trying to idiot-proof my MacMini music server setup

Try and use another program besides iTunes.
I just don't want to try to get yet another component working. I'm going to concentrate on the problem of iTunes "quitting unexpectedly" for now. There seem to be lots of suggestions (elsewhere) for how to do that though, so I'm not sure where to begin ...
 
Actually (if anyone is still following) I get the misbehavior - leave things unattended for hours and come back and try to play music with iTunes remote and it appears to be playing but no sound comes out - even without iTunes crashing "unexpectedly". I think maybe I'll just do a clean install with an ElCapitan installer I have lying around, and go from there.

Does anyone know, can I just grab BitPerfect (onto a thumb drive) from my Applications folder and put it back when I'm done ?
 
Advise you FIRST get vanilla iTunes running PERFECTLY on your MM setup. Once you've got it all humming like a sewing machine—not buzzing like a bad left channel—along with easy, reliable, effective remote control of the audio server system from various devices talking to various gizmos feeding various gear getting various data from various sources), THEN start optimizing the whole setup for audio quality, ripping flexibility, maintenance and reliability, etc. Keep in mind that Apple's hi-res music server protocol (AirPlay 2) is right around the corner, so the OS and application contortions many are using currently to support hi-res serving should be seriously reconsidered before moving forward. Good luck, and please keep posting on your project; it's a fascinating saga.
 
Does anyone know, can I just grab BitPerfect (onto a thumb drive) from my Applications folder and put it back when I'm done ?

You have a Mac. It is easier and less painful to reinstall software. Since you are downgrading the OS, you need to ensure all the proper SW hooks are in place. I suggest you install the new OS and fully update it before reinstalling BitPerfect. If you are not certain that you will remember the BitPerfect settings, take screenshots of the settings and save the screenshots to your thumb drive.
 
Advise you FIRST get vanilla iTunes running PERFECTLY on your MM setup. Once you've got it all humming .
In that vein, I disabled BitPerfect just to see what it'd do, but no'd'france. So yeah, now I'm torn between doing an iTunes re-install and cleanup (this looks good: https://macpaw.com/how-to/reset-itunes-on-mac) or jump straight to wiping the disc and starting with a clean install of ElCapitan - I happen to have an installer thumb drive, and it seems fine or at least a good starting place. I imagine you'd recommend the latter and it's probably simpler.
Keep in mind that Apple's hi-res music server protocol (AirPlay 2) is right around the corner, so the OS and application contortions many are using currently to support hi-res serving should be seriously reconsidered before moving forward.
I'm not quite following.
t's a fascinating saga.
You're too kind.
If you are not certain that you will remember the BitPerfect settings, take screenshots of the settings and save the screenshots to your thumb drive.
No, just worried about paying to download it again.
 
I like simple, but I like current even more. Life's tough enough without having to keep track of old versions of software and deal with its incompatibilities with newer versions. I tend to keep everything up to date (at least with macOS (OSX) and IOS) although I'm not the first in line for updates/upgrades; I wait until major bugs, if any, are discovered and corrected.

On AirPlay 2, it's supposed to support FLACs (finally!) so hi-res streaming within the iTunes envelope should be at hand. I'm guessing (and it's ONLY a guess) that Apple will take the opportunity to fix the Core Audio processor so the problems BitPerfect and Pure Music are designed to correct are no longer objects for concern. Thus, putting time and effort into different operating systems, core replacements, hi-res streaming and cataloguing applications, etc. could all be a waste of time, effort, and money. I'd plan for the longer term in which you would presumably want to keep your MM current with both the OS and the apps/configuration needed to support your music serving needs. I don't really see how going back in time and bolting up a bunch of add-ons advances that main goal. Make sense?
 
RS,
I feel your pain. iTunes was not designed to be a headless server and the Remote App doesn't change that. One reason or another there's a constant need for intervention. I wanted to try Daphile which is a headless server OS but couldn't get it written to a boot USB stick or DVD that the mini would boot up on. I tried Volumino which is another headless server OS and it worked well but it couldn't use the mini's onboard WIFI. Consequently I had to use another WIFI router and a second network just for the mini and switch networks on our iDevices to access Volumino. Still a long way from autopilot. My current setup is back to ElCapitan running Audirvana, not free or even cheap, but maybe in this case you do get what you pay for. I have Audirvana setup to autostart when the mini starts, but I leave it on. I can switch outputs on the A+ Remote app and it remembers which of the 2 USB DACS or the optical output (to the AVR) it was last set to. I'm almost there, but one problem remains with the wifi remote ap. I set up the mini with a static IP address on our cable wifi router and the mini never sleeps so it should always be on the network, but it's not. For reasons unknown the mini has to be shut down and restarted to get it to show up on my network for the ap to see it. I'm pretty sure it's the router because I had similar problems with it not maintaining connections with 2nd gen Airport Expresses. This is irritating, but at least can be done with only the power button and no screen sharing. Good luck and keep us posted.
 
