Warning to all Mac users: Snow Leopard blocked (Win7 too!)

goingnowhere · 15-09-2009 10:58AM

The network is being reset today

The problem is to get on the network you need to run a small application which confirms your machine runs a recognised operating system and is up to date with security patches and virus scan. Obviously if it sees something new it doesn't know what it is

Snow Leopard currently has issues with Virex so virus scan is a problem, though Mac OS releases tend to be supported significantly faster than Windows.

Snow Leopard is available from retail, Win 7 is not

Dear Network User,

From 10AM Tuesday, September 15th 2009 students will be required to re-register their computers with the self service Network Admission Control system to connect to the College network for the academic year 2009/2010.

Instructions on how to re-register with the Nac system will be available at http://isservices.tcd.ie/network/snac.php

You can check if your computer meets these requirements by performing a 'remote scan' in advance of returning to College by using http://134.226.14.100/authentication/_remotescan.html

At the 'remote scan' site you can download a program that will identify any updates you need to apply to your computer which will speed up your computer registration when you arrive on campus.

If you require any query regarding this email, please contact the IS Services helpdesk at http://isservices.tcd.ie/general/contact.php

Regards,

The IS Services Helpdesk

Advise you try before you arrive on campus

Fedule · 15-09-2009 01:27PM

ISS have just told me to "check the NAC requirements page in mid-October". Hrm.

Jonathan · 15-09-2009 01:30PM

Fedule wrote: »

ISS have just told me to "check the NAC requirements page in mid-October". Hrm.

Realistically there is nothing ISS can do. They are waiting for a software update from this crowd.

SligoBrewer · 15-09-2009 01:34PM

So i should hold off on buying my fancy macbook for now yes?

Jonathan · 15-09-2009 01:43PM

SligoBrewer wrote: »

So i should hold off on buying my fancy macbook for now yes?

Not really.

Chance of getting on the college network with no laptop -> no
Chance of getting on the college network with snow leopard -> yes

stesh · 17-09-2009 10:28PM

Does the NAC 'scan' your computer every time you connect to the network? Or can I just register on 10.5 then upgrade to 10.6?

stesh · 17-09-2009 10:30PM

SligoBrewer wrote: »

So i should hold off on buying my fancy macbook for now yes?

Why would you hold off? Delaying its purchase won't get you on the network any sooner...

Sipefree · 17-09-2009 10:39PM

Alright, Snow Leopard users, this is how to spoof the test into thinking you're using Leopard.

DISCLAIMER: This is a 'hack'/workaround that involves running an application using root privileges. If you do not understand what this means, please do not follow the instructions below.

1. Download McAffee VirusScan.app from http://www.macupdate.com/reviews.php?id=9883
2. Install VirusScan.
3. Open Terminal and run the following:

sudo /Applications/VirusScan.app/Contents/MacOS/VirusScan

4. The app should open, run eUpdate. You may have to try running it a few times before it succeeds.
5. Open the file /System/Library/CoreServices/SystemVersion.plist. This file is hidden and may require opening via the 'mate' terminal command that comes with TextMate.
6. Replace all occurrences of 10.6 or 10.6.1 with 10.5.7. Save the file, you will have to Overwrite the file since it is locked.
7. Run the test.
8. Immediately restore the SystemVersion.plist to its original contents by changing 10.5.7 back to 10.6 or 10.6.1.

Enjoy.

CJTobin · 17-09-2009 10:41PM

stesh wrote: »

Why would you hold off? Delaying its purchase won't get you on the network any sooner...

I'd say there are valid reasons to wait...

stesh · 17-09-2009 10:43PM

Sipefree wrote: »
Alright, Snow Leopard users, this is how to spoof the test into thinking you're using Leopard.

1. Download VirusScan.app from http://www.macupdate.com/reviews.php?id=9883
2. Install VirusScan.
3. Open Terminal and run the following:
sudo /Applications/VirusScan.app/Contents/MacOS/VirusScan
4. The app should open, run eUpdate. You may have to try running it a few times before it succeeds.
5. Open the file /System/Library/CoreServices/SystemVersion.plist. This file is hidden and may require opening via the 'mate' terminal command that comes with TextMate.
6. Replace all occurrences of 10.6 or 10.6.1 with 10.5.7. Save the file, you will have to Overwrite the file since it is locked.
7. Run the test.
8. Immediately restore the SystemVersion.plist to its original contents by changing 10.5.7 back to 10.6 or 10.6.1.

Enjoy.

lol @ dis. Sounds like quite an elegant solution! Have you tried it?

stesh · 17-09-2009 10:44PM

CJTobin wrote: »

I'd say there are valid reasons to wait...

Didn't see that. Not much good to me...

Fedule · 18-09-2009 12:29AM

Sipefree wrote: »
Alright, Snow Leopard users, this is how to spoof the test into thinking you're using Leopard.

1. Download VirusScan.app from http://www.macupdate.com/reviews.php?id=9883
2. Install VirusScan.
3. Open Terminal and run the following:
sudo /Applications/[URL="http://VirusScan.app/Contents/MacOS/VirusScan"]VirusScan.app/Contents/MacOS/VirusScan[/URL]
4. The app should open, run eUpdate. You may have to try running it a few times before it succeeds.
5. Open the file /System/Library/CoreServices/SystemVersion.plist. This file is hidden and may require opening via the 'mate' terminal command that comes with TextMate.
6. Replace all occurrences of 10.6 or 10.6.1 with 10.5.7. Save the file, you will have to Overwrite the file since it is locked.
7. Run the test.
8. Immediately restore the SystemVersion.plist to its original contents by changing 10.5.7 back to 10.6 or 10.6.1.

