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A few weeks/months ago I set up Mac OS X Server for the first time. During the setup process, it queried me for a server name. One of the suggestions was "myserver.private" which is (more or less) exactly what I used (shaggyserver.private actually). Besides installing various updates (OS itself, iTunes, Safari) and a few printer drivers, I have not configured anything on the machine yet.

I now have a domain registered and so I need to "rename" the server. Is there an easy way to do this? Or should I nuke the drive and start over? (I'm hoping I don't have to, since I never set up mail/web/DNS/etc.)

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  • Did you set up an Open Directory master on the server (either manually, or by selecting "Create Users and Groups" or "Import Users and Groups" during the setup process)? If you're not sure, look in the Open Directory module in Server Admin. If it's running an OD master, the process is rather more complicated.
    – Gordon Davisson
    Oct 16, 2010 at 3:11
  • @Gordon Davisson I don't think so. I used the "Advanced" setup, so no services were automagically set up. Looking at Server Admin, it's basically empty; the "SERVERS" entry just has "Available Servers" and the entry for my (jagged-line-in-circle iconed) shaggyserver.private entry (which is greyed out and has no entries under its disclosure triangle).
    – Shaggy Frog
    Oct 16, 2010 at 4:27
  • Which version of OS X server are you using? Your description sounds like 10.5... Anyway, it sounds like DNS is not set up right, and that's preventing Server Admin from finding the server; try adding a new server to Server Admin, this time "shaggyserver.local" (which should work even if regular DNS is hosed).
    – Gordon Davisson
    Oct 16, 2010 at 15:02
  • @Gordon Davisson Sorry, yes, 10.5 Leopard. I was able to successfully add "shaggyserver.local". Should I keep this entry or delete it?
    – Shaggy Frog
    Oct 16, 2010 at 17:17
  • Ok, one more question: is the server on a private IP address (i.e. 192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x, or 172.16-31.x.x) behind a NAT router?
    – Gordon Davisson
    Oct 16, 2010 at 22:04

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Your name of your server surely doesn't need to match the domain you purchased.

If you still want to rename, there's a changeip command in terminal.app that should help you out.

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  • Right from the get-go there have been problems using a "foo.private" name -- I had a bizarre error "Back end tool saProxy crashed" during the setup process (and I think that's related). Also, in the Server Admin app, "shaggyserver.private" shows up with a jagged-line-in-circle that generally indicates "this is a problem". The OS X Server book I have basically assumes you have set up your server name properly from the beginning, which I did not. As for this changeip command -- is that the only thing I'd have to do? My gut tells me there are several places "shaggyserver.private" is hiding...
    – Shaggy Frog
    Oct 16, 2010 at 0:10
  • From what I can tell, changip is the officially-sanctioned way to rename a server. If you're that unsure, though, perhaps a clean install is in order.
    – EEAA
    Oct 16, 2010 at 0:15

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