Terminal Servers For Sheltered Accommodation

by John Clay on the 4th June 2003

Jim Farrand will be using this page to co-ordinate the development of a project to roll out LTSP in older peoples' residential accommodation.

Useful book source: http://www.babanibooks.com/bb3.htm

Bristol Wireless propose to build a Linux Terminal Server Project http://www.ltsp.org for supported housing organisations.

Please feel free to edit and/or comment on this document. Constructive criticism appreciated, this essentially a first draft, you may recognise some of the text.

Bristol Wireless is a community co-operative whose ambition is to provide cheap broadband internet access in the local BS5 area, as a Community Local Area Network, using recycled equipment, free open source software and emerging wireless technologies based on a thin client model(1).

We have built a physical network made up of a number of nodes broadcasting from various places in our local area and accessible in one form or another by most of the households in the Easton, bandwidth permitting. To do this we have been helped by a large volunteer group of computing experts and volunteer riggers (to get on the roofs) and have put on a number of events to publicise our activities that have been very well attended, including a give-away day where we redistributed refurbished 50 computers to local community members, and regular wireless surgeries where we try to meet people and help them get involved in the project.

Our aims are:

• Enabling open and free access to a reliable broadband wireless local computer network across and ultimately beyond the Easton area;
• Facilitate free access to basic internet services such as email, news groups, and the world wide web to anyone connecting to this network;
• Ensure a steady supply of wireless-ready computers at low or no cost to households and local organisations who would otherwise not consider owning one, thus also breathing new life into hardware considered by companies to be obsolete;
• Provide the ability to deliver community-oriented services over this network. Possible examples include discussion forums, personal webspace, streaming video of local events, art and media projects, local "radio" and more.

To this end we are inviting the participation of local sheltered housing schemes and homes for the elderly where we would wish to install such a system for the use of residents and staff for an initial period of six months and for which we would provide necessary training. During this period we would want to document the project and then there would be an evaluation. Hopefully the project would be of benefit to all. Below is a list of benefits as we se them at this time.

Benefits:

• Allow residents to interface with their community;
• Stay in touch with friends and relatives;
• Stay current with news and events;
• Access chat rooms;
• Access discussions;
• Play games;
• Research health information;
• Genealogy research;
• Research products and services to purchase offline;
• Research various other topics (not described above);
• Make purchases online;
• Hobbies and minority interests;
• Sharing their memories and life experiences;
• Education.

LTSP ABSTRACT:

A thin client system consists of multiple diskless workstations that are connected to a server. The server performs all application program (application) processing and data file (file) storage. The diskless workstations provide users with keyboard, video and mouse(KVM) access to applications and files. Sound and other peripherals can be supported.

For many organizations, thin client computing systems and the use of non-proprietary software can provide more cost effective network computing than traditional PC workstation/server architectures that utilize Microsoft®, or other, proprietary commercial software, data formats and communication protocols. In many instances significant savings can be realised even if some proprietary software applications must be retained for use on Windows® PC workstations or Windows® servers.