Enjoy.

I had gone with the much less elegant solution of setting up a bootable USB HDD running 10.5.8, but this will work just as well. Just one question though: For those of us who don't speak Unix (myself included)... 'mate'?

stesh · 18-09-2009 12:33AM

Fedule wrote: »

I had gone with the much less elegant solution of setting up a bootable USB HDD running 10.5.8, but this will work just as well. Just one question though: For those of us who don't speak Unix (myself included)... 'mate'?

Why do you need to 'speak Unix'? You need only type one line, hit return, and enter your password. In any case, OP has given you easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions...

Jonathan · 18-09-2009 12:37AM

<snip>

stesh · 18-09-2009 12:42AM

Jonathan wrote: »

<snip>

tbh.

AlanSparrowhawk · 18-09-2009 12:43AM

that's not funny at all

stesh · 18-09-2009 12:46AM

AlanSparrowhawk wrote: »

that's not funny at all

And from a moderator of all people...

Jonathan · 18-09-2009 12:52AM

AlanSparrowhawk wrote: »

that's not funny at all

It was meant to be a joke, and in all seriousness, you need your head examined if you blindly enter a sudo command without knowing what it does.

G_Foster · 18-09-2009 12:54AM

Jonathan wrote: »

It was meant to be a joke, and in all seriousness, you need your head examined if you blindly enter a sudo command without knowing what it does.

This. People who don't know what rm does or who don't know it's params/syntax, should not be using sudo.

AlanSparrowhawk · 18-09-2009 12:55AM

Jonathan wrote: »

It was meant to be a joke, and in all seriousness, you need your head examined if you blindly enter a sudo command without knowing what it does.

This. People who don't know what rm does or who don't know it's params/syntax, should not be using sudo.

you're both so clever and knowledgeable.

Jonathan · 18-09-2009 12:57AM

Hows your freshly formatted hd Alan?

stesh · 18-09-2009 12:57AM

Jonathan wrote: »

It was meant to be a joke, and in all seriousness, you need your head examined if you blindly enter a sudo command without knowing what it does.

I believe trying to find out what to do was OP's intention...

Seriously though, sudo pranks are particularly detestable.

stesh · 18-09-2009 12:59AM

Jonathan wrote: »

<snip>

Too late?

AlanSparrowhawk · 18-09-2009 12:59AM

i'm not impressed with your immaturity tbh.

oppenheimer1 · 18-09-2009 01:35AM

Let me get this straight jonathan, you posted the sudo command to delete someones OS under the guise of being helpful. People who mightn't be as knowledgeable as yourself come here for advice on workarounds and would run that in good faith. Foolish of them maybe, but you are a Mod and should know better than to be posting "jokes" like that.

If anyone else did that they would be taking a break from the forum, and rightly so. Highly irresponsible and incredibly immature.

To anyone else who might be considering using the workarounds suggested in this thread, be entirely sure you know what they do before you run the commands. If any way in doubt, wait and talk to ISS. No one wants to hear of lost music/photos/coursework because someone thought it would be funny to post commands which do not do what they are described here as doing.

stesh · 18-09-2009 01:41AM

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

[...] you are a Mod and should know better than to be posting "jokes" like that.

If anyone else did that they would be taking a break from the forum, and rightly so.

This.

Sipefree · 18-09-2009 02:32AM

Fedule wrote: »

I had gone with the much less elegant solution of setting up a bootable USB HDD running 10.5.8, but this will work just as well. Just one question though: For those of us who don't speak Unix (myself included)... 'mate'?

'mate' is a shortcut command to open a document in TextMate, which IMHO is the best text editor for OS X. http://macromates.com/

You can do it using TextEdit if you like.

This. People who don't know what rm does or who don't know it's params/syntax, should not be using sudo.

Okay guys, this is ridiculous. If you are going to take instructions/advice from someone posting on a forum anyway you've got to have a little bit of faith in them.

The sudo command I posted does only one thing: run the Virus Scan application with higher privileges. If you're not comfortable with this, then live without wifi.

Edit: In any case, I added a disclaimer to my original post.

mathew · 18-09-2009 09:37AM

another way to access the hidden plist file is:
In finder do command shift G
(think thats the shortcut for goto)
Type the path above in the box.
Press enter..

Jonathan · 18-09-2009 10:24AM

I posted the rm command as a joke.
I thought that people posting in a thread about how to hack on to the ISS network would have a reasonably high knowledge of terminal commands, and would be able to appreciate the joke. I thought that even those with no knowledge of terminal commands would have recognised that I was not being serious by the smilie and the disclaimer saying that I am not responsible for you formatting your own computer.

I apologise for posting that, and will not do so in the future.

Unregistered. · 18-09-2009 01:00PM

Jonathan wrote: »

I posted the rm command as a joke.
I thought that people posting in a thread about how to hack on to the ISS network would have a reasonably high knowledge of terminal commands, and would be able to appreciate the joke. I thought that even those with no knowledge of terminal commands would have recognised that I was not being serious by the smilie and the disclaimer saying that I am not responsible for you formatting your own computer.

I apologise for posting that, and will not do so in the future.

Too late. You owe me €170 :mad:

Warning to all Mac users: Snow Leopard blocked (Win7 too!)

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