[K12OSN] Re: Making donations work better (was: Pentium 166 mHz Machines as Clients?)

[Steven Santos]

> Dennis Daniels wrote:
> 
> > A plea from a teacher in the treches: make it easier to get older 
> > machines, random NICS and ancient monitors into use as clients is a 
> > good thing for schools; something that Aunt Tilly the Teacher, and I, 
> > can use.   ;)

To which TP replied:

> OK, you got it.  Note:  I am emphatically *not* talking about fat 
> clients here.  I mean thin clients.  You'll see here in a minute...

<snipped TP's step-by-step instructions>

While most of us on the list can do this, Aunt Tilly the teacher will NEVER
be able to make use of these instructions (try asking Aunt Tilly what a 
"3C905" is). 

No, what we really need is a diagnostics CD (ala KNOPIX) that will boot the 
terminal as a semi-fat client, connect to the LTSP server, output all of the 
correct config options for that terminal's lts.conf entry (maybe even auto 
add the entry in lts.conf?) a link to the proper rom-o-matic image and maybe 
a nice script to create a boot floppy/HD boot image from the ROM image.

If we had such an uber utility, then Aunt Tilly might be able to make it 
work without the need for an IT guru to install each and every new donated
terminal.  Just pop in the diag CD, enter the proper password (to add it to
lts.conf), click on the r-o-m button if needed, and your done.

Best part is that such a utility would also be useful to IT people. How much 
time would this utility save you every month?  Food for thought.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steven Santos

Email : Steven at StevenSantos.com 
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