When to Use
For a school or organization that wants to set up a training facility or office network.
Hardware Needed
- A linux server (recommend Ubuntu Dapper on a box with 1G RAM)
- A network switch
- Thin-client PCs. I recommend you buy refurbished PIIs from Bridgeport Technical Services with 64MB RAM. Just ask for thin-clients and they will know what to give you. Price is typically R600 for a machine with a 17" monitor, optical mouse and standard keyboard, and the box has a small hdd that is just perfect for the setup instructions to follow.
Installing a thin client
This section is here because I keep forgetting small things and find that I need to work it out again and again (and because I am about to refer a customer to these instructions).
- Use the Ubuntu Dapper Alternative install CD, because that has a text-mode install that works well in low-RAM boxen such as these. Have the machine connected to a network with DHCP and the internet running (it's just easier).
- Do the install without any graphics or desktops (a basic server install). I don't recall making any specific choices. The install detected low RAM and switched to a text-mode install.
- At the prompt for a user, the administrator must put in his/her details, so that he/she can administer the box in the future (and complete these steps).
- Once installation is complete and the machine has rebooted, log in.
- Edit /etc/apt/sources.list using the command sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list (if you know vi then use it instead of nano). Comment out the reference to the CD-ROM (it's just easier) and uncomment the link to the universe repository. Save and exit obviously.
- sudo apt-get update to update the local repository indexes
- sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg xfonts-base openssh-server to install the software we need.
- Now, test X by running it: sudo X. You should get a grey screen with the mouse pointer as a big X in the middle. If you don't, google for the error message that you get in your text terminal and do whatever it takes to get it going. Some options to try are:
- sudo apt-get install --reinstall xfonts-base
- sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg
- Once X and the network are working, and the linux server is on the network and serving remote gdm logins, then try sudo X --query <ip of server>. This should give you a login to a session on the server.
- If this works, then append the following to your thin client's /etc/inittab: X1:23:respawn:/usr/bin/X -query <ip of server>