Panther Feature? 'Home on iPod'

[Doctor Q]

The pulled description makes it sound like you just plug in and log in. But I would hope that it only works if the administrator of the Mac had previously created a user whose home directory is iPod-based, so a login password could be assigned.

About the issue shadowfax raises, the user whose home directory is on the iPod would not have to be the user with the huge music library. You need two user names anyway, your regular one with the home directory on the Mac, and one with the home directory on the iPod, so the iPod-based one only needs the files you want to carry around in its home directory, while your big iTunes library would be in the home directory of your regular (Mac-based) user.

But that brings up another question: Why should the iPod store only one home directory, i.e., Volumes/iPod/user/? Will it be able to store /Volumes/iPod/users/myname1, /Volumes/iPod/users/myname2, etc.?

 

[cbrantly]

Missing the Point

I think a lot of people are missing the point of this feature. It sounds more to me like you would have a copy of your home folder on your iPod...hence the File Sync feature. This means that you wouldn't have to work off of your iPod when you are at your own computer.

Another detail that a lot of people seem to have missed is that this isn't restricted to an iPod. The copy from Apple's website said "...or any FireWire hard drive" This means that it won't rely on the iPod processor or on any iPod Peripheral.

 

[arn]

Re: Missing the Point

Originally posted by cbrantly
Another detail that a lot of people seem to have missed is that this isn't restricted to an iPod. The copy from Apple's website said "...or any FireWire hard drive" This means that it won't rely on the iPod processor or on any iPod Peripheral.

excellent points...

arn

 

[LimeLite]

Originally posted by beerguy
I'm sure it was pulled because it's a huge security risk.

The iDisk offline syncing gives basically the same functionality without giving your CFO the ability to leave the company financials on a train somewhere.

Not quite. This would store your whole Home directory, the offline iDisk feature only syncs specific files. Remember, the iDisk is still only 100MB large.

 

[DeusOmnis]

I'm sure they'll notice and put it back. I mean, they pay attention to us, dont they?

 

[rockman2023]

Re: Re: ???

Originally posted by tacomancini
It was that shot of the box of a product called the pal. Something that allowed you to bring your computer with you, perhaps wirelessly. Maybe they are incorporating this idea into the ipod. I think it was the same idea... bringing your home folder with you..... it seemed to also have some link to .mac.

Thanks for clearing that up jettredmont and tacomancini
I knew I remembered something like this.

 

[Wonder Boy]

maybe it will show up next year in 10.4!

130$ ready to go!


THIS IS A JOKE! ACTUALLY, THIS IS MORE OF A COMMENTARY CONCERNING THE RAPID/YEARLY DEPLOYMENT OF MAC OS's.

 

[rainman::|:|]

two points on previous posts. first off, on-the-fly file encryption exists, it's called file vault, and it's a major selling point of Panther. go check the site and see for yourself-- realtime encryption. so no waiting for a G6, you can do this on a G3. that provides the security. there will be no problem protecting the data on the iPod, the problem is how to control this on the system-- should your computer allow itself to be taken over by a person's user information? should they have to enter a password to the computer itself before it lets them use it? should they have to "match" the machine and the iPod before hand, like Bluetooth? i can think of a lot of high-security areas where it would be undesirable to have a Mac that can be taken over by anyone with an iPod, circumventing all existing security software--

also, making symlinks to folders on your iPod is fine and good, provided you have your iPod plugged in-- otherwise the system won't boot without it. And of course, the destination computer would still not be able to use the iPod's home folder correctly... it would run from the user logged in, not the user on the iPod. defeats the purpose. When Apple gives us this feature, it will be with typical Apple simplicity, one click does anything you need-- switch to the iPod's user, sync, prepare the iPod to be ejected, etc. There's no way to hack this functionality.

pnw

 

[Doctor Q]

Originally posted by Wonder Boy
maybe it will show up next year in 10.4!

130$ ready to go!

It must be pretty close to finished and working if they got far enough to produce that web site product description, which means that they won't wait a year to release it, which means that it will probably be in 10.3.x, which means that we Panther buyers will get it with a free upgrade. Save your $130 for an iSight!

 

[Wonder Boy]

Originally posted by Doctor Q
Save your $130 for an iSight!

LOL. I wish i knew someone to to conference with. perhaps some more RAM?!

 

[evolu]

The pulled page also mentions being able to carry around applications. Therefore this feature is not limited to what's in the home folder, I'm sure you can adjust your prefs and select which folders are copied to the iPod and which are not...

Sounds like it syncs up like the new idisk does... It only syncs (in either direction) when a file has been modified.

the best will be sitting down at a desktop and having your FCP prefs and Logic Prefs there for you!

 

[Makosuke]

Considering that it was in both pre-release builds and promotional materials, I think it's a safe bet to assume that Apple originally intended to ship it with 10.3 but some technical issue delayed the feature. Maybe there was some other reason, but I'll go with a simple glitch that they decided to fix in a point update instead of delaying the whole release.

A thought about security: Since you can run OSX from any firewire HD anyway, so long as you have access to the firewire ports on a Mac, as far as I know you can boot the thing off an external drive anyway--just select it as the startup disk. You might be able to prevent that with an Open Firmware password, but as has been pointed out oh-so-many-times, if someone has urestricted physical access to your computer, they can do pretty much anything they want.

That said, surely all it'd take is requiring some sort of password for the computer before it would allow an external Home directory to provide a reasonable level of security. I seem to remember seeing a mention of a new "system password" in 10.3 related to file vault, so perhaps you could require that, or just have an optional setting for admin users to restrict or grant access.

Also, for those picturing walking around a company with your home directory on an iPod so you can use any computer in the office, you can already do that via an OSX server without carrying anything. You could bring the iPod home, of course, which would make telecommuting easier.

