Get Media Master Server, but Avoid the iPad app

Ned Scott of Team XBMC Wiki deserves the credit for discovering this gem in the Mac App Store.

The gem in question is Media Master Server, which is a simple WebDAV server. You have to get it from the Mac App Store, so you must have at least one system running 10.6.6 or better.

It is an Intel-only application and I got it to work with 10.6.8 and 10.7.4 and 10.8.2. I tried copying the app to a partition running 10.5.8, but no luck.

I noticed that the iWork apps on my iPad could log into external file servers. They had to be iDisk (dead as of June 30, 2012) or WebDAV (what ?)

I did extensive Google searching on setting a WebDAV server for OS X. 9 out of 10 times, the answer came back, “Prepare to modify configuration files for the Apache Web Server built into OS X. This will not be easy.” So coming across Media Master Server was a Godsend. Bless you, who took the time to write this app.

Why would you want to use WebDAV? It allows you to access your Mac’s own Documents folder(s).

Compared to every other set of instructions I found for setting a WebDAV server, MediaMaster Server is dead simple. Just go to the Mac App Store from Snow Leopard or Lion or Mountain Lion, search for MediaMaster Server, and install it. It is a FREE app on the Mac, although there is a companion paid iOS app. For our purposes, though, we just need the Mac app portion. I will say something about the iPad app in a moment.

First of all, you have to set it up. To begin with, select the directory you want to share. (Figure 1)

As you can see, I set my root directory to my Users/thomasbriant directory (or folder), allowing me full access to all my user files on my iPad.

Next, I went to settings to set up my user name and password and the specific port I wanted to use. (Figure 2)

I left the password at the default “ipaduser” and the port at the default of “8000”. I also selected Secure HTTP.

On the iPad side, you’ll have to enter your full IP address, which will look like “https://111.222.3.44:8000” You will, of course, enter your own iP address instead of “111.222.3.44”

You’ll have a line to enter the username, which you can change. You’ll have a line to enter the password, which you have to make up yourself. (Figure 3)

The first time you do this, you may get a message about an invalid WebDAV certificate. Just please OK and proceed.

Next, you get a box showing all the directories you can access. (Figure 4)

Now for the Media Master iPad app-Two Thumbs Down

The free server app works great. I experienced no problems logging into my Mac Mini’s /Documents directory.

Since I had some gift credit on the iTunes Store, I decided I would try the iPad app for $3.99. Bad move. The app comes with no help to set it up. All the reviews of this app on its iTunes page were negative.

So having lost $3.99 to experience, I advise you to use the Media Master Mac app. It’s free. Avoid the paid iPad app. The developer needs to include help with it. At least a link to a Web page!

Thomas Briant

Editor and Media Manager, MacValley UG