[NTLUG:Discuss] FYI: linux Thin-Client

[Jack Snodgrass]

On Wed, 19 Mar 2003 12:42:38 -0600, Fred James wrote:

> Jack Snodgrass wrote:
> 
>>Might be of interest.... 
>>
>>http://pxes.sourceforge.net/ 
>>
>>(snippet)
>>
> I am not sure I understand the deployment possibility ... we have an 
> existing group of MS "Citrix servers" running various MS based 
> applications, what would I need to deploy Linux Thin-Clients to connect 
> to that?  Just the clients themselves?  If I boat them from network 
> (i.e., no floppy, CD-ROM, or hard drive), what do I need there - some 
> kind of server?  Or can I boat them from CD (i.e., not floppy or hard 
> drive)?  It looks like a floppy wouldn' t be big enough.  Any experience 
> you can share on this would be appreciated.

The PXES thin-client uses a small boot loader ( via the network or a floppy ) 
to connect to a remote server ( I set it up on a RH 8.0 server ) that has
the PXES System files. The Thin-Client downloads what it needs and put it 
into a RAM disk and start up a mini version of linux. With this, you 
connect to another linux box or a Terminal Services box. All your
'thin-client' needs to be able to load is either a boot loader that 
gives it enough network things so that it can get an ip address and 
access a tftp server or you need to be able to load a boot kernel. 
In either case... once your thin-client has the boot kernel, it 
accesses the main part of what it needs off of the PXES server. Something
like that. 

PXES has to support the network card and the video card that your 
thin-client has. In my case, the $56 motherboard I'm testing with has
full support of PXES. ( it's a SIS video and lan chip ) The PXES site 
has all of the hardware that it supports. 

My $56 motherboard would be perfect if it's Net Boot software talked
natively to the PXES server. It doesn't. ;( It uses Netware RPL which 
is different ( and not supported ) than the intel spec that PXES uses. 

I'm not sure how fast your need your 'thin-client' to be or how much 
memory you want.... your 'thin-client' has to display your graphics
locallaly but it doesn't have to do much other processing. the 'real' 
work goes on the server ( terminal services or linux ) 

Hope that helps.