3.2 Mounting the iDisk

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In order to use your iDisk, you must first be connected to the Internet, either via PPP or an Ethernet connection. If you're not connected to the Internet, you won't be able to mount the iDisk on your Mac. The reason why you need to be connected to the Net is because all iDisks use a protocol known as WebDAV for mounting shares hosted at Apple (actually, hosted off of the main IP address of 17.250.248.77).

If you have a Finder window open , the quickest way to mount your iDisk is by simply clicking on the iDisk icon, located in the upper section of the Finder window's Sidebar. When you click on the iDisk icon, the Finder collects your .Mac member name and password that you've set in the .Mac preferences panel (System Preferences .Mac .Mac) and sends that information off to Apple's server. If the .Mac member name and password matches the information stored on Apple's side, your iDisk mounts on your Desktop and the contents of your iDisk become viewable in the Finder window, as shown in Figure 3-3.

Figure 3-3. An iDisk's Finder window is displayed in Icon View when mounted.
figs/idm_0303.gif

If your Finder is set to show connected servers on the Desktop (Finder Preferences Show these items on the Desktop), the iDisk icon shown at the right of Figure 3-3 appears on your Desktop.


Another way to mount your iDisk is from the Finder's Go menu, as shown in Figure 3-4. If you select Go iDisk, a submenu appears to the right of the Go menu, giving you options for connecting to your iDisk, to another .Mac member's iDisk, or to another .Mac member's Public folder. (iDisk Public folders and how they're used is discussed later in this chapter.)

Figure 3-4. The Finder's Go window can also be used for mounting iDisks.
figs/idm_0304.gif

If you try to connect to your iDisk and haven't entered your .Mac Member Name and Password in the .Mac preference panel, or if you select Go iDisk Other User 's iDisk from the menu bar, the window shown in Figure 3-5 appears.

Figure 3-5. The Connect To iDisk window.
figs/idm_0305.gif

To connect to the iDisk, enter the .Mac Member name and Password and click on the Connect button. Again, the information you enter in these fields will be validated against Apple's servers. If what you enter passes muster, the iDisk mounts on the Desktop and in the Finder.

The Connect To iDisk window (shown in Figure 3-4) appears any time you try connecting to an iDisk from a Mac that doesn't have the .Mac Member Name and Password set in the .Mac preference panel. This can be useful for connecting to your iDisk from another person's Mac who doesn't have a .Mac account. (Of course, you could give someone your Member Name and Password so they could connect and use your iDisk as well, but that would be cheating, right?)


3.2.1 Mounting Your iDisk at Login

If you have a broadband connection to the Internet (either via cable, DSL, or T1 access at work) you can mount your iDisk automatically when you log on to your Mac. Getting your iDisk to mount automatically whenever you log on to your Mac is actually pretty simple; just follow these steps:

  1. If your iDisk isn't currently mounted on your Mac, you can mount it quickly from the Finder by using the keyboard shortcut, Shift- figs/command.gif -I.

  2. Once the iDisk appears on your Desktop, launch the System Preferences application by clicking on its icon in the Dock.

  3. Click on the icon for the Accounts panel in the System section.

  4. On the left side of the Accounts panel, you'll see a list of all of the user accounts on your Mac. Click on the one that says My Account in gray text above your username.

  5. On the right side of the Accounts panel, click on the Startup Items tab. This switches the window's view to show you the applications that will start up automatically when you log on to your account.

  6. Click on the titlebar of the System Preferences window and move it to the side so you can see the iDisk icon on your Desktop, as shown in Figure 3-6. Once you've moved the window, let go of the mouse button.

    Figure 3-6. A view of the Startup Items pane in the Accounts preference panel with my iDisk waiting in the wings.
    figs/idm_0306.gif

  7. Now click on the iDisk icon and drag it into the Startup Items pane. When you see the ghostly image of your iDisk, as shown in Figure 3-7, let go of the mouse button to add the iDisk to your list of Startup Items.

    Figure 3-7. Drag and drop your iDisk into the Startup Items pane.
    figs/idm_0307.gif

  8. Quit the System Preferences application by either clicking on the red close window button, or using either the figs/command.gif -W or figs/command.gif -Q keyboard shortcuts.

To test this out, log out of your account by holding down the Option key and selecting the Log Out option from the bottom of the Apple menu ( figs/apple.gif Log Out Your Account Name ). When you log back in, the Startup Items you've placed in your Account are loaded, which means that your iDisk should mount if you have an Internet connection.

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Inside .Mac
Inside .Mac
ISBN: 0596005016
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 132
Authors: Chuck Toporek

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