Control of a MAC from NetLinx over IP

Darkside

Hi all,

I am hoping someone can help me control a MAC - ideally achieving keyboard emulation.

There will be a specific app running on the MAC, and I wish to control the app by emulating keystrokes, via NetLinx, over IP.

IE, as an example, I would like NetLinx to issue a CTRL F to the MAC.

I am not a MAC person, but I understand this might involve triggering applescript?

Hope my request is not too vague!

Thanks in advance

joelw

Stephen Bolton wrote:

There will be a specific app running on the MAC, and I wish to control the app by emulating keystrokes, via NetLinx, over IP.

Which OS version?

Darkside

Hi Joel,

The client is away, but I can almost be certain osx 10.x

I hope this is enough info

vincen

Then you can definitively do that through AppleScript without problems

Vinc

billyung

vincen wrote:

Then you can definitively do that through AppleScript without problems

Vinc?n

I'm not that familiar with Applescript's ability to listen for IP messages. I'm assuming IP would be the most direct way to control the Mac. If you did want to control it via IP, what I would do would be to turn on the apache web server and send requests to the Mac by passing your desired keystrokes to the mac as parameters for a web page GET request. At that point you could use perl, php or any other server side scripting language to send the keystrokes ( or maybe some other more direct form of control such as AppleEvents ) to the desired application.

I'm not so strong Netlinx but I've been a part time Macintosh C language programmer since 1995.

Another method that might be appropriate if you only need limited control is to grab a usb contact closure sensing device with Macintosh drivers. The cheapest and easiest way to do this is get a usb game controller and hack up the buttons to connect them directly to the Netlink controller's relay outputs.

Let the fun begin!


Bill

[Deleted User]

AMX Computer Control should work

Why reinvent the wheel when you should be able to use AMX Computer Control.

http://www.amx.com/products/NXA-USBCC.asp

Apple requirements to use computer control.

Supports OS 10.2 or greater operating system.
G4 machine or higher.
Needs at least 256 MB of RAM

joelw

B_Clements wrote:

Why reinvent the wheel when you should be able to use AMX Computer Control.

The AMX Computer Control involves user activativation, VNC client login, and then navigation, then control function.

I imagine the initial request was to trigger an application.

Darkside

Hi all,

The app that will be running (which we need to control via amx) will not be visible to the client. NetLinx will be the user of the app.

The end user will manipulate the system via the MVP and the 10 MACs will be instructed by NetLinx as necessary. Many of the MACs will be scheduled to perform their tasks at regular intervals (handled in this instance by a MAC host app on a server), however, there is a need to instantly start the app functionality on various different machines at different times.

From all of the replies, it would seem that I should be able to get to it and 'mimic' the apps 'normal' keystrokes. This approach should have the smallest impact on the standard operating mode/schedule system.

Many thanks to you all for your replies. As always, your input is greatly appreciated.

[Deleted User]

Keyboard adaptor

I can not think of a specific model, but I believe you should be able to find a simple hardware solution. There are little boxes that can be inserted between the keyboard and MAC that can emulate a keyboard via RS232. AMX use to make one of these for a PC.

Darkside

Thanks Brian,

The 10 PC's are to be in a control room located miles from the end users.

You are right about the little serial controlled kb interface - used a few of them successfully under AXcess, however, in this instance we will need an IP control method, not serial, due to distances, and also the amount of hardware needed to use the kb interfaces.

I would need a further 10 serial ports as well as the kb interfaces themselves.

Appreciate your thoughts.

LegacyUser

you could put in an ethernet to serial adapter. i think i may have even seen one with multple serial ports on board, that can be addressed remotely.

get the Netlinx app to open IP connections instead of serial ports. just a thought.

[Deleted User]

RichardHamilton wrote:

you could put in an ethernet to serial adapter. i think i may have even seen one with multple serial ports on board, that can be addressed remotely.

get the Netlinx app to open IP connections instead of serial ports. just a thought.

Not a bad idea.

How about an NI-700 as your remote Ethernet interface plus the keyboard to serial adaptor. It should be simple to build a M2M solution with this hardware set. I still think this would be easier to implement and maintain than other alternatives.

Unless of course the specification requires an enbedded software solution.

joelw

B_Clements wrote:

How about an NI-700 as your remote Ethernet interface plus the keyboard to serial adaptor. It should be simple to build a M2M solution with this hardware set. I still think this would be easier to implement and maintain than other alternatives.

If there's a budget that allows all this hardware, this could cover the development cost for a custom Mac application.

Darkside

I've been doing some sums here and it would seem I can get a MAC coder to create an Applescript interface for a fraction of the hardware cost alone.

The project has just been given the tick to fly, so, based on budget, we will instigate the NetLinx/MAC IP coms concept, using the Applescript interface solution.

Nice to get all the good ideas from the forum - plenty of thoughts outside the square which has been extremely valuable.

Thanks to all for your input.