Please Help vpn client and remotely control a linux machine from mac

[smilemoveon]

I just got my new MBP and tired to switch from Windows to Mac as soon as possible.

Hotmail seems not wok in the mail. I have download httpmailplugin and macfree, the 1st asked for subscribtion, the second can not connect to the hotmail account, none of them worked for me although I followed the instruction http://email.about.com/od/macosxmailtips/qt/et_free_hotmail.htm.

I also tried remote control.These days I searched google and forum for hours to find a way to communicate with the server in the uni.

I downloaded matlab in my MBP, it need to communicate with the licence manager on the university server everytime I launch it, I downloaded AlmostVPN, installed it, and set up ssh servers, and still get the license manager error "Matlab unable to connect to the license server." Is there anything I missed out?

The second thing, I want to remotely control the linux machine at my desk, I tried to use ssh, but there is no graphical interface, which is very annoying.

Would you guys have experience to share? Many thanks

 

[merl1n]

I just got my new MBP and tired to switch from Windows to Mac as soon as possible.

Hotmail seems not wok in the mail. I have download httpmailplugin and macfree, the 1st asked for subscribtion, the second can not connect to the hotmail account, none of them worked for me although I followed the instruction http://email.about.com/od/macosxmailtips/qt/et_free_hotmail.htm.

I also tried remote control.These days I searched google and forum for hours to find a way to communicate with the server in the uni.

I downloaded matlab in my MBP, it need to communicate with the licence manager on the university server everytime I launch it, I downloaded AlmostVPN, installed it, and set up ssh servers, and still get the license manager error "Matlab unable to connect to the license server." Is there anything I missed out?

The second thing, I want to remotely control the linux machine at my desk, I tried to use ssh, but there is no graphical interface, which is very annoying.

Would you guys have experience to share? Many thanks

I can only help you with remote controlling your Linux machine.

I assume in order to connect remotely to your University, you are using some sort of VPN client.

On your linux machine, you can install VNC and run it as a VNC server. Configure it with a Password, etc.

On your Mac (VNC is built in) you would first get on to your University network thru VPN.

Next, in order to connect and remotely control your linux box you would go the "Go" menu -> Connect to Server.

Then in the Server box you would type...

vnc://ipaddress (of your linux box)

When you connect, it should prompt you for a password.

HTH

 

[smilemoveon]

I assume in order to connect remotely to your University, you are using some sort of VPN client.

On your Mac (VNC is built in) you would first get on to your University network thru VPN.


HTH

That's cool. Merl1n, thanks a lot for your input indeed. However, as you said, I need first get on to my University network through some sort of VPN client, now I am stuck in the 1st step, can not get to my Uni through the Almost vpn, any vpn suggestions?

And my uni does not have vpn client for non-windows platform, so I serached apple and downloaded almostvpn and installed it, set up the ssh to the university server, it poped password and indicated running after I inputed password of the uni, it is just not working, as I tested it by trying to map a internet drive of the university, when I input the server name of the internet drive, it poped out "Connecting to afp://servername", and then "Connection failed".

 

[merl1n]

That's cool. Merl1n, thanks a lot for your input indeed. However, as you said, I need first get on to my University network through some sort of VPN client, now I am stuck in the 1st step, can not get to my Uni through the Almost vpn, any vpn suggestions?

And my uni does not have vpn client for non-windows platform, so I serached apple and downloaded almostvpn and installed it, set up the ssh to the university server, it poped password and indicated running after I inputed password of the uni, it is just not working, as I tested it by trying to map a internet drive of the university, when I input the server name of the internet drive, it poped out "Connecting to afp://servername", and then "Connection failed".

You didn't need to install that. VPN is built into Leopard although it may or may not work with your university. In the Finder go to the "Help" menu and search for "VPN". Then click "Show all results". This will tell you how to set it up on the Mac. Look at all of the topics in the list including the advanced stuff.

Also the Message you received "connecting to afp://servername" is probably where the problem is. The "afp" stands for "Apple File Protocol" and I don't think that works on a Windows network. I believe the protocol you need is "smb://servername".

You need to configure "Active Directory" services. You do this by running the Directory Utility (Applications -> Utilities -> Directory Utility). Click Services, click the lock (admin password) and check Active Directory. Then click the pen to edit it. In there you will find boxes you need to configure and click on the triangle to "Show advanced options". Examine all of the options and tabs and see what applies to your situation. You may need the help on a network admin at your university to get this configured correctly.

That's about all I can help you with at this time since I haven't played with this stuff myself but it should lead you in the right direction.

