Anyone using HP T5735 Thin Client terminals?

[cookie_monster]

We have some and the supplier seem to be having a hard time locking them down, they say that the old model had some sort of tool kit but HP have now left this support to the open source community (apparently), they run Debian.

 

We basically want the to boot to a user that can only access the Citrix ICA client and that's all no ability to drop to a cmd shell or control panel options.

 

Is anyone here using these that can advise?

 

Cheers.

[nut-ed]

...are you saying anyone can simply pull up a command prompt and type

"rm *" and trash the operating system...?

 

... does it also mean they are not supporting the RDP client anymore, if HP aren't, (and Microsoft certainly don't support RDP on Linux) - who is responsible for developing new versions...?

[cookie_monster]

No you can use the FOSS RDP client and Citrix supply their version for Linux. No i don't think they can just trash the box but they can see and play with far to much, apparently there 'was' a GNOME lockdown kit on the old version (i've never seen the old version but the suppliers told me this) but this support doesn't exist from HP for the new version.

 

This is the first HP TS device i've seen which is why i need someone who has used one for some pointers.

[Ric_]

I have locked these down... I love them!!!

 

I'll stick my deployment scripts onto the wiki... check back soon.

 

Edit: Woops... mine are the t5725

[cookie_monster]

That is good news as we are about to end up with a room full

 

Cheers.

[Ric_]

OK... there is a wiki page at Altiris Deployment Scripts for HP thin clients - EduGeek.net Wiki and the tar.gz. file that I use is attached to here.

t5725_HPLinuxTCSettings.tar.gz

[cookie_monster]

I'll take a look Ric cheers.

[cookie_monster]

Ahhh The ones that we have are the T5735 and Novus seem to think they're different to the T5725 and are having trouble with them.

They don't have an problem with the 5725's as they have a few sites running them.

[Ric_]

All that the script does is copy the text files containing the config. The t5725 files that I have added are slightly different to the t5125 files because they use a different window manager (IceWM). IIRC I just hacked the IceWM config file in the user home directory.

 

The difference between the files used by the t5125 and t5725 can be seen by comparing the attached archive with that above.

hires_HPLinuxTCSettings.tar.gz

[Ric_]

I just had a look at the specs and the only thing that I can see being a problem is the graphics card - perhaps ATI use a strange location for their config?

 

You could always dump the contents of ALL of the config files within /etc and then compare these to the contents of /etc before customisation... echoing to a text file like in the scripts I posted should be sufficient and allow you to compare with simple tools.

[cookie_monster]

I'm going to get back in touch with the supplier and find out exactly what they think the issue is.

[Oops_my_bad]

Let us know how you get on.. looking to order a good 2 or so dozen of the 5735's!

[kesomir]

I have ~35 t5725, but I have flashed several to the debian 4 image (uses gnome instead of ice as before).

 

I set them to auto login as a restricted user and fire up the connection manager which goes full screen so they effectively boot to a terminal services screen.

 

The connection manager is configured (as root) to reload when exited, so if it crashes or is closed, it restarts.

 

There is a shortcut combination that can be used to minimise the screen and give them the gnome desktop, but as a restricted user, they can't do anything with it so not a prob in my eyes.

 

I also have a few setup the same way which boot to fullscreen kisok firefox which cannot be exited.

 

Hope the info helps - I think the image is the only difference between the models (it says t5735 on bootup with that image).

[cookie_monster]

So are you guys using Altiris Deployment Solution then? apparently a full license is included with each unit.

 

http://h20195.www2.hp.com/PDF/4AA1-7041EEE.pdf

 

 

More importantly do you have to buy the Altiris Deployment Solution?

 

 

SO HP the ThinState utility it is then by the looks of it.

Edited July 18, 2008 by cookie_monster

[cookie_monster]

HP don't seem to mention power management in the documentation and i can't find a way in Gnome to alter it, currently the unit never turns off but i'd like to set it to turn off if it's inactive. Is there a particular package that i need to get from the repository?

