of my findings tomorrow.

Update: If you follow me on Twitter I will give you earlier smaller notifications on my discoveries! Twitter.com/diymacserver

I know a lot of you are awaiting news on Snow Leopard! The early release has put me into a tight spot as I’m on holiday now (I’m typing this in an internet cafe paying a ridiculus rate per hour). Snow Leopard is lying in my mailbox at home and I didn’t bring any Mac with me. So bear with me untill the next weekend when I’ll be back home and will post updates.

Postfix has released a new version 2.6.5 as well. Usually they are installable without problems so feel free to update and I will test is soon!

Sorry about this!

Amazon is always one of those companies who wants to help people to be the first to receive new products with their ability to pre-order. The release of Snow Leopard is almost there and Amazon is allowing pre-orders now. If you want to be sure you are one of the first to receive Snow Leopard you can order it on-line at Amazon. If you use any of the links provided you’ll be supporting this blog as we get a small commission as affiliate.

I will be ordering a family pack myself as I have more than one Mac in the house

I’m already testing the DIYMacServer setup on a beta version of Snow Leopard and I hope to have all the instructions ready before the official launch of Snow Leopard. I’ll try to include some migration strategies as well, although I firmly believe in doing a clean install of a new OS and not to perform an upgrade. It helps you in cleaning all the old stuff, all the apps that you no longer use and are still lingering on the HD.

Select your product from here:

• Snow Leopard (Upgrade from Leopard): $29
• Snow Leopard Family Pack: $49
• Mac Box Set, Snow Leopard Edition: $169 (including iLife and iWork)
• Mac Box Set, Snow Leopard Family Pack: $229 (including iLife and iWork)