Subject:
Review required: NCD Thin Client with NFS and NCBridge Mini Howto
From:
Tabatha Persad ####@####.####
Date:
6 Dec 2002 17:38:35 -0000
Message-Id: <1039196433.3476.37.camel@mysticchild.dbsoftware.com>
Hi folks,
Is someone available to take a look at this recently submitted HOWTO,
and perform a review? If so, please contact me and let me know!
Thanks,
Tabatha
-----Forwarded Message-----
> From: Salvador Peralta ####@####.####
> To: Tabatha Persad ####@####.####
> Subject: Re: [Fwd: [Fwd: DRAFT: NCD Thin Client with NFS and NCBridge Mini Howto]]
> Date: 06 Dec 2002 08:34:27 -0800
>
> Hi Tabatha,
>
> Thanks for your timely response. I have been out with the flu for a few
> days, but I wanted to let you know that I am still updating the
> document. If you could pass a message along to the reviewer of my
> mini-howto suggesting that they grab the most recent version off of my
> site, it would be greatly appreciated.
>
>
> Salvador
>
> Tabatha Persad wrote:
>
> >Hi Salvador,
> >
> >It appears I forgot to hit "reply all" when I sent this message out!
> >Please read below, which was meant for you too!
> >
> >Thanks,
> >Tabatha Persad
> >
> >-----Forwarded Message-----
> >
> >
> >
> >>From: Tabatha Persad ####@####.####
> >>To: ####@####.####
> >>Subject: [Fwd: DRAFT: NCD Thin Client with NFS and NCBridge Mini Howto]
> >>Date: 04 Dec 2002 12:03:19 -0800
> >>
> >>Hi Salvador,
> >>
> >>Thanks for submitting this! I'm forwarding your message to the
> >>discussion list, and have a few basic recommendations as well. This is
> >>the area where you will get the most feedback on your work!
> >>
> >>I took a quick look via the link provided in your source file, and
> >>suggest that you add a copyright and license in there, such as the GFDL,
> >>to protect your work. More important, I noticed you have areas that
> >>could use the <screen> or <programlisting> tags, as they contain
> >>information a user would see on their screen. You will also want to
> >>rename the file to something less generic than "docbook" so that it can
> >>be better identified.
> >>
> >>Aside from that, you can gather some feedback here, and once that's
> >>done, we'll have you re-submit, and a reviewer go over it with you
> >>if/when it is to be added to the collection!
> >>
> >>If you have any questions, please feel free to email me or the
> >>discussion group!
> >>
> >>Thank you,
> >>
> >>--
> >>Tabatha Persad
> >>Web: www.merlinmonroe.com
> >>Linux Documentation Project Review Coordinator (http://www.tldp.org)
> >>Gnu Writing Movement Contributor (http://gwm.gnu.org)
> >>Linux Counter Area Manager US:wa (http://counter.li.org)
> >>
> >>-----Forwarded Message-----
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>>From: Salvador Peralta ####@####.####
> >>>To: ####@####.####
> >>>Subject: DRAFT: NCD Thin Client with NFS and NCBridge Mini Howto
> >>>Date: 04 Dec 2002 09:41:09 -0800
> >>>
> >>>Attached is a draft of a mini-howto that I have been working on. As
> >>>always, your feedback is appreciated.
> >>>
> >>>--
> >>>Salvador Peralta
> >>>Systems Administrator
> >>>Mark O. Hatfield Library
> >>>Willamette University
> >>>http://www.willamette.edu/~speralta
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>----
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>><!DOCTYPE article PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook V4.1//EN">
> >>>
> >>><article lang="en">
> >>><articleinfo>
> >>> <title>NCD Thin Client with NFS and NCBridge Mini Howto</title>
> >>> <author>
> >>> <firstname>Salvador</firstname>
> >>> <surname>Peralta</surname>
> >>> <othername role="mi">J.</othername>
> >>> <affiliation>
> >>> <address>
> >>> <email>speralta@willamette dot edu</email>
> >>> </address>
> >>> </affiliation>
> >>> </author>
> >>>
> >>> <revhistory>
> >>> <revision>
> >>> <revnumber>0.1 pre release</revnumber>
> >>> <date>2002-11-26</date>
> >>> <authorinitials>sjp</authorinitials>
> >>> </revision>
> >>> </revhistory>
> >>>
> >>> <abstract>
> >>> <para>
> >>> This document descusses how to connect an NCD Xterminal to a Linux host using XFree86, NCBridge, and NFS.
