OS X Fast User Switching

Easy Intall | Advanced Setup | Fast User Switching

Multiple Desktop Sessions on Mac OS X Tiger

What are "Multiple Desktop Sessions"?
How do I set it up?
Notes/Caveats

What Are "Multiple Desktop Sessions"?

Simply put, Mulitple Desktop Sessions allow more than one person to use your Macintosh computer at the same time!
In Panther (Mac OS 10.3), Apple introduced "Fast User Switching" which allowed additional users to log on to the mac without the original user logging out. Instead, the original user's desktop was carefully tucked away and could be switched back to when needed.
Now in Tiger (Mac OS 10.4) all those desktops can be accessed simultaneously using AstroApp. This allows multiple users to be logged in, each using his or her own desktop on the same Mac. For example:

While my brother plays his computer game on the monitor attached to the computer...
While I access my files through the Finder and develop with XCode...
While my mom searches and buys items on E-Bay...
My friend can read emails and check weather on the Dashboard widget.
All at the same time!

All they need is a computer or PDA running AstroApp.
Now you have a use for all those old PC's!

How do I set it up?

First download AstroApp onto your computer. AstroApp is freely available on our downloads page.
Once downloaded, just move AstroApp into your Applications folder to install it.
You'll need to enable Fast User Switching if you haven't already done so. It can be found under System Preferences -> Accounts. Choose "Login Options" near the bottom and check the box to "Enable Fast User Switching".
The following process should be repeated for EACH USER that wants access to the machine:
1. Log in via Fast User Switching (if not already logged in).
2. Launch AstroApp from inside the Applications folder.
3. Follow steps 1 through 6 in the directions for getting the share going: Advanced Setup.
4. Now Ctrl-Click on AstroApp in the dock and choose "Open At Login"; this will set it to launch whenever this user logs in.
5. Inside AstroApp turn on "Auto-Share Desktop On Launch" under "Advanced Sharing Method"->"Options"->"Share Specific"; this will set AstroApp to start sharing immedietely after it launches.
6. Launch AstroApp on another machine and enter the connection information into the "Advanced Viewing Method" dialog for the machine that you just configured in step 3. You can also use steps 7 through 12 in the directions for connecting to the share:
  Advanced Setup.

Notes and Caveats

Each user MUST be logged in using Fast User Switching. If you reboot the computer you will need to go and log-in each user with Fast User Switching to enable access via AstroApp.
It's still a single machine. If lots of people are doing lots of things at once you will notice a slowdown.
This doesn't duplicate your hardware. Two people can't try to play music out the speakers at the same time, you can't have different people each copying files from the same USB camera, things like that.
If you change the desktop size or color depth AstroApp will disconnect you, give you a message, and then attempt to automatically re-connect you. This is required because the display settings need to be adjusted which only happens at the moment AstroApp connects.
Trying to Fast User Swtich from a user who is already "off-screen" will be ignored.