[K12OSN] Is This A Usable Thin Client For LTSP?

[Dean Mumby]

Oliver Grawert wrote:
> hi,
> Am Dienstag, den 12.06.2007, 12:04 +0200 schrieb Dean Mumby:
>   
>> Jim Anderson wrote:
>>     
>>> I've tested this $100 computer as a thin client with K12LTSP and it 
>>> works fine one you set it to boot from the NIC:
>>>
>>> http://www.ewayco.com/51-embedded-systems-100-PC-mini-ITX-low-cost/100-tu-low-cost-pc-thin-client-embedded-system.html
>>>
>>> It comes with a 200 MHz CPU and 128 MB RAM.  The shared video memory 
>>> can be set to a number of settings.  8 or 16 MB works fine.  I have 
>>> tested the sound, so I can't say whether it works or not with K12LTSP.
>>>       
>> Has anyone tested it with edubuntu ? will the 200mhz be enough for all
>> the encrypting/decrypting of traffic ?
>> Also how does pulseaudio work with them ?
>>     
> we are using these little thingies in the ltsp developer crowd a bit atm
> to get ltsp running properly on them. the encryption is only a problem
> if you start playing video or so, pulseaudio wouldnt be a problem if the
> soundcard would have a supported alsa driver which is apparently in the
> works upstream, so we should see it for gutsy.
>
> the biggest problem with this device and ltsp 5 is currently the
> boottime hich is with feisty's ltsp hilariously long. the device has
> also a specialized framebuffer device so the bootsplash doent work with
> the default kernel.
>
> we (at ltsp.org) are working on getting ltsp for that the device to a
> reasonable state for gutsy (new ldm with an unencrypted mode for X but
> still encrypted passwords, fast X detection, new squashfs/unionfs
> architecture and indeed the matching alsa drivers), but for feisty you
> are best off with using a static xorg,conf via an lts.conf option, to
> switch off the splash in your PXE config and not use ldm (not because of
> the CPU not handling the encryption but it starts up very slow on that
> machine) by defining SCREEN_07=startx, that should get you a bearable
> bootspeed.
>
> ciao
> 	oli
>   
Well that sounds very encouraging , I will be deploying feisty with 
standard PII 400mhz but , for the next lab I was hoping to go with 
something with lower power consumption.
Thank fully you are working on it , so by the time gutsy comes out these 
may be a viable option for schools. Will the 200mhz be sufficient if the 
encryption on all traffic is removed for playing video/audio ?

Regards
Dean