> >>> </para>
> >>> </abstract>
> >>></articleinfo>
> >>><sect1 id="Section1">
> >>><title>Introduction</title>
> >>><para>
> >>>This document describes how to set up a Network Computing Devices X Terminal with Linux using NCBridge and NFS. The most current version can be obtained from http://www.willamette.edu/~speralta/tldp/xterm.
> >>></para>
> >>><para>
> >>>This discussion is valid for Network Computing Devices (NCD) Network Computers using nc900, nc500, and nc350 and has been tested in a production environment utilizing Redhat 7.3, 7.1, 6.3, and 6.1. If you are able to utilize these instructions, with or without modification on other distributions, please let us know about your experiences.
> >>></para>
> >>><para>
> >>>Other sources of documentation for X Terminal set up and maintenance include the NCD X Terminal Mini HOWTO which describes how to install NCD Thinclients using ThinStar and tFTP, the X Windows Overview HOWTO which describes the X Windows environment, and the XDM-Xterm Mini HOWTO which provides a detailed description of XDM configuration.
> >>></para>
> >>><para>
> >>>If the recommendations described here do not work in your Linux or NCD environment which utilizes NCBridge and NFS, please let us know.
> >>></para>
> >>></sect1>
> >>><sect1 id="Section2">
> >>><title>Software Installation</title>
> >>><sect2 id="server">
> >>><title>Server Software</title>
> >>><para>
> >>>You will want to get the latest release of the following packages: Xfree86-font-utils, Xfree86-libs, Xfree86-devel, Xfree86, Xfree86-truetype-font, Xfree86-xdm, Xfree86-base-fonts, nfs-utils, fvwm2, fvwm2-icons. Assuming that you are using an rpm-based distribution like Redhat, you can use 'rpm -Uvh (packagename)' to install the tools and 'rpm -qa | grep -i (some portion of the packagename e.g., xfree)' to verify that the packages are installed on your system. Alternately, you can use a graphical front end to rpm such as gnoRPM to verify that the required packages are installed on your system. For debian-based systems, or for Gentoo, please consult your system documentation on apt-get and portage, respectively.
> >>></para>
> >>><para>
> >>>Please note, we have experienced problems with XFree86 version 4.1-13 which is the default version distributed with Redhat 7.1. It is recommended that you upgrade your version of Xfree86 to version 4.1-25 or greater.
> >>></para>
> >>></sect2>
> >>><sect2 id="client">
> >>><title>NCBridge Software</title>
> >>><para>
> >>>As of the date this document was written ( 11/26/2002 ), the latest version of NCBridge is 4.0 patch version 11. It is recommended that you update your version of NCBridge to version 4.0, patch version 11. The patches are available as a free download at ftp://ftp.ncd.com/pub/nwd/NCBridge/Patches/V4.0.
> >>></para>
> >>><para>
> >>>The NCBridge patches are distributed with a shell utility which may not work in all environments. Our recommended method for patching a non-standard environment is to simply untar the patch into a temporary directory and copy the updates for your version of the operating system ( e.g., nc900 ) into the boot path for your terminals.
> >>></para>
> >>></sect2>
> >>></sect1>
> >>><sect1 id="configuration">
> >>><title>Software Configuration</title>
> >>><para>Now that the required software is installed, we need to do the following: Configure NFS to mount the fonts and Operating Systems for our thin client workstations, configure XFree86 to provide remote display access, and configure our Xsession to deliver our choice of window manager to our client systems.
> >>></para>
> >>><sect2 id="xsession">
> >>><title>Configuring the Xsession</title>
> >>><para>
> >>>Assuming that you are running XDM as opposed to gdm or kdm, on most systems, the global configuration which controls many of the behaviours of an X Session including logging, local configurations, and paths to default user and system resources is in /etc/X11/xdm/Xsession.
> >>></para>
> >>><para>
> >>>The primary change that we need to make in this configuration file is to remove global window manager configurations for the x environment. This is one way of ensuring that defaults are set on a per user, rather than a global basis. In order to take advantage of this modification, we need to make sure and have a .xsession file in the user's home directory.
