Setting up multi-user desktop Mac OS X with a single server

We have some developers and designers who need occasional access to a Mac desktop. Is it possible to purchase a single Mac (perhaps a Mini or Pro) and allow multiple users running Windows and Linux to remote desktop into their own accounts on that machine? Can they use it concurrently? What are the issues we're likely to run into? Would it be VNC client/server or does OS X have its own flavor of remote desktop?

Solution 1:

First off a little bit of information. Apple uses VNC as the underlying technology for their remote client (Apple Remote Desktop). In any machine you purchase now it will include "Screen Sharing" which is also a VNC based solution (single session). Any VNC client (win/linux/mac) can connect to this.

In OSX Lion they added Per-user screen sharing Where you can remotely log in to a Mac with any user account on that computer and control it, without interrupting someone else who might be using the computer under a different login.

In testing it (from windows) it mostly works. Just launch a VNC client and connect to the server with the display password, then you need to log in again with the local user password.

The following Discussion Page at apple forums gives more information. Good Luck.

Solution 2:

There is a solution if you're not yet up to Lion.

Install Vine VNC Server and use a different port for each 'desktop' or user account.

So if the computer was at 192.168.0.100,

• user 1 would be 192.168.0.100:5900
• user 2 would be 192.168.0.100:5901

and so on.