How to connect to defcon.edb.utexas.edu (OS X)

OS X allows you to encrypt Apple File Sharing connections to servers that support Apple File Sharing encrypted connections. By default the ability to establish encrypted connections with a server is disabled in OS X. So you first need to enable this feature before you can take advantage of it. Once you enable this feature, the encryption works transparently such that your connection to the server will work like a normal unencrypted session with Apple File Sharing.

• NOTE: This method only works with the older 10.4 "Tiger" version of Mac OS X. Apple removed the encrypted Apple File Sharing feature from the current version of Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard".

Connecting to the Server

1. Establish an encrypted Apple File Sharing connection to the server

Click on the Go option in the OS X top menu bar. Then click Connect to Server...

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In the window that appears, type defcon.edb.utexas.edu in the Server Address field. Then press the Connect button.

 

Open the Apple File Sharing connection options by pressing the button in the lower left hand corner of the Connect to Server window. Select Options... from the menu that appears.

• NOTE: If your computer has Apple's newest operating system Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard" installed, skip this step.

 

Check the option Allow secure connections using SSH. Then press the OK button to save your changes.

• NOTE: If your computer has Apple's newest operating system Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard" installed, skip this step. 

 

Type your username and password for the server. Then press Connect. Your computer will now attempt to establish a secure encrypted connection to the server.

 

2. Select the folder you want to open on the server.

If your computer successfully establishes an encrypted connection to the server, you will be presented with a window that contains the folders being shared on the server. There will be three folders in this window. A folder named Groups another named Users and the final folder will have a name which is the same as your username. See the next section for an explanation of these folders.

Choose the folder that you want to access.

 

Explanation of the Folders on the Server

Overview

• The Groups folder contains folders which are shared by a group of people. If you need a folder setup for your group, contact the LTC computer helpdesk at help@edb.utexas.edu
• The Users folder contains the folders of all the users on the server. Each user has a "drop box" set up so if you need a fast way to give a file to someone without letting everyone else with an account on the server see the file, you can copy the file to their "drop box". User folders are explained in more detail in the next section.
• The third folder in the list will be a folder with a name that is the same as your username on the server. This folder is where you store your private files. User folders are explained in more detail in the next section.

User Folder

Each user of the server has a folder assigned specifically to them. This folder contains two folders, Documents and Public. You are the only person that can read or write files in your Documents folder.

The Public folder contains a subfolder called Drop Box. You can read and write files in your Drop Box folder but everyone else on the server can only copy files into this folder. They cannot read or delete files in this folder. So if someone else who has an account on the server needs to give you a file, they can copy it to your Drop Box folder and you are the only person that will be able to see it.