Re: [seul-edu] Win NT w/Linux Server?

[Doug Loss <dloss@suscom.net>]

Bill Tihen -- TECHNOLOGY wrote:

> I would like to know how you have done this.  I thought
> most diskless workstations required special ROMs.  (Is
> it tricky to get those working?)
>

I can't speak for Harry, but the Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP) is
all about doing exactly this. <http://www.ltsp.org>

>
> I have lots of macs that I will need to turn into linux
> workstations.  How will I deal with a mix between PPC,
> i386 and some non-PPC macs running linux?  Is there a
> clever way around this problem?
>

I'm still working on turning a 68K (non-PPC) Mac into a Linux-based
XTerminal.  That's about all you can expect from the early Macs, I
think, not because they couldn't act as full Linux workstations but
because they generally have _tiny_ hard drives and can't accomodate a
full install.  I'm working on a Quadra 650, with 16 MB RAM and a 160 MB
hard drive.  With the mandatory MacOS partition (68K Macs won't boot
directly into Linux), that's just barely enough for a decent swap, a
base install of Debian 68K, and X.  When I get it done, I'll write a
SEUL/edu guide for the process that we can post.

As for the PPC and x86 Linux systems, so long as you have apps that are
available for both platforms (either as source or binaries) and
networked logins and home directories, your users should be able to move
from one to the other transparently.  Oh, you may want to find some
three-button mice for the Macs, as the mapping of the middle and right
buttons to key+button combinations will definitely be an irritation in
moving from one platform to another.

>
> I need to test our school's administrative software
> under Wine (rediker's admin plus), FileMaker Pro -
> admissions office, and a specialized version of MS
> Access -- for the business office.

I was looking at the Rediker software a few days ago.  It's very nice.
Too bad it doesn't run on Linux.  If any of you have any contacts at
Rediker, you might want to encourage them to consider a Linux port.
They'd have the market to themselves.  Take a look at
<http://www.seul.org/pub/howto/CPAH.html> if you'd like som advice on
how to approach them.

--
Doug Loss                 Even if you're on the right track,
Data Network Coordinator  you'll get run over if you just
Bloomsburg University     sit there.
dloss@bloomu.edu                Will Rogers