I've been in the same situation a short time ago. Finally I decided to buy a cheap notebook (ASUS AMD 1GHz, 8 Gb RAM) for 265 Euro, only -- running Gentoo, of course. I've installed a private wireless network. So my wife can sit anywhere and she can still connect to our "family server" if she likes.
If I had to buy a monitor, graphics card, keyboard and a better power supply, that would have beeen more expensive. Furthermore the notebook solution is more flexible. Helmut. On 01/30/2012 12:29:37 AM, Grant wrote: > >> I'd like to have multiple users working from separate monitors, > >> keyboards, and mice, but all connected to a single Gentoo > computer. > >> The main purpose is to minimize sys admin duties but hardware and > >> power requirements would also be minimized. > >> > >> Apparently this is called "multiseat" and native support in Xorg > might > >> not be ready for primetime: > >> > >> http://wiki.x.org/wiki/Development/Documentation/Multiseat > >> http://vignatti.wordpress.com/2008/09/23/multiseat-roadmap > >> > >> There is a configuration tool for Xorg multiseat called MDM: > >> > >> http://wiki.c3sl.ufpr.br/multiseat/index.php/Mdm > >> > >> but from what I've read it isn't ideal. Besides Xorg multiseat > I've > >> read about LTSP and a few others: > >> > >> http://www.ltsp.org > >> http://www.thinstation.org > >> http://automseat.sourceforge.net > >> http://www.openthinclient.org > >> > >> There are also a lot of proprietary options. Is LTSP the way to > go? > > > > It may be, but as with all thin client models you would need a > terminal > > computer for each user. > > > > If you only have one machine and monitors, keyboards and mice for > each user > > then you'll need multiple video cards (and a strong power supply) > for your > > only PC. In this case something like > http://automseat.sourceforge.net may be > > more appropriate. However, I have not used anything like this set > up to offer > > an opinion on performance. > > > > At work we use thin clients running Debian to serve MSWindows > server > desktop > > and apps to users. This setup uses the Citrix ica protocol, but > I'm > thinking > > that FreeNX coupled with VNC or relevant KDE or Gnome remote > desktop > > implementation would probably work nicely and offer LAN and remote > connection > > security at the same time. > > -- > > Regards, > > Mick > > If I throw out installing a separate OS on a separate machine for > each > workstation and all of the proprietary thin-client protocols, I think > I have 3 options: > > 1. Connect monitors, USB keyboards, and USB mice directly to a server > with multiple video cards. I found a motherboard with 6 PCI-E slots: > > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128508 > > 6 video cards could be installed for 6 workstations if the server > goes > headless, and even more if multi-headed video cards are used. Xorg > requires some special configuration for this but this discussion from > 2010 sounds like it's something that is actually done: > > http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-836950-start-0.html > > These guys got it working in 2006: > > http://www.linuxgazette.net/124/smith.html > > 2. Set up a separate thin client for each workstation and run LTSP on > the server. This seems inferior to #1 because it requires setting up > and maintaining the LTSP server and client configuration, NFS, > xinetd, > tftp, dnsmasq, and PXE-boot. Bandwidth would also be limited > compared > to #1 and hardware and power requirements would be much greater. > > 3. Run a Plugable thin client for each workstation: > > http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004PXPPNA > > This likely requires running "Userful Multiseat Linux" on my server > which is only packaged up for Ubuntu. The Plugable thin client > connects to the server via USB 2.0 which makes me wonder if it could > be made to work without Userful Multiseat Linux as a USB video card > and input devices, but I imagine drivers for the video card and > bandwidth over USB could be a problem. > > I think #1 is the way to go but I'd love to hear anyone else's > opinion > on that. Has anyone here ever set up multiseat in Xorg? > > - Grant > > > > -- Helmut Jarausch Lehrstuhl fuer Numerische Mathematik RWTH - Aachen University D 52056 Aachen, Germany
