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Using an MCS Mac

mac.gif The MCS Macintoshes run version OS X of the operating system, and there is online help available about the operating system (Mac Help under the Help menu).

Note that the Apple menu you see on the MCS is specially customised for the MCS, and will not be exactly the same as you see on another Macintosh elsewhere.

The MCS Macintosh desktop

When you have logged in to a MCS Macintosh, you will see a window showing Computing Service News: Interruptions to Service (which you can close using the button right at the top left of the window). The following icons appear in the Dock at the foot of the screen (certain machines with special uses will have extra icons as well):

  • Finder
  • Apple Mail - email software
  • Safari - web browser
  • Word - word processing software
  • Excel - spreadsheet and charting software
  • PowerPoint - presentation software
  • Your home filespace
  • Documents - (within your home filespace)
  • Applications - folder containing available applications
  • MCS Information
  • Hermes Webmail
  • Trash

Basic tasks on a MCS Macintosh

Applications

Full lists of MCS applications are available. Commonly used applications are found in the Dock at the foot of the screen. Simply double-click on the icon of the application you want to use in order to start it. You can also double-click on a file produced by the application.

To start other applications that do not appear directly in the Dock double-click the Applications icon. A window will appear with several folders each of which groups together similar types of applications. Double-click the appropriate folder and then the icon of the required application within.

Some useful Macintosh applications are:

  • For web browsing: Safari, Firefox
  • For email: a web browser and Hermes Webmail, or OS X Mail, Mulberry or Thunderbird
  • For office applications: Microsoft Office
  • For reading Usenet News: Thunderbird
  • For file transfer: Fetch or Fugu; also sftp and scp within a Terminal window
  • For remote login via SSH: JellyfiSSH or iTerm, or a Terminal window

Most common applications are available right across the MCS, but some applications are specific to particular sites or particular machines. If you try to use an application and you aren't at a site or machine at which it can be used, you will see a message telling you that. In each of Balfour 2 and Phoenix User Area all Macs with additional software are clearly labelled.

Using the Dock

When you position your cursor over an item in the Dock a label will appear telling you what the icon does. When you click on it once, the icon will bounce while the application is starting up, and when the application is running a small black triangle will appear underneath the icon. You can adjust your Dock settings (and keep these changes for future sessions) by going to the Apple menu and selecting System Preferences and then Dock.

When an application is in use, its icon will appear in the Dock even it wasn't there previously. If you wish to keep the icon in the Dock for easy future access, while the application is running, click on the icon, hold down the mouse button and select Keep in Dock from the pop-up menu. To move an icon in the Dock, click on it and drag to the required place. To remove an icon from the Dock, just drag it out and it will disappear.

Force quit from Applications

Force quit can be used if an application stalls when in use - selecting it gives you the opportunity of closing down that application without restarting the system but the document will not be saved, so it is a desperate measure. You can force quit by clicking on the application icon in the Dock and holding down the mouse, while holding the Alt key down, then select Force quit, or pressing the Alt, Command and Esc keys together, then selecting the application from which you wish to force quit.

Logging out

When you have finished, it is important that you remember to save your files and log out of the MCS. Failure to do so could result in another user altering, deleting, or reading your files. After 35 minutes of inactivity a warning message will appear on screen. If no unsaved files are open and you do not cancel this message, you will be automatically logged out after a further 5 minutes. If unsaved files are open, you will be given an opportunity to save them before being logged out. You will not be logged out unless unsaved files are saved.

To log out, close all files then go to the Apple menu and select Logout from MCS...

Last updated: September 2011