Sending text messages on a LAN
in [Mac Applications]
|
Prev: Any lingering issues with 10.6?
Next: djvu files
From: Nollaig MacKenzie on 1 Mar 2010 18:19 ["Followup-To:" header set to comp.sys.mac.comm.] On 2010.02.27 01:27:31, the amazing <nospam(a)see.signature> declared: > Sandstone <spambucket(a)infowest.com> wrote: > ... >> >> Does anyone know of a cheap app that allows Macs on a LAN to send simple >> text strings back and forth without using the internet (e.g., entirely >> intra-LAN)? > > Pretty much anything that involves message sending works fine on a LAN. > There is nothing particularly special about "the internet" versus a LAN; > anything that works on the internet will work within your LAN. If > anything, stuff is more likely to work within the LAN because you aren't > likely to have tio traverse firewalls or routers (or at least as many of > them, depending). ... It's worth stressing this point. The addresses of boxes on your LAN will have the same form as the addresses of boxes on the internet: w.x.y.z, where each of the w,x,y,z is an integer < 256. It's just that some addresses, e.g. 192.168.y.z, are reserved for local network use. Applications will mostly be indifferent to what kind of address they're trying to reach. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_network -- Nollaig MacKenzie http://www.yorku.ca/nollaig
From: Jolly Roger on 1 Mar 2010 18:23 In article <fast-78C27B.09300501032010(a)unknown.hwng.net>, Bruce in alaska <fast(a)btpost.net> wrote: > In article > <d8b97311-7e77-4ff1-8b3b-b79f7d7fff44(a)g28g2000yqh.googlegroups.com>, > Ben Smith <publicben(a)ptooey.co.uk> wrote: > > > > It would be NICE if some enterprising young kid could give us a IP > > > Version of the old MacOS 4-9 Appletalk Based LAN Instant Messaging > > > System called "Broadcast".... �I still use this on my Mac SE30's and > > > MacOS 9 Machines, and it still runs under Classic... > > > > > > something small, that runs in background, and just pops up messages > > > that are received over the LAN, with a simple little Message Writing > > > Frontend, that could live up on the Right hand Menu Line and Drop-down > > > selection just brings up a Bonjour List and a Message Entry Dialog Box. > > > > > > -- > > > Bruce in alaska > > > add <path> after <fast> to reply > > > > Yeah, that's such a simple and useful idea, I'd be surprised if there > > wasn't one out there already. > > So far no one has done it, YET... Oh how I could use one... Time to buckle down and learn Xcode. ; ) -- Send responses to the relevant news group rather than email to me. E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my very hungry SPAM filter. Due to Google's refusal to prevent spammers from posting messages through their servers, I often ignore posts from Google Groups. Use a real news client if you want me to see your posts. JR
From: Sandstone on 1 Mar 2010 19:50 Richard Maine wrote: > Sander Tekelenburg <user(a)domain.invalid> wrote: > > >>In article <7ur3ugFseuU1(a)mid.individual.net>, >> Sandstone <spambucket(a)infowest.com> wrote: >> >> >>>Does anyone know of a cheap app that allows Macs on a LAN to send simple >>>text strings back and forth without using the internet (e.g., entirely >>>intra-LAN)? >> >>Have you considered iChat's Bonjour functionality? > > > I suggested that possibility 2 days ago, but nobody seems to have > followed up along that line. Maybe that suggestion got lost in my > blather. :-) > Well, I did post this in a reply early on in the thread. "The reason I mentioned "without using the internet" was to weed out apps that would introduce overkill or bloat to solve a very local problem. Didn't want to kill a gnat with a sledgehammer. I had hoped that someone might have cobbled together a bare bones application or approach based on Apple Remote Events, Terminal commands, etc. JR's sugggestion below is a step in this direction." The above line of thought is the reason why I'd rather not use iChat or other apps designed for more grandiose purposes - personal taste. After seeing the discussions and suggestions, I realized I should have stated my requirements more clearly - Only want to do this on my home LAN for personal use only - Don't need a conversation protocol - just send a message, replies - are immaterial - Don't have a need to block sending or to get permission to send - Doesn't need to be a secure setting - only family members involved - However, there may be security issues I am not aware of. My network - is password protected and uses WAP2 - Need simple interface so no Terminal windows