Hi Murray If I install OOo on a Linux or Wintel server in the computer room then make > it available to all users I see the potential to replace full function > Windows desktop computers with a much thinner client. But what does the > client need? > > My working days go back to "green screen" mainframe terminals where the > whole application ran on the central computer, all data was stored in the > data centre and the user's device simply displayed the results and collected > the keystrokes. The screen was "dumb", no buttons, no menus, no pull down > lists and no serious ability to present a "typeset" page with proportional > or variable height fonts or embedded graphics.
It sounds like you are talking about "thin client" architecture. There is a helpful article on it here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin_client In terms of Linux, you might want to have a look at the Linux Terminal Server project http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin_client and the Edubuntu project, which includes a thin client option, and is more geared for education http://www.edubuntu.org/ "Edubuntu is comprised of several key technologies, one of which is the Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP) which allows you to boot thin clients from an Edubuntu LTSP server. For educational environments, LTSP lowers hardware costs by enabling the use of older machines as thin clients, as well as reduced administration overhead by having only to install and maintain the software on the server. When a workstation fails, it can simply be replaced without data loss or reinstallation of the operating system." http://www.edubuntu.org/UsingEdubuntu There is a success story about a school that switched to Linux thin client architecture here http://www.reallylinux.com/docs/ltsp-oped.shtml I hope that gets you started on your search. Thin client architecture is something I haven't tried myself yet, but it sounds interesting, so I've looked into it a bit in the past. Adrian
