Thin client question - (I think?)

[Brian McKee]

On Fri, 2008-02-22 at 23:11 -0800, Patton Echols wrote:

> My suggestion was to have one fairly robust XP box, replace all the 
> other desktops with lightweight linux diskless "thin clients."   (Is 
> that the correct term?)  I envision something like a DSL box 
> http://tinyurl.com/b6l35 that uses something like terminal server client 
> to remote to the XP box where everyone logs in.  Windoze would then do 
> the authentication of each user to it's server and (license issues 
> aside) 1/2 dozen or so users can all work simultaneously. 

You have the concept right.  But, the server has to be a Windows Server
product, not XP, and Windows Terminal Server (as I understand it - I'm
not a user of that product) requires a license for every computer that
attaches to it - a CAL (Client Access License)  IIRC it comes with 5 and
every one past that is extra.  Those CALs might be enough money to
negate the gains from a linux client.

This is exactly how things like HP's thin client (which runs Debian)
work, or boxes like the koolu work
http://koolu.com/Koolu-WE-Appliance/Works-Everywhere-Appliance.html

Citrix works on that principle too, but I don't know their pricing
model.

If you want to try it - you can get a demo version of Windows Server
2008 that works for 3 months or so and 'have at it' as a proof of
concept.