Home Computing Advice for Mac Users

Working at CSE through the Internet using Mac OS X

  1. If the "Terminal" icon does not appear in the "dock", open the "Applications" folder, then the "Utilities" subfolder, and drag the Terminal icon into the dock. Then go to the dock and click on it. A terminal window should open.

  2. Click on the terminal window and type: 
    ssh z7654321@login.cse.unsw.edu.au
    (replacing z7654321 with your zID). It should prompt you for your CSE password. (Note: you should not expect dots or anything else to appear on the screen as you are typing your password.)

  3. To use graphical applications, you will need to run an X server. If you are running Mac OS X version 10.5 (Leopard) or later, the X server should be installed automatically. Once the X server is installed, open an X terminal and type: 
    ssh -Y z7654321@login.cse.unsw.edu.au
    The -Y option means that whenever you open a window, the window will appear remotely on your home machine.

Transferring files to/from CSE using Mac OS X

To transfer a file from your CSE account to your home machine, type: 
scp z7654321@login.cse.unsw.edu.au:~/directory/filename .
To transfer the other way, type: 
scp filename z7654321@login.cse.unsw.edu.au:~/directory
Cyberduck(https://cyberduck.io) is another option, providing a graphical interface which can be used to transfer files to and from your CSE account.

Summary (all platforms) for transferring files to/from CSE can be found at http://taggi.cse.unsw.edu.au/FAQ/SCP_and_SFTP

Compiling C Programs on Mac OS X

First, you need to install the Developer Tools (which include the compiler gcc). The best option is to install them from the disks that came with your Mac, but you can also download them from the Internet. You will need to register at developer.apple.com (registration is free). Then log in, click on "Downloads", then "Developer Tools" and download the latest version of Xcode. Double-click on the "package" and follow the install Wizard.

If you have any trouble, you can ask your Lab instructor for help, or post a message to the Course MessageBoard.