On 09/04/2011 07:48 AM, Rob Owens wrote: > On Sat, Sep 03, 2011 at 10:35:12AM -0500, ZephyrQ wrote: >> I am trying to set up several Linux desktops for a secure (locked) >> facility for troubled teenagers. I brought one home to set up (so I can >> have unfettered internet access) but then I need to be able to 'clone' >> it to others without internet access (so package retrieval is impossible >> unless I bring home every single desktop; and we are talking about up to >> 50). So I need advice on the following: >> >> 1. Which distro to use? I've used Mint before in a similar setting >> (and was pleased) but I'm now stuck with 6 year old Dells with almost no >> video acceleration and .5 G memory each. I'm thinking XFCE with Mint or >> Xbuntu, but am open to others (even a stock debian install which I use >> on my home machine) but I will not be able to update unless I do so >> manually (which a CD or thumbdrive). >> >> 2. How do I 'clone' the machine to a CD or, preferably, a thumb drive >> so I can install the same configuration to all machines (limiting menu >> options, put in educational games, add openoffice or libreoffice, etc.)? >> > Both of these will allow you to keep a pristine image that only you > update (and you only have to update it on a single machine). When a > client boots, it gets its OS over the network. It always gets a > pristine copy of the image on each boot.
Thanks for the advice from all of you. I decided upon a stock Debian (stable) box which I will reproduce with Clonezilla. It is going to take longer than I thought (I still have to modify the menu and retool the partitions a bit--seems the netinstall gave only 9 G to the root partition but 27 G to /home which caused it to overfill when I did the first big download of educational packages). The basic Gnome desktop seems snappy enough on the machine, but I'll be playing with both LXDE and XFCE--I'm running up against common perceptions with both the students and the teachers who have never seen a Linux desktop and I have to keep it as easy for them as possible. Unfortunately, this set of installs will NOT be networked--they are meant to be stand-alones in various classrooms around the building. However, I will be needing the additional advice when I get to actually re-doing the lab I'm in charge of (with a 500 G 3GHz server that has never been used) that I will want to perform some nifty-ness with. Again, thanks for all the advice...and I would appreciate any other wisdom y'all might throw my way...I ran into another snag where I wanted to remove some software but synaptic insists that it will remove Gnome-core (like Evolution and Epiphany...these machines will never be connected to the internet) and while I vaguely remember this issue on the list, I don't remember the fix. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/4e6526cc.2000...@sbcglobal.net
