14 DAY TRIAL // Enlisted Apple developers this week can download not one, but two brand new builds of OS X Mountain Lion for testing & reporting purposes. The last seed is OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion Server Build 12S219N, or Developer Preview 4.
People who are familiar with the software say there are still some issues to be addressed in Server builds of OS X Mountain Lion, including installing apps on iOS-managed devices, SMTP server authentication in Mail, and a sporadic Spotlight problem in Xsan.
A directory services bug also hinges on the OS causing it to fail to bind to non-SSL-enabled Open Directory Servers, reports AppleInsider.
Programmers looking to download and test out OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion Server Developer Preview 4 can access Apple's Mac Dev Center and log in with their developer credentials to get a redemption code. With the code in hand, developers must launch the Mac App Store and download the Server component.
Mountain Lion betas can be downloaded (and even updated) through the Mac App Store.
Around the introduction of OS X 10.7 Lion two years ago, Apple relinquished the Enterprise-grade Xsan and showed a clear interest to make the Server version a standalone download.
When it was released to the public in 2011, OS X Lion came in a single form for all users, with the option to apply its Server components separately, via a 50-dollar download (40 EUR) from the Mac App Store.
“The all-new Server app is your go-to place for practically everything related to your server, and it couldn’t be easier to set up,” Apple states. “It includes a setup assistant that guides you step by step through the configuration process. Just a few clicks and you’re off and running.”
“You get local and remote administration of features and services such as users and groups, file sharing, calendaring, email, contacts, chat, Time Machine, VPN, web, and wiki services,” the description continues.
The Server application allows admins to monitor all activities and performance, giving them an overview of the hardware configuration and storage use.
OS X Mountain Lion is scheduled to launch publicly this summer.