Port Forwarding under Mac OS X Server 10.4 Tiger

Well, that was a pain. Note to Apple: Would it have been that bloody hard to include a simple GUI for editing port forwarding in Mac OS X Server? Yes, I know, it's probably on the slate for 10.5, but I have to say, if I have any negative impression of the Mac OS X Server releases, it's that it feels like Apple is holding stuff back, just so that it can be "full featured" in the next release.

Here's how you, the listener at home, can identify a new feature that will be fully featured in the next Server release; It will be in the current version, but will only have Off/On as the options. Next release will have actual settings.

I mean, this isn't the DNS configs here, I can understand that being a hassle to implement. Flipping port forwarding! In/Out/ports!

*sigh*

Sorry, if I seem like I'm freaking about this, but it was a pain and included finding out that while Apple included directions on HOW to do this manually (editing the /etc/nat/natd.plist file) in the Mac OS X Server manual, they don't mention that you need to make sure that the "TCP or UDP" is in lower case. Even though it's in upper case in their "example". Seems if you leave it upper case, NAT fails to start, no biggy. *rrrrrr*

Anyways, thanks to hints over at MacOSXHints (always a good site) and Apple-labo.com, a site that I will be checking in the future. As well as the X Server manual from Apple (aside from the above). I want to bash the Apple Discussion Groups, but as I didn't actually ask on there, I'll just write that urge up to being tired and cranky.

4:02:20 AM     Discuss: []


Aftermath: Details

Pointless hint of the day: do not "wiggle" a drive that is only loosely attached in a system and has exposed circuitry on the underside. No matter how badly you may be tempted...don't.

So, not long after what had been a mostly painless update to the new system, some idiot (to be hereinafter referred to as "me") did the above, and with a faint "pop" bye-bye went the new drive.

One 4am later I had the basic systems up. It's taken until about now to finally get the tricky part up.

I will have to say one thing; this whole episode may have been a reprieve for Radio Userland. I'm still going to go ahead and run Blojsom for other weblogs, but I'm going to go ahead and let Radio keep running the show for a while. I still don't like that it requires me to log in, but maybe there's a way to fix that.

12:54:12 AM     Discuss: []


Aftermath: Alive! Alive, I say!

Well, if this post gets through, it worked.

Wow, what a mess. However, it looks like that which has not killed my server has made it stronger. Comments are back, XML link fixed, images are all cool. Yay.

More later. Gory details.

12:41:18 AM     Discuss: []