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OS X resources

Secure Connections

    If you want to know why you can't use telnet and ftp (Fetch) anymore to access department servers, read the blurb.

    OS X has ssh, scp and rsync built-in. Command line Terminal is in Applications > Utilities.

    Filezilla is a GUI program for both FTP and secure-FTP file transfers. Download from filezilla-project.org, install and lauch the program. Choose File > Site Manager > New Site. Configure secure FTP connection to gauss:

    Host: math.dartmouth.edu
    Servertype: SFTP - SSH File Transfer Protocol
    Logontype: Ask for password
    User: your username on gauss

    Click OK to save configuration or Connect to save and connect at once.

VPN

    Dartmouth VPN

    Computing Services' page.

    Math VPN

    1. Math VPN authentication requires Dartmouth certificates. Use Firefox to set them up.
      1. Get Dartmouth root certificate at collegeca.dartmouth.edu.
      2. Get your personal certificate at collegeca.dartmouth.edu.
      3. In Firefox go to Preferences - Advanced - Encryption - View Certificates - Your Certificates. Select your certificate and click Backup. Back it up as mydccert.p12.
    2. Get Math VPN client configuration file MathVPN.conf (Ctrl-click and Save Link As).
    3. Download Tunnelblick. It's an OpenVPN client and GUI for Mac OS X. Open downloaded disk image and launch Tunnelblick. Select the following, when prompted:
      • I have configuration files
      • OpenVPN Configuration(s)
      • Open Private Configurations Folder
      • (Drag mydccert.p12 and MathVPN.conf into Finder window, which was just opened by the Tunnelbick.)
    4. Click on a tunnel icon, which should have appeared at the right end of the desktop menu bar. Select Connect ‘MathVPN’. You will be asked for your private key passphrase. The passphrase is the one you were asked to create while saving mydccert.p12. After a few moments you should see the light in the tunnel icon. You are connected via Math VPN now.
    5. To disconnect click the tunnel icon again and select Disconnect.

Math Email

    If you have a Math Dept. user account (AKA “gauss username”), you also have an Math email account. Your Math email arrives at and can be sent from math.dartmouth.edu server. It can be accessed instantly and globally via Webmail. Most email client applications, including mobile, can be configured to use your Math account using these generic settings:

    • Mail server type: IMAP
    • Incoming server: math.dartmouth.edu, port: 143
    • Connection type/encryption: TLS
    • Username: your Math Dept. username
    • Password: for the username above
    • Outgoing/SMTP server: math.dartmouth.edu, port: 25

    Below are step-by-step instructions on how to add your mathusername@math.dartmouth.edu account to Thunderbird and Apple Mail.

    Thunderbird

    Tested with Thunderbird 3.1.9 / Mac OS 10.6

    1. Tools → Account Settings → Account Actions → Add Mail Account
      Your name: Your real name
      Email address: mathusername@math.dartmouth.edu
      Password: password for the above
      Continue — Thunderbird will probe servers and should detect correct connection settings:
          Incoming: math.dartmouth.edu  IMAP  143  STARTTLS
    Outgoing: math.dartmouth.edu  SMTP  25   STARTTLS
      If settings were detected correctly — click Create Account.
      Otherwise click Manual Setup and enter correct settings under Server Settings and Outgoing Server (SMTP).
    2. Tools → Account Settings
      Server Settings: Advanced: IMAP server directory: mail
      Composition & Addressing: Uncheck “Compose messages in HTML format”.

    Mail

    Tested with Mail 4.4 / Mac OS 10.6

    1. Preferences → Accounts → +
      Full Name: Your real name
      Email Address: mathusername@math.dartmouth.edu
      Password: password for the above
      Continue. Accept certificate for math.dartmouth.edu.
      Incomig Mail Server
      Account Type: IMAP
      Incoming Mail Server: math.dartmouth.edu
      User Name: mathusername
      Password: password for the above
      Outgoing Mail Server
      Outgoing Mail Server: math.dartmouth.edu
      Check Use Authentication
      User Name: mathusername
      Password: password for the above
      Create
    2. Preferences → Accounts → Advanced
      IMAP Path Prefix: mail
    3. Preferences → Composing
      Message Format: Plain Text


Vacation Autoreply

  1. Start Filezilla. Connect to gauss using Math username and password.
  2. Edit autoreply message text:
    • Find .vacation.msg
    • Ctrl-click on it, choose View/Edit, make any changes, save, close editor window.
    • Filezilla will offer to upload changed file back to the server. Choose “Yes”.
  3. Enable autoreply:
    • Find .procmailrc
    • Ctrl-click on it, choose View/Edit, find these two lines:
      #:0c
      #|/usr/bin/vacation username
    • Remove any leading # characters from both lines, save, close editor window, “Yes” to upload.
  4. Send an email to yourself from another mail account as a test.
  5. To disable autoreply, edit .procmailrc and comment out the two lines by putting back # characters at the beginning of each line.


Backing up your files

    James Graham can help with backups of your Mac or Windows machine.


Making X connections to UNIX/Linux machines

    OS X has a native X Window (X11) implementation. It can be installed from the original OS disks, which came with your Mac, or downloaded from Apple's web site (go to Downloads and search for X11).


Printing

    Math printers are accessed via printing service on gauss (IP addr. 129.170.28.37).

    To add a printer:

    • System Preferences, Print & Fax, +
    • Select IP tab.
    • Protocol: IPP
    • Address: 129.170.28.37
    • Queue: /printers/104b (to add ‘104b’ from Math printers)
    • Name: 104b (can be anything you like)
    • Print Using: (select driver for the printer model given in Math printers)

    Don't hesitate to contact James Graham if you are having trouble with printing.