if possible Wife complains that I'm always on the computer upstairs and don't hear her announcing something to me. So the messages we'd be sending are super mundane things like "Dinner's ready", "The show is starting", etc. (kind of embarassing). There appears to be some possibilities based on Terminal commands: wall, write, talk, growlNotify, etc. Maybe I'll fool around with a shell script and try using Applescript's do shell script command to see what happens. One final question: All the approaches at some point require you to identify the computer to which the message will be sent. When I used System Preferences:Sharing:Services, I used the Edit... button to create an "alternate" name for a computer; e.g. G4Laptop. And now the following message is always dispayed in the Sharing pane "Other computers on your local subnet can reach your computer at G4Laptop.local" I interpret this literally so does this mean I can use the .local name in Terminal commands, and other places, to identify a computer? Thanks for everybody's replies. Eric
From: Bruce in alaska on 1 Mar 2010 19:53 In article <jollyroger-E873D5.17234101032010(a)news.individual.net>, Jolly Roger <jollyroger(a)pobox.com> wrote: > In article <fast-78C27B.09300501032010(a)unknown.hwng.net>, > Bruce in alaska <fast(a)btpost.net> wrote: > > > In article > > <d8b97311-7e77-4ff1-8b3b-b79f7d7fff44(a)g28g2000yqh.googlegroups.com>, > > Ben Smith <publicben(a)ptooey.co.uk> wrote: > > > > > > It would be NICE if some enterprising young kid could give us a IP > > > > Version of the old MacOS 4-9 Appletalk Based LAN Instant Messaging > > > > System called "Broadcast".... �I still use this on my Mac SE30's and > > > > MacOS 9 Machines, and it still runs under Classic... > > > > > > > > something small, that runs in background, and just pops up messages > > > > that are received over the LAN, with a simple little Message Writing > > > > Frontend, that could live up on the Right hand Menu Line and Drop-down > > > > selection just brings up a Bonjour List and a Message Entry Dialog Box. > > > > > > > > -- > > > > Bruce in alaska > > > > add <path> after <fast> to reply > > > > > > Yeah, that's such a simple and useful idea, I'd be surprised if there > > > wasn't one out there already. > > > > So far no one has done it, YET... Oh how I could use one... > > Time to buckle down and learn Xcode. ; ) Not something I have the time to learn, unfortunately Coding for me was a lost art, back in the Fortran V Days.... My Education is in NitroOrganic Chemistry, My experience is in Radio Engineering and Communications Systems, I am a fair Computer Operator, A better Network Hardware Tech, and just a Fair LAN Administrator, but Writing Code in ANY language is NOT what I do, so I depend on Folks that are smarter than "Me" in this area, to do those things. I was the last in my Group to switch to OSX, as it was very intimidating compared to MacOS, that I learned while operating, going all the way back to the 128K Mac Seeded Prototype, our Group received. I maintain a MicroISP here, that I built out of eBay scrapped hardware, over the years. It started as a LocalTalk network between my 128K and my SE separated by 3000 ft. Then I added SE30's, SI's, 650's, 800's, and an 840AV. Moved the majority to Ethernet, and added FastPath's and StarRouters to keep the legacy stuff connected. Now, there are a couple of MDD Dual G4's, one running the Tiger Server package, and a Leopard Sever is in my learning curve on that machine, as well.... I am looking at maybe skipping to Snow Leopard running on my Core Duo MacMini, if i can swing it. Broadcast worked so well, and still does under Classic... I was hoping that iChat was the answer, using Jabber & Bonjour, but way to bulky,and cumbersome, compared to Broadcast. So I wait, maybe forever, but we will see what comes down the pike.... -- Bruce in alaska add <path> after <fast> to reply
From: Jeffrey Goldberg on 1 Mar 2010 20:59
On 2010-02-28 10:23 PM, Richard Maine wrote: > Sander Tekelenburg <user(a)domain.invalid> wrote: > >> Have you considered iChat's Bonjour functionality? > > I suggested that possibility 2 days ago, but nobody seems to have > followed up along that line. I had thought the same thing, and I'd noticed the non-response to your suggestion. What I've done is put iChat into the log-in items on everyone's machine/accounts. So we can all send quick iChat notices to each other without the use of any server. -j -- Jeffrey Goldberg http://goldmark.org/jeff/ I rarely read HTML or poorly quoting posts Reply-To address is valid |