Q: Remotely Send Alert/Beep over LAN
I have an OS X 10.8 Mac connected to an OS X 10.6 Mac over Ethernet (LAN). I want the ability to page (beep at) the user sitting at the 10.6 Mac, by performing some action on my 10.8 Mac. I would prefer if I did not have to use the Terminal or write a script to do it. In other words, I would prefer a double-click solution: I double-click an app on the Desktop and it then performs an action on the 10.6 machine (such as playing a brief alert sound).
The 10.6 Mac is NOT connected to the internet for security reasons. It is only connected to the 10.8 Mac over Ethernet. So any solution you recommend needs to be a LAN only solution that does not require internet access.
Thanks.
Posted on Feb 17, 2013 11:37 PM
Running Messages on the 10.8 Mac and iChat on the 10.6 Mac would not achieve the desire effect insofar as the "alert" that one can send through Messages/iChat is too weak to be noticed.
I disagree.
iChat -> Preferences -> Alerts -> Play a Sound, can have any sound you like. You can even add sounds.
Plus you can have the iChat icon bounce in the Dock to give a visual indication that a new message has arrived. Useful if the other person has the sound muted, as eventually they will notice the iChat icon bouncing and bouncing in the Dock (it can get visually annoying).
Or instead of iChat, use Adium
<http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/6366/adium>
which will allow you to associate any "Text" string you like to the New Message so Adium on the other system can talk the other user's head off.
There are out-of-the box solutions. No scripting necessary. iChat and Messages comes with the Macs. They work over the LAN via Bonjour auto-discovery protocols (be sure to enable Bonjour in Messages and iChat (or Adium)).
You could even Applescript (or maybe even Automator) sending via Messages, so you could have you double-click solution for a canned message.
Posted on Feb 19, 2013 5:43 AM