Mac OS X Tips For Unix Geeks

Running X11

The standard terminal of Mac OS X is quite different from the xterm to which many Linux users are accustomed. This how-to explains how one can install X11 on a Mac and then use xterm for work.

• Download the latest version of X11 from Apple's Website (http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/x11formacosx.html).
• Ask the sysadmin to install it on your machine.
• X11 is installed under Applications->Utilities.
• On running X11, the xterm is automatically started.

Running VNC

You can also get an X11 based interface on OS X by running a vnc server on the remote unix or linux based machine and then connecting to it from a vnc client.

Starting a VNC server

• Log into the remote machine, and issue the following command in a terminal (replace display_port by a number).

                   $vncserver :<display_port>

• If this is the first time you are running a vnc server, you will be asked to enter a password.You might also have to change the display port if it is already in use.
• You can terminate a vnc server by issuing the following command.

                   $vncserver -kill :<display_port>

                 $vncserver -geometry <width>X<height> :<display_port>

Run the VNC Client

• Download a vnc client like Chicken of the VNC (http://sourceforge.net/projects/cotvnc/).
• On running it, you will be asked to enter the name of the remote machine, the password you had created during the setup of the vnc server and the display port.

Additional tips are at:

Top Ten Mac OS X Tips for Unix Geeks (http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2002/10/22/macforunix.html)

For Windows Users

Sometimes, you might want to bring a Windows laptop to the University or set up a Windows machine for your research. Here are some tips to help make your experience a pleasant one:

Critical measures, **before** putting a new computer on the network:

  1. patch OS to current level
  2. enable local firewall

Optional measures, in order of decreasing importance:

  3. install anti-virus s/w and enable real-time file protection
  4. consider using Firefox web browser instead of IE
  5. install anti-spyware s/w, especially if you're using IE
  6. enable automatic updates for all of the above 

This will help your Windows computer survive in the cruel, cruel Internet world. Without these simple steps, it is very likely that your computer will be infected with viruses or otherwise compromised, at the very least wasting your time and perhaps risking your work as well. Recovering from these problems is much, much harder than preventing them.

If you need help with any of this, please see your system administrator or your CSCF support contact.