This information applies to the MAC Snow Leopard operating system (MAC OS) on UQ Library public workstations only.

MAC User Profiles

When you log in to the MAC OS, at a public workstation, in a University of Queensland Library branch, you are assigned a student or guest profile. The profile determines what software and system features are available.

The profiles are generic: they present an identical system to each user. When you log out - the profile will be reset in preparation for the next user. For this reason, any files you create must be saved to your USB and not on the local machine.

On the UQL MAC environment, you can create a profile on a USB stick or portable hard drive. When you insert the USB before you login to the Library workstation it will load your external profile.

This profile is based on the student profile so you will still have the same software and system access - however, you will be able to:

Personalise your workstation:

• Customise and reorganise the applications and stacks in the dock. The changes will become part of your profile.
• Change your desktop wallpaper.
• Spaces, Widgets and Mouse buttons
• Browser Bookmarks
• Application personalisation

Take advantage of special file management:

• Save on the desktop or documents folders (the file will actually save to: USB > LibraryProfile > Desktop/Documents
• Allow your iLife applications to save to the Videos/Music/Sound folders natively. The files will save within the MAC profile on the USB.

iTunes libraries can also be used with external profiles. So in essence, creating an external profile enables you to use the computer seamlessly like you can a PC at home.

How to setup your profile:

To create an external profile you require a USB stick or external hard drive. It should:

• Have a large capacity, e.g. 16+ gigabytes of storage:
  iLife applications produce large files i.e. podcasts and movies
• Be completely blank, i.e. have no content or files on it

Step 1: Partition your USB device

A MAC user profile can only be put on a MAC file system. This means that you'll need to partition your USB device into at least 2 file systems (if you still want to use it with Windows).

Briefly: a file system is a portion of a storage drive that organises and stores files. There are a lot of different file systems that are used for various purposes, operating systems and networks. Some common formats are NTFS (Windows), HFS (MAC) and FAT32 (Cross Platform).

Important:

• Partitioning your disk means that all its content will be deleted. You should back your information up before continuing.
• You must also consider how you will use your USB. Any files you save whilst on the MAC will go into your profile which will increase the amount of space used. You have to ensure you have allocated enough space in the MAC partition to use it effectively. The same applies to your Windows partition.

Open the Disk Utility from Applications > Utilities

Click Apply

You will now be able to see the USB drive and the 2 drives on it. You will be able to see and work with both drives on the MAC environment from the desktop or the finder. On windows you will only see and be able to work with the Windows partition.

Note: If you didn't set the Windows partition first, then:

• Windows will not be able to read the USB disk and will give you a warning that: "The disk is not formatted".
• You will not be able to use the USB drive for scanning on the Library Konica machines

Step 2: Create the External Profile

The profile will be created.

• Eject your drive, disconnect it from the computer Log Off.
• Once you are back at the login window, reconnect your USB drive and then login.

Logging back in will take longer than usual - the profile is being created on your drive. You can look at the light on your USB to confirm this.

When you log back in, you may not see the USB drive "Jake_MAC" on your desktop.

That is because the drive is now working natively. That is: if you save something on the desktop, you are actually saving to MAC_USB_partition > LibraryProfile > Desktop. To find the MAC drive - open a finder window and select the MAC partition from the Finder Side bar.

You will now be able to configure the dock, wall paper and various application settings.

You will also be able to work with files and save them in various locations which will automatically be saved into your profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which partition should I save my files to?

This depends on a few factors: which operating system you use a majority of the time, including at home and whether you want the files to be available in the Windows operating system as well

If you are a MAC user at home as well as at the University - you might choose to save almost all your files on the MAC partition on your USB.

There is a problem with this however; the Windows operating system on Library computers will not recognise a MAC file system on your USB. This means that you won't be able to transfer files from the MAC partition to the Windows in the Windows environment. This is a problem if you are a Windows user. '

Some good general advice is to save your documents and finished media files, for instance movies or podcasts to the Windows partition of your USB stick. This means they'll be available to both operating systems. iMovie and GarageBand files only run with their respective programs on MAC, so it's probably not important to not have access to them in Windows.

If I can't see my USB drive, how do I eject it from the computer?

To remove your USB drive safely, simply log off the public workstation. The drive is automatically released at this point.

Who can I asked for help partitioning my USB or getting the external profile created?

You can contact Ask I.T. for assistance in this area. There are help desks at St. Lucia, Ipswich and Gatton. Check the website for contact details: www.library.uq.edu.au/ask-it/

How do I delete the profile?

Important: deleting this profile will delete all the files inside it. This is anything you saved on your desktop, any files saved in documents, any files created in iLife and saved in their default location. Please backup these files before continuing.

To delete the profile, log in to the MAC OS before plugging in the USB device with the profile on it. Once logged in, plug in the USB device, open the MAC partition and put the LibraryProfile into the trash.

How do I remove the partition on my USB or removable drive?

Important: removing partitions will delete everything on the USB. Backup your files before completing this task.

To remove the partition on your USB device, log in to the MAC operating system and plug in your USB device. Open the disk utility and select your USB device on the left hand side. Select the Partition tab then choose "1" from the drop down.

Choose the right format. FAT if you wish the device to be able to read and write Windows and MAC files. Then click "Go".

How do I return the MAC to default student settings?

Any changes made to the background or dock whilst logged into the MAC operating system in the UQ Library will only persist if you log in to the MAC OS after having plugged in a USB with an external profile on it.

Logging in before inserting the USB will load the computer with its default student or guest settings. Deleting your profile will achieve the same result.