I'm planning on embarking on a bit of a LTSP adventure. Initially I want to set up maybe 7 clients and a server (I was planning to have the server be used as a workstation in the same room - is that okay?).
I've been using servers as workstations all the time, but only for technical staff - particularly now we have obtained so many cheap second-hand machines. But five years ago I "overflowed" big classes so that pupils were using all (or both, as it was then) the servers.
Is it _worth_ me buying 7 cheap NICs (£11) and 7 cheap (4mb or 8mb) pci graphics cards (£25???) to make configuration a dream. I plan to just bung the two componants into an eclectiv mix of P60s - P120s and bung in the floppy. The auto detection of chipset that LTSP now does sound fantastic. I could then run off 7 identical floppies and boot from them. Could it really be that easy? (except for identifying the MAC addresses in the dhcpd.conf file on the server).
I think it would help a lot. It is always tedious having to maintain different configurations.
Does anyone know of an easy to use _cheap_ NIC with boot rom (just curious - I was planning to use floppies with a non boot rom card to keep it simple and cheap).
Do try hard to get boot ROMs. I have had boot floppy systems in the past, and they have always been a nuisance. One installation of 100 machines all working perfectly in a boys' school I observed on July 3rd 1992 had over 30 needing new boot floppies within two weeks.
On a tangent - does anyone know where I could buy some cheap, attractive (!) thin clients that would boot from an LTSP server. I can find some US sites, but not here in the UK.
Around here in Essex there seems to be a surplus of recycling companies offering old systems. The screens are now more expensive than the computers. But the base units are never attractive - try putting them on the floor. -- Christopher Dawkins, Felsted School, Dunmow, Essex CM6 3JG 01371-820527 or 07798 636725 cchd@felsted.essex.sch.uk