lessdisks

wolfgang · Messages: 26 Location: Bochum

If you are not yet familiar with NX technology, visit www.nomachine.com.
Since spring 2003 the core part of NoMachine's work is OpenSource and Debian
packages are available since summer 2004.

NoMachine's team has done and is doing a great job, Fabian Franz on his part as well - not to forget: Kurt Pfeifle.

Updated 1st of September 2005:
freenx.berlios.de
will let you get some basic information of the free NX server implementation.

Thanks to Stefan Lippers-Hollmann Debian packages are available for both sarge and sid.

Add one of these lines to /etc/apt/sources.list:

For sarge

deb http://debian.tu-bs.de/project/kanotix/stable/ ./

You want to look at http://debian.tu-bs.de/project/kanotix/stable/stable.README before actually installing it.

For sid (or mixed testing/unstable installations)

deb http://debian.tu-bs.de/project/kanotix/unstable/ ./

Install the Open Source NX server (FreeNX)
apt-get update
apt-get install freenx

Note: since version 1.4.0-03 nxserver comes along with a config file /etc/nxserver/node.conf.

/usr/bin/nxsetup will do what the script name tells. You want to try nxsetup --help before actually doing it.

If all works with your server installation and a non thin client, you might go on to do it for a lessdisks thin client.

The client side (in the chroot)
Get the latest Debian Package from NoMachine
(Nomachine Linux Clients)
and install it in the terminal's chroot. [Please notice: nxclient with version > 1.4.0-75 has not been tested and may not work in this special setup as standalone client.]
(I suggest that you install it on the server too and test that server / client couple on one and the same machine.)

Now we will setup lessdisks to let a specific terminal come up with a NX login window.

Two files must be created on the client side (in the chroot, touch is enough, no content necessary):

/usr/NX/share/nopasswd
/usr/NX/share/noexit

The
existence of these files will keep username and password fields clean
and will bring back the login window again after a NX session is
terminated.

In the chroot: install the lightweight window manager aewm.

Note: The window manager aewm will be running locally with the NX client login screen as single application. In the start script lessdisks-xinitrc aewm is called like this:

aewm -1 /bin/false -2 /bin/false -3 /bin/false
These three parameters define actions to be taken when clicking with different mouse buttons somewhere on the screen outside of the NX login window.
These settings will override defaults and deny any access while clicking outside of the nxclient window.

The files referenced next are contained in the archive lessdisks-nx.tar.gz (under "Files/scripts and debs" in the menu at the right upper corner of this page). [edit: now uploaded as zip archive]

Copy the files lessdisks-nx and lessdisks-