> >>></para>
> >>><para>
> >>>On Redhat 7.1 and 7.3, that change means deleting or commenting out a portion of the configuration which should look like this when you are done:
> >>></para>
> >>><para>
> >>><simplelist type="vert" columns="1">
> >>><member># now, we see if xdm/gdm/kdm has asked for a specific environment</>
> >>><member>#case $# in</>
> >>><member>#1)</>
> >>><member># case $1 in</>
> >>><member># failsafe)</>
> >>><member># exec xterm -geometry 80x24-0-0</>
> >>><member># ;;</>
> >>><member># gnome)</>
> >>><member># exec gnome-session</>
> >>><member># ;;</>
> >>><member># kde|kde1)</>
> >>><member># exec /usr/share/apps/switchdesk/Xclients.kde</>
> >>><member># ;;</>
> >>><member># kde2)</>
> >>><member># exec /usr/share/apps/switchdesk/Xclients.kde2</>
> >>><member># ;;</>
> >>><member># anotherlevel)</>
> >>><member># # we assume that switchdesk is installed.</>
> >>><member># exec /usr/share/apps/switchdesk/Xclients.anotherlevel</>
> >>><member># ;;</>
> >>><member># esac</>
> >>></simplelist>
> >>></para>
> >>><para>
> >>>And that's it. Please note, this document only scratches the surface on XDM configuration. Please consult the appropriate HOWTO for more information on XDM configuration.
> >>></para>
> >>></sect2>
> >>><sect2 id="xaccess">
> >>><title>Configuring Xaccess</title>
> >>><para>
> >>>Xaccess is a file which determines which hosts can make XDMCP connections to the Xfree86 server. Configuration changes needed here basically involve simply restricting global access to the xserver for security reasons and adding individual authorized hosts by ip address. Assuming that you are allowing multiple clients to log on, your configuration should look something like this:
> >>></para>
> >>><para>
> >>><simplelist type="vert" columns="1">
> >>><member>#* #any host can get a login window</>
> >>><member>158.104.2.159</>
> >>><member>158.104.5.91</>
> >>><member>158.104.3.229</>
> >>><member>158.104.3.228</>
> >>><member>158.104.2.217</>
> >>></simplelist>
> >>></para>
> >>></sect2>
> >>><sect2 id="host">
> >>><title>Configuring Host Access</title>
> >>><para>
> >>>If you are not running terminals from a DNS server and/or are not allocating IP addresses using DHCP, you will need to add an entry for each X Terminal in /etc/hosts.
> >>></para>
> >>></sect2>
> >>><sect2 id="xsession2">
> >>><title>Configuring the Local .xsession File</title>
> >>><para>
> >>>The .xsession file is where we will specify local settings for xwindows, especially which window manager and keybindings to use. One way to create a generic user configuration which can be applied to multiple host machines is to provide each host machine with its own space under a single user account. We need to provide for the case of the local console as well as for each remote host.
> >>></para>
> >>><para>
> >>>Somewhere near the top of your .xsession configuration file, seperate out workspaces for remote terminals by adding the following code which creates a sperate workspace and home directory for each terminal connecting as this user:
> >>></para>
> >>><para>
> >>><simplelist type="vert" columns="1">
> >>><member>if [ $DISPLAY = ":0" ] || [ $DISPLAY = ":0.0" ]; then</>
> >>><member> XTERMNAME=console</>
> >>><member> xmodmap .local-x-keymaps</>
> >>><member>else</>
> >>><member> XTERMNAME=`echo $DISPLAY | cut -f1 -d":"`</>
> >>><member> xmodmap .remote-x-keymaps</>
> >>><member>fi</>
> >>><member>export XTERMNAME</>
> >>><member>export HOME=$HOME/$XTERMNAME</>
> >>></simplelist>
> >>></para>
> >>><para>
> >>>To specify the desktop manager environment that you will be using ( in our case, FVWM ), and to call configurations, simply run the executable for the desktop manager of choice with the appropriate configuration options after all other preferences have been set. For example:
> >>></para>
> >>><para>
> >>><simplelist type="vert" columns="1">
> >>><member> if [ -d $HOME ]; then</>
> >>><member> fvwm2 -f /home/guest/.fvwm/themes-rc</>
> >>><member> fi</>
> >>></simplelist>
> >>></para>
> >>><para>
> >>>One advantage to seperating out user configurations into subdirectories based on the hostnames of terminals that will be connecting to your server is that it enables you to specify different kinds of desktops avaialable to each client machine based on their hostname. For example, if you want to deploy a telnet kiosk rather than a browser kiosk but retain the guest access, you can execute a different version of your window manager with different configuration options by simply calling your window manager with a different configuration option then simply look for the presence of a .file which reflects the kind of system that you wish to deploy.
