In the last 9 years, I've run a number of upgrades/updates and did the odd bit of troubleshooting, but this is the first time since my Mac Pro that I've installed software on a brand new computer. It was delivered on the 30th and I've been working on it non-stop until now.
I'm supposed to be talking about the networking problems – Ethernet, remote management, wi-fi, etc. but my first problem was:
I needed to know the Ethernet Mac address of the new iMac, but didn't know how to get it without first installing the OS, then checking System Report. Had I read the delivery box, I'd have found the MAC address printed on the outside. D'oh!
So, I did it my way, then migrated my User folder from the Mac Pro and now I have two User folders (Jerry and Jerry 1 - admin) and am unable to get rid of either.
My OCD had me near reformatting the SDD, but I decided to turn a blind eye.
Networking: you absolutely cannot get on the internet when you have read the MAC address upside down and typed a b instead of a d. Anyway, I finally have CAT6 cables from the router to the 1) broadband extender 2) the old Mac Pro and 3) the new iMac. Perfect. Then, I have an old CAT5 cable from the Ethernet 2 port on the Mac Pro to an Ethernet to USB3 adapter for my MacBook Air. I'm trying to figure out how to clone a drive with Carbon Copy Cloner over Ethernet.
The trickiest part was remote management of my Mac Pro. Ticking the right boxes was simple enough, but I only got a 1024 x 748 window on the iMac, which looked postage stamp-sized on the 5120 x 2880 screen. Why was it not 1920 x 1200, like my old Dell monitor?
It came to me in bed - the Mac Pro needed the monitor to get the resolution profile. I plugged the monitor back in and, indeed, the resolution was 1920 x 1200. What surprised me was, I switched off the monitor and the resolution still holds as long as it is connected to the Mac Pro, even switched off. Wierd.
Anyway, remote control of the Mac Pro via a window on the iMac works an absolute treat! No time lag, good image.
Everything has been pretty straight forward, except for reinstalling Adobe CS5 on the iMac (it came with Mojave, thankfully). I spent a couple hours online with Adobe support trying to get my valid serial numbers accepted.
This was amazing: Neha, from Adobe, asked to take control of my computer and I agreed. I sat back and watched in amazement as (s)he drove the computer from Cupertino/India. The cursor was zooming around the screen, only occasionally needing password input from me. In the end, CS5 is working, but only the version from the install discs. The updaters that I've kept do not work. There is no way to download them - not supported. I'm trying to copy folders from the Mac Pro and "suck it and see". I can't get the latest Distiller to work. Photoshop (the one that counts) works fine.
Oops! Supper is ready. Sorry to be bending your virtual ears!
