Chapter X6

Architectural Comparison

dministrators can choose from a variety of options with open source software. Open Sense Solutions makes when determining the structure of their server all of the software used in its custom solutions available Aarchitecture. This chapter compares architectural as open source. Support services from Canonical, Open approaches to open source public workstations, exploring Sense Solutions, and Userful that are mentioned below three distinct approaches and attempting to identify spe- are not free. cific advantages and disadvantages of each. All of these approaches should be considered viable options for any library that can live with using an open source operating system—that is to say, any library that doesn’t need to offer applications incompatible with the Linux or BSD This approach involves loading a Linux distribution like environments. When evaluating the issue of application Ubuntu on each workstation. General support services compatibility, it is important to consider the possibility are available from Canonical and other vendors. Custom of running some applications under Wine or the commer- Linux distributions, updating services, support, and ses- cially supported equivalent, CrossOver Linux. Whether sion and print job management are available from Open TechnologyLibrary Reports this is feasible depends on the specific applications to Sense Solutions and Userful. This approach would be be run and the number of them. It is also possible to appropriate for any library that puts a premium on work- run Windows applications in a VMware virtual server. station performance. However, this approach generally requires purchase of a Windows license, which reduces the cost savings possible. The approach you choose will depend on the applications Multi-user Workstation you want to run, the intended use of the workstations, and cost considerations. Decisions about server architec- This approach involves a non-LTSP multi-user worksta- ture affect system functionality and determine which fea- tion configuration based on Linux. The approach typically www.techsource.ala.org tures may be available, so it is extremely important to be involves configuring a workstation with multiple graph- fully informed before making a choice. ics cards and using a USB hub to connect a keyboard Note: Userful’s products are included in the compari- and mouse for each user. Groovix SLIM and Userful son in table 2 because they are based on Linux and other Multiplier both support up to ten users per workstation. free, open source software and because the applications This approach would be particularly appropriate for any on a Userful workstation are free and open source. Userful library that wants to reduce its carbon footprint without includes proprietary management tools with its products, dealing with the learning curve associated with LTSP. while the other solutions can be implemented wholly April 2009

25 Open Source Public Workstations in Libraries John Houser LTSP (Thin Client) work card with special BIOS, or they may they may con- sist of a standard PC running the LTSP client software. This approach involves running Linux applications using This approach is great for reducing a library’s carbon foot- a terminal connected to Linux or a server. Terminals may print or setting up limited-use or kiosk workstations and be dedicated devices that boot off the server using a net- probably offers the greatest potential cost savings.

Feature Linux Multi-User Workstation LTSP (Thin Client) Audio playback Free open source software Support for USB devices Requires a terminal that sup- is available, but proprietary including audio is included. ports sound. Free open source software supports more file This approach can support full software is available, but types. For this reason, Howard graphics, video, and audio supports County Library elects to use playback for each user. more file types. For this rea- RealPlayer, which is free but son, Howard County Library proprietary. elects to use RealPlayer, which is free but proprietary. Cost savings Free and Free operating system and Free operating system and application licenses. Linux runs application licenses. Multi-user application licenses. Terminals well on older hardware, so it configurations that support cost $200 to $400. An appro- may be possible to extend the multimedia generally fall priate server is likely to cost life of workstation hardware. between the cost of a thin between $1,000 and $5,000. client and that of a single- Some organizations run as user-per-workstation approach many as 50 users per server because they typically require (probably without support additional graphics cards in for audio). Thus, significant the workstation configuration. reductions in power and heat- Some reduction in heating/ ing/cooling costs are possible cooling costs and power is when using LTSP. possible depending on the number of users sharing a workstation. Internet filtering Open source software is avail- Open source software is avail- Open source software is avail- able for this purpose, but it able for this purpose, but it able for this purpose, but it requires significant technical requires significant technical requires significant technical skill to configure. Installers skills to configure. Installers skill to configure. Installers must be proficient in Linux must be proficient in Linux must be proficient in Linux command line, software instal- command line, software instal- command line, software instal- lation, and text file editing. lation, and text file editing. lation, and text file editing. Open Sense Solutions offers support for DansGuardian. A proprietary solution is avail- able from Userful.

April 2009 April Printer management, Most libraries using this ap- Open Sense Solutions recom- Most libraries using this ap- including job proach will probably find it mends and supports PaperCut, proach will probably find it management and necessary to use commercial a proprietary solution. A pro- necessary to use commercial support for printing software for this purpose. prietary solution is available software for this purpose. fees from Userful. Session A programmer at the A programmer at the A programmer at the management— Crawford County Federated Crawford County Federated Crawford County Federated booking and session Library System has written Library System has written Library System has written timeout open source software for this open source software for open source software for this www.techsource.ala.org purpose (libKi). Open Sense this purpose (libKi). Open purpose (libKi). Open Sense Solutions also offers an open Sense Solutions also offers an Solutions also offers an open source solution with its Groo- open source solution with its source solution with its Groo- vix product. Groovix product. A proprietary vix product. solution is also available from Userful. Library Technology ReportsLibrary Technology

26 Open Source Public Workstations in Libraries John Houser Feature Linux Multi-User Workstation LTSP (Thin Client) Software updates Linux OS updates are relatively Linux OS updates are relatively Terminals do not require soft- easy to automate, though they easy to automate, though they ware updates. All updates are do require some management. do require some management. handled once on the server. Some applications may have Some applications may have Linux OS updates are relatively to be updated manually. Best to be updated manually. Best easy to automate but require practices involve maintaining practices involve maintaining some management. Some and updating a standard OS and updating a standard OS applications may have to be image and pushing that out image and pushing that out updated manually. to individual workstations au- to individual workstations au- tomatically. Canonical, Open tomatically. Canonical, Open Sense Solutions, and Userful Sense Solutions, and Userful will handle this for a fee. will handle this for a fee. Support Commercial support is avail- Commercial support (probably Commercial support is avail- able from Canonical and oth- needed by most libraries and able, but not required. ers, but not required. required with Userful) is avail- able from Canonical, Open Sense Solutions, Userful, and others. USB device support, Available. Available. Depends on the terminal including thumb hardware. drives for user file storage User authentication Performing user authentica- Various open source options Performing user authentica- tion may require considerable are available. Open Sense tion may require considerable technical skill; however, sup- Solutions supports PAM, LDAP, technical skill; however, sup- port for various open source and SIP2. Userful supports port for various open source options is available from PAM, LDAP, SIP, SIP2, and options is available from Canonical and others. others. Canonical and others. Video display Works well if the codec is Video display possible when Requires a terminal that sup- supported by MPlayer. Other the workstation is configured ports sound. Video display proprietary codecs supported with a graphics card and/or possible, but probably not by RealPlayer. sound card for each user, but appropriate on a shared server may not be appropriate for due to performance issues. more than 2 or 3 users due to performance issues. Running Windows Wine allows users to run some Open Sense Solutions sup- Probably not appropriate on a applications under Windows applications under ports CrossOver, which is a LTSP terminal. Linux Linux. Not all applications will commercial version of Wine

work. Considerable technical that provides compatibility TechnologyLibrary Reports skill may be required to con- for some figure and support Wine. programs that do not have an open source alternative.

Table 2 www.techsource.ala.org April 2009

27 Open Source Public Workstations in Libraries John Houser