17. Logging In

17.1 Browsing for Stores

Before you can begin entering anything into or selling anything from your store, you first need to login. To do so, from the Welcome Screen, click on Login. If the store you last opened is no longer available or you've never opened a store, the browse sheet will open, providing you with a list of all available stores on the machines of your network. If the Mac you are working on is not listed, that means there are no stores saved on this machine. Bonjour may take a few seconds to locate other Macs on your network, but once the store you wish to work in is available, select that store and choose Connect. This will save the store and server for future sessions. From here, enter your username and password and then click Login. If everything checks out and you have entered a valid username and password, you will be brought into your store. If, however, you have entered an invalid username or password, check to be sure that you have entered them correctly and that you are connecting to the correct store.

17.1.1 Remote access of a Checkout Store

If you wish to remote access your Checkout store, you have several options. The first is to use a 3rd party screen sharing application to remotely access the Mac running a licensed copy of Checkout. Examples of this is the screen sharing built into iChat or the application TeamViewer. If you are remotely taking over a Mac, it does mean that no one else can use it at the same time.

If the remote Mac is also running a licensed copy of Checkout, you do have the option to log into a store that is not on your local area network. When you select the magnifying glass on the Login window, you can select the Manual tab and enter an IP address or DNS Name, and the port number to be used. If you have properly setup an SSH Tunnel, you will be able to access a Checkout Store that is not on your local area network. This access is intended for light duty, such as running reports or checking inventory levels, but not for remote entry of sales. The response time of this remote login is greatly dependent on your internet access speed. For details on how to setup a tunneling protocol, please refer to an IT professional. Additional details on Tunneling Protocols can be found here.

17.2 What if There are No Stores Available

If you attempt to find a store and none are available, first, check your network setup. Be sure that the setup is Bonjour compatible by visiting www.apple.com. If your setup is compatible, go into your System Preferences and be sure to check your firewall settings to determine if they're blocking Checkout. If the Store you wish to log into is not set to be shared, you will not see it in the Browse window. To check sharing, please see Chapter 7. If you still do not see the shared store, restart the Mac hosting the Store.

17.3 Logging Out

There are 3 options when logging out of a store. The first is to just close all windows by clicking on the red button at the top left corner of each window. This will log you out of your current session. The second option is to click on the status indicator in the top right corner of your store. That toolbar constantly shows the name you are logged in under as well as the terminal number. Clicking on that toolbar will also log you out of the store. The third and final option is to set the system to automatically log you out after a specified period of inactivity. This can be set by opening the Manager Window and choosing the General option (This Mac tab). Once there, you can set the number of seconds the terminal can be idle before the system will automatically logout the user. For more information on this option, see Chapter 7.