Trashcan Mac as Roon Server

[Bones13]

I finally decommissioned my 2013 MacPro for a Mac Studio. I’m going to try it as a music server before considering selling it.

 

Does anyone know of a recent guide to configuring a Mac for server duty? I easily found guides from 2009 and 2014. I will be running Roon Server with an Ethernet endpoint Bricasti M12.

 

I did upgrade the memory, and SSD, so neither will be bottlenecks. (I will be re-installing the original SSD to try and update to the most current OSX. The new SSD is not recognized as “valid” to allow the firmware updating. I should be able to put the bigger SSD back in. It’s big enough for OS and my music directory.

 

I currently use a DIY fanless Win10 server, so the MacPro will be a vanity project.

[stefano_mbp]

2 hours ago, Bones13 said:

Mac Studio

 

2 hours ago, Bones13 said:

The new SSD is not recognized as “valid”

You cannot upgrade the original ssd on Mac Studio, read here

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/want-to-upgrade-a-mac-studio-ssd-not-so-fast

[AudioDoctor]

46 minutes ago, stefano_mbp said:

 

You cannot upgrade the original ssd on Mac Studio, read here

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/want-to-upgrade-a-mac-studio-ssd-not-so-fast

 

Pretty sure the OP meant to replace the SSD in the Trashcan Mac Pro. I am sure I saw an upgrade for that at OWC though.  Yep, I sure did:  https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/ssd/owc/mac-pro/2013

 

Other than updating it to the newest OS you can, I am not sure there is anything else to do to a Mac to have it act as a RoonServer.

[stefano_mbp]

12 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

Pretty sure the OP meant to replace the SSD in the Trashcan Mac Pro

… yes, it seems so … my bad 

[Bones13]

Yes, the SSD upgrade, via Mac sales.com, is for the 2013 MacPro. I have watched the tear down videos on the studio, and know that it’s difficult to upgrade the “storage device”.

 

I plan to re-install the original 256mg SSD for the 2013 MacPro to enable the MacOS upgrade. After that I can put the bigger SSD back in.

 

so, no one has recommendations on MacOSX configurations?

[AudioDoctor]

14 minutes ago, Bones13 said:

so, no one has recommendations on MacOSX configurations?

 

I don't think there is anything to do. It's a desktop OS, don't turn stuff on is about the only thing I can think of.

[Bones13]

6 hours ago, AudioDoctor said:

 

I don't think there is anything to do. It's a desktop OS, don't turn stuff on is about the only thing I can think of.

Thanks, I was considering trying Euphony, or other Linux distro. Come to think of it, I should try that sooner, rather than later. My son, a software engineer, is living at home before going to Grad School in August. While I learned to program Basic in 1975, and continue to dabble in computers, Unix/Linux is not in my repertoire.

 

How well does Euphony work on a Mac? I stalled trying to install it on a DIY PC.

[zackthedog]

3 hours ago, Bones13 said:

Thanks, I was considering trying Euphony, or other Linux distro. Come to think of it, I should try that sooner, rather than later. My son, a software engineer, is living at home before going to Grad School in August. While I learned to program Basic in 1975, and continue to dabble in computers, Unix/Linux is not in my repertoire.

 

How well does Euphony work on a Mac? I stalled trying to install it on a DIY PC.

 

Assuming it's an Intel Mac (sorry, I'm not familiar with that model) consider gentooplayer. It's not free but it's a fraction of the cost of Euphony.  It comes with numerous playback engines pre-installed, including Roon core.  You just enable the player you want to use.  

 

I use it on an ARM-based renderer and I love it.

 

There's a gentooplayer thread over in the Software forum.

[AudioDoctor]

6 hours ago, Bones13 said:

Thanks, I was considering trying Euphony, or other Linux distro. Come to think of it, I should try that sooner, rather than later. My son, a software engineer, is living at home before going to Grad School in August. While I learned to program Basic in 1975, and continue to dabble in computers, Unix/Linux is not in my repertoire.

 

How well does Euphony work on a Mac? I stalled trying to install it on a DIY PC.

 

I have tried Euphony, and while I liked it a lot there are drawbacks. It is incapable of updating to the latest versions of HQPlayer for example. If you're not going to use Roon or HQPlayer it will sound pretty damn good though. I have no idea if it will work on a trashcan Mac Pro. I tried it on an intel Mac mini and it worked.

[BCRich]

8 hours ago, Bones13 said:

How well does Euphony work on a Mac? I stalled trying to install it on a DIY PC.

