This is the chapter of the MemberManual that describes how to install the OpenAFS client on Mac OS X.

TableOfContents

OpenAFS for Mac OS X

Connecting to HCoop with AFS on Mac OS X requires setting up the OpenAFS client as well as Kerberos for authentication. On a Mac OS X 10.4 machine, the following steps have been proven to connect to HCoop with just a few minutes of configuration work.

Install and Configure OpenAFS

Download the latest OpenAFS client (currently 1.4.6) from http://www.openafs.org/macos.html. Install this package and reboot.

The installer will set up the afs configuration files in /var/db/openafs and it will set your machine to start AFS on boot.

After restarting your system edit /var/db/openafs/etc/ThisCell to contain a single line of text:

hcoop.net

The file initially is identical to ThisCell.sample so you don't need to make a backup copy before editing. The same holds true for CellServDB- it's the same as CellServDB.master.

Type the following in a terminal:

sudo /Library/StartupItems/OpenAFS/OpenAFS restart

The command should end with output like:

afsd: All AFS daemons started.

Configure Kerberos

Install the Kerberos Extras package provided by MIT, available from http://web.mit.edu/macdev/www/osx-kerberos-extras.html.

Once you've installed this package, run the Kerberos configuration application by clicking on Applications -> Utilities -> Kerberos. Once this application loads, click on the "New" button in the toolbar to create a new ticket. Change the Realm to HCOOP.NET (realms generally seem to be entirely capitalized). Type your HCoop username and password when prompted.

You should see a ticket appear in the window which is valid for 10 hours.

Now open a terminal window (Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal) and type "aklog". This should initiate your AFS session. To test, browse to the path /afs/hcoop.net/users/, then follow the directories with letters that begin your HCoop username. You should be able to create and edit files on HCoop.

Other tips and tricks

Occasionally, you may have to renew your Kerberos ticket manually or re-initiate your AFS connection. This can be done with two quick commands: type "kinit" (followed by your HCoop pass) and then "aklog" and you should see your AFS volume appear if it wasn't previously available.

Older instructions and misc resources for configuring the AFS client on Mac OS X

Users have tried the following but couldn't get them to work. If the instructions above don't do it for you, maybe something below will.

Other AFS Implementations on Mac OS X (Untested with HCoop)

arla for Mac OS X

Arla is a free AFS implementation. The main goal is to make a fully functional client with all capabilities of AFS as formerly sold by Transarc and today available as OpenAFS. Other stuff, such as servers and management tools are being developed, but currently not considered stable.

Obtain latest arla port:

Get the latest source code file from the project site and build it yourself:

http://www.stacken.kth.se/project/arla/

Alternatively, go to

http://trac.macports.org/projects/macports/browser/trunk/dports/net/arla/Portfile

or

http://arla.darwinports.com/

which have the advantage of being easier to install.

Follow the notes above, and it should "just work" without the "Bus error" or "Segmentation fault".

If you do have success, edit this page and let the rest of us know about it.