[NTLUG:Discuss] FYI: linux Thin-Client

[Jack Snodgrass]

On Wed, 19 Mar 2003 22:42:50 -0600, Fred James wrote:

> Jack Snodgrass wrote:
> 
>>On Wed, 19 Mar 2003 19:04:43 -0600, Fred James wrote:
>>
>>  
>>
>>>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?
>>>    
>>>
>>
>>hum... don't know. the PXES boot stuff is set up to tftp stuff from 
>>a remote server. Don't recall anything that would have it all run off
>>of a cdrom. I'll have to check that. 
>>
>>What's your opisistion ( sp? ) with files on a remote server? 
>>If you have 100 clients... if something changes ( new terminal 
>>services setup or new something.... ) you'll have to update 
>>your 100 Cds and pass them out the the clients. If you use the 
>>central-server approach, you make the change on the server and
>>everyone see it right away.
>>
>>jack 
>>
> No objection to a central server - in fact I prefer the idea - I am just 
> trying to understand what files are where and what they do.
> Another way to ask it:  Is the sole purpose of the PXES server to give 
> copies of the required files to the thin-clients?  What if after the 
> thin-client connected to say, a MS server running Citrix, the PXES 
> server went off line?  Would the thin-client still operate the same?

yes... the thin-client get's it's boot stuff from the PXES server and
it then operates on it's own. It has the 'client' parts needed to 
access a MS Terminlal server ( it uses rdesktop... you can test this 
from a standard linux box to see what the users will see ) and 
uses has the vnc client to access vnc servers or it can just login 
to a X Windows box. Once the stuff is loaded off of the PXES server, 
it's done with that. 

jack