Warning

Information provided here is out of date and has not been updated.

Mac-specific Questions

How do I install things?

You should have a separate hard drive called workspace on your desktop. Like the CentOS workstations, this hard drive partition is used for whatever data you want.

Most applications written to run on OS X are packaged into drag-and-drop .app bundles. These can be run from anywhere on the system. We recommend creating a folder called “Applications” in workspace, and dragging your .app bundles there. Then, if you drag that folder to the right-hand side of the dock, you will have a menu displaying all of your personal applications.

Other software is pre-packaged by the vendor. In this case, the package can contain scripts or files which may interfere with the whole system. Therefore, let us know what you’re trying to install, and we’ll figure out how to deploy it properly.

Note

Some software can be deceptively complex to install, and may take some time to do so properly!

Can I use screen sharing to view my desktop remotely?

The screen sharing service conflicts with our management software, so it is disabled on Mac workstations. However, you may still use VNC and SSH to securely connect to your Oden Institute desktop. We will call your Oden Institute desktop the “Server”, and any other computer the “Client”, be it your laptop, home machine, etc.

Warning

VNC itself is insecure. All keystrokes and data are transmitted in the clear! Please ensure that all VNC traffic is tunneled over SSH for security.

Server Instructions

  • Download and install Vine Server 3.0 to workspace/Applications.

  • Go to the “Vine Server” menu, select Preferences

  • Choose a simple password for VNC Password (NOT your Oden Institute password!).

    Important

    Check the “Require Remote Login (SSH)” box

  • Close preferences, and click “Restart Server”

Client Instructions

  • Download JollysFastVNC 0.98.44 to your client, and run it. The Server List window should open.

  • In JollysFastVNC Preferences, uncheck General‣Bonjour Network discovery to declutter the server list.

  • Close preferences, choose the + button in Server List. Fill out the popout form information with the appropriate hostname, e.g. your_mac.oden.utexas.edu, and make sure to select Security Type as SSH. In the new text field below this option, make sure SSH Options contain “-l Your_Oden Institute_Username”.

  • Click connect

  • The first password dialog box will ask for your SSH password (or a Host key message). This is your Oden Institute password.

  • The second dialog box will be your simple VNC password that you entered in Vine Server

How do I access my files from off-campus?

SSH and SFTP are already enabled and configured on all Oden Institute machines. Use any program that supports SFTP to connect to your machine and access your files. Here are a few suggestions:

How do I access the mainframe?

  • Remove all shortcuts to anything related to the coffeecup or “IBM” from your dock, by dragging the icons to the trash

  • Prevent these same applications from starting up when you log in by doing the following

    • Click on the Apple menu at the top left corner of your screen.

    • Select System Preferences, then Accounts

    • In the Login Items pane, select any items regarding “OCSW Client Proxy”, TN3270, IBM, etc., then click the minus sign below to delete them

    • LocalDisk‣Applications‣tn3270 3.2.4‣Connect to Mainframe. This is the only program you need to run.

    • Drag the icon to the dock to create a shortcut, if you desire this convenience

Saving customization preferences

  • Open the “Connect to Mainframe” program

  • Modify your preferences, fonts, et al, to taste

  • Choose File‣Save Default Settings, then click OK

  • All new windows should have these settings applied by default.

How do I access Oden Institute network folders with Finder?

All Macs connect to the same NFS shares as the CentOS Linux workstations. To access them,

  • From Finder, choose Go‣Go to Folder… Type in the network share mountpoint, e.g. /work/<uid>.

The <uid> is your Oden Institute user name. Due to Apple’s NFS support, you may have to do this twice for Finder to display the mountpoint contents.

We find it useful to create desktop Aliases to common locations. If you are not already in Finder’s Column view, select View‣as Columns. The contents of the share will be displayed. To the left, the blue “drive” icon will be displayed, selected. Hold down Command-Option while dragging the icon to your desktop to create an alias.

Why does Adobe Acrobat ask for an administrator’s password?

Adobe is notorious for making poor-quality installers, and violating Apple’s recommended software distribution guidelines. Chances are that Acrobat was just updated on your machine, so there’s nothing to worry about. Simply click Cancel on all dialogs that pop up, and elect NOT to send the registration form. The dialogs will no longer appear during subsequent program launches.