I like simple, but I like current even more.
I'm thinking the clearest way to advance your recommendation to get vanilla iTunes working perfectly (which totally makes sense to me) is to do a clean OS install - in which case I'm tempted to go back at least to Sierra, since it seems like people are having lots of trouble with High Sierra. Do you have another suggestion ? Try to do a clean reinstall of High Sierra ? Just try to do a total reinstall of iTunes ?
 
I'm thinking the clearest way to advance your recommendation to get vanilla iTunes working perfectly (which totally makes sense to me) is to do a clean OS install - in which case I'm tempted to go back at least to Sierra, since it seems like people are having lots of trouble with High Sierra. Do you have another suggestion ? Try to do a clean reinstall of High Sierra ? Just try to do a total reinstall of iTunes ?

RS, I'm not aware of any fundamental problems with High Sierra as regards either MM or iTunes. I'm running that version of macOS on all the iMacs and MBPs I support (mine, wife's, brother's, friends, etc.). I have an extensive iTunes library at home that is hosted on an old Dell PC from the early 2000s running Windows XP (I think, I don't care about staying current with Windows). I use various remotes (apps on macOS, IOS, or dedicated handhelds) to tell the various Apple gizmos (AEXs and ATVs) to "pull" music data from the server's iTunes library as and when desired. I never "push" it from the PC to target devices, except to sync the various iPod Classic 7th gens I use in our cars to their namesake playlists periodically. The music server has dual high-speed, low error optical drives for ripping new source material into the iTunes library, which is backed up to a RAIDed NAS. I haven't tried direct iTunes hosting from the NAS, but I may do so one of these days as an experiment.

So, up to you on how to go with your MM and OSX, but I'd keep in mind the future hi-res functionality expected (though not guaranteed) to be added to iTunes. You'll no doubt want to be in a position to upgrade at that point. Might be prudent to bite the bullet now and get things settled instead of dealing yourself a more complex transition in the future when other things going on may prevent you from attending to it.
 
NEVER MIND THIS BELOW - I think this could be how it's supposed to work maybe. If you turn off screen sharing, perhaps the HDMI output is supposed to go dark. If I grab audio from the headphone-out jack, sound continues (even when I close screen sharing and the HDMI output goes dark).

I am going backwards. In an attempt to start from scratch, I erased the disk and did a clean install of El Capitan. Now, controlling the MacMini using Finder sidebar screen sharing from my laptop, as soon as I close the screen-sharing window, the Mini stops outputting video and sound. While my DAC is being repaired, I am connected via HDMI to my TV; for some reason that HDMI output is going dark (no video or sound). It's not an iTunes issue, because iTunes keeps playing (when I turn screen sharing back on, HDMI sound and video come back, and I can see than iTunes kept going, by where it is in the song list). It is some more fundamental issue that the HDMI output of the Mini gets disabled when screen sharing quits. Maybe it's something with settings. Maybe this is normal with El Capitan ? I guess I'll upgrade to Sierra or High Sierra when I get a decent internet connection next week. (If so, this vindicates the advice not to go with old software; I'm still glad I started from scratch with a clean install).
 
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When screen sharing in el Capitan, the monitor connected to the host computer remains visible, before, during, and after screen sharing. When the remote computer does screen sharing to the host, the remote sees whatever is displayed on the host computer.

If you plug a keyboard into your Mini, does it work as a stand-alone computer with the TV? If your Mini is the host and it is directly connected to your TV via HDMI, then your Mini should still keep using your TV regardless of any screen sharing activity with other computers.

I suggest that you fix one problem at a time. Changing things up because they are not working as you expect will only lead to frustration and never getting it all working.
 
When screen sharing in el Capitan, the monitor connected to the host computer remains visible, before, during, and after screen sharing. When the remote computer does screen sharing to the host, the remote sees whatever is displayed on the host computer.
In your terminology, with my situation, is MacMini = host and laptop = remote ?

If you plug a keyboard into your Mini, does it work as a stand-alone computer with the TV?
Yes.
If your Mini is the host and it is directly connected to your TV via HDMI, then your Mini should still keep using your TV regardless of any screen sharing activity with other computers.
That's what I've had thought. Interestingly, after closing screen-sharing and having the screen go dark, I just plugged a keyboard back into the Mini and the screen came back on (HDMI output video and audio active). Unplugged keyboard, the screen still stayed on. And now it all behaves as it should: Turning screen sharing on and off, HDMI remains actively outputting video & audio.

