Hi there fellow PLUGgers,
Here's a copy of a post I sent to the VNC mailing list. I don't know if
it's comprehensible, but if it is and someone out there has got help for
me, please reply. Thanks! :)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2000 11:33:24 +0800 (PHT)
From: Federico Sevilla III <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Virtual Network Computing Mailing List <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: VNC for Application Server <-> Thin Client setup
Hi there everyone!
I'm not so new to VNC in the sense that I've already used it before
primarily to be able to control my Windows computers from my Linux box and
vise versa. I need some help for this plan of mine that I can't seem to
find a concrete setup for, though. I hope some of you can help. Please be
patient with me, I'd consider myself a newbie as far as this is concerned.
The LAN I administrate has one Linux box which is primarily a dataserver
using Samba for the rest of the clients which run Windows. I want to move
from this scheme to something like this:
[ Linux Server(s) ] [ Thin Clients ]
[Single or a small farm of] <-------> [ Barebones Linux installation ]
[ Applications, Data ] [ Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor, User]
Initially I was going to find a way to set up remote X, with a login
prompt at each client. All applications will be run on the server. Then I
checked VNC out. The benefits with using VNC are it's smaller, and the
users don't have to log off when they're done or someone has to use a
machine. However, I do not know if and how this can be implemented. Some
particulars I've stumbled on:
1. How do I handle the login/passwords? Should the users log in via the
standard Linux login prompt / getty and then get a shell? I could let X
start by default and then in turn vncviewer run by the X session (local)
as the only program and utilizing the entire viewable area.
2. How do I set up the VNCserver sessions in the server? I'll need each
user to have an Xvnc session up and running for as long as I want session
data to be retained. How do I do this? Also, VNC doesn't "know" sessions
by their user/password but simply by a password supplied at VNCserver
startup and the VNCserver ID number (or whatever you call it). Hmm?
3. If I get this to work, is centralizing the processing and memory
requirements for a LAN of say 20 to 30 computers logical? Of course this
depends on what apps will be ran. Maybe we can start with say KDE +
StarOffice + Netscape for each user, with 20 users connected via a 100Mbps
switch to a server running a 500 to 600MHz i686 with 512MB of RAM and SCSI
RAID.
My objective with coming up with this kind of a setup is that (1) it's
easier to upgrade. I don't have to go around and deal with all sorts of
slow computers. (2) it's my chance to move this system to an almost
all-Linux setup, which has always been my dream. (3) this will allow us to
centralize our power and therefore utilize it better. imagine me working
when nobody else is around, hehehe. (4) If I can get this to work without
users having to cleanup their sessions before logging off (ie: they're all
suspended, upon log-in previous state of work is restored unless server
crashed) then I'll enable the users to work easier, too. Most of them
leave a computer running (our computers are in a bunk, nobody has personal
workstations) while they do something else so nobody else can use that
workstation. What a waste, at times, considering we don't have an
unlimited supply of computers. The fact that VNC can be accessed via a
whole slew of clients makes life even more exciting.
Unfortunately, I'm stuck at the basics. Getting the VNCserver sessions up,
and identifying the clients and then knowing which VNCserver session to
connect to.
I apologize if this post is rather abstract. I've got more to find out
than I have so I'd consider myself lost. I hope someone out there can help
me out. URLs, other cases similar to mine, questions to help refine how
I've stated my problem are welcome. Thanks a lot in advance! :)
---
Federico Sevilla III
Network Administrator
THE LEATHER COLLECTION, INC.
#15 Don Mariano Lim Industrial Complex, Alabang-Zapote Road
beside Toyota - Alabang, Las Pinas City 1740 PHILIPPINES
Ofc: +63 (2) 842-2261 [Trunk Line]
Fax: +63 (2) 842-2204
Apt: +63 (2) 523-8251 to 64 [loc 601]
Cel: +63 (919) 550-4216
-
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