[15:58] <plb> I've been tasked with setting up a number of public access machines. The machines need roaming home drives and controlled authentication. We are currently thinking 389 Directory Server and some sort of automounted home drives (we haven't worked out with our network people how yet). We really like the idea of using edubuntu and we wanted to know how people not using thin clients manage networks of edubuntu machines.
[16:13] <alkisg> plb, uses vary. What are the network and client specs?
[16:14] <plb> The network is a big sticky issue. It looks like a mixture of DSL and Cable Modems hooked up to a mixture of WiFi and 100mbit
[16:16] <plb> The clients are beefy... AMD Athlon X2 with 2GB of RAM
[16:16] <alkisg> I see. I tried managing just 12 non-thin-or-fat-client PCs and quickly got tired of clusterssh etc. Now I'm just using fat clients on good labs, thin clients otherwise.
[16:16]  * alkisg tried this morning on a 12 fat client lab, the clients booted from network in 10 secs
[16:17] <alkisg> Central authentication with ssh, nfs /home... I don't need anything else. I don't think I'll ever look back to standalone workstations
[16:17] <plb> They are definitely fat clients the big issue is that the people creating accounts will be non-technical types. While this is not in a library system, the use case is very much like a library system.
[16:18] <plb> Multiple sites with a local proctor. No server at sites. :-(
[16:20] <plb> We are inheriting this project from another unit of the Uni I work for and they had been doing it with Standalone WinXP machines with a paper sign-in sheet to keep track of usage.
[16:20] <plb> We want to do it right, but I'm afraid doing it right means a server per site.
[16:21] <alkisg> The authentication server can be different from the disk server...
[16:21] <alkisg> I.e. you could manage a fat chroot on each site, but have all user accounts in one place
[16:21] <alkisg> You could even have local homes if that suits you better
[16:22] <plb> We'd rather have network homes as we don't want to force a person in to using only a single machine
[16:23] <alkisg> DSL won't suffice for that, though
[16:25] <plb> Hrm... I know CIFS is too slow and NFS is probably a bad idea over the wild web. Do you think SSHFS would work though?
[16:26] <alkisg> It works for most programs (e.g. evolution doesn't)
[16:26] <alkisg> CIFS should be way faster than sshfs
[16:27] <plb> Well that just makes the case for better on-site data or local servers
[16:29] <plb> Any thoughts on the account creation issue. I.E. an easy way for non-technical people to create a LDAP account?
[19:31] <alkisg> stgraber: what problems were you experiencing with nbd-client that made you develop nbd-proxy? Would they also affect nbd swap, where proxy is not used, and cause clients to hang because of that?
[19:43] <alkisg> highvoltage: I tried reuploading tuxpaint to my ppa, and all the translations were properly contained in the tuxpaint-data package: https://launchpad.net/~ts.sch.gr/+archive/proposed/+sourcepub/1167271/+listing-archive-extra
[19:43] <alkisg> So we can just use "copy packages" to put it to the edubuntu ppa tomorrow after the meeting.
[19:46] <zamini> hi every body
[19:46] <zamini> I am new in linux
[19:46] <zamini> i had a question if some one can help me
[19:46] <alkisg> !ask
[19:47] <zamini> i want to install linux  as a dos base
[19:47] <zamini> what i mean is only kernal and a shell thatset
[19:47] <alkisg> You'd better ask this in #ubuntu, as this isn't edubuntu-specific. You most likely want to install the ubuntu-server cd.
[19:48] <alkisg> But if it's for a lesson, you can just use the live cd...
[19:48] <zamini> i just want to install a dos base linux in a computer no GUI or no more applications in it
[19:49] <zamini> thank you for your support. i will find it from some where bye
[20:07] <LedHed> I'm trying to remove the suspend and hibernation buttons in Lucid,  but the 'can_hibernate' and 'can_suspend' keys are missing from the gconf-editor.  Anyone know of another way to disable them?