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| The Edubuntu Addon CD |
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Hardware Requirements |
Table of Contents
Edubuntu Server is almost the same thing as Edubuntu Workstation. It contains all the same great educational programs, and the same ease of use. The only difference is that it also installs, by default, a thin client environment.
The Edubuntu community has worked very closely with the Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP), to come up with the next generation thin client solution for GNU/Linux. It comes automatically installed on an Edubuntu server, so you can begin setting up a thin client school lab right out of the box.
Thin client computing has been around for a long time in the UNIX world. Although the implementation has evolved quite a bit, the concept has remained the same:
The thin client only takes care of the basic functions like display, keyboard, mouse and sound.
The server does the heavy weightlifting. All the applications run on the server, and they simply display on the thin client.
Because the thin clients have a limited number of tasks to manage, the hardware for the thin client can be small and cheap. The thin clients themselves are basically maintenance free. They last longer because they have no storage with moving parts like hard disks. If they break no data is lost since nothing is stored on the client itself. Simply swap the client with another one and go back to work. If your thin client is stolen or put in the trash, no data ends up in the hands of unauthorized people.
The terminal server runs all applications and contains all the data. All the regular maintenance (software updates, administration) takes place on the terminal server. The number of thin clients that a terminal server can support is proportional to the power of the server. Because GNU/Linux in general, and Edubuntu in particular, make efficient use of resources, you can support a surprising number of thin clients from a machine which might only be considered a powerful single user system running other operating systems. Please see the section called “Edubuntu Server requirements” for more details.
In a thin client computing environment, the stability of the server is important. It's important to make sure that your server has good power management, like installing a UPS, and depending on how much availability is required, redundant power supplies may be called for. As well, users who have the resources may decide to invest in multiple disks for RAID support, and other options which may be needed in a High Availability environment. However, you certainly don't need them in all environments, and Edubuntu's high quality means that in all but the most demanding environments, this won't be needed.
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| The Edubuntu Addon CD |
|
Hardware Requirements |