Hi Senthil,

Great initiative on your part.  Wish you success in the project.

You can take two approaches, both will require a "desktop" installation 
to act as a server for the thin clients.

See my response below.

On Friday 20 Mar 2009, senthilraja P wrote:

> i have 4 older system (200 to 500 mhz) with me, and would like to use
> that as thin client for the computer center that i propose to set in
> my village. I am planning to use Ubuntu Server for this.

There is no need to install Ubuntu Server, instead you need a "central 
desktop server".  Install Ubuntu desktop with all the possible 
applications that you think will be useful.  This will act as 
the "desktop server" for your thin clients.

> I am doing 
> this in my village, to set it as a small village information center
> (with internet), and also as a center for teaching basics of open
> source to the school students.  (few college going students are also
> there).

Fantastic.

> Since i dont have experience in setting up think client, i would like
> to know, if we can run GUI applications in the thin client, or
> whether we can use only command line interface.  Is it possible to
> run Mozilla browser?  If so,can we install Ubuntu Desktop in those
> thin clients?

There is no need for a Ubuntu desktop on the thin client - the desktop 
on the thin client is a remote display of the desktop running on 
the "desktop server" with the Ubuntu desktop.

The two approaches for thin clients:

a) The thin client boots off of the network card - PXE boot.  The 
Ubuntu "desktop server" is also configured to respond to thin clients 
and bring up the desktop on thin client display.  For more info see the 
LTSP website www.ltsp.org.  Ubuntu has the LTSP packages.  I have not 
had much success with this method but IIRC, some members on this list 
have implemented such a solution.

b) The thin client has a small Linux installation loaded on a compact 
flash or usb disk or cdrom.  The client boots off this image with the 
necessary network, X display software.  It can then remote a display 
from the "desktop server" via X, TightVNC etc.  Read more at 
http://www.thinstation.org.

Figure cost (include time to deploy) v/s functionality and choose.

> I am doing this as pilot project with hardwardes available with me.. 
> Based on the outcome, i am planning to setup such a lab in the
> primary goverrnment school in my village.

Please keep us posted with your progress.

HTH
-- 
Arun Khan

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