 

Cheers.

[Ric_]

@cookie_monster: A license for Altiris is included with the terminals - just download it from the Altiris website.

 

The great thing about the Linux-based terminals is that most of the config is just text files. You just configure one, copy the relevant config files to another one, reboot it and the job is done.

[localzuk]

As you seem to know what you're doing Ric, would it be possible to provide some form of basic tutorial on how to setup and use altiris?

[cookie_monster]

I must of misunderstood Ric i looked on the Symantec site and there seemed to be a charge for the server end i know there is a client licence with each unit, i'll take another look.

 

Could you elaborate on the location of these text files regarding power management?

 

I was planning on configuring one terminal and using the HP thinstate utility to deploy the image to the other units.

These are our first Debian thin client devices and the HP manual doesn't mention using config files at all. As localzuk

says it would be great if you could provide a few pointers, no rush

 

Thanks.

Edited July 22, 2008 by cookie_monster

[kesomir]

So are you guys using Altiris Deployment Solution then? apparently a full license is included with each unit.

 

http://h20195.www2.hp.com/PDF/4AA1-7041EEE.pdf

 

 

More importantly do you have to buy the Altiris Deployment Solution?

 

 

SO HP the ThinState utility it is then by the looks of it.

 

I use altiris with them - a client license is included with each of the thin clients - no further purchase necessary for the server component, and no annual fees. Theres a slighlty different download which is linked from HP.

[cookie_monster]

I'm looking on the HP site and it redirects to the same Symantec page, is this the product that i'm after "Deployment Solution for Clients 6.9 322 MB" ???

 

HP Compaq t5735 Thin Client- HP Compaq Thin Clients - Altiris License - c00872163 - HP Business Support Center

[Oops_my_bad]

So did you manage to get it locked down then in the end cookie_monster?

[Ric_]

@cookie_monster: The link ( Deployment Solution for HP Thin Clients - Altiris, Inc. ) on that page takes you to a download link for 'Deployment Solution'.

 

@localzuk: There already some information on the wiki at Altiris Deployment Scripts for HP thin clients - EduGeek.net Wiki There's more instructions in the script pack that I point to on the wiki.

 

As for power saving, what I tend to do is simply switch the machines off before I go home... a simple right-click can be used to WOL, power off and restart. Changing the client configuration (e.g. hostname, IP, etc.) is another right-click task. Everything else can be done by pushing bash scripts out to the terminals - these can be used for copying config files or even installing software!

 

There seems to be a few of us using these now and I think that sharing scripts and configs would be useful... please add to the wiki (or contact one of the wiki monkeys - FN-GreaterManchester or Edu-Tech).

[localzuk]

@localzuk: There already some information on the wiki at Altiris Deployment Scripts for HP thin clients - EduGeek.net Wiki There's more instructions in the script pack that I point to on the wiki.

 

Indeed. However, that doesn't actually mean anything to me as I have zero knowledge of Altiris, so don't know what to do with them... And the symantec site is a mess to find the right instruction manual.

[cookie_monster]

@ Oops_my_bad: I have been provided with a document on turning the unit into a kiosk mode which as far as i can tell opens firefox in full screen mode and then open the Citrix web connection. I was then going to use the HP thin state to deploy the clients using a USB drive.

 

I'm going to have look at Altiris as well to see how this works but i read that it's only worth setting up if you have hundreds of clients.

 

Ric is it worth me installing Altiris at the moment with only 30 units? I'm a bit short on time.

[Ric_]

@localzuk: Altiris is easy to use - there's nothing to break.

 

@cookie_monster: The manual makes out that installation is a lengthy process... it really isn't. 30 terminals is doable with Thinstate but watch that the terminals don't all end up with the same hostname. You'll also find it easier in the long run when it comes to re-imaging them (which you seem to need to do occasionally).