On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 22:28, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > is there a linux alternative for thin clients , e.g. X window system, and a > windows > > > emulator , and using a common data directory in wine with md2 (
Four years ago when I bought the practice in Dorrigo I "inherited" 5 years worth of patient records in MDW. First thing I did was setting up a Linux server, installing the Win4Lin TS emulation layer, installing a Win98SE image within the Win4Lin emulation, and using Linux desktops as clients in every room, accessing the "Windows" sessions running on the server via ssh forwarded X sessions (command "ssh -X <room>@my.server win"). I had the windows sessions configured per *room* and not per user, because that way the local printers (and scanners, via SANE->TWIN bridge !) never needed to be reconfigured If I need a new server, I simply install Mepis Linux - a distro with Win4Lin pre-patched kernel (takes about 10 minutes on a spanking new server from the time you switch it on first time ever), install Win4Lin (takes about a minute via Internet, no more), insert my backup CD, run a single command from it that creates a virtual user for each room and copies the corresponding "Windows" images into each users home directory, which takes another 5 minutes. All in all I can say that it honestly takes no longer than 20 minutes from the time I unwrap a brand new server with blank unformatted harddisk until it is set up in a way that I can just plug *any* computer capable of running the X protocol into our network, log in onto the new server as the room you are sitting in, and everything works automagically without any need for configuration (if you have a standalone print server in each room), else you need to create a script that - downloads printer configuration (cups.conf and smb.conf) - restarts cups and samba daemons - then starts X session (all of this might take 2 seconds, no more) I always have locums dropping jaws when they can just plug in their own laptop, put in a Knoppix CD, boot from it - and 3 minutes later they are writing and printing scripts without configuring anything after typing in a single command, and nothing gets installed on their computers either. To them, it is pure magic. To me, it just simplifies network administration to the extreme. Horst _______________________________________________ Gpcg_talk mailing list [email protected] http://ozdocit.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gpcg_talk
