Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 23:13:34 +0200 From: Axel Scheepers <axel@axel.truedestiny.net> To: Bill Moran <wmoran@potentialtech.com> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: How to use FreeBSD & XFree86 to recycle old computers to use as X-terminals Message-ID: <20020425231334.J24392@mars.thuis> In-Reply-To: <3CC6CC5F.5040504@potentialtech.com>; from wmoran@potentialtech.com on Wed, Apr 24, 2002 at 11:16:47AM -0400 References: <3CC6CC5F.5040504@potentialtech.com>
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On Wed, Apr 24, 2002 at 11:16:47AM -0400, Bill Moran wrote: > The machine that is to be the server appears to be working. sockstat shows > xdm listening on ports 49152 and 177, while XF86_mach64 is listening on > 6000 and xconsole is also listening on 49152. I can log in locally and > everything is just peachy. Hi, I installed a couple of diskless terminals based on NetBSD a couple of months ago. The steps for FreeBSD shouldn't differ that much. I configured xdm on the server to only manage remote terminals, and installed lots of neat software on it I wanted the clients to use. I created a /usr/xterminals directory and installed a base client system for each client: /usr/xterminals/10.0.0.1/root/etc /dev ... /usr/xterminals/10.0.0.1/swapfile and so on. I made it available via /etc/exports to the clients. Since all my clients were pentium based and similar I also compiled a small kernel and wrote it to a floppy (mind the nfs_root options) to test it. It worked fine (e.g. booted and mounted swap and filesystems and showed login) so I installed the kernel in my /tftpboot directory so the clients could also boot completely diskless over the net. I modified each clients rc script to start X --inderect servername at the end, so the clients would start up X whenever they're booted and get a login from xdm on the server. It still works fine, as my mother and sister are both using xterminals for their mail/web browsing /editing(gimp:) and office work (staroffice). I thought there was a section on diskless booting in the handbook but I might be wrong. NetBSD has a nice section on it, FreeBSD should be quite similar. (except /etc/services which FreeBSD handles a bit differently the the rest) > The terminal is an old P133, when starting x locally it works fine, when > I config it per the above HOWTO - no dice. If I config xdm to start > at boot (via /etc/ttys) it gives me a login to the local machine only. > If I start X with a command like "/usr/X11R6/bin/X -query the.other.machine" > I get a completely blank X, no login or anything. I put a foreign entry in > Xservers like this: > 172.16.0.99:0 foriegn > and commented out the local entry, but it made no difference, I still get > a local login. Hmm, what happens when you do X --indirect server.domain? (You should enable it in your xdm config too, see the docs inside it) That should work fine, and is acceptable on a home network, whereas your gateway/firewall should block all acces to the used ports. > > Anyone have any better docs for me to read, or have some direct advice? > As usual, all help is greatly appreciated. I searched a lot using the following keywords: diskless x terminal howto old machines usefull Among the sites was a nice linux based one about a school project using Debian/GNU Linux for their old 486. They used local hardisks, as you. www.netbsd.org has also some information on it, which generally also works fine with freebsd. > > -- > Bill Moran > Potential Technology > http://www.potentialtech.com > > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message Hope it's helpfull, Gr, -- Axel Scheepers UNIX System Administrator email: axel@axel.truedestiny.net a.scheepers@iae.nl http://axel.truedestiny.net/~axel ------------------------------------------ O give me a home, Where the buffalo roam, Where the deer and the antelope play, Where seldom is heard A discouraging word, 'Cause what can an antelope say? ------------------------------------------ To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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