Bonjour

Bonjour is an integrated part of iChat in Mac OS X. If you have two or more Macs connected through a local area network (an ethernet network, wireless network, or a combination of both), Bonjour automatically detects and connects all of the computers (or other Bonjour-smart devices, such as a printer) on the network. You can send Instant Messages or files to Bonjour buddies on your local network. You can also have audio or video chats with others on the local network if a microphone or digital video camera is connected to your computer.

To use Bonjour, you don't need a .Mac account, or an AIM account, as required to use iChat. Any computer that you want to connect through Bonjour must have iChat installed (which automatically includes Bonjour) and the computers must be connected through some sort of network (ethernet, wireless, or a combination of the two).

To set up Bonjour

1.	Open iChat: Either single-click on its icon in the Dock, or double-click its icon in the Applications window.
2.	The first time you open iChat, a series of dialogs opens to set up iChat and Bonjour (see page 486).
3.	One of the set up windows (shown below) is titled "Set up Bonjour Messaging." All you have to do is choose "Use Bonjour Messaging," then click the "Continue" button to finish the setup.

Bonjour automatically goes about its job of detecting others on your local network, so when you're ready to chat or send files, the other user only has to be notified. This is referred to as "zero-configuration" networking.

It's not too late to set up Bonjour

If you previously opened iChat and set it up but did not turn on Bonjour, or if you want to change any of the settings (or turn Bonjour off), you can do so at any time:

1.	Open iChat, then go to the iChat menu and choose "Preferences…."
2.	Click the "Accounts" button in the top bar of the Preferences window.
3.	Click the Bonjour item in the Accounts pane on the left to show the Bonjour "Account Information" on the right side of the window.
4.	Select "Use Bonjour Instant Messaging" to activate Bonjour. Uncheck the checkbox to turn off Bonjour.

Just about everything that applies to iChat also applies to Bonjour. Read the other pages in this chapter about iChat to learn how to chat or share files using Bonjour. Remember, iChat connects to buddies through the Internet, and Bonjour connects to buddies who are on your local networkotherwise, text chats, audio chats, video chats, and file sharing look and work the same as in iChat. In fact, sometimes it's easy to lose track of which application you're using, iChat or Bonjour. Look at the top of a message window for a line of gray type that tells you if you're using Bonjour or iChat.

Send a file through a Bonjour Instant Message

1.	Open iChat, which will activate Bonjour.
2.	If the Bonjour window (shown on the left) doesn't appear, press Command 2, or go to the Window menu and choose "Bonjour." Other users on your network who also have iChat installed will appear in the Bonjour window.
3.	In the Bonjour window, select the user to whom you want to send a file, then click the Text Chat button (the "A" icon), shown on the left. An Instant Message (IM) window opens (below-left). Send a message to a buddy. The buddy receives a notification.
4.	Type a message in the text box, then press Return to send it. The recipient receives an Instant Message notice (shown below-center).
5.	When you're ready to send a file, drag the file (or a folder of files) to the text box at the bottom of the Bonjour window.
6.	The file name and icon appears in a message bubble. When the recipient clicks the file name in the message, it automatically downloads to her Desktop.

This also works with iChat.

After the buddy responds, drag a file to the text box, then hit Return.