LabConnect command line utility for Mac

Installing the LabConnect command line utility for Mac

See the installation instructions.

Why is there only a command line version of LabConnect for Mac?

Apple changes the requirements for Mac development every couple of months. That means that developers have to re-program their software every couple of months to keep up with Apple's demands. There are no such requirements to maintain a command line utility.

Using the LabConnect command line utility

  • The LabConnect command line utility is launched from a terminal window. Reference this article to learn how to launch a terminal window on a Mac.
  • Inside the Mac terminal window, type
     labconnect 
  • Typing "lab connect" in a terminal window will launch the text-based LabConnect client utility within the terminal window. The output should display:
yourMacUsername@YourMac ~ % lab connect
Connecting to Lab Connect...
CAEDM User Name: 
  • Type in your CAEDM username and CAEDM password. You do not need to type a domain, or any other such syntax. Simply username and password.
  • After successfully providing your username and password, a prompt will appear with the available LabConnect Pools. Your list of pools will differ based on what classes you are enrolled in. It will look something like:
Choose a pool to connect to:
0: UOLab: UO Lab - 217 CB
1: EBDigiLab: Digital Lab 423 EB
2: EBAnalog: Analog Lab 424 & 425 EB
3: CAEDMLabs: Standard CAEDM Lab Machine

Please enter a pool number:

Select the group of LabConnect machines, or "pool" to use by typing in the corresponding number. For instance, to use the "CAEDMLabs" pool in the menu above, type the number "3" on your keyboard. The options in the menu above may be different for each user depending on what classes a student is enrolled in.

  • After selecting a pool from the menu, the Microsoft Remote Desktop client will be launched automatically connecting to a machine in the desired pool. The utility will display a message stating:
Reservation established for REMOTE-MACHINE-NAME

Where REMOTE-MACHINE-NAME is the name of the machine the Microsoft Remote Desktop client will connect to automatically.

  • The Microsoft Remote Desktop client will then ask for your CAEDM password again. It will automatically have filled in your username and domain for you. These credentials are to log into the CAEDM RDP gateway, and into the LabMachine you are connecting to.
In this example, joestudent is logging in. He will only need to type his password in this screen since his username and domain were already inserted for him.
  • The client may then warn about a certificate error. Click continue, to be connected to the machine.

Troubleshooting

When I type in my password I keep getting:

Password: 
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/Applications/LabConnect/labconnect.py", line 307, in <module>
    pools=getPools(cl_user,cl_pass,settings["Host_Addr"], int(settings["Client_Port"]))
  File "/Applications/LabConnect/labconnect.py", line 122, in getPools
    raise ServerError(pools)
__main__.ServerError: Err:Invalid credentials

This means that you typed your username or password incorrectly. Try again. If you continue to have issues, contact your CSR or CAEDM.

Unable to install Lab Connect

With Mojave and Catalina a new security feature has been added. The root user is not enabled by default. This prevents users from running sudo and many other commands from the terminal. Google how to enable the root user for the specific OS. Once enabled the process listed on the CAEDM Lab Connect for Mac Download page should work without issue.