Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] X based Windows app. server
Hi Gary, From: Gary Stainburn <gary.stainburn@ringways.co.uk>
What do you mean by application server? Do you mean in the Citrix/thin-client way, or do you just mean an NT box running an application.
If you mean the former, then I believe that there are Linux Ctrix clients as well as for other thin-client methods. I've never looked at this myself as we don't run NT (except to control a network aware photocopier that never
sees the network).
I'm not exactly sure how citrix works, but I guess it would be that way. I'll try and explain again. Imagine a network running almost entirely Linux, but needing to run a few legacy Windows applications. What I would like is for the user (sitting in front of Linux box with X) to be able to click on an icon for a Windows application, causing the application to start running on a Windows (NT) based application server. The program would entirely run on the Windows server, but the screen output would be sent over the network so it could be controlled by the user sitting on their Linux/X machine. Is this possible? With XFree86/Cygwin? Win4Lin server uses a similair approach, although you'd have to have a license, and need to run a separate copy of windows for each application. I'd like to have the same native copy of Windows supporting the applications that each user is running.
If you mean the latter then have a look at VNC. VNC is a free cross-platform remote-access tool ala PC Anywhere. I personally use this from my Linux workstation to remotely support 100+ Win9x PC's over two sites.
Yes, but the only problem with VNC is that you get the whole desktop, not just the window of the application. THanks a lot Chris Howells
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Hi Gary,
From: Gary Stainburn <gary.stainburn@ringways.co.uk>
What do you mean by application server? Do you mean in the Citrix/thin-client way, or do you just mean an NT box running an application.
If you mean the former, then I believe that there are Linux Ctrix clients as well as for other thin-client methods. I've never looked at this myself as we don't run NT (except to control a network aware photocopier that never
sees the network).
I'm not exactly sure how citrix works, but I guess it would be that way.
I'll try and explain again. Imagine a network running almost entirely Linux, but needing to run a few legacy Windows applications. What I would like is for the user (sitting in front of Linux box with X) to be able to click on an icon for a Windows application, causing the application to start running on a Windows (NT) based application server. The program would entirely run on the Windows server, but the screen output would be sent over the network so it could be controlled by the user sitting on their Linux/X machine.
I believe you can do this with Citrix. But you'd probably end up with all sorts of problems about user authenication, etc. (Presumably the application in question won't work with Wine.)
Is this possible? With XFree86/Cygwin? Win4Lin server uses a similair approach, although you'd have to have a license, and need to run a separate copy of windows for each application. I'd like to have the same native copy of Windows supporting the applications that each user is running.
Are you really sure you want to run a native copy of Windows? IME Windows will generally run better with VmWare/Win4Lin :) -- Mark Evans St. Peter's CofE High School Phone: +44 1392 204764 X109 Fax: +44 1392 204763
Chris Howells wrote:
I'm not exactly sure how citrix works, but I guess it would be that way.
I'll try and explain again. Imagine a network running almost entirely Linux, but needing to run a few legacy Windows applications. What I would like is for the user (sitting in front of Linux box with X) to be able to click on an icon for a Windows application, causing the application to start running on a Windows (NT) based application server. The program would entirely run on the Windows server, but the screen output would be sent over the network so it could be controlled by the user sitting on their Linux/X machine.
I've not done this, but I know a man who has. (Dr.) Chris Richardson at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) administers a room full of Linux boxes (Dell PCs) running Citrix Metaframe ICA clients which run Windows programs on an NT ICA server. It wasn't cheap to set up (and I must confess I was sceptical when it was first proposed) but it works beautifully and has cost far less to run than an equivalent Windows -only "solution". I don't work there any more, but you can reach him by phone by looking up his contact details on the ICR Web site: http://www.icr.ac.uk/howtocontact.html . I've checked with him that this is OK. -- Damian COUNSELL http://www.counsell.com/
Offering a fresh idea - could you use VNC? I run VNC servers on several WIN NT and W2k boxes at work and view them all from my Linux laptop. -- Best wishes, Derek
participants (4)
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Chris Howells
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Damian Counsell
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Derek Harding
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Mark Evans