Introduction

The Sun Ray from Oracle is a stateless thin client solution aimed at corporate environments, originally introduced by Sun Microsystems in September 1999. It features a smart card reader and is often integrated into a flat panel display.

The idea of a stateless desktop was a significant shift from, and the eventual successor to, Sun's earlier line of diskless Java-only desktops, the JavaStation.

CSE Sun Ray Server and Client Infrastructure

USB Drives

1. You may access files stored on a USB device by plugging it in to a USB port on a Sun Ray client.
   1. Plug your USB device into the Sun Ray client's USB port.
   2. Access your files by navigating to this directory on the Sun Ray server that serves your Sun Ray client:

      
      /tmp/SUNWut/mnt/<user-name>
      
      

      .
2. To place a link on your desktop, issue the following command from your home directory:

   
   % ln -s /tmp/SUNWut/mnt/<user-name>/ Desktop/USB_Drive
   
   

Troubleshooting

1. End a Hung Session. End a corrupt Sun Ray session by simultaneously pressing the Control and Alt keys. While these keys are depressed, press the Back Space key twice in quick succession.
2. Reinitialize a Sun Ray Terminal. Reinitialize a Sun Ray appliance (i.e., re-establish its connection to its host Sun Ray terminal server) by simultaneously depressing the Control, Alt, and Moon keys. If this fails to start up the login screen, please email cse-consult@buffalo.edu
3. Networking Problems. Because Sun Ray terminals depend on a reliable TCP/IP connection with the Sun Ray terminal server to function properly, any number of networking issues can bring a terminal down. These error codes (OSDs) appear in a purple box displaying the MAC address, the currently assigned IP, and the link status. When reporting a problem to cse-consult, please include all of this information. Error code 26D usually indicates a server-side problem.

   During normal operation, The purple network information box can be displayed by pressing the three volume control buttons above the numeric keypad simultaneously.

4. Kill a Disconnected Session. Authorized faculty and TAs may administratively kill Sun Ray sessions:
   1. Print all Sun Ray sessions (-p == print). Look for sessions whose 'State' field == "D" (Disconnected):

      [styx] ~% sudo /opt/SUNWut/sbin/utsession -p
      

   2. Kill the problematical Sun Ray session (-k == kill, -t == token):

      [styx] ~% sudo /opt/SUNWut/sbin/utsession -k -t pseudo.xxxxxxxxxxxx
      

5. jiunjiew's Problem.

   
   There was an error starting the GNOME Settings Daemon. Some things, such as themes, sounds, or
   background settings may not work correctly.
   
   The last error message was:
   
   Did not receive a reply. Possible causes include: the remote application did not send a reply,
   the message bus security policy blocked the reply, the reply timeout expired, or the network
   connection was broken.
   
   GNOME will still try to restart the Settings Daemon next time you log in.
   
   

   Check:

   1. List the user's processes. Kill any defunct processes.
   2. Check the user's ~/.metacity/sessions/ directory. If the user has lots of old session files, the system may be taking a long time iterating through them as it tries to close a session, resulting in a timeout. Delete the old session files.

Notes

1. Install and test Sun Ray Windows Connector 2.2 for POC (below).

References

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Ray
2. http://sun.com/sunray/
3. Sun Ray User Group
4. Sun Ray User Group Wiki
5. Common error codes and troubleshooting tips
6. http://blogs.sun.com/ThinkThin/entry/configuring_dhcp_options_49_and
7. http://blogs.sun.com/ThinkThin/entry/usb_drives_under_sun_ray
8. http://blogs.sun.com/acworkma/entry/how_to_install_the_sun