Bugbyte's 2001 New Beetle -Mac Mini Install - Page 7

simon_C · 08-20-2005, 01:07 AM

wow didnt know vnc did that...

i always thought you needed remote desktop....

mookie · 08-21-2005, 02:38 AM

Isn't that all VNC does? Is there some other function of VNC that I don't know about.

NeckPayne · 08-22-2005, 08:53 AM

I'm guessing it would probably be a lot slower, but no delay in refresh rate. Would you consider running VirtualPC on the Mac and any needed PC compatible software through that. Depending on your resource needs, it could always be loaded up in the background. Just a thought....

Bugbyte · 08-22-2005, 04:15 PM

Right now, the Mini has only 256mb of memory so VPC is out unless I drop $100 on memory. Also, VPCo costs $100 and right now I'm saving for some serial port adaptors and I may need to buy an Airport for the home Mac.

VNC is pretty much a stopgap solution. I intend to switch completely to the Mini but am in the very odd situation of it being cheaper for me to keep the PC for now. I suppose I could sell it and finance a lot of this but then I wouldn't have PC compatibility except via VPC.

Right now I prefer not to mix my OS's on one machine.

Bugbyte · 08-24-2005, 01:13 AM

Although I've officially ended my worklog, I guess as I increase system capabilities I'll post them here rather than on some other random thread.

Tonight I built a mount for my Griffin Powermate controller. I've been using it with great success to control my Mini, volume, change songs, rewind, ffwd. Until today it's been living deep down at the bottom of my cupholder.

The idea was to put it in one of the three basically useless cupholders in my car. Since the Powermate has this blue pulsing LED on the bottom, I thought I'd try to take advantage of that by placing it up on a plexiglass platform and letting the glow show through.

Here's the platform, Powermate, and cupholder. I cut a hole in the side so I can eventually route the USB cable to the hub inside the center console.

Here's the components stacked inside the cupholder. The Powermate fits inside a circle I cut out of the plexiglass, so it sits pretty firmly in there.

Here it is in the dark. Came out pretty cool.

simon_C · 08-24-2005, 10:00 PM

hey thats pretty neat!

looks like youre doing very well on this project.

Bugbyte · 08-26-2005, 07:00 PM

Wireless is working. Posting from the iBug in front of the house.

Unfortunately, I've gotten VNC to work just fine on my desktop when I've got the wireless router involved but in the actual car, I can't get it to connect adhoc. I don't seem to know the host address to type in for the VNC server.

Willy-Mach1 · 08-27-2005, 12:47 AM

Try setting the computers with static ip addresses, and have it to DHCP when you want to connect to your router....or you can just set everything up statically, the good thing about the mac is that you can have different "locations" with different configurations out of the box

viper24 · 11-01-2005, 11:23 PM

are you trying to go from the mac mini in your car to a pc in your car? or to the pc at home?

Mac OSX already comes with the VNC server embedded into the OS. Just enable it in preferences. (that is if you want to access the mac from something else)

I love your install! Im putting a mac mini in my truck right now and im trying to figure out different routes I can go with the install. I think im going to put the computer in my headliner, I need to figue out if it can play DVDs upside down.

viper24 · 11-01-2005, 11:24 PM

can that griffen knob turn on the computer?

Bugbyte · 11-01-2005, 11:53 PM

Okay, it sounds like you know a little bit about VNC. Here's my issue - I can VNC to the PC from my Mac by running an app called "Chicken of the VNC".

HOWEVER - that's with my desktop Mac using a wireless access point. It works like a charm and is really simple. I HAVEN'T been able to connect to my Car PC because it doesn't have an access point. It just has a wireless card. I've tried putting it in ad-hoc mode and I've used the built in airport on the Mini to set up a network. The PC sees it and even can connect to it, but if I try connecting the Mac to the PC, I get nowhere.

Any ideas?

As for the Griffin, I don't actually know the answer to that. I've got it hooked up to my Mini in the car and the P1900 wakes and sleeps the Mini. I've never actually tried to wake the Mini before starting the car. I'll try it tomorrow morning.

Cris · 11-02-2005, 08:40 AM

That powermate looks amazing in that cupholder! Any pic of inside the car?

Bugbyte · 11-02-2005, 07:58 PM

Thanks! It looks cool at night when it pulses slowly on and off. Here it is in the car. The wire is showing but I'm running it inside the console so its invisible.

tj!2k4 · 11-02-2005, 08:17 PM

very slick bugbyte!

nice rsa token, btw .. you need that to fire up the mac?

Bugbyte · 11-02-2005, 11:18 PM

Hah! It's for VPN into my company's system. Believe it or not, the Mac will hook right into the Exchange server and pull the mail down via the included Mail app. Just have to launch a VPN app and log in.

The Mac has no user password or antivirus. If it gets hosed, I wipe it and reload the software. But I do have to WEP into the home server from the driveway.

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