Slightly OT: Apple Remote Desktop

[timkiel]

As you may know I'm using MacMini's under bootcamp and windows XP for my VI slaves. However I'm toying with using them under OSX - as they were designed to of course. The biggest thing I'll miss is being able to use Windows RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) to manage them.

I've seen on the Apple site a thing called Remote Desktop 3 but this is $299 for a 10 client version, whereas RDP is free. Am I missing something RD3 seems to do a lot more than just remote mangagement - is there something free in Mac land that would do this, or do I have to buy the s/w?

Cheers

Tim

[dfhage]

Hi Tim,

You can use a VNC server and client to do what you need.

Try http://www.redstonesoftware.com/vnc.html for the server and,

http://sourceforge.net/projects/cotvnc/ for the client software

it works pretty well under OS X

Regards

Dave Hage

[timkiel]

Thanks Dave

[Nick Batzdorf]

RD3 is expensive, but you're right that it does more than that. It's also faster than VNC - just as Windows Remote Desktop is.

[cm]

tim, why don't you use MS remote desktop client for OSX
christian

[timkiel]

christian, thanks, but it's the wrong way round. My main DAW is windows and the slaves are MACs, so I'm after a way of accessing OSX MacMini's from WindowsXP.

[Leon Willett]

Hey Tim, please do keep us updated on how OSX works out for you on the Mini's -- thanks!

[cm]

sorry tim i've misunderstood your configuration. hmm ... the RD3 thing reads like it can connect only from OSX to OSX and version3 is clientsoftware only not the RD-server which seems to be still version2.
AFAIK the RD-server comes along for free with an OSX server license.

a while ago i tried to setup VNC from XP to OSX (although across the internet) but refused to complete it because the whole thing didn't look very straight forward to me ... would be interesting to hear if someone succeeded
christian

[timkiel]

Well on further investigation last night I managed to do a number of things and then ended up disillusioned with OSX on the Mini.

Anyway to update. I installed ULTAVNC on my WinXP desktop which connects to the VNC server s/w (Apple Remote Desktop which comes preinstalled on the MacMinis - it just needs turning on). This worked fine albeit slow.

I used MOL3 to send MIDI. For a VST/AU host for the VI I used RAX which seemed to work quite nicely except I kept getting cracks and pops from the audio hardware (An Edirol UA1EX) on the Minis. Tried some basic tweeking (but I'm not a MAC person) and it made no difference. Crackle, Pop, Pop.

Reverted back to WinXP on the MacMinis using VSTACK (same Edirol UA1EX) and no popping or crackling at all. So not sure what the OSX issue is.

This gives me a dilema:

1. I like OSX look and feel (and RAX for that matter) and it should be more stable than WinXP but I get cracks and pops. Also VNC is slow.

2. WinXP doesn't crackle and pop, Remote Desktop is free and works quickly but WinXP won't boot up headless using BootCamp so I have to sit and wait to boot each Mini up sequenctially - even though I'm using a DrBott DV KVM - and it's just a pain.

Maybe I'm wanting too much from my system.

Regards all


Tim

[Leon Willett]

Thanks for the update Tim. Remember that the mini's have a core-audio soundcard incorporated. It could be that the external soundcard you are trying to use does not yet support intel-based OSX, hence the pops. Surprisingly, the built-in soundcard on all macs is capable of low-latency, low-cpu performance (something that is so unheard-of for us PC users, that many people don't even think to try it).

So, if you'd rather be running OSX, it may be worth your while trying out the onboard soundcard with RAX. Remember the mini sports a digital output (just plug a toslink lightpipe into the seemingly analogue output).

good luck [[;)]]

[Nick Batzdorf]

I have VNC working fine, cm, but the other direction - one of my PCs has XP Home (I know, I know), and I view it on the Mac.

[timkiel]

Ok chaps, the onboard card seems to work much better than the external edirol UA1EX. However I am still getting some odd behaviour (similar to PierreFunck in another thread) where if I leave the mac alone for a while and play a note it cuts off or cracks. Then it picks up again and all is well.

It might be the external fw HD I am using (a Lacie MacMini lookalike 250GB). I've turned the "put the harddrive to sleep" option off in Energy Saver but this doesn't appear to make any difference?

Anybody have any clues?

EDIT - also, i'm running an NTFS partition on the LACIE (as I was using the MAC under WinXP) would this have anything to do with it?

[Leon Willett]

Good to hear about the onboard soundcard, Tim. This may sound crazy, but... have you tried simply streaming from the onboard hard drive, instead of the external FW drive? Just a thought.

[timkiel]

Leon

Hi - not yet, problem being that I'm using this mac for brass+percussion and its 145GB the internal is 80GB max, and also split into to volumes (one for OSX one for XP).

I could put a few individual instruments on and see what happens. I'll try later tonight.

Meanwhile - if anyone can help out on the NTFS vs HFS query....

[cm]

tim, besides we have been very happy to notice tiger can now read NTFS, we have not been lucky to gather reasonable performance for streaming.
i'm afraid you'll have to switch them to HFS+
christian

[PierreFunck]

I posted something about the hard disk crackle problem in this thread.

[timkiel]

Ok - reformatting to HFS+ (Journalled) - which I hope is ok.

Will let you know in about 1 hour...

[cm]

i would format _not_ journaled, otherwise you'd loose capacity when you delete or overwrite files.
journaled does only make sense (IMO) for the system volume
christian

[timkiel]

Lol, ok, how do I cancel a copy in OSX?

*EDIT* Doh - click the x....

told you I wasn't a mac person...

[timkiel]

Ok, this gets wierder.

I have two Mac Mini's identical AFAIK - let's call them A and B. On A (the one I have been using primarily) I am getting really odd behaviour + pops + crackles.

I'm using RAX which has an Audio Load meter at the top. When I load up a single VI (I'm using Brass & Percussion on this Mac) and press a key I get a small rise in audio load. When I release they key the audio load meter, flies across maxing out and going red and then i get cracks and pops.

The odd thing is... the other mini B (with Woods) doesn't do this at all, so I tried swapping the samples (both are stored on an external lacie fw hd) & syncrosoft keys round so brass was on mini B and lo and behold - no massive audio load and everything works fine.

Anybody have a clue what's going on?

TIA

Tim