Remote login to mac

I have a Mac Mini that I would like to login remotely from a Windows XP laptop. Is this possible? What types of things do I need to do to allow remote connections from the Mac, and what type of interface will I be able to have? (Command-line interface? Or full GUI interface?)

Solution 1:

SSH is installed by default on OS X. You just need to download PuTTY on your Windows machine and connect to your IP. SSH provides console access.

If you want a GUI you can use VNC.

Solution 2:

You can remotely log on to a Mac from a PC using VNC. Instructions for setting up a Mac as a VNC serve can be found here and here. For the PC, any VNC client should work.

Solution 3:

You can enable the ssh daemon on your mac by going to

System Preferences.app -> Sharing -> (enable) Remote Login

You can enable screen sharing similarly with

System Preferences.app -> Shareing -> (enable) Screen Sharing.

If you are not using the Apple Remote Desktop software, you'll need to do the extra step of clicking on the Computer Settings button, and supplying a VNC password