Thin client question - (I think?)

[DS System Administrator]

Patton Echols wrote:

> I have a question  that is not strictly Ubuntu.   But this group has 
> been helpful and hopefully can point in the right direction.
>
> Here is the situation:
>
> Office is currently running a windows network ( Windows 2003 SBS Server 
> and XP desktops).  XP boxes are old and subject to failure and there is 
> a desire to update.  I had suggested an alternative and am now being 
> asked questions I can't answer. 
>
> 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. 
>
> So Questions:
>
> 1. Do I have that about right?  Or am I missing some major piece of the 
> puzzle.
>     1.a. Would this be a Ubuntu thing for the clients?  Or something else.
> 2. Is there a dummy friendly guide that anyone knows of that will fill 
> in the gaps of my limited knowledge?
> 3. What about users accessing thumb drives and cd/dvd drives locally?  
> And if not, how is that handled?
>
> Note: This is a production office and is very unlikely want to shift 
> gears to the Linux world.*  Also, even w/ the costs of incremental 
> change out of desktops, probably will not hire an expert to do a thin 
> client install unless some amateur (that's me) can demonstrate proof of 
> concept with the existing installation.
>
> Thanks for all thoughts,
>
> Patton
>   

Patton,

I have found after some research I like using thinstation thin client
http://thinstation.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/ThIndex.  We are using
thinstation to boot off a CD and directly into rdesktop to our windows
terminal server.  The choice is broad in how you can set up the boot
(PXE, CD, HD, floppy, and others I think) and any protocol you may want
to use and implement.  As per USB drives you can keep your clients from
using them in creating your own builds.  You can lock down the client or
make available for people to have choices in which protocol they may
want to use.  There is also a Live Desktop CD you can download and test
as well. 

As per production we are looking to implement close to 25 stations and
hoping to expand to over 200.  From what I have seen it is quite easy to
learn an use.  I am still very new to thinstaion but have like the
support on the mailing list and design of the thin client.

I hope this may have helped.

-Adam