> >>></para>
> >>><para>
> >>><simplelist type="vert" columns="1">
> >>><member>export TELNET=$HOME/.telnet</>
> >>><member></>
> >>><member>if [ -f $TELNET ]; then</>
> >>><member> fvwm2 -f /home/guest/.fvwm/.telnetfvwm2rc</>
> >>><member>else</>
> >>><member>if [ -d $HOME ]; then</>
> >>><member> fvwm2 -f /home/guest/.fvwm/themes-rc</>
> >>><member>fi</>
> >>></simplelist>
> >>></para>
> >>></sect2>
> >>></sect1>
> >>><sect1 id="hardware">
> >>><title>Client Configuration</title>
> >>><sect2 id="firmware">
> >>><title>Tek Setup</title>
> >>><para>
> >>>This section describes client-specific Tek Setup configuration options for nc systems. The Tek Setup menu is constant across nc 350, nc 500, and nc 900. In order to utilize the Client Side Tek Setup, the "save current settings" option needs to be enabled in the xp.cnf file.
> >>></para>
> >>><para>
> >>>The tek Setup menu is used to provide client side configuration parameters relating to the setup of client, network, and xserver. The system configuration menu has 5 top-level choices:
> >>></para>
> >>><para>
> >>><orderedlist>
> >>><listitem><para>Setup</para></listitem>
> >>><listitem><para>Console</para></listitem>
> >>><listitem><para>Lock Screen</para></listitem>
> >>><listitem><para>TekHost Menu</para></listitem>
> >>><listitem><para>Host Connections</para></listitem>
> >>></orderedlist>
> >>></para>
> >>><para>
> >>>This document only addresses "typical" options that we use within our environment from the "Setup" configuration menu. Those options include "Configuration Summaries" and "Network Tables and Utilities".
> >>></para>
> >>><para>
> >>>Within the Configuration Summaries menu option, there are 3 primary submenus:
> >>></para>
> >>><para>
> >>>Boot:
> >>><simplelist>
> >>><member>Primary Boot Method: NFS # Common values are NFS and tFTP</>
> >>><member>Boot Host Name # Host name of NFS server with boot image and configurations</>
> >>><member>Boot Path # Path to boot information</>
> >>></simplelist>
> >>></para>
> >>><para>
> >>>TCP/IP:
> >>><simplelist>
> >>><member>NC-Name: # Host name of X Client</>
> >>><member>NC IP Address: # IP Address of X Client</>
> >>><member>Subnet Mask # Netmask</>
> >>><member>Name Server (1,2) # DNS</>
> >>></simplelist>
> >>></para>
> >>><para>
> >>>X Environment:
> >>><simplelist>
> >>><member>Host Connect Method # XDMCP Direct or Host Menu</>
> >>><member>Primary XDMCP Server: Hostname or IP Address</>
> >>></simplelist>
> >>></para>
> >>><para>
> >>>Word of Note, in order for configuration changes to take effect, most fields require that an EOL character be tryped before exiting field. All settings should be saved to NVRAM before resetting terminals or rebooting the client system.
> >>></para>
> >>></sect2>
> >>></sect1>
> >>><sect1 id="Conclusion">
> >>><title>Conclusion</title>
> >>><para>
> >>>This document has addressed most of the common client and server options associated with setting up Tektronix thin clients utilizing NCBridge software to mount over NFS. Questions of suggestions for improvement should be sent to the maintainer of this document who can be contacted at the email address at the top.
> >>></para>
> >>></sect1>
> >>></article>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>----
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>---------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>>To unsubscribe, e-mail: ####@####.####
> >>>For additional commands, e-mail: ####@####.####
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >>______________________
> >>http://lists.tldp.org/
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> Salvador Peralta
> Systems Administrator
> Mark O. Hatfield Library
> Willamette University
> http://www.willamette.edu/~speralta
>
>
>
>
>
--
Tabatha Persad
Web: www.merlinmonroe.com
Linux Documentation Project Review Coordinator (http://www.tldp.org)
Gnu Writing Movement Contributor (http://gwm.gnu.org)
Linux Counter Area Manager US:wa (http://counter.li.org)
