Thin Client PXE boot

[fil_b]

Hi

 

I am trying to set up a thin client to boot to a VDi

 

I have found some information about thinstation and 2x products and also i have been given advice about modifying the XPe shell to boot the thin client up to the broker. But its just really confused me where i need to start looking with setting this up.

 

Problem i am having is i dont know where to start with setting up the TC.

 

i have HP t5720 and they have XPe on them.

 

do i just set the TC up to pxe boot to something?

 

I have other servers that use pxe boot for imaging via ghost and altris, so how would this effect the pxe boot??

 

i have ESX and virtual centre setup on my network to work the VDi

 

thanks for any advice

 

fil

[tmcd35]

Unless they are in seperate VLAN's/IP ranges I don't think you can have more than 1 PXE boot server on a network (others may know for sure - or workarounds). So if you are already using PXE to boot to an imaging server (RIS/alteris/etc) then I don't think you'll be able to do this.

 

Not sure why you are PXE booting though?

 

Surely you just need to load the VDI client on to XPe (assuming you found one) and set the TC to auto run the client on boot.

 

If you cant find a XPe client then there is a free Linux client available that you may be able to incorporate into a ThinStation image and load that image onto the TC in place of XPe.

[Geoff]

Depends on your DHCP server. ISC DHCPD can work based on 'rules' such as the Vendor ID or Client ID and distinguish between clients based on that.

[fil_b]

Unless they are in seperate VLAN's/IP ranges I don't think you can have more than 1 PXE boot server on a network (others may know for sure - or workarounds). So if you are already using PXE to boot to an imaging server (RIS/alteris/etc) then I don't think you'll be able to do this.

 

Not sure why you are PXE booting though?

 

Surely you just need to load the VDI client on to XPe (assuming you found one) and set the TC to auto run the client on boot.

 

If you cant find a XPe client then there is a free Linux client available that you may be able to incorporate into a ThinStation image and load that image onto the TC in place of XPe.

 

Hi TMCD35

 

how would i get the XPe to run the client on boot??

 

where or what would i modify?

 

Thanks

 

Fil

[tmcd35]

Unfortunately only guesses based on previous HP TC's I've used and general Windows usage. My current HP TC's are XPe machines but the last NM re-imaged them with a ThinStation build.

 

I would guess either...

 

There's a HP connection management tool that set's how the TC's are to behave. Once you've loaded the VDI client on to XPe I'd guess at it appearing in here for you to select.

 

or

 

Is there a 'Startup' folder in the XPe start menu? maybe you could drop a shortcut to the VDI client - or the VDI clients config file(?) - in here?

[fil_b]

Unfortunately only guesses based on previous HP TC's I've used and general Windows usage. My current HP TC's are XPe machines but the last NM re-imaged them with a ThinStation build.

 

I would guess either...

 

There's a HP connection management tool that set's how the TC's are to behave. Once you've loaded the VDI client on to XPe I'd guess at it appearing in here for you to select.

 

or

 

Is there a 'Startup' folder in the XPe start menu? maybe you could drop a shortcut to the VDI client - or the VDI clients config file(?) - in here?

 

you got a link to the Thinstation build you used??

 

i look at the HP Connection management tool also

 

tar

 

Fil

[tmcd35]

Links in this thread here (about post 4)

 

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/thin-client-virtual-machines/38153-looking-change.html

 

I never set up ThinStation on these TC's here (although I have setup/used ThinStation before) the last NM did it. From what a remember the website takes you through a customisation process and spits out a suitable image at the other end. All wizard based.

 

Not sure how/if you can add an additional third party binary to the image. But if you can then a free VDI for linux binary is available - see same thread link above.

[fil_b]

Links in this thread here (about post 4)

 

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/thin-client-virtual-machines/38153-looking-change.html

 

I never set up ThinStation on these TC's here (although I have setup/used ThinStation before) the last NM did it. From what a remember the website takes you through a customisation process and spits out a suitable image at the other end. All wizard based.

 

Not sure how/if you can add an additional third party binary to the image. But if you can then a free VDI for linux binary is available - see same thread link above.

 

I like the thought of having the linux boot to the VDI

 

looking on the thinstation site i found

 

:: Thinstation - a light, full-featured Linux thin client OS ::

 

this has some images on or do i need something for the XPe i have on the t5720??

 

tar

 

Fil

[localzuk]

I run a specific PXE server, which allows me to send different boot images to different machines based on MAC address. This came with Ghost in the 3COM PXE/TFTPd stuff. I don't use the 3com tftpd server though.