To run desktop applications on a computer in another building, you might want to try NX Client. People with math department accounts can use NX Client to remotely log access workstations (like those in the labs).
Directions to install NX Client follow, with a special note for using Mathematica over NX.
NX Client can be downloaded from NoMachine's website: http://nomachine.com/download.php
Download the version of the client appropriate for your computer's operating system.
Once downloaded, install the program. For Windows and Mac OS X, the file downloaded is a package that will execute when double-clicked. Simply follow the step-by-step wizard to complete the installation. The Linux installation process will vary by distribution.
In the "Session" box, fill in a name for your session. This can be anything - it simply identifies the configuration you're creating.
In the "Host" box, fill in the name of the workstation that you intend to log in to.
This could be the linux machine in your office or a workstation in one of the Math Computer Lab.
Click next to go to the Desktop Configuration screen.
Change "KDE" to "GNOME" since GNOME is the default desktop environment on Fedora Linux.
All other settings can be left as default. Click next to advance to the final screen.
Select the "Advanced" tab, and change the disk and memory cache sizes to 0MB and 128MB. The intent is to minimize the risk of any cached data if your computer or laptop gets malware or is stolen.
NOTE: Below is not yet implemented, but will be in the future.
Before you can connect, you'll need to download and import the DSA key for the Math Department's NX Servers. You can download the DSA key here(add link). Click the "Key" button.
Here you can either choose to "Import" the keyfile you downloaded, or you may copy and paste the contents of the file in place of the DSA key that is listed by default. Once this is done, click "Save", save your configuration, and click "Ok".
Once your configuration is complete, you fill in your department username and password and click "Login" to login remotely. If it's your first time logging into the remote machine, it will ask you to accept the public key from the remote workstation. Click "yes" to do this. The NX Client will negotiate session information with the server and open the remote display on your local machine.
When you are ready to log out, be sure to log out as you would if you were actually in front of the machine, by selecting "System > Log out [username]".
Mathematica requires that extra fonts be installed on the machine from which you are connecting. The process is different for Linux/Mac and Windows machines.
OSX/Linux
The Mathematica fonts need to be downloaded and extracted somewhere on the local machine. They can be downloaded here. Extract them from a terminal, using the following command:
> tar -xzvf mathematica-fonts.tgz
The X Server must then be instructed to use these fonts. This needs to be done before your NX session is started, each time you want to use Mathematica, so you will probably want to add the following commands to your ~/.bashrc file. The following commands tell the X server to use the Mathematica fonts:
> xset fp+ /path/to/fonts/Type1
> xset fp+ /path/to/fonts/BDF
> xset fp rehash
You may now login to a math workstation and use Mathematica.
Windows
The Windows instructions are nearly identical to the Linux/OSX instructions, except you'll be operating inside of a Cygwin or XMing envrionment. If you don't have one of these installed, you can get Cygwin here and XMing here. For further instructions on using Cygwin and a Windows X server, see the following guide: http://x.cygwin.com/docs/ug/cygwin-x-ug.html.
Once in your Cygwin terminal, follow the exact process outlined in the OSX/Linux part of the tutorial. This should allow you to run Mathematica while logged in with NX Client.
Several keyboard shorctuts are available in NX Client, but the two most important are below.