A HEMISPHERIC INITIATIVE Thin Client Computing Installation Manual Prepared by: Amos Becker Batto email: amosbatto AT yahoo DOT com web: http://www.ciber-runa.net/serendipity Managed by: The Center of Information and Communication Technology for Development CETIC.BO/Quipus Foundation of Bolivia www.quipusbolivia.org World Computer Exchange of North America www.worldcomputerexchange.org With Financial Support from: The International Development Research Center IDRC www.idrc.ca The Institute for Connectivity in the Americas - ICA www.icamericas.net License: This work is public domain and may be freely copied, modified, and redistributed. For more information, see: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/ La Paz – Bolivia August, 2007 Table of Contents 1. Introduction.................................................................................................................................... 4 2. Hardware to set up a thin client network.....................................................................................6 2.1. Buying the server..................................................................................................................... 6 2.1.1. Recommended requirements for a thin client server .................................................... 8 2.1.2. Example servers:..........................................................................................................10 2.2. Obtaining thin clients.............................................................................................................12 2.2.1. Dedicated thin clients...................................................................................................13 2.2.2. Miniature ITX computers............................................................................................ 14 2.2.3. Reusing old computers ................................................................................................15 2.2.4. Buying used computers................................................................................................15 2.2.4.1. RAM................................................................................................................... 16 2.2.4.2. Graphics cards and sound cards..........................................................................16 2.2.4.3. USB.................................................................................................................... 16 2.2.4.4. Network Interface Card (NIC)............................................................................17 2.2.5. Diskless thin clients..................................................................................................... 17 2.2.5.1. Thin clients which boot from local harddrive.................................................... 17 2.3. Networking hardware............................................................................................................ 18 2.3.1. Networking two computers..........................................................................................18 2.3.2. Networking three or more computers.......................................................................... 19 2.3.3. Network speed............................................................................................................. 19 2.3.4. Rules for using repeaters with 10BaseT and 100BaseTX ......................................... 20 2.3.5. Expanding an existing network....................................................................................21 2.3.6. Networking over the internet....................................................................................... 21 2.3.7. High bandwidth networks in the future....................................................................... 21 2.4. Scaling up your network........................................................................................................ 22 2.4.1. Checking CPU and memory usage.............................................................................. 23 2.4.2. Network load balancing............................................................................................... 24 3. Microsoft Windows thin clients...................................................................................................26 3.1. Windows Terminal Services..................................................................................................26 3.1.1. Windows Server 2003..................................................................................................26 3.1.2. RDP 6 in Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista clients......................................27 3.1.3. Working with older Windows machines..................................................................... 27 3.2. Alternatives to Windows Server 2000/2003/2008.................................................................28 3.3. Installation Requirements for Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003................ 29 3.4. Thin client requirements........................................................................................................ 32 3.5. Setting up Terminal Services in Windows Server 2003........................................................ 32 3.5.1. Licensing......................................................................................................................34 3.6. Configuring the Terminal Server...........................................................................................35 3.6.1. Terminal Services Manager......................................................................................... 35 2.6.1.1. Terminal Services Configuration........................................................................36 3.7. Using Terminal Services in the Client ..................................................................................39 3.7.1. Remote Desktop Connection (RDC)........................................................................... 39 3.7.2. Using the command line.............................................................................................. 40 3.7.3. Automatic logins..........................................................................................................40 3.7.4. Fixing Login Problems ............................................................................................... 41 3.7.5. Logging off.................................................................................................................. 43 3.8. Using Terminal Services from a Web Client.........................................................................43 3.8.1. Enabling ActiveX with Internet Explorer....................................................................44 3.8.2. Installing ActiveX in FireFox, SeaMonkey, Mozilla Suite, Netscape or Opera..........45 3.8.3. Logging in to a Windows Terminal with a web client................................................ 46 3.9. Windows Diskless Thin Clients.............................................................................................46 3.9.1. Installing Thinstation 2.2 in a Windows terminal server.............................................47 3.9.1.1. Installing Thinstation on the server.................................................................... 48 3.9.1.2. Configuring Thinstation..................................................................................... 48 3.9.1.3. Choosing different sessions................................................................................ 49 3.9.1.4. Creating configurations for individual thin clients.............................................50 3.9.1.5. Setting up the TFTP and DHCP server.............................................................. 50 3.9.2. Booting the thin client..................................................................................................51 3.9.2.1. Making an EtherBoot floppy for 30 different types of NICs in MS Windows.. 51 3.9.2.2. Creating an EtherBoot CD..................................................................................51 4. GNU/Linux thin clients................................................................................................................ 53 4.1. Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP)................................................................................. 54 4.1.1. Edubuntu......................................................................................................................56 4.1.2. Xubuntu....................................................................................................................... 58 4.1.3. SkoleLinux...................................................................................................................59 4.1.4. K12LTSP..................................................................................................................... 60 4.1.5. AbulÉdu ..................................................................................................................... 60 4.2. Choosing the Windows Manager for GNU/Linux.................................................................60 4.2.1. Heavy windows managers........................................................................................... 61 4.2.2. Light windows managers............................................................................................. 61 4.2.3. Extremely light windows managers.............................................................................62 4.3 Getting support for LTSP......................................................................................................