Target Display Mode on Remote Computer

I’m using a new Mac mini runing OS X 10.14.6 now and using my mid-2011 27" iMac running OS X 10.13.6 in Target Display Mode as it’s main display (with a 22" hp display as its secondary screen). Getting this rig up and running in the morning is a bit of a pain – both machines have to be wakened, logged into, and then on the iMac keyboard I press Control-F2 to get Target Display Mode running on the iMac. This brings the clutter of two keyboards, of course, and the cascade of errors introduced by typing on the wrong one.

I keep thinking that if I were a clever enough with a bash script on the mini, I should be able to wake the iMac, log into it, and then invoke Command-F2 to have the iMac come alive as my main screen. Given all the enhanced security these days though, I’m wondering if this is even possible.

Ideas? Opinions?

  1. To wake up 2 machines at certain time of the morning, you can use How to Schedule Your Mac to Wake Up with AppleScript. You should create 2 separate scripts. One for each machine.

  2. Automated login involves creating 2 authentication plugins. One for each machine. Look here.
    Caution with this: if you write a plugin with an error, you will not be able to log in with GUI.

  3. Then you need only press manually Control-F2 on your iMac.

It is complicated, I don’t need that, so I can’t help you more.