[NTLUG:Discuss] FYI: linux Thin-Client

[Fred James]

Jack Snodgrass wrote:

>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. 
>
>  
>
That seems pretty clear, except on point - once the thin-client has what 
it needs for the RAM disk, does it need the PXES server any more (until 
the next time)?  In other words, I am assuming that once the thin-client 
is totally up and running, it is independent of the PXES server and only 
needs to connect to the application server(s) (Linux or terminal 
services) - is that correct?  From that I might assume that if all the 
PXES files were packed on a CD along with the boot stuff, a thin-client 
might not need a remote PXES server at all - is that correct?

-- 
"It's not nice to fool Mother OS." --anonymous