CSE began experimenting with Dell/Wyse thin-clients in the Spring of 2014 as candidates to replace our aging thin-client fleet in our Baldy 21 Introduction to Programming lab.
CSE has long used thin clients in this space
Logging in
Wyse thin clients (because they are running an embedded form of linux) can be accessed remotely with your favorite ssh program:
intrepid:~ kpcleary_local$ ssh root@thin-client-1.cse.buffalo.edu
Password:
thin-client-1:~ #
The root ssh password is the CSE mainline linux password.
From the local console there are two accounts that can be used to login. The default account is an un-privileged user account that has access to all the pre-configured connections. This account is set to log in automatically. Additionally this guest account will re-login even if a user logs out of the guest session. A little clock icon will appear next to the login prompt showing the time until the automatic login reinitializes.
To login with the root user at the console an administrator must:
- Log out of the current un-privileged session
- Click cancel to terminate the auto-login sequence (Timer set for one minute)
- Login with user "admin" and the mainline root password
Updating Firmware
Adding desktop connections
Product Selection
History
CSE has a long running history with the use of thin-clients and desktop virtualization. Even back before thin-clients were en vogue or even a distinct piece of hardware, CSE deployed "Dumb terminals", low powered, stripped-down desktop systems, that used streaming graphical protocols to a series of higher powered servers.
Starting around 2002 CSE began purchasing vast amounts of Sunray 150 thin-clients from then Sun Microsystems. In a press release last year, Oracle serendipitously announced the discontinuation and end of life the of Sun virtualization technologies.
Repeated queries from CSE to Oracles sales representatives failed to produce any equivalent products.
