[m021478]

I have a Mac-Mini at the heart of my home media center. For the last couple years when I needed to access the computer, I would simply use OS X's built in screen sharing capabilities, because the Mac-Mini doesn't have a mouse/keyboard connected to it.

The problem I'm having with Lion is that when I try connecting to the Mac-Mini using the same screen sharing method I've used for years, I now get this pop-up message:

Now, I do have two user accounts on the Mac-Mini and if I choose "Connect to a virtual display" I can connect to the 'background' user account of the mac-mini without any problems, but that's not the one I am trying to connect to.

When I choose the option to "Ask to share the display", it won't let me connect unless I use the Mac-Mini to confirm that I want to allow this connection - which in my case isn't possible because there is no keyboard and mouse connected to the machine.

Why is it that it won't allow me to connect to the currently signed in user on the Mac-Mini unless I confirm this from the mini itself? If I try using screen sharing to connect from iMac to my MacPro (or vice versa), both of which have only one user account on each machine, then I am able to directly connect and control either machine from the other without the need for any confirmation.

Any thoughts on how I can get the Mac-Mini to allow me to connect without the confirmation? Do I have to delete the second user account so that the Mini is only running one user account?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated... Thanks!

[tadd]

I discovered I can use VNC without getting permission from the current user. You still select which log-in you are coming in on. If you choose the one that is currently in, it just gives you display and control without prompting the local console.
Chicken Of The VNC or SCREENS is a reasonable client. Chicken is free.
You can turn on VNC sharing in the Sharing System Preference under "Screen Sharing" and then Computer Settings.
Now you can address the Mac by IP address and maybe by sharingname.local using Chicken Of The VNC.

What I don't understand is how to go to the local console and log in as somebody else if the computer is in use from a remote, whether from VNC or screen-sharing. Also, when I tried to screen-share while the computer was already in use and then click on a different log-in from the one currently at use from the local console, the display changed to all grey on my end and then never gave me the correct desktop, menu bar, or dock. Every time I click the mouse on the blank desktop, the local console user saw his mouse pointer go to the rotating round meatball thing for a short time.

I haven't tried it using a well equipped Mac as the server. I'll do that next.

[tadd]

I made the Mac Mini log into a "virtual screen" on the Mac Pro and it worked pretty well. My son is busily trying to mess me up from his Mini while I type this. He's prying about seeing what he can break. He's such a nice boy.
The only affect i can see from this side is that my mouse cursor keeps going to meatball for very short flashes whenever he does anything that changes the screen.