MAC Basics

Some Basic Directions

Some printing directions on the lab Macs:

1. Multiple copies: Print system is set up to print only one copy at a time.
2. Multiple pages on a sheet: Go to File -> print –> pull the dropdown that shows copies and pages –> select Layout –> change the page per sheet number as desired.
3. Double-sided: File –> print –> pull the dropdown that shows copies and pages –> select Layout –> select Long edge or Short edge
4. To add printers to your laptop visit http://www.lis.illinois.edu/oitr/help/printing/personal.html

Mac OS X Adding menulets to the menu bar

The menu bar icons that control various behaviors, such as the aircard, volume, bluetooth, etc. are called Menulets. These can be controlled by going to:

System -> Library -> CoreServices -> Menu Extras folder

Within this folder are all the different menulets that can be installed. Double clicking on items in this folder will install those icons on the menu bar.

To remove a menulet, -drag it off of your menu bar, or turn off the corresponding checkbox in System Preferences. You can also rearrange them by -dragging them horizontally.

Creating a zip archive on a Mac

While StuffIt is good at unpacking a .zip file on a Mac, the free version cannot be used to create zip files. While there are command line tools such as zip and gzip that can be used to create zip files, this is obviously not an optimal solution for most users. Mac OS X provides a way to do this through Finder, though.

1. Open Finder
2. Create a folder to store all the files to be included in the zip
3. Copy (not create shortcuts) of the files to be included in the zip
4. Right click (or hold down the Ctrl key while single clicking) on the folder to be zipped
5. Choose 'Create Archive of "folder_name"' from the right click menu

The result of the last step will be a file called by the folder name with a .zip extension.

Training Videos

Purchasing a new computer and you are trying to decide Mac or PC?

The choice between a Mac and a PC is a personal one, and may even come down to what looks and feels good and a switch between the two should not be all that difficult. Our labs in GSLIS have Mac minis on them if you want to try them out when you are on campus. A majority of labs on campus are still PCs though.

In addition to retail computer stores you should also check with computer manufacturers who sell systems directly and often offer an academic discount. University of Illinois students, staff, and faculty can also order through the Micro Order Center, which offers academic discounts and can be cheaper because they order in volume. For more information also take a look at the information on the GSLIS website: http://www.lis.illinois.edu/oitr/help/hardware.html

• In terms of security Macs are a little easier to manage as long as regular updates take place. With proper management and updates PCs can be kept secure too.
• There was and still are a limited variety and number of free software for Macs than for PC, but with a growing Mac population, you may find that to be changing too, although some major software are still geared towards PCs. The good thing though is that the parallels on the Macs, if the one you purchase will have one, run Windows pretty well.
• At this moment PCs with Vista on them have issues that have not been resolved on campus, like reliable wireless and wireless printing. Windows version of XP is still being recommended and seems to work fine. Macs seem to have fewer problems there. On the other hand, Leopard is still being tested in GSLIS and we may not have encountered all possible problems with it to give you a conclusive answer, but seems to be doing fine. Here is what we know from CITES:
• Leopard Issues: (the following note is from CITES) Apple has released its latest operating system, OS 10.5, also known as Leopard. We have noticed several issues on machines that have upgraded to Leopard.
  • Antivirus: VirusScan 8.5 is not Leopard compatible. CITES Security is currently testing VirusScan 8.6 to address this issue.
  • Firewall: As reported on some security web sites, Leopard ships with its firewall turned off. Furthermore, if a Macintosh computer previously had turned on its firewall, and the Leopard upgrade is installed, the new upgrade will turn off the Firewall. At the present time, there is no fix to this problem.
  • VPN: Some users have noticed problems connecting to the new Nortel VPN using Leopard. These problems are being examined to determined if a network solution is possible, or if it is an application problem that will need to be addressed by Apple."
  • Leopard issue updates:
  • In a previous brief we mentioned a few issues that had come to light regarding Apple's new operating system, OS 10.5, otherwise known as Leopard. Two of those issues have been addressed. First, VirusScan 8.6 is compatible with Leopard and has been released (see below). Also, the latest OS update (10.5.1) starts to address the firewall issue by relabeling "Block All Incoming Connections" to "Allow only essential services." Users that have upgraded to Leopard are still strongly encouraged to check their firewall settings to make sure the firewall has been enabled."
• Please note some links below. One for the hardware we purchase for our staff and faculty, and the other to information on the labs in the building.
  • http://www.lis.illinois.edu/oitr/help/hardware.html
  • http://www.lis.illinois.edu/oitr/help/lrl
• Also take a look at the minimum requirements for LEEP, which in general terms is pretty low.
  • http://www.lis.illinois.edu/oc/oitr/help/hardware.html#leep