I allowed the Dell Mini OSX to update software...

Of course it wasn't without a tiny bit of difficulty. But not bad.

Before you do the update, make sure you have a version of DellEFI stored on the Mini before you do the upgrade...really, do it.

So you do the update, and it will reboot barely to a gray garbled screen (because it lost the drivers?)

I found the solution here on the 'sproke blog.

It is easy, so I will post it here.

1. Download the installer, don't use Software Update. Install 10.5.7.
2. Let it reboot.
3. At the boot screen press enter (or any key) to get the boot prompt. It should look like this:
boot:
type -x and hit enter
boot: -x
OS X will enter Safe Mode.
4. When in Safe Mode run DellEFI.
5. Reinstall the Mini 9 Extensions and remove custom dsdt.aml file. These are the default options for the DellEFI, take the default.
6. Reboot.
7. At the boot screen use the -x to enter Safe Mode again
8. After in Safe Mode run DellEFI. Install custom dsdt.aml file, which is the default option, take the default.
9. Reboot

Now of course I didn't exactly follow those directions (mine was already broke).

So I booted to safe mode, ran the DellEFI (I used the 1.2a5 found here).

Actually I ran it twice, the first time I selected Custom and checked the remove dsdt.aml.
When it finished, I did not allow it to reboot, and I ran it again. This time the 'create custom dsdt.aml' was already checked. When it finished, I allowed it to reboot and it came up just fine.

OpenVPN and Verizon Westell DSL router

Depending on what you think I mean by the title...it works.

No I am not using OpenVPN on the Verizon router...but I am able to via a WiFi connection through the router.

I know...you are thinking 'well duh, that is what it is for' and you would be right.

HOWEVER,

My home network has been on the 192.168.1.x address group since forever (sometime in the late 90's). Most of my hardware has static IP addresses to make my life easier when trying to remote administer them (printers, webcams, NASs). So if I wanted to change the network address to a 162 or a 10 it would be a major PITA.

Fast forward to today. I just got Verizon DSL hooked up at my 'satellite work site'. It is $18 a month for the slower than 1mps connection...but that is all I need. With the current deal it comes with their Westell 7500 WiFi router.

I set it up with the defaults, enabled the WPA security, and jointed the internets. Next test was to start up OpenVPN and access my home network.

Well it would log in after a while, but a little bit after that the web access on this end would drop. Skype stayed connected, email still worked, but no HTTP:.

The one person who has read this blog probably can figure out the problem. The default IP address on the router and its network is 192.168.1.1. My home IP address is 192.168.1.x. When OpenVPN logs in, it tunnels my 192.168.1.x laptop IP to a virtual 10.x.x.x and then the router puts it back on the home network and routes that virtual 10.x address to a network address 192.168.1.x.

The conflict is that the computer doesn't know where to look...home network or internet (remember I used port 80 for the VPN).

The fix is shorter than the problem...I simply changed the IP address of the Verizon router...and the DHCP list...and shut the router down, and restarted it.

So let that be a lesson to you...have your home network on some obscure ip address so you don't get conflicts.

But it works great now.