Using a previous portable PC as a headless server.

well, I am back with another Applescript Application, right now I keep my PC off to the side of my desk, just closed up, as a "headless" portable file server/download machine/random render slave, etc. I do this mainly because I just don't have enough space on my desk to accomodate both machines well, and I tend to be more productive when I am only dealing with one machine at a time.

anyway, I have the Fujitsu notebook setup as a VNC server as well (Using Ultra VNC) so I can easily remote control it from my MBP. to make the whole process of accessing it simpler, normally I would open the Finder Connect to Server window and type "vnc://ip" and that would open up Leopards built in screen sharing client and I could access the machine, I decided to write a very simple Applescript App that I could toss in my dock, that when launched would mount the PC's network share volumes, then proceed to open the screen sharing client.

that is all there is to say really, it is extremely simple, works very well, it is very simple to connect multiple HDDs or whatever else I need to the PC, which is just setup to do nothing when the lid is closed, so it can happily keep downloading, rendering, or whatever else, just hanging out next to my desk, it can even play audio, as the speakers are at the front of the machine.

here is the app in the dock:

 

Sounds like a neat little script.

And you really like you put andrew all over everything in your computer ;p

Although no link? I'm guessing you'll get around to posting one sometime soon though.

 

do you want a copy of the script of the App itself, it is written specifically for my own specific IPs/NetworkShares.

but I could post a version that is ready for people to input their own info.

the icon is also Custom made for my setup as well, but I could include the original Leopard Screen sharing icon, and the photoshop file that is ready for customization if anyone would like that.

I might have to release a big package of icons with all these little apps I am making, I have lots of icons at this point, and they are mainly all just subtle adjustments on the already excellent OS X 10.5 icons.

 

Another way would be to enable Windows Remote Desktop on your PC, and then use Remote Desktop for Mac to remotely access the PC. http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/remote-desktop/default.mspx

 

is that client better than Leopards built in screen sharing?

 

It might be easier on the client CPU since some VNC hosts can be a resource hog, while Remote Desktop is an integrated part of Microsoft Windows.
Then again, since it is Microsoft we're talking about, the Remote Desktop client for Mac is rather limited. But if you are not looking for something fancy (such as the ability to copy files from one system to the other by drag & dropping), the Remote Desktop client is fine.

 

i really like Ultra VNC so far, it has quite a bit of functionality and uses very little system resources.

and I think Leopards built in Screen Sharing is a much better client than any others out there.

 

Although I havn't used Ultra VNC, or leopards screen sharing.

I was recently saved by Chicken of the VNC when my MBP started to act up. It has some nice features, one of them being full-screen VNC browsing, it was pretty nice (it's a client).

As for on the windows side, if you want to access you machine on the road, or away from home and don't have a VNC client, TightVNC is a really good VNC server. It has standard VNC, but it also has a web server(http) that has vnc controls in a Java client, making it pretty much accessable on every computer out there. Saved me a lot of time when I was in high school, and in places where I couldn't install stuff, cause I could still access my main pc, without having to get a client.

Though the Java client in OSX+firefox(2), is a bit wonky, it works fine in safari, it might be worth checking out.

 

i have used Tight VNC before, i just found Ultra VNC easier to deal with overall, and using Chicken VNC i couldn't get any usability performance out of it.