Worst case scenario, is that if you have a copy of Windows you can install, you can purchase "Parallels" or "VMWare Fusion" and run Windows in a virtual machine on your mac. Then you can get and install the appropriate vpn client (from your university) for Windows and connect to your university from Windows. You would still have to install VNC on both your linux machine and your Windows VM.

 

[smilemoveon]

Very appreciate your help,merl1n.

These vpn stuff is driving me mad, I looked at forums and googles, tried and tried again to use the built-in vpn of mac, got the error message"the server did not respond. Please verify the server address" and did not go to bed until 4am in the morning.

I pursued the vmfusion and could use the vpn(check point) supplied by uni with windows, I am thinking of using mac as much as possible.

I tried to get a clue from the vpn client in windows. But I can not find pcf profile file in the check point vpn with my windows, and I took down the university site ip address and gateway address from the check point vpn, and tried both of them as server address when seting up built-in vpn, still got the above error message.

Strange thing is that I could set up the ssh and remotely access my linux box
just without graphic interface using the university login server, but the university login server won't work in neither mac built-in vpn nor windows built-in vpn, they would get the above error message.

I think I have to verify the vpn server address, protocol, perhaps a copy of pcf file for configuration from the IT Support after bank holiday.

 

[merl1n]

Very appreciate your help,merl1n.

These vpn stuff is driving me mad, I looked at forums and googles, tried and tried again to use the built-in vpn of mac, got the error message"the server did not respond. Please verify the server address" and did not go to bed until 4am in the morning.

I pursued the vmfusion and could use the vpn(check point) supplied by uni with windows, I am thinking of using mac as much as possible.

I tried to get a clue from the vpn client in windows. But I can not find pcf profile file in the check point vpn with my windows, and I took down the university site ip address and gateway address from the check point vpn, and tried both of them as server address when seting up built-in vpn, still got the above error message.

Strange thing is that I could set up the ssh and remotely access my linux box
just without graphic interface using the university login server, but the university login server won't work in neither mac built-in vpn nor windows built-in vpn, they would get the above error message.

I think I have to verify the vpn server address, protocol, perhaps a copy of pcf file for configuration from the IT Support after bank holiday.

Do you have your Mac's firewall turned on? If so, did you allow the VNC port to be open (I believe it is 5900). Did you install the vnc server on your linux box and configure it?

Like I said, I wasn't sure if the Mac's VPN client was compatible. I know from my own experience with work, that I have to use a mac version of the Nortel (Cisco) client to connect to work.

 

[smilemoveon]

Do you have your Mac's firewall turned on? If so, did you allow the VNC port to be open (I believe it is 5900). Did you install the vnc server on your linux box and configure it?

Like I said, I wasn't sure if the Mac's VPN client was compatible. I know from my own experience with work, that I have to use a mac version of the Nortel (Cisco) client to connect to work.

My Mac's firewall is turned off, as it is defaulted to "Allow all incoming connections".

For VPN, I am still stuck in the connection to the university network. I downloaded the Cisco client and tried all the possible server addresses, all got"not connected" without error message. I found there is a userc.c configuration file in checkpoint vpn which works find in my windows platform, could not find a way to convert the .c file to the .pcf which could be imported to the Cisco vpn.

The IT support is very unsupportive in our uni,
when I asked for the vpn server address, .pcf configuration file, the guy cc my mail to his other IT colleaugs to see is there anybody could answer my query, and also referred me to the IT support in my faculty,

The IT support in my faculty drove me even mad, the faculty support told me that there were no way for me to do that, they have no information about server address and configuration files as these are packed inside the checkpoin vpn(the only vpn they support), and I have to wait for the checkpoint vpn mac version coming out.

I don't see I could go any further. Although I tried to install vnc server into my home directory to skip the admin permission, but the vnc rpm could not be relocated. I also tried to use nomachine which works over ssh and could possibly skip the vpn server address, currently stuck in the installation error. And if I sort out nomachine, I will let you know.

thanks a lot indeed this forum and especially merl1n for spending time to help me.

by the way, space is good feature.

Finally I happily found out x tunneling enabled me to see the graphic interface of the remotely controlled program, partly solved my problems, although it is not nice as the vnc viewer. This is why I think I should give an update, maybe useful for somebody else.

 

[merl1n]

The IT support in my faculty drove me even mad, the faculty support told me that there were no way for me to do that, they have no information about server address and configuration files as these are packed inside the checkpoin vpn(the only vpn they support), and I have to wait for the checkpoint vpn mac version coming out.

According to the checkpoint website, they have a Leopard compatible vpn client called "SecureClient".

Here is the link. Look on the right side, under "Hot News". In order to download it you may have to create an account and login to get it.

https://supportcenter.checkpoint.co...eventSubmit_doQuicklinks=&quicklink=Downloads