You know, this has all been real interesting. I downloaded Damn Small Linux
(DSL) tonight. I have a real old laptop that I've wanted to find a better way
to have it connect to our LTSP server for when I have to travel.
I tried just the embedded version running on Windows, and it confirmed that
applications on the LTSP server would run just fine using ssh -X, if I wanted
to make some sort of menu system (or a whole bunch of links) to call whatever
programs I wanted to run. And I could even run multiple programs at the same
time that way.
Then I had the idea to ssh -X to the LTSP server, calling NX client. I used it
to log right back into the LTSP server, and wha-la, I had my full LTSP desktop!
So, theoretically, a person could install DSL on some of these old computers,
and upon startup have it call NX (or FreeNX, if you need more connections and
don't want to pay NX for them). DSL didn't ask me for a password, so when the
NX login dialog box shows up, it'd be like the first and only time the user
would be asked to log in. Then, gee, you'd be connected to the LTSP server
very much like a regular LTSP implementation.
Granted, theoretically, you'd have an operating system on the clients that you
might have to maintain; but I think that'd be minimal. (With the embedded
approach, you could probably get away from all of that.) At the same time,
you'd still have all of the advantages of having your LTSP server as the one
machine you have to maintain for software & security updates.
You might have to tweak your DSL gui a little bit if you wanted to do away with
it's menu and desktop, etc. -- but this might not be a bad solution for some of
those old PC's out there.
One thing - remote sound from the LTSP server didn't work on the embedded DSL
when I ran it. But when you're trying to eek out a little more life from some
really old machines, you might just have to be happy without some of the bells
and whistles. (Forgive the pun, please!) 'Not to say that one might not be
able to overcome that with a little work.
It's something to consider...
--
Of course, I'd like to think that there should be a way to take the DSL image,
feed it back to a normal LTSP thin client at boot-up, so it doesn't even need
to be installed on the client, and somehow connect to the server from it.
--
So, Rob, if you have a couple of weeks off, does any of this sound like
anything you'd like to play with? Maybe it could be like an add-in
contribution for LTSP users needing this kind of remedy.
Just a few thoughts...
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