Very cool feature even if I don't end up using it, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[e-coli]

I would NEVER want this feature unless there was some pretty hefty duty security encryption. What if someone stole your iPod? It would be a disaster.

 

[Flynn]

Originally posted by SoonToGetAMac
Browsing the panther info, and they didn't remove all traces of the Home of iPod feature., Just look at http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/systempreferences/, or the picture, where it asks you where the home directory should be.

The picture above, "Printing & Faxing", is probably from a similar early build, because recent builds have the prittier lock icon that the "Network" shot on that page has. Both of those round-lock screenshots have features not in 7B85. (not that I would know)

 

[Phil Of Mac]

Originally posted by beerguy
I'm sure it was pulled because it's a huge security risk.

The iDisk offline syncing gives basically the same functionality without giving your CFO the ability to leave the company financials on a train somewhere.

That's the CFO's fault. The technology exists for him to be an insecure moron even without this. I think they just couldn't make the feature stable enough in time so they left it out.

 

[coumerelli]

Originally posted by e-coli
I would NEVER want this feature unless there was some pretty hefty duty security encryption. What if someone stole your iPod? It would be a disaster.

But how would it be a disaster? Walk thru the process - your mac/home folder - duplicate some/all folder onto external drive/iPod - take it to another computer to do work with a client - return to home/office and sync changes made. Even if you lose the drive, you've only lost a day's work - granted, sometimes that could be priceless.

Also to jimthorn - you mention the problem of having your music on your iPod twice because of space? I know some home folders are in excess of 100 GIG. How's THAT going to fit neatly on an iPod. I know though that it's not limited to iPods - thankfully.

 

[Phil Of Mac]

Originally posted by coumerelli
But how would it be a disaster? Walk thru the process - your mac/home folder - duplicate some/all folder onto external drive/iPod - take it to another computer to do work with a client - return to home/office and sync changes made. Even if you lose the drive, you've only lost a day's work - granted, sometimes that could be priceless.

It's not a matter of that, it's a matter of someone else getting access to his pr0n!

 

[cheesy]

Originally posted by coumerelli
But how would it be a disaster? Walk thru the process - your mac/home folder - duplicate some/all folder onto external drive/iPod - take it to another computer to do work with a client - return to home/office and sync changes made. Even if you lose the drive, you've only lost a day's work - granted, sometimes that could be priceless.

Also to jimthorn - you mention the problem of having your music on your iPod twice because of space? I know some home folders are in excess of 100 GIG. How's THAT going to fit neatly on an iPod. I know though that it's not limited to iPods - thankfully.

note he mentioned he wouldn't use it unless there was heavy duty encryption. he's not worried about losing his work, he's worried about someone else gaining access to his email/files/pr0n/etc

 

[Rincewind42]

Originally posted by Snowy_River
Well, this may not be what you think it is. I know that when I first got OS X I had several drives in my computer, and I didn't want my Home directory on the same drive as the System. Heretofore, you had to use a hack to move your Users folder to another drive (creating a virtual link to it on your System drive). Hopefully this image is really showing that you can now choose, with characteristic Mac simplicity, the location you want for your Home directory (even different people's Home directories on different drives??).

Actually, the recommended procedure is to change it using NetInfoManager. And as for the ability to select the location of your home folder, that does not exist in Panther unless they decided to add it after 7B74 (sure...).

 

[coumerelli]

Originally posted by cheesy
note he mentioned he wouldn't use it unless there was heavy duty encryption. he's not worried about losing his work, he's worried about someone else gaining access to his email/files/pr0n/etc

right, and if you did anything like that without the filevault then you're just plain dumb.

It's called common sense - security

And I can't imagine a company (apple) presenting a feature like this without considering the possibilities for compromising sensitive information

[Edited for additional comment]

 

[LimeiBook86]

Yes! I love being a .Mac member. This Pal idea sounds good Maybe Pal will be an Apple tamagotchi, hahaha that gives me an idea for a comic... i'll be back, <evil laugh>

 

[RogueLdr]

Originally posted by evolu
The pulled page also mentions being able to carry around applications. Therefore this feature is not limited to what's in the home folder, I'm sure you can adjust your prefs and select which folders are copied to the iPod and which are not...

Sounds like it syncs up like the new idisk does... It only syncs (in either direction) when a file has been modified.

the best will be sitting down at a desktop and having your FCP prefs and Logic Prefs there for you!

But you can install applications directly into your home folder...I mean, there is an Applications folder there by default, right? Although even though I've installed an app or two there, I must admit that I'm not completely sure what, if any, other files are put into the main "Library" folder for what applications.

Can anyone answer whether an app installed in your Applications folder in your Home directory puts its Library items in the Home Library? That seems to me to be the most important consideration for application portablility by way of Home directory syncing. Although I've been wrong before.

 

[e-coli]

Originally posted by Phil Of Mac
It's not a matter of that, it's a matter of someone else getting access to his pr0n!

hahaha...no prOn on the iPod, unfortunately.

But it's the files I'm worried about. Bank account info, online logins and passwords, my 401k and IRA info...you get the picture (just not quite the picture you were thinking)

 

[macguymike]

deja vu?

Didn't Steve announce something like this in his keynote at MWSF??

I could have sworn he did. Anyone still have the video of that?

I know I've heard this somewhere before...

 

[dbunder]

no big deal.

while the home on ipod feature would be nice for convenience, there's nothing stopping us from manually transferring our homedirs to our ipods. a little bit hackier, but essentially the same. and who's to say that the feature won't be added to panther or new ipod software in the future? i just might not be done in time for the initail release of panther.