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General discussion

Concurrent login from windows on Mac Lion

Dec 20, 2011 8:36PM PST

We are a group of 5 developers. We are currently using windows for
programming. But we are about to develop iphone applications. So we
pooled up money and decided to buy a mac mini with lion server.Can
we(5 developers) work with lion server concurrently using our windows
machine? If so, what is the cheapest solution for this?

Discussion is locked

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Yes and no
Dec 20, 2011 9:03PM PST

Yes and no. Simultaneous logins has been a feature of Unix since the very beginning some 30-40 years ago now, so if you only want to connect to the Darwin half of Mac OS X, and use command line tools to compile your program into a binary for testing on an actual iOS device, then you shouldn't have any real problems.

At least pre-10.7, this sort of thing was not possible with the Aqua GUI (which is what most people think of as Mac OS X), but after a quick bit of googling I have seen some indications it MIGHT be possible with 10.7, but I haven't seen anything official from Apple's site on it. So, you may want to do a little poking around of your own.

Another possibility, though I have no idea how legal it would be, and it'd probably stress a Mini server considerably, would be to install 5 copies of 10.7 into 5 different VMs, and then set each VM with a specific internal IP address, and each of you can connect to a different VM. This would probably have some logistical and legal hurdles to clear, though at least legally speaking since you're not distributing copies of the OS, and it's all installed on a single unit... It would at least muddy the waters a little.

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further googling need from my side
Dec 21, 2011 11:45AM PST

Hi Jimmy,
I think, i have to do further research, I have contacted apple store, but they are not aware of that.
Regards,
Vinod

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And with the command line done.
Dec 20, 2011 11:29PM PST
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thanks
Dec 21, 2011 11:44AM PST

Hi Bob,
thank you for the link. I assume this will work for remote windows
Vinod

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Yes
Dec 21, 2011 9:14PM PST

Yes, there's also a "Screen Sharing" app, but it won't do concurrent logins, only one at a time.

One other thought that came to mind just now, is to look for a code editor/IDE that can interface with the command line tools over say a SSH connection or something. Eclipse would probably be your best bet, but there are probably others. That way you can do all the editing on a Windows system and just send the compile jobs off to the Mini.

I'm also just going to combine a response to your above message here:

Apple retail stores tend to be staffed by the same sort of clueless idiots you find at any retail store. The exception might be Radio Shack, which seems to have an impressive training program for it's store clerks. In any case, the retail arm of Apple is very different from the corporate arm which would handle this sort of thing. If you were really lucky, you might find someone who works at an Apple store that has dabbled in iOS programming, but for the most part, Apple retail employees are every bit as dumb and clueless about anything technical as any other retail outlet you may go to.

One time I went in there asking if they sold the ACMT starter pack in stores or if it was only online, and got a blank look. Then the person disappeared into the back for about 5 minutes, and brought out someone else, who did a slightly better job of feigning understanding, but had the same deer in headlights look at the first person. That's been my general experience every time I go in there, and why I make it as infrequent as possible.