detayls Posted April 4, 2009 Report Share Posted April 4, 2009 I have discovered how to add a password to a network client. I have already used the release version of RS8 to backup my MacBook Pro, which is the RS8 server and so next I installed the RS8 client to my PowerMac G5. It seemed to be there but when I tried to add it as a client using the Console on my MacBook Pro, I could see the client but a dialog appears asking for a password. At no time did I enter a password when setting up the client on the G5. There was a strange looking empty folder called "public_key" beside the Mac Client Installer. A clue!!! Then I noticed the Create Keys button under Preferences in the RS8 console application. So I created the keys using a password I made up and RS 8 told me the keys would be in the Library/Application Support/Retrospect folder. Next I took the new pubkey.dat file and dropped it into the empty folder called "public_key" beside the Mac Client Installer on my G5. Next I uninstalled the client on the G5 and re-installed and rebooted the G5. This time when I tried to add the client I used the same password that I used in the Create Keys step above. Bingo --- it worked!!! This was all guesswork. Public/Private keys are a fairly common thing these days (Google it!) and I had a hunch that it might work like this. I haven't tried a backup of the G5 yet. I will report on how that works out! David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayoff Posted April 4, 2009 Report Share Posted April 4, 2009 The client installer will always ask for a password unless you 1) had a prior client installed at some point or 2) you used a public key. A simple uninstall with the installer and a reinstall of the client would have given a password prompt during install. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detayls Posted April 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 (edited) Sorry, Robin, I don't think so. I did have the prior RS Client installed at some point. When I installed the RS 8 client on the G5, it did not ask for a password as you predicted. I then tried to use the client as I explained. When that did not work I did indeed uninstall and re-install the client with no request for a password being given. I then followed the steps above and had some success. Overall I am DEEPLY disappointed with RS 8. I had to noodle all sorts of stuff to get a backup rolling for my client G5, which has 142 gb of stuff on it. I chose all files except cache files and it took 15 hours to complete including a verify pass. To be honest it's not cooked yet and I am tempted to ask for a refund. David Edited April 5, 2009 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayoff Posted April 5, 2009 Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 We are expecting to release an update this week that will greatly increase client backup speeds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CallMeDave Posted April 5, 2009 Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 [color:green]detayls:[/color] At no time did I enter a password when setting up the client on the G5. [color:orange]Robin:[/color] The client installer will always ask for a password unless you 1) had a prior client installed at some point ... [color:green]detaylis:[/color] I did have the prior RS Client installed at some point. Explain again how Robin's explination/prediction was inaccurate? To be honest it's not cooked yet and I am tempted to ask for a refund. Retrospect 8 users can start off with 30 day trial license, which is actually valid for 45 days. I'm encouraging my clients to try the next build at least, before deciding how to proceed. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detayls Posted April 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2009 Robin said: >> A simple uninstall with the installer and a reinstall of the client would have given a password prompt during install.>> At no time did I ever get asked for a password by the Client Installer. I did get asked for an Administrator password by Mac OS X before it would let the installer proceed. It sound like I should wait for the performance update before I whine too much. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayoff Posted April 6, 2009 Report Share Posted April 6, 2009 If you did not see the password prompt, then the retroclient.state file did not get deleted during the client uninstall process. Deleting of that file would then result in the password request during install. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CallMeDave Posted April 6, 2009 Report Share Posted April 6, 2009 If you did not see the password prompt, then the retroclient.state file did not get deleted during the client uninstall process. Through the lifetime of the Retrospect OS X Client software, the "retroclient.state" file has had multiple installed locations. Is it possible that this G5 had an older version, and that the current (un)installer isn't looking in the legacy locations as it should? Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detayls Posted April 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2009 "the retroclient.state file" ????? What kind of foolishness is this? How is the user supposed to know or care about this file? I'm gargling with pent-up desire to launch a tourette's syndrome outburst. Robin --- please understand the average user. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayoff Posted April 6, 2009 Report Share Posted April 6, 2009 I am just trying to provide you with a possible reason why the password request didn't display. The password is stored in that file, which appears to have not been automatically deleted along the way. I don't know of any other way to explain this to "the average user". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CallMeDave Posted April 6, 2009 Report Share Posted April 6, 2009 How is the user supposed to know or care about this file? (S)he should not have to care about that file. However, that file _does_ exist, and it _does_ contain the password used by the client. So, if you're experiencing an issue with your client, knowing and caring about that file becomes an unwanted necessity. I think EMC has an AppleScript somewhere on their support site that will find and delete the file (in its current, or legacy locations). And speaking of locations, your Mac as a database of file locations that it builds every night. You can use it with the "locate" tool from the Terminal. Try: detaylis$ locate retroclient.state and see what comes back. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detayls Posted April 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 I was simply pointing out that users should NEVER be asked to know or care about the retroclient.state file. This reveals that the mindset of the Retrospect team is to expect all users to be able to fiddle around inside a part of the file system that should be none of their concern. What I was trying to articulate is that ALL aspects of the use of Retrospect should be covered inside Retrospect. :devil: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CallMeDave Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 I was simply pointing out that users should NEVER be asked to know or care about the retroclient.state file. Sigh. And users should never have to be asked to know or care about /Library/Preferences/com.apple.networkConfig.plist either, but if you got bitten by an Apple bug of being unable to correctly change your Network preference pane settings, knowing about that file might have made the fix easier. > This reveals that the mindset of the Retrospect team is to expect all users to be able > to fiddle around inside a part of the file system that should be none of their concern. Yes, like the Borg, all members of the Retrospect team share the same thoughts and motivations . >...ALL aspects of the use of Retrospect should be covered inside Retrospect. Of course. No one disagrees about what _should_ be. But no one reading your posts knows for sure what is happening on your system. My experiences are different; the software works for me, the installer prompts for a password when I expect it to and maintains the old password when it's appropriate for it to do that. What Robin and others are trying to do is help you out of your specific situation, not to take some larger stand about the software publisher's intentions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detayls Posted April 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 Double sigh... If you go back and read the original post in this topic, you will find that I documented an otherwise undocumented feature for the benefit of others. Robin, well-meaning I'm sure, started to explain to me that what I saw should not have happened. His/her explanation of that was not very helpful, at best and highly confusing at worst. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CallMeDave Posted April 7, 2009 Report Share Posted April 7, 2009 If you go back and read the original post in this topic, you will find that I documented an otherwise undocumented feature for the benefit of others. Rereading the Original Post, it's true that you described your experience with one of Retrospect 8's undocumented features. But since there's no documentation yet, all its features are undocumented! Public key encryption is an important addition to the Mac version, because it gives Macintosh administrators the ability to deploy images (using any of the super slick OS X tools for such deployment) with Retrospect client already installed. This was virtually impossible before, and was a real drag when you were trying to pre-configure machines for users in the enterprise. But this feature wasn't put there for the small network user, those who have ready access to each client where the software will be installed. For those users, there should either be a prompt by the installer (a VISE application running an EMC written script) or the Retrospect application itself (upon first connection to a new client)(actually I don't know for sure if Retrospect 8 does this the way "Classic" Retrospect did). If you ran the Retrospect OS X Client installer application and selected "Uninstall" from the drop-down menu, and then ran that same application again and selected to Install, you should have been prompted for a password (in the absence of a pubic key in the folder). If that's not what happened then something was wrong. And that's where you left us. You reported an abnormality couched in a solution, causing confusion and leading Mr. Mayoff to offer his well intentioned thoughts on the matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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