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A Recycling project for your Old PCs
by: Shattuck
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I started getting interested in thin client computing the same way most people would ... I was told by my boss to “get interested in thin client computing.” Seriously, though, my company was looking to virtualize desktops for many reasons, and I looked into several different options.
There’s the super cool way: buy a sleek thin device from a company like iGel or Wyse, then piping into a Xen/VMWare/Hyper-V server with multiple virtual desktop options. Yep, that would be super cool. That’d be great if you’ve started your new company yesterday and had a lot of initial capital funds to sink into your venture. However, if you’re looking to implement VDI in your existing multiple standard desktop environment in order to get “greener” (saving energy by running thin client desktops that consume less power) or for the ease of managing one (1) desktop image instead of 1000, then consider this: You’re gonna have to do something with those “ancient” dinosaur P-IIs, P-IIIs, Celerons and (gasp!) single core multiple Ghz processors when you shell out the (considerable) cash to buy those sleek iGels. You can pay to have these relics removed and disposed of properly, you can set them out by the curb and hope they end up disposed of properly (but most likely end up in a landfill), or you can stick them in the broom closet for now, and your kids or whoever gets the business when you’re gone will deal with them (throw them away) later.
I know, you could just “donate” those dinosaurs to the local needy elementary school. Heck, you know those kids don’t do anything more than program the turtle to draw a box, run Oregon Trail, or maybe learn to type with Mavis Beacon. They’ll really appreciate getting that pallet of PII’s running Windows ME, and really, I’m sure somebody at the school knows enough about computers to replace the parts you stripped and set it up to run in a usable, networked environment. Well heck, we’ve already established that kids (especially “those” kids) don’t need a network anyway. Just pop in the Mavis CD and get to typing. You’ll be the hero, get a story in the local paper about your company’s generosity, and just so happen to also be rid of your yucky old desktops.
Oh please. Make sure your big ol' socially concious heart doesn't beat right out of your chest at the thought, because what you've really done is unloaded your junk in so much the same way someone donates stained clothes or a microwave that doesn't work to the Goodwill. Nice gesture on the surface and as far as the tax man is concerned, but hollow and damn-worthy as far as the man upstairs feels, I'm sure.
Think about this: you could keep said decrepit desktops, pop in a CD, boot the machine from the CD and connect (via RDP) to a Windows XP desktop hosted on a server. Boom. You’ve just “converted” an old ratty PC into a sleek, Windows XP running thin client. Total cost: well, it depends, but not as much as a single iGel (which are still really cool, don’t get me wrong). And that works, saves money, conserves energy (and landfills), and lessens administration tasks, whether you’re a greedy CEO or a school with only the basic (generously donated) network equipment. And it will run Mavis Beacon just fine as well.
Before we begin, you may be wondering why I didn’t just put all this together in one simple to install .exe file that you can download by clicking here. The reason for that is that I don’t know the authors of the various tools involved in creating this solution, and I don’t have their permission to do so. If they end up reading this and don’t mind me doing so, I would be more than happy to. Also, let me state that I’m far from an expert in a lot of these technologies, and it may show with my limited explanations of how everything works. There may be licensing issues as far as Microsoft is concerned as well, but I would think those would be covered by having a CAL for the Terminal Server, and an XP (or Vista) stand alone license ... but I'm not testifying in your "MS vs. you" piracy trial should that not be the case. I am also assuming at least a passing familiarity with how BartPE, Windows XP, and core networking functions (DHCP) work. I may flesh this out later if need be. With that said, let’s roll our own thin client!
How to create a Bart-PE CD/USB key that acquires an IP address for a variety of NICs and then boots into an RDP or iCA session after setting the native resolution