Simplest way to network and file share between an Intel Mini/Mojave OS and M2 with Monterey or newer?

[mikeshep]

This is a new question because i found out i can't do VM on an M2 Mini. Am a bit out of touch with anything involving networking and file sharing because honestly i've really never had need for it so was hoping i might get some advice about it. Sorry if this is a duplication of another post. I couldn't remember what forum i posted it to.

The gist of it is, in a recording studio I need to maintain a "legacy" 32-bit audio editing software app that requires Mojave - on a 2018 Mac Mini i7. I want to be able to bounce files back and forth in "real time"- ideally via simple drag and drop over to a newer OS 12 or higher Mac.

I've decided to buy a refurbed M2 Pro Mini. I want to be able to routinely, record and edit on the Mojave Mac and then transfer the files over to a current OS for additional audio processing on apps that are incompatible with the older (Mojave) OS. There may also be cases where I would want to do the opposite - record on the newer OS, bounce the file over to the older, Mojave mini for editing- then bounce it back to the Newer OS environment. Basically just want active, real-time accessibility to both at once at any given time. Ideally would love to be able to access both machines from a single keyboard/mouse...with a separate monitor for each machine, side by side, as 'transparently' and intuitively as possible.

For example it'd be great if this could be as simple as dragging and dropping from one machine's desktop to the other. Would there be any "permissions" issues though? I hate that sort of thing about Apple- it's been the source of hours of frustration.

Appreciate any advice on how to accomplish this setup as simply and easily as possible for an easy straightforward day to day workflow routine.

A 3rd party app, ShareMouse looked idea for this, but, turns out it requires both machines be on OS 12 or higher. If there's anything else similar to that I'd welcome suggestions on options there as well.

Thanks for your time!

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Simplest way would be a NAS

But simply setting up a shared folder will probably do.

 

[mikeshep]

Simplest way would be a NAS

But simply setting up a shared folder will probably do.

Have you heard of anything else like this 3rd Party "ShareMouse" app where one can simply drag a file from one Mac to another - not having to set anything up - just - independent of the Apple proprietary architecture...? That would be
perfect, but as i say Share Mouse needed both computers to be on OS 12 or higher.

 

[chown33]

If you use File Sharing, you can open the files on the secondary Mac (the primary being the one sharing the files) and directly edit them. No need to copy the files around. Permissions shouldn't be a problem, if you connect to the share using the account that owns the files on the file-sharing Mac. If possible, you'll be better off using Ethernet on both machines, instead of wifi.

You should take a look at Screen Sharing.

Share the screen of another Mac

On your Mac, use the Screen Sharing app to view and control the screen of another Mac on your network.

support.apple.com

It may be suboptimal, but it should let you get work done. and it might work well enough that you decide to keep using it.

Be sure NOT to have any files open for editing by both Macs at the same time. There's no file-locking mechanism, and you might corrupt a file if it's being actively edited by more than one host.

 

[mikeshep]

If you use File Sharing, you can open the files on the secondary Mac (the primary being the one sharing the files) and directly edit them. No need to copy the files around. Permissions shouldn't be a problem, if you connect to the share using the account that owns the files on the file-sharing Mac. If possible, you'll be better off using Ethernet on both machines, instead of wifi.

You should take a look at Screen Sharing.

Share the screen of another Mac

On your Mac, use the Screen Sharing app to view and control the screen of another Mac on your network.

support.apple.com

It may be suboptimal, but it should let you get work done. and it might work well enough that you decide to keep using it.

Be sure NOT to have any files open for editing by both Macs at the same time. There's no file-locking mechanism, and you might corrupt a file if it's being actively edited by more than one host.

Great! Thanks for explaining. Just to be sure i understand correctly. If I have recorded a file on the Mojave Mac, but want to edit that file using an app on the other Mac which is running Monterey or newer OS, do you mean that I could manipulate/edit that file directly from the Other /Newer Mac without having to physically move that target file "over" to the newer Mac to do so? That'd be awesome if true.
As far as Ethernet...so if both Macs are ethernet connected to the same Router...(for internet) ...does that same connection work for this purpose?

Can Screen Sharing effectively perform the same function as File Sharing as far as the task I'm describing?

Thanks! Sorry to be so elementary about this stuff. As I say, last time I had anything to do with File Sharing it was probably on Mac OS 9 - and that was laggy - but would bet the speed would be far different nowadays)

 

[chown33]

Great! Thanks for explaining. Just to be sure i understand correctly. If I have recorded a file on the Mojave Mac, but want to edit that file using an app on the other Mac which is running Monterey or newer OS, do you mean that I could manipulate/edit that file directly from the Other /Newer Mac without having to physically move that target file "over" to the newer Mac to do so? That'd be awesome if true.