Seems like some buggy business. I'm starting to become resigned to the fact I'm going to have to use my laptop to control music playback on the Mini. Not so bad really.
 
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In your terminology, with my situation, is MacMini = host and laptop = remote ?

The host is the computer that is providing the service or running the software to be accessed. The remote is the computer that is accessing the host. In your case, the Mini is the host because it is the computer running the software. Your laptop is the remote because that machine is only providing IO (keyboard/display) for the host.
 
There seems to be something fundamentally wrong. I just erased my disc and did a clean install of OSX (El Capitan). Installed no other software, not even BitPerfect. Loaded one CD of AIFF files into iTunes. Enabled screen sharing and set the audio output to HDMI. That's about it. And this screwy behavior persists. I am missing something. I don't think I'm trying to fix more than one problem at a time, but if anyone can think of a more basic setup I should try to get up and running ...
 
I just erased my disc and did a clean install of OSX (El Capitan).
Installed no other software, not even BitPerfect.
Loaded one CD of AIFF files into iTunes.
Enabled screen sharing and set the audio output to HDMI.

And this screwy behavior persists.

OK, so set up the MM as a standalone system (i.e. with its own keyboard, monitor, network connection, etc.) and run iTunes on it, manually "pushing" music out to your devices (AEX, ATV, TV speakers, etc.). Does that work? Then, try to remotely control the pushing of music using a remote control app (on phone or iPad or Mac).

Then, still running the MM/iTunes server in standalone mode, try "pulling" music from the server to the device (ATV, other networked IOS or OSX/macOS unit) using the "Computers"/Home Sharing facility within ATV or iTunes with Library connection on IOS/Macs). Does THAT work OK? If so, start stripping the MM of its standalone components to put it into "headless" mode (or whatever you guys call it). See when you pull the item that's supporting the whole house of cards. Then figure out why and look for a workaround.

Sorry for the weak suggestions; I just don't have anything more solid. Good luck tracking things down. Please post back on progress (or lack thereof).
 
OK, so set up the MM as a standalone system (i.e. with its own keyboard, monitor, network connection, etc.) and run iTunes on it, manually "pushing" music out to your devices (AEX, ATV, TV speakers, etc.).Does that work?
This works fine.
Then, try to remotely control the pushing of music using a remote control app (on phone or iPad or Mac).
This is actually my end goal, except I'd also like to have BitPerfect running. And it's actually working now, after doing the clean install of El Capitan (and absolutely nothing else, except the appropriate settings): I can go away overnight and come back and start playing music using iTunes remote on iPad (or Finder sidebar screen sharing on my laptop). This is exactly what I wanted.

The only oddity is that if instead, I use finder sidebar screen sharing on my laptop to control the Mini, when I close that finder sharing window the TV screen goes dark. IOW, the HDMI output of the Mini is disabled. I don't think I really care, because I'm grabbing audio not from HDMI, but from the Mini's audio output jack, and ultimately from USB whenever Emotiva sends my DAC back.

So my next steps are:
- upgrade OS to Sierra and then possibly High Sierra
- upgrade iTunes to 12.7.3 (I currently have 12.2.2, after the ElCapitan clean install
- install BitPerfect

But in what sequence ?
 
Just the way you have them listed. Core, native app, 3rd-party add-on.

Can you "pull" from the MM's iTunes library through your ATV (Computers icon) or any of your other Apple gear (i.e. fire up iTunes on an iMac and select home-shared library)?
 
Just the way you have them listed. Core, native app, 3rd-party add-on.
Oh well, I got excited and added BitPerfect. Not smart I guess. Maybe I'll remove it and do as you suggest. I don't have the bandwidth to do the OS upgrades, but will soon.

Can you "pull" from the MM's iTunes library through your ATV (Computers icon) or any of your other Apple gear (i.e. fire up iTunes on an iMac and select home-shared library)?
I haven't tried this, and not really something I care about having working. Do you think I should, as in that it would be instructive in this incremental process ?
 
How are you gonna have simultaneous different data streams coming off the same iTunes library? Or does the "one size fits all" push-only model work for everyone, all the time, and forever? What are you gonna do about taking your show on the road (i.e. lossless CD-quality music, 100+GBs, on iPods for your cars and to take to your friends' places)?

Does BitPerfect still allow the iTunes architecture and basic functionality to operate? I was under the impression that you gave up pulling from the Library over the network, restricting yourself to push only operation using the replacement engine on the server (pusher?).
 
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