Is it possible to connect to my MacBook Pro from another location and log in to another user account while I’m using my own account? What kind of connection methods are possible? Serial through USB adaptor? Via IP across the network (Ethernet or WiFi)? Bluetooth?
You could use Apple’s Remote Desktop via Ethernet or Wifi. You could also use VNC (which is free) over any network.
More details on what sort of functionality you’re seeking might be helpful.
Not using the Mac OS X interface. If you’ve installed X, you can do a remote X server login, but that’s a lot of details to get into before I know you’d really want to do that, since all your Mac stuff probably doesn’t run in X. Heck, unless you did a custom install, you probably don’t even have X installed.
Doing nothing fancy, you can ssh in, but that’s command line only. Again, I’m just assuming that you wan’t the GUI.
If you don’t need two GUI’s, then look into VNC. Try versiontracker.com for some. They’re simple, and even work cross-platform with no trouble. If you want to get to your Mac at home while you’re at work, you’ll probably want to look into an ssh solution (try putty on Windows, and proxomitron if you need to get through a firewall) to run the VNC over that.
Well, I’m in a kind of retro old-school mood these days, and with the new release of the OS being unix-compliant, I dug up some Unix references and my old C programming book, opened a terminal window, and started typing.
So I was wondering how hard it would be to set up a second user account on my Mac (trivial, I know), and then log in to it for command-line access only from another computer. Can I set up the computer for access from outside across the cable network?
I am nearing the limmits of my expertise because I’m not a heavy unix-user but I believe you can obtain all the functionality you’re requesting straight out of the OS X 10.4 box.
In the ‘sharing’ preference pane, enable remote login (ssh) on the 2nd account, make sure fast user switching is running too (i forget which pref pane that might be in), then just keep the 2nd account running and make sure your firewall/router is configured not to interfere.
You’ve got the steps mixed up a little here. First, create the second user account in the Accounts preference pane. Then, go to the Sharing pane and turn on Remote Login. You’ll want to configure your router to direct requests to port 22 from the Internet to your computer.
Enabling Fast User Switching is not necessary. It’s only for switching console (GUI) users without having to log off, and has no effect on SSH.
It’s not possible to have multiple users using the native (Aqua) GUI simultaneously, but that’s not what you’re trying to do.
I should also add that you don’t need to create a seperate user account if you’re going to be the only one using the computer. You can login via SSH with your existing user at the same time it’s logged in to the console.
stands corrected
Every version of Mac OS X has been Unix. They may not all have been certified, but they’re all Unix.
So, you’ve got an easy one. Enable port 22 for inbound TCP/IP connections on your router, do what Cleophus said which will (1) turn on the sshd service, and (2) open the port in your Mac’s firewall. Then just ssh in. If you’ve got a Unix/Sun/Linux, whatever at work, use the normal ssh. If you’ve got Windows, I’ll recommend putty.
Since you are an old school Unix geek, it ought to not take you long to install X and enable remote servers / X forwarding. Then you’ll get a GUI (not a Mac OS X GUI, but whatever GUI your window manager gives you) regardless of who else is logged on to the physical machine.
Also Google for “macports” and “fink” if you want some decent package management for Unix packages that you can access remotely over the command line or via an X session.
Last tip: As you start playing with ssh forwarding, you’ll come to realize that you can close off your entire home network to the public net except for port 22, and use ssh port forwarding to access all of the machines/services on your home network with very little exposure.
Thanks, everyone! I’m rather rusty on this, but it’s coming back to me.
Now I just need to be able to identify my computer from afar from wherever I happen to be. Is there some service I can reach out to, which will then serve as a point of connection for others?
I use dyndns.org, which offers free dynamic domain names. You’ve got to update the record within every 30 days, but there are automated scripts to do such. Some home routers also have that update feature built in!