Using Linux as a way of viewing flash websites on an iPad

[TraineeGeek]

Hi,

I've just begun working at a school that has purchased a class set of iPads, some of the Ed tools they'd like to use are on Flash websites, these websites work OK with Puffinbrowser (at home) but Puffinbrowser doesn't work through the LEA's firewall & web-filtering and the LEA don't look like doing anything about it. My idea is to put something like a VNC app on the iPad which opens a session on a Linux box where they can view the flash websites. Ideally the app would open a session and auto open firefox and not let them view anything else, has anyone tried anything like this? I'm also assuming the Linux box would need to be quite high spec if 15+ pupils are going to open a session simultaneously?

Many thanks

[dhicks]

Ideally the app would open a session and auto open firefox and not let them view anything else, has anyone tried anything like this?

 

Chrome has commandline options for starting in kiosk mode, which is what you want for it to stay on a given website. You'll need to get your Linux server integrated with Active Directory using Samba - the following thread might help:

 

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/nix/48032-configuring-samba.html

 

The thread consists of me fumbling around rather as I sort out various issues - I did actually manage to get Linux logins working nicely with Active Directory in the end.

 

I'm also assuming the Linux box would need to be quite high spec if 15+ pupils are going to open a session simultaneously?

 

I'd think so too - VNC isn't the most efficient of protocols around these days, and Flash isn't the most efficient of plugins, either. My guess is that this solution isn't really going to be very cost-efficient just to get some older websites working on the iPad.

[mats]

I'd investigate why puffinbrowser doesn't work within school and see if I could get a linux box to do something clever on the networking side. Much more elegant.