I used Euphony on a 2012 MacMini without any issues prior to building my HDPlex Server. The pitfalls that AudioDoctor mentions are true with regards to Roon/HQP integration and should be resolved when Version 4 hits. Hopefully sooner than later, Beta test are expected shortly.

Happy Listening…Mike

 

[Bones13]

Thanks all for the comments. I spent the afternoon changing to the original SSD. I updated that SSD to The newest version of Catalina, which included firmware upgrade. Then swapped back to the bigger SSD, and it did upgrade successfully to Catalina as well.

 

BTW, this computer is 9 years old, and sports a hex core Xeon chip, 32g ram, and now 2t SSD.

 

I then quickly learned how to use VNCViewer to remote to it. Loaded Roon, and jacked in a USB drive with music. I plan to load the music on the SSD once I quit playing with things.

 

Tomorrow will be working on making it self boot, and run Roon after power interruption. I have remove some security features, and learn about auto starting Roon. And start some disc clean out, getting the software not needed off. Then look for any guides to removing unneeded services. I put a dummy HDMI plug in my Amazon cart, so I don’t need to keep it plugged into a monitor. Wondering if similar plugs are available for USB mouse and keyboard. My hope is to have it unencumbered with peripherals.

 

I don’t use HQPlayer, as the Bricasti unit I use is an Ethernet endpoint, and does not offer HQP. Similarly, most alternative, or “special” servers are optimized for USB out to a DAC, and that is not my setup. I have an etherRegen with optical from the network, the server is plugged in on the 1g side (same as the fiber) and the Ethernet 100 side to the Bricasti.

 

A Linux distro trial would be down the road.

[AudioDoctor]

15 minutes ago, Bones13 said:

Thanks all for the comments. I spent the afternoon changing to the original SSD. I updated that SSD to The newest version of Catalina, which included firmware upgrade. Then swapped back to the bigger SSD, and it did upgrade successfully to Catalina as well.

 

BTW, this computer is 9 years old, and sports a hex core Xeon chip, 32g ram, and now 2t SSD.

 

I then quickly learned how to use VNCViewer to remote to it. Loaded Roon, and jacked in a USB drive with music. I plan to load the music on the SSD once I quit playing with things.

 

Tomorrow will be working on making it self boot, and run Roon after power interruption. I have remove some security features, and learn about auto starting Roon. And start some disc clean out, getting the software not needed off. Then look for any guides to removing unneeded services. I put a dummy HDMI plug in my Amazon cart, so I don’t need to keep it plugged into a monitor. Wondering if similar plugs are available for USB mouse and keyboard. My hope is to have it unencumbered with peripherals.

 

I don’t use HQPlayer, as the Bricasti unit I use is an Ethernet endpoint, and does not offer HQP. Similarly, most alternative, or “special” servers are optimized for USB out to a DAC, and that is not my setup. I have an etherRegen with optical from the network, the server is plugged in on the 1g side (same as the fiber) and the Ethernet 100 side to the Bricasti.

 

A Linux distro trial would be down the road.

 

A Mac can last, and be very usable, for a very long time in my experience. I put a new SSD and fresh thermal paste in my 2011 mini over Christmas time when the SSDs were on crazy sale prices, it runs Ubuntu desktop and HQPlayer without breaking a sweat, and probably will for a very long time.

[Bones13]

Was pretty easy to set it up further. It will now restart once power is applied, auto-logon, and auto-start Roon. Currently copying the music directories from the USB drive. I did erase a bunch of the productivity software that I was using.

 

It will startup without anything plugged in.

 

1) it does waste a short time telling you it’s looking for a Bluetooth input device

    - which has no impact on my usage

2) I do need an HDMI ghost plug to enable a bigger resolution window 

     - very limited options without a display attached 

 

Now to look for any configuration guides that would be relevant today.

[biosailor]

On 4/16/2022 at 2:44 AM, AudioDoctor said:

 

A Mac can last, and be very usable, for a very long time in my experience. I put a new SSD and fresh thermal paste in my 2011 mini over Christmas time when the SSDs were on crazy sale prices, it runs Ubuntu desktop and HQPlayer without breaking a sweat, and probably will for a very long time.

Very true! I just installed Linux Mint on an old, one of the first generation Mac Book Air, and installed Roon on top of that. It works like charm, quiet, and reliably! This is just truly outstanding Apple quality!

 

Roon under Linux is fun!