13.3. Accessing Shared Files
So far in this chapter, you've read about setting up a Mac so that people at other
computers can access its files.
Now comes the payoff: sitting at another computer and connecting to the one you set up.
There are two ways to go about it: You can use Leopard's new, streamlined Sidebar
network, or you can use the older, more flexible Connect to Server command. The
following pages cover both methods.
13.3.1. Connection Method A: Use the Sidebar
Suppose, then, that you're seated in front of your Mac, and you want to see the files on
another Mac on the network. Proceed like this:
1. Open any Finder window.
In the Shared category of the Sidebar at the left side of the window, icons for all
the computers on the network appear. See Figure 13-8
.

Tip: The same Sidebar items show up in the Save and Open dialog boxes of your
programs, too, making the entire network available to you for opening and saving
files.

If you don't see a certain Mac's icon here, it might be turned off, it might not be on
the network, or it might have File Sharing turned off. (And if you don't see any
computers at all in the Sidebar, then your computer might not be on the network.
Or maybe you've turned off the checkboxes for "Connected Servers" and "Bonjour
Computers" in Finder Preferences Sidebar.)
Figure 13-8. Macs often appear in the Sidebar with model-specific names
(MacBook, iMac, and so on). Other computers (like PCs) have generic blue
monitors. When you click All in the Sidebar, you see both the icons of
individual computers and the icons of network chunks (like AppleTalk zones
and Windows workgroups).

POWER USERS' CLINIC

workgroup (computer cluster) that contains the machine you want. In small office
networks, it's usually called MSHOME or WORKGROUP. In big corporations,
these workgroups can be called almost anything —as long as it's no more than 12
letters long with no punctuation. (Thanks, Microsoft.)
If you do see icons for workgroups or other network "zones," double-click your
way until you're seeing the icons for individual computers.

Note: If you're a network nerd, you may be interested to note that Mac OS X 10.5
can "see" servers that use the SMB/CIFS, NFS, FTP, and WebDAV protocols
running on Mac OS X Server, AppleShare, Unix, Linux, Novell NetWare,
Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista servers. But
Sidebar reveals only the shared computers on your subnet (your local, internal
office network). (It also shows Back to My Mac if it's set up; see Section 13.5.3.4
.)

2. Click the computer whose files you want to open.
In the main window, you now see the icons for each account holder on that
computer: Mom, Dad, Sissy, whatever. If you have an account on the other
computer, you'll see a folder representing your stuff, too (Figure 13-9
).
Figure 13-9. Without requiring any name or password on the other Mac, you
have full access to anything the other account holders have left in their Public
folders. (There's a Public folder in everyone's Home folder.) At this point,
you're considered a Guest.

At this point, the remaining instructions diverge, depending on whether you want
to access other people's stuff or your stuff. That's why there are two alternative
versions of step 3 here:
3. a. If you want to access the stuff that somebody else has left for you, double-click
that person's Public folder.

little button.

You can, however, open those icons, read them, or even copy them to your Mac
— and then edit your copies.
b. To access your own Home folder on the other Mac, click it, and then click the
Connect As button (Figure 13-10
). Sign in as usual.
When the "Connect to the file server" box appears, you're supposed to specify
your account name and password (from the Mac you're tapping into). This is the
same name and password you'd use to log in if you were actually sitting at that
machine.
Type your short user name and password. (If you're not sure what your short user
name is, open System Preferences on your home-base Mac, click Accounts, and
then click your account name.) And if you didn't set up a password for your
account, leave the password box empty.

Tip: The dialog box shown in Figure 13-10 includes the delightful and timesaving
"Remember this password in my keychain" option, which makes the Mac
memorize your password for a certain disk so you don't have to type it —or even
see this dialog box —every darned time you connect. (If you have no password,
though, the "Remember password" doesn't work, and you'll have to confront —
and press Enter to dismiss —the "Connect to the file server" box every time.)

When you click Connect (or press Return or Enter), your own Home folder on the
other Mac appears. Its icon shows up on your desktop, and a little button
appears next to its name. Click it to disconnect.

Tip: Once you've connected to a Mac using your account, the other Mac has a lock
on your identity. You'll be able to connect to the other Mac over and over again
during this same computing session, without ever having to retype your password.