mhcg.co.uk

Well I said I didn't get the DNS details and I was right, as I used my internet domain name, things weren't all good with the server.  For a start as I don't have that zone in my current DNS server and as Setup Assistant setup Open Directory, it used that as the realm which I really didn't want.  I came to the conclusion that I really wanted to use mhcg.private as my DNS zone, I did try to change this myself in the DNS settings but from various Googling on the point seems the general feeling on chaining the DNS name after running Setup Assistant is a bad idea and I think after the 6 hours of hair pulling I've just been through, I'd agree so rebuild time.

No CD/DVD drive of course in the mac mini server, I was just about to plan a visit to my nearest Apple Store for an external SuperDrive when I remembered how I've installed beta versions of Snow Leopard from the Apple Developer Connection, namely by 'restoring' a disk image to an external USB drive, then booting the mac mini while pressing the option key and selecting the USB drive as the boot device, so I made an image using Disk Utility of the supplied Mac mini server CD and restored to a spare USB drive.

As I'd had to physical move the mac mini into another room with a monitor, keyboard and mouse I ran the installation through until the Setup Assistant appeared, at which point I powered off the box and re-sited it back with my other boxes without monitor etc.  Back to remote config as originally then, you can do a remote install apparently but I couldn't work out how to get that working especially as it was asking for the first 8 characters of my serial number, which I was entering correctly, but Setup Assistant was adamant it was invalid.  Ran Setup Assistant exactly as before but with 'hostname.mhcg.private' for the DNS name this time.  For the record I used Disk Utility within the installation routine (first screen in fact) to erase the 'Server HD' volume before attempting reinstall.