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Re: [LUG] knoppix



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On Friday 02 May 2003 1:26 pm, Brough, Tom wrote:
> It sounds like you have already found a champion for Linux (thin-client) in
> yourself. I dont know what subjects you are studying but perhaps you could
> suggest setting up a K12LTSP server & clients as a student project for the
> IT students ? Just a thought. If you can persuade the powers that be to
> release a few old machines as clients and stump up for a test server, hub
> and network leads you should be able to get a proof of principal up and
> running.

Unfortunately (?) I won't be there much longer, so I'm not sure I'm really the 
candidate for the job...  Unfortunately, the beauracracy (sp.?) is a 
serverely limiting factor.  You feel that there aren't really any proper 
techies, just (Microsoft Certified) monkies who seem quite content with the 
(unacceptably poor) current situation.  Ahh well...

> > Lockdown....
>
> I have mixed feelings about lockdown too. However the policy is not to stop
> them from changing wallpaper or putting icons in their perferred locations
> its more of a case of not making it easy for them to wander into areas the
> Administrator doesnt want them going into.

But surely the whole concept of Unix/Linux security is just that?  What 
changes do you need to make?

And if your students do happen to be 1337 hack0rs, recruit them to work as 
sysadmins ;-)

> Funnily enough Howard  @ Churston is looking into using VIA mini-itx based
> boards to run as clients, hes got a supplier who is sending him 2 pre-built
> clients @ ~  £120 (each that is). But I see two markets here. Firstly you
> can now buy thin clients and secondly schools get old equipment donated,
> due to licencing and data protection issues they have to be supplied with
> hardisks either removed or wiped, so ideally these are an easy target for
> deployment as thin clients.

What's the name of the supplier?  That sounds like exactly the kind of product 
I was envisaging.

> Besides cost and better usage issues, thin clients reduce power consumption
> (and therefore polution). The VIA board is powerful enough to be configured
> as a "middle client" with different "levels" of thinnes applied (but still
> run diskless). I dont know what the power consuption statistics are on a
> hard disk but even if you multiplied the most conservative estimate by
> number of employees with computers, you can quickly argue the case based on
> environmental issues alone, thus thin client = green computing (IMO).

Yeah, probably.  If they're based on VIA Eden motherboards, they'll draw about 
6W total.  But personally I think it's just as important that they're 
*silent* and can be left on constantly.  I'm just too tired of waiting for 
PCs that sound like jet engines to take off *very* slowly!

Anyway, keep us posted.  There are many situations that could be solved 
elegantly using a similar solution, IMHO.

Jon
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