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Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Support

Last Updated: October 12, 2009

The OIT now supports Apple's latest operating system Mac OS 10.6 (Snow Leopard). Use the following information to better understand the improvements (and a few minor issues) that you may find when using this new operating system.

Snow Leopard Notes

Improvements & new features

Snow Leopard provides better 64-bit support to take better advantage of the speed your hardware can provide.
Snow Leopard provides improved security over previous versions of the Mac OS.
Mail, iCal, and Address Book now support Exchange connections.
The Exchange global address list is available from Mail, iCal, and Address Book.

You can find a complete list of new features and technical details at www.apple.com/macosx/.

Mac OS X Version 10.5 (Leopard) Support

The OIT currently supports Leopard. Before upgrading, review the minimum hardware requirements at http://www.apple.com/macosx/techspecs/ to ensure your existing computer meets or exceeds those requirements.

We have identified some issues that you need to be aware of when using Mac OS 10.5 Leopard.

Minor Issues

Banner INB - There are no browsers for OS X 10.5 that are supported by our vendors for those who need to access Banner INB. Limited testing by OIT staff indicates that Safari 3.x seems to work.
Pharos Printing – you may need to update your printer drivers. Updated drivers and instructions for ND are available at http://oit.nd.edu/print_scan_copy/campus_print_macosx.shtml. Note: You will need administrator access to add or delete printers.
DAVE -- Before upgrading to Leopard, you should uninstall DAVE as the older version is not compatible. Our testing indicates that DAVE is not needed to access NetFile from Leopard. For instructions on how to map a drive to NetFile visit http://oit.nd.edu/shared_file_space/netfile-mapdrive-leopard.shtml.

Recommendations

Parallels is the recommended virtual machine software for those who choose to also run Windows on Leopard. For additional information visit http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop.
Leopard includes a built-in VPN which enables you to connect to the ND Microsoft VPN. Instructions for connecting securely from off-campus are at http://secure.nd.edu/stay-secure/vpn.shtml.
The firewall is OFF by default. We strongly recommend that the Firewall be turned on. You should make a note of any existing exceptions and enter them into Leopard’s new firewall after upgrading.

Misc. Comments

Address Book data format changed.
Back to my Mac – is a new feature and allows .Mac subscribers to connect to a Mac off
campus, (i.e. an at home Mac). Due to ND network security configurations you’ll need to connect first to a ND VPN, and then connect to the machine.
X11 is now installed by default, as part of the built-in terminal, to provide windowing support for Unix applications.
Time Machine: partitioned drives with moved home folders may not work as expected. It is recommended that you copy folders rather than use the move feature.

If you have additional questions about the newest Mac Operating System, contact the OIT Help Desk (631-8111).

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