Accessing Course Account from Macs

This page describes some ways to connect to the course account from Macs.

Fill this out to make these instructions use your WatIAM ID and course:

Connect using Samba (smb)

Samba lets you mount the course account as a drive/folder so that you can work with the course's files in a Finder window.

If you encounter connection issues like random disconnects or it takes forever to connect, an alternative to Samba is SSHFS, described below.

Getting Access: You will be given access automatically in your first week of work. If you don't have access, please ask your CSCF Point of Contact or your ISC (your ISC will then contact CSCF, because only CSCF staff can give Samba access).

Step 1 (if off-campus): If you're off-campus, like at home, first connect to the campus network using the UW Cisco AnyConnect VPN.

Step 2: Click on the desktop or the Finder icon in the Dock (bar at the bottom of the screen). Then in the Finder menu bar at the top of the screen, click on Go and choose "Connect to Server..."

Step 3: Use Server Address:

smb://smb-files.student.cs.uwaterloo.ca/csNNN

You can click the '+' button to save the address. Click Connect.

Step 4: For Name, enter your WatIAM ID (yourQuestID) and use your student.cs password (reset password if needed). Click Connect.

On some Macs, you may have to login as TEACHING\yourQuestID.

Connect using SSH in a Terminal

You can work with course account files by typing commands in a Terminal.

Getting Access: Find someone who already has access to the course account, like your ISC or fellow ISA. They can add you by editing the /u/csNNN/.rhosts file in the course account. The next time the clock's minute hand hits 4, the /u/csNNN/.ssh/authorized_keys file will be updated to include you, and then you can SSH into the course account. If you're in a rush and can't wait, you can edit the /u/csNNN/.ssh/authorized_keys file directly by adding your own /u/yourQuestID/.ssh/id_rsa.pub key to the top of the authorized_keys file.

Step 1: SSH into your own account first. Open the Terminal and run:

ssh yourQuestID@linux.student.cs.uwaterloo.ca

For security, nothing will be displayed as you type in your password. Reset your password if needed.

Step 2: Once you're in your own account, run:

ssh csNNN@localhost

If you've created a passphrase, you'll be asked to type it in. If you're asked if you want to continue connecting, enter "yes".

VS Code Extension

If your concern is primarily editing a batch of files and you use the VS Code editor, a slick solution appears to be installing the "Remote - SSH" extension from Microsoft. It allows you to show a remote directory in the left pane of VS Code and navigate it easily, just like opening a local directory.

1. Open VS Code
2. Open the extensions window (look for an icon with four squares in the left border; one of the squares is "popped" out from the 2x2 grid)
3. Search for "Remote - SSH" and click install.
4. Look for a "><" icon in the lower left corner of the window. Click it.
5. In the field that opens, select either "Connect to host" or "Connect current window to host", type "COURSE_ACCOUNT@linux.student.cs.uwaterloo.ca" (no double quotes; replace COURSE_ACCOUNT with CS135 or similar)
6. In a few seconds, an "Open Folder" button will appear. Click it an navigate to the directory on the host that you would like to open.