Self-managed Mac OS X

Access to local computing services

A Mac can access many School and University computing services once properly configured. Here are some possibilities.

• Connect your machine to the Informatics network (in the Informatics Forum or in Appleton Tower, Forrest Hill or Wilkie) and to the University's wireless networks. (Please also ensure that your Mac is not breaking the network for other people.)
• Use Kerberos on Mac OS X to authenticate to your DICE account.
• Use ssh from MacOS to login to a School machine from outside the School network.
• Most Informatics file space uses AFS. Set up AFS on MacOSX.
• With Cosign SPNEGO your web browser can automatically log you in to the School's restricted web sites.
• You can safely and securely access the Informatics network from outside the School using OpenVPN.
• Printing on MacOS X explains how to add the School's printers to your Mac.
• A network backup service is available.
• For staff and for research postgraduates, the Staffmail configurator explains how to connect a mail program (Mail, Thunderbird, etc.) to Staffmail. Undergraduates and taught MSc students can set up Apple Mail for Office 365 or see the IS email services overview.
• If your Mac sleeps in your office but you want to wake it up from home, try the remote wake up service.
• Teach your Mac to query LDAP for Informatics user information.
• Information on the latest macOS release Sierra

Software and hardware maintenance and purchasing

• The University provides and recommends anti-virus software for Macs and Windows.
• Microsoft Office for Mac is available to staff - see Microsoft Office for Mac for more details.
• Other office productivity options include Libre Office, Neo Office and of course Apple's own productivity software. These are all available via the App Store application on the Mac.
• The University has a number of software purchase agreements. The IS Software Services page has more details. Some software may be available free of charge through current site licences or for significantly less charge than purchasing it directly from an external provider.
• See opensourcemac.org for a range of good quality free Mac software.
• To buy a University-funded Mac see the Purchasing section.
• When buying personal hardware or software from Apple you can use the Apple Store for Education.
• IS offers a free mobile device clinic.

Further Information

You can find information on how to access the various Informatics services from your Mac by selecting the MacOS topic from the Choose a topic option in the right sidebar. The self-managed topic might also be of interest.