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can you boot up a headless mac mini?

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Posted on April 5, 2017 at 14:13:35
bwbosler
Audiophile

Posts: 18
Location: IN
Joined: July 11, 2016
 I searched the internet and here. Several have stated they are running a headless mini but nobody says how they do it.Mine won't boot without a monitor and keyboard. I want to put it in my rack with nothing but my DAC and ethernet so I can control it remotely.

Can it be done?

if it can, how can it be done?

thanks

 

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$10 dongle + optional SwitchRes software, posted on April 5, 2017 at 19:08:19
Bob Stern
Audiophile

Posts: 391
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: August 28, 2001
 $10 "fit-Headless" dongle should do it:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FLZXGJ6
http://www.fit-pc.com/web/products/fit-headless/

When using screen sharing to control my headless Mac Mini, I find it useful to define custom display resolutions other than the default resolutions available with such a dongle (in particular, 1680x900). I use SwitchResX for that purpose:
http://www.madrau.com

(Disclaimer: I haven't used that dongle myself. Before it became available, I bought the more expensive Gefen DVI Detective.)

 

RE: $10 dongle + optional SwitchRes software, posted on April 5, 2017 at 19:15:57
bwbosler
Audiophile

Posts: 18
Location: IN
Joined: July 11, 2016
 great, the dongle gets me past the missing monitor issue. What about the missing keyboard and mouse it looks for?

Just get a cheap set and plug them in? Would really rather have nothing connected to reduce clutter in my rack. Is there another way?

thanks

 

My late 2012 and 2010 Mini's boot without keyboard or mouse (nt), posted on April 5, 2017 at 19:48:44
Bob Stern
Audiophile

Posts: 391
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: August 28, 2001

 

I'm doing it, but I no idea HOW..., posted on April 5, 2017 at 20:24:47
Ivan303
Audiophile

Posts: 48887
Location: Cadiere d'azur FRANCE - Santa Fe, NM
Joined: February 26, 2001
 I'm controlling the Mac Mini from a MacBook Air that's on the same network.

Using 'Screen Sharing' where the Mac Mini shows up on the network. Set it up without keyboard, mouse, display or BlueTooth or WiFi, so it must be possible.

Just plugged it in, plugged it into an ethernet jack and the MacBook Air found it as a 'shared' device on the network, or so I seem to recall.

The guy I got it from MAY have set it up so I COULD easily find it, but I don't recall.



First they came for the dumb-asses
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a dumb-ass

 

RE: My late 2012 and 2010 Mini's boot without keyboard or mouse (nt), posted on April 5, 2017 at 20:28:02
bwbosler
Audiophile

Posts: 18
Location: IN
Joined: July 11, 2016
 Thanks Bob

Very strange, the mini would boot without a KB or mouse but my Mac Pro and iPad couldn't see it

Then I changed the name of the mini in sharing and now they can see it

no idea why, but it works so I won't worry about it

 

I boot my Mac Mini headless sans dongle or optional software but...., posted on April 6, 2017 at 09:03:39
AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 46302
Location: USA
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
  Since: February 2, 2002
 my setup and system operational needs may be different than yours.

In System Preferences > Users & Groups:

- I have no password for login.

- In Login Items I have Roon (so Roon launches upon bootup)

I have my bluetooth keyboard and mouse turned-off. I have no monitor attached to the Mac Mini.

When I power-up or restart my Mac Mini, it boots w/o the need for inputting a user login and password and it launches Roon. I can then control my music library on the Mac Mini using the Roon App on my iPad or iPhone. I can choose my "audio device" within the Roon App to output to my direct-attached USB DAC for the office system, or output to the microRendu network streamer down in the basement listening room. All headless. All controlled via the iPad. That's it.

I also have Roon set up to automatically backup it's database periodically to my Dropbox account and to a local HDD partition. I also have Carbon Copy Cloner scheduled to periodically make backups of the entire system. All of this happens in the wee hours of the morning when I'm asleep and not listening to music.

I also have the Mac Mini set up to reboot on power failure so there's no manual intervention. When power comes back ON, the Mini comes back ON.

However, whenever I want to update software, add new music files, or do any administrative tasks, I simply plug-in my monitor cable and turn ON the bluetooth keyboard/mouse. I've used screen sharing in the past but don't really have a need for it in my setup.


 

Solved , thanks Abe, posted on April 6, 2017 at 15:28:11
bwbosler
Audiophile

Posts: 18
Location: IN
Joined: July 11, 2016



My issue was it was asking for a password so it would sit at that screen and not fully boot until it got one. Set up like this it works like a charm, Just a power cord and an ethernet cable to connect to my network

 

Great! Glad it's working for you -nt, posted on April 6, 2017 at 23:07:05
AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 46302
Location: USA
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
  Since: February 2, 2002
 .

 

update, posted on April 19, 2017 at 16:22:49
bwbosler
Audiophile

Posts: 18
Location: IN
Joined: July 11, 2016
 even though it works without a monitor attached I've read where the GPU turns off and it can result in slow or erratic behavior. The $15 HDMI dongle is a cheap way to avoid that.

Every once in a while my Mac Pro will not recognize the mini in finder. Rebooting the Pro has solved that issue

Abe, if you do screen sharing then you don't have to hook all that stuff up for maintenance, just use another computer to control it

 

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