You can use this method any time you prefer to use SSH, but a particularly useful example is when the computer does not start up from the desired volume after installation from CD, or when you wish to select a different volume immediately after remote installation (before restarting the target computer).
If the target computer is currently started up from CD and you don't already know its IP address, see technical document 51846, "
Mac OS X Server for Xserve: How to Find a Server on the Network".
The following procedure uses the "bless" command to choose a startup disk for a remote Mac OS X Server.
1. Open Terminal (/Applications/Utilities/).
2. Type: ssh root@<address>
Note: Replace "<address>" with the actual IP address or DNS name of the target computer. An actual example would look like:
ssh root@mycomputer.example.com
3. Press Return.
4. Enter the root password for the target computer when prompted, then press Return.
Note: If the target computer is started up from CD, the root password is the first eight digits of the target computer's serial number. If that password does not work when started up from CD, the computer's logic board may have been replaced. You cannot use this method when started up from CD if the logic board has been replaced.
5. Once connected to the server via ssh, type:
bless -folder "/Volumes/disk_name/System/Library/CoreServices" -setOF
Note: Replace "disk_name" with the actual name of the disk that contains the desired startup volume.
6. Press Return.
7. Type: reboot
8. Press Return.
Your ssh connection will be closed, and the server will restart to the volume selected in step 5.