Running FM Server without login (MacOS X)

[raymanj]

For the ones that are using Filemaker Server 5.5 on MacOS X.

I have tried the evaluation version of Fm Server, but I do not see how to get FM Server to host without someone log into the machine first and then it will auto launch. I have seen other databases on MacOS X startup and host files without a person logging into the machine.

Does anyone know how to set this up. If FM Server has to ne logged in to host this can be a big security hazard for a machine that is always logged in to host databases over a network.

Thanks

[dblezard]

You can get Mac OS X to automatically start the FileMaker Server daemon when the machine boots. This has been documented in other places, but since I can't recall a direct link, here's what I've done to make it work.

You need to create an item to startup FMP Server in the /System/Library/StartupItems folder. To do these actions, you need root level access either directly through the root account or through sudo.

1) Create a folder "/System/Library/StartupItems/FMPServer".

2) "cd" into that folder.

3) Create a text file named "StartupParameters.plist". The contents of this file should be:

code:

---

{

Description = "FileMaker Pro Server";

Provides = ("FileMaker Pro Server");

Requires = ("Disks", "Resolver");

OrderPreference = "Late";

Messages =

{

start = "Starting FileMaker Pro Server";

stop = "Stopping FileMaker Pro Server";

};

}

---

4) Create a file named "FMPServer". Assuming you have FMP Server installed in the /Applications folder, the contents of this file should be:

code:

---

#!/bin/sh

##

# Start FileMaker Pro Server

##

. /etc/rc.common

ConsoleMessage "Starting FileMaker Pro Server"

cd /Applications/FileMaker Server 5.5/FileMaker Server Config.app/Contents/Resources/

./fmserverd -c fmserver.conf

---

(NOTE: Make sure the entire /Applications/FileMaker Server 5.5/FileMaker Server Config.appContents/Resources/ path should be on 1 long line. Also note the backslashes to properly escape the space characters in the path.)

5) Change the "FMPServer" file to be executable using:

chmod 755 FMPServer

6) Reboot machine and note the happy "Starting FileMaker Pro Server" line that appears as Mac OS X loads all its services.

If you either cut and paste these or type them in VERY carefully, all should be well, but do watch all of the punctuation, etc. as Unix scripts are very picky about such things. You will probably also want to make sure to put your databases to be hosted in the same folder as the FileMaker Server Config.app or in a folder inside that one so that the fmserverd will automatically open them when it starts.

[ December 14, 2001: Message edited by: dblezard ]

[Steven H. Blackwell]

You might want to be careful about having FM Server start automatically on ANY OS, especially if there has been an inelegant stoppage of the CPU before hand. You may want to have human intervention to check for file damge.

Old Advance Man