Self-Service under OS X

The Self-Service facility permits users to install optional software, or update existing packages or MacOS X itself, without requiring administrative privileges. Basically, the user makes a request with "mortal" permissions, and the Self-Service facility does whatever is necessary on the user's behalf. (Old UNIX hands will recognise the similarity to such daemon-mediated facilities as lpr and cron.)

Please see also:

• Astrophysics: Available packages
• Applications Setup

Self-Service is located in the Applications folder:

/Applications/Self Service: Location of Self-Service under MacOS X

Once you have launched it, you should see something like this:

MacOS X Self-Service welcome page: featured applications

Other software can be found by choosing other sections in the Categories pane on the right.

To install an item, click on its Install bar. For extra information, click instead on the small letter i at the Install bar's right-hand end:

MacOS X Self-Service Software Update: further information

The wise user will check here for further instructions, or minor details such as whether a package is too large to feasibly install from off-site or over WiFi, before proceeding.

Example: Updating MacOS X

To run MacOS X Software Update, click on the Install bar:
MacOS X Self-Service: updating

(Note the "barber pole" at the top, which will be animated in real life.) Then click on the Software Update icon which appears in Dock, to bring it to the foreground:

Software Update in the MacOS X Dock

.... and follow your nose. If a reboot is required, make it so, and come back here: some updates have to be installed in a specific order. (If you get complaints that Self-Service has blocked the reboot, you should log off and reboot in an orderly manner for yourself.)

Please note: Some updates require the system to be rebooted; this seems to be especially true of security-related updates. The wise user will therefore shut down any other applications which may be running, eg Mail and Firefox, before proceeding. Said user will also do a preemptive update before embarking on anything which may take some time to complete, to forestall any automatic updates which may take place before said thing has finished.

Caveats and Warnings

Please note:

• Self-Service will only work for systems which are on-site, or which can pretend to be by using VPN.
• Some software suites (most notoriously, Matlab) take half an hour or more to install, even for directly-connected desktop systems. If your system is a laptop which is off-site or connected by WiFi, the installation time may be measurable in days.
• Don't assume that software is only obtainable via Self-Service. If you don't see something you require, it may already be on your system. Please see:
  
  • Astrophysics: Available Software, and in particular,
  • Available Software overview for where software can hide.
• Newly-built systems will have the latest available known-working versions of the standard software on them. Don't assume that, just because a suite (eg Scisoft) is present in Self-Service, that your system's copy is missing or out-of-date: it's there for those with older builds, or for those who enjoy skating on thin ice.
• If the software of your heart's desire truly is missing from Self-Service, or is present but out-of-date, please contact IT Support at the usual e-mail address.