That's correct.

The network will be slower than a local copy, but sharing a folder is basically turning the hosting Mac into a file server.

I suggest that you try this out. It's easy to turn on File Sharing, and just as easy to connect to the shared folder. You'll learn a lot just by doing.

If you're only trying this out, I recommend NOT using irreplaceable files. Either make copies to another folder that you then share, or make new files that are purely for testing.

As far as Ethernet...so if both Macs are ethernet connected to the same Router...(for internet) ...does that same connection work for this purpose?

Yes.

Can Screen Sharing effectively perform the same function as File Sharing as far as the task I'm describing?

You should try it so you can see exactly how it works.

Thanks! Sorry to be so elementary about this stuff. As I say, last time I had anything to do with File Sharing it was probably on Mac OS 9 - and that was laggy - but would bet the speed would be far different nowadays)

Speed of file sharing depend on a few factors, one of which is network speed (both latency and bandwidth). Today's file sharing is quite different from Mac OS 9, but if your network is slow, it can still become laggy.

 

[mikeshep]

That's correct.

The network will be slower than a local copy, but sharing a folder is basically turning the hosting Mac into a file server.

I suggest that you try this out. It's easy to turn on File Sharing, and just as easy to connect to the shared folder.

Speed of file sharing depend on a few factors, one of which is network speed (both latency and bandwidth). Today's file sharing is quite different from Mac OS 9, but if your network is slow, it can still become laggy.

Ok great. Not to belabor this but just a curiosity about one other variation and whether it logically would work.

What if... I record the file on the newer (Sonoma, Monterey) OS Mini... but then want to use the App that lives on the older Mojave/Intel-based Mac to edit that file. I'm assuming that going in that 'direction' as well, my Intel app would "see" that file via file or screen sharing on the newer machine's volume, and be able to edit/manipulate it - without having to drag the file over to the Mojave OS. It's a bit confusing on the surface but..as you say, only trying it will tell: ) Thanks!

 

[chown33]

Ok great. Not to belabor this but just a curiosity about one other variation and whether it logically would work.

What if... I record the file on the newer (Sonoma, Monterey) OS Mini... but then want to use the App that lives on the older Mojave/Intel-based Mac to edit that file. I'm assuming that going in that 'direction' as well, my Intel app would "see" that file via file or screen sharing on the newer machine's volume, and be able to edit/manipulate it - without having to drag the file over to the Mojave OS. It's a bit confusing on the surface but..as you say, only trying it will tell: ) Thanks!

The procedure would be:
1. Record a file on Mac mini (newer host).
2. Turn on File Sharing on the mini.
3. Share the folder where the recorded file resides.
4. Go to the Intel Mac.
5. Connect to the shared folder from the mini.
6. Open the recorded file in the Intel Mac's audio app.
7. Edit & save using the Intel Mac's audio app.

At the end of 7, the original recorded file will be as edited on the Intel Mac's audio app. If you played it on the Mac mini, it would play the edited audio.

Now, to understand how Screen Sharing works in the above procedure, know that if the Intel Mac has Screen Sharing enabled, then any other Mac can connect to it and "take over" its screen, exactly as if you were using the screen, keyboard, and mouse of the Intel Mac. So step 4 becomes "Connect to the Intel Mac's shared screen". After that point, things you do in the screen-shared window on the mini become things done as if you were sitting at the Intel Mac.

That is, Intel apps will run on the Intel Mac, and edit whatever files you open from the Intel Mac, including files shared from the Mac mini. Yes, this amounts to a kind of strange "loopback" situation where the Mac mini is connecting to an Intel Mac that's connecting back to the Mac mini. Welcome to networking.

 

[mikeshep]

The procedure would be:
1. Record a file on Mac mini (newer host).
2. Turn on File Sharing on the mini.
3. Share the folder where the recorded file resides.
4. Go to the Intel Mac.
5. Connect to the shared folder from the mini.
6. Open the recorded file in the Intel Mac's audio app.
7. Edit & save using the Intel Mac's audio app.

At the end of 7, the original recorded file will be as edited on the Intel Mac's audio app. If you played it on the Mac mini, it would play the edited audio.

Now, to understand how Screen Sharing works in the above procedure, know that if the Intel Mac has Screen Sharing enabled, then any other Mac can connect to it and "take over" its screen, exactly as if you were using the screen, keyboard, and mouse of the Intel Mac. So step 4 becomes "Connect to the Intel Mac's shared screen". After that point, things you do in the screen-shared window on the mini become things done as if you were sitting at the Intel Mac.

