Using your home directory from the graphics
cluster on the Macintosh

When using Noisy, the Macintosh of the Graphics lab, try not to keep your files on the local hard disk: they are not backed up, and might disappear anytime.

Instead, it is a better idea to keep your files in your account of the graphics cluster.
 
To mount your home directory from the Mac:
 

  1. Select the Chooser in the apple menu
  2. Click on the Appleshare icon
  3. Select the CS zone if not yet selected
  4. Select the machine "graphics-noisy" in the servers list
  5. Click Open
  6. Enter your graphics login name and password
Unmount the volume once you are done! (by throwing it into the trash can)
 
To mount it faster
 
  1. Proceed as above the first time
  2. Select the volume on the desktop
  3. Choose "Make Alias" in the file menu
  4. Rename the alias so that it bears your name
  5. Put the alias in the "users" folder
Next time, you will just have to double click on this alias and enter your password. Opening the alias from the file selection box (when saving or opening a file) will also allow you to mount the volume directly.
 
To select a subdirectory to be mounted as a volume
It will be probably more convenient to mount a subdirectory that is reserved for Mac files. This can be controlled by a file named ".KSVols" in your home directory. For instance, I have in my home directory a subdirectory called "mac_files", and I want the Mac to believe it is a volume called "graphics_jbasch". In this case, I will create the following file: On the Mac, this will now be the visible volume. You can put as many as you like.
Note that as soon as you create the .KSVols file, the default behavior (showing the home directory as a volume) is disabled. You need to add a line manually in the .KSVols to be able to mount your home directory.
 
Speed considerations
Access to the graphics files is probably about 7 times slower than access to the local hard disk. You may therefore want to use the local hard disk for storing temporary files. But remember: don't leave them there.
 
WARNING
The Appleshare server called "graphics-noisy" is for mounting graphics disks from Noisy only (it is a one user license). If you would like to mount your home directory from some other place, contact me (jbasch@cs) to have an appleshare server installed on another O2. (We want to keep a count of how many people use it so as to buy new licenses if necessary)
 
 
Last update: January 28. 1998 (jbasch@cs.stanford.edu)