I have a test user configured on my Mac. I use that account for software I don't fully trust not to mess with my main account, which needs to stay more secure. Using "fast user switching" I can switch between the two easily. But that's annoying, so what I'd like to do is use screen sharing to access the test account while loged into the main account.
I got this working years ago using a VNC server app. But Apple introduced multiple simultaneous users support to their own server, so for example, I can log into my test account from a different Mac while continuing to use my regular account from my Mac's screen/keyboard. This actually works fine.
So I tried to use Apple's built-in VNC client ("Screen sharing") to do that. The f*cking thing actually detects that I'm trying to connect to localhost and refuses to do it - it has a special test just for that. WHY??? Argh.
OK, fine, so I bought Screens. And used it. And... it worked great! I could access my test account in the screens window while using my regular account.
Except... after a week or so, it stopped working. All of a sudden when I tried to use it for this, I'd suddenly find myself fast-user-switched to my test account, instead of getting to it through the screens window. Freaky. :-(
Anyone know how to make this work, without reinstalling a third-party VNC server?
This does of course require both parties to have an Apple ID, of course, but pretty much all Mac users do. Don't feel dumb; I'd totally forgotten you could do that until I read this story and checked to see if Messages screensharing was still supported. Hopefully that will work for you every bit as well as the BtmM method did.
Screens requires lots of fiddling with a router as well. It's not as easy as you make it sound.
If the router fully supports uPNP, then it is as easy as it sounds. If it only has partial uPNP like the AirPort, or that access is limited, then yes, there will be some configuration required.
I use Screens locally with my Mac mini and iPad, but I have never been able to figure out how to use it remotely as my mini is perpetually on a VPN with shared IP, and those two things don't play well together. BTMM did however, so at least I'd be able to access it via my MBP.
Does anyone know if any of these solutions will work with a VPN with shared IP?
Screens' developer is very quick to respond to support requests. I had to do some fiddling with a windows machine, which is as you might imagine was not anywhere near as easy to get up and running with Screens using a secure connection. Try emailing them and see what they say!
Screens requires lots of fiddling with a router as well. It's not as easy as you make it sound.
If the router fully supports uPNP, then it is as easy as it sounds. If it only has partial uPNP like the AirPort, or that access is limited, then yes, there will be some configuration required.
I use Screens locally with my Mac mini and iPad, but I have never been able to figure out how to use it remotely as my mini is perpetually on a VPN with shared IP, and those two things don't play well together. BTMM did however, so at least I'd be able to access it via my MBP.
Does anyone know if any of these solutions will work with a VPN with shared IP?
Screens' developer is very quick to respond to support requests. I had to do some fiddling with a windows machine, which is as you might imagine was not anywhere near as easy to get up and running with Screens using a secure connection. Try emailing them and see what they say!
Yep, that's true. I got a response, they suggested some stuff that I haven't tried yet but suspect will not work. I'm going to revisit it soon when I have time to troubleshoot again. I think the shared IP thing just throws off most solutions, hence why BTMM was so magical.
I do use Screens around the house to remotely control my Mac mini via my iPad.
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This does of course require both parties to have an Apple ID, of course, but pretty much all Mac users do. Don't feel dumb; I'd totally forgotten you could do that until I read this story and checked to see if Messages screensharing was still supported. Hopefully that will work for you every bit as well as the BtmM method did.
I do use Screens around the house to remotely control my Mac mini via my iPad.