That is, Intel apps will run on the Intel Mac, and edit whatever files you open from the Intel Mac, including files shared from the Mac mini. Yes, this amounts to a kind of strange "loopback" situation where the Mac mini is connecting to an Intel Mac that's connecting back to the Mac mini. Welcome to networking.

Thanks for simplifying this. Well, between the two options, I think lies a workable solution. Will experiment!

 

[mikeshep]

Hi! I have a studio and need to maintain a dedicated Mojave OS machine for legacy editing software. Yet, newer browsers and certain software not being reverse compatible for 32-bit architecture dictates I have a separate mini for a current OS. So I've got the one on Mojave as-is, and another Intel i7 with a Monterey (or newer) OS) on it. I'd like to be able to drag and drop things between the two Minis and have both always accessible from the same keyboard/mouse/screen. IIRC this might all be doable with Screen Sharing.

I'd like to be able to access, and edit audio files on one machine from the other, as a sort of "default" setup. So this gets complicated (for me) in that all my devices are on a Router. Would the way to do this be to connect the additional Mini to the router's network -by ethernet cable? Otherwise I don't know how i'd be able to individually access the newer OS Mini just from my Mojave, Studio Mac.

I'd love to bypass the network and any proprietary Mac stuff with some 3rd party option but haven't found it. Someone suggested ShareMouse but...their website says it requires OS 12 or above..which works for the Newer Mini, but...I assume both machines would need to be OS 12 or higher. .. hence, i gather the Mojave Mini wouldn't be compatible. The way i'm envisioning this, I would record and edit files on the Mojave OS machine...then ideally be able to drag file(s) over to the Newer OS Mac for post processing in apps that require OS 12 and above...and then, a finalized file could be bounced back to the older OS machine or...uploaded from the other machine to wherever it needs to be delivered.

Thanks for your time and any thoughts

 

[mikeshep]

Hi! I have a studio and need to maintain a dedicated Mojave OS machine for legacy editing software. Yet, newer browsers and certain software not being reverse compatible for 32-bit architecture dictates I have a separate mini for a current OS. So I've got the one on Mojave as-is, and another Intel i7 with a Monterey (or newer) OS) on it. I'd like to be able to drag and drop things between the two Minis and have both always accessible from the same keyboard/mouse/screen. IIRC this might all be doable with Screen Sharing.

I'd like to be able to access, and edit audio files on one machine from the other, as a sort of "default" setup. So this gets complicated (for me) in that all my devices are on a Router. Would the way to do this be to connect the additional Mini to the router's network -by ethernet cable? Otherwise I don't know how i'd be able to individually access the newer OS Mini just from my Mojave, Studio Mac.

I'd love to bypass the network and any proprietary Mac stuff with some 3rd party option but haven't found it. Someone suggested ShareMouse but...their website says it requires OS 12 or above..which works for the Newer Mini, but...I assume both machines would need to be OS 12 or higher. .. hence, i gather the Mojave Mini wouldn't be compatible. The way i'm envisioning this, I would record and edit files on the Mojave OS machine...then ideally be able to drag file(s) over to the Newer OS Mac for post processing in apps that require OS 12 and above...and then, a finalized file could be bounced back to the older OS machine or...uploaded from the other machine to wherever it needs to be delivered.

Thanks for your time and any thoughts

Wow, sorry...i lost track of things and didn't realize i had a thread here on this!!! Holy crap! I guess why I'm mixed up is, my plan changed and for now I'm just going between two Intel Minis instead of an M1/2 series...but i guess nothing is different in terms of the setup. Thanks

 

[MarkC426]

I have a similar setup to this, but I only copy files from my cMP to my Studio as and when required (sort of a migration from intel to AS).

It may work better for you to have a shared disk connected to your router that your files are saved to, which both machines can then access...?

 

[chown33]

Wow, sorry...i lost track of things and didn't realize i had a thread here on this!!! Holy crap! I guess why I'm mixed up is, my plan changed and for now I'm just going between two Intel Minis instead of an M1/2 series...but i guess nothing is different in terms of the setup. Thanks

Any differences there might be should arise mainly from differences between OS versions. For example, are the controls for Screen Sharing and File Sharing in System Preferences or Settings, which pref-pane or sub-setting, etc.

I highly recommend that you just try it. Start with File Sharing, just to see how it works. If the computers are both on the same network (i.e. connected to the same router), then the shared service should show up on potential clients. Same for Screen Sharing: turn it on, then try connecting.

Set up file sharing on Mac

Share the files and folders on your Mac with others on your network. Share your entire Mac or allow specific users access to certain folders.

support.apple.com

Share your Mac screen, files, and services with other users on your network

You can set up your Mac to share files, folders, and other services with users on your network.

support.apple.com

After you have things working, a lot of things you might ask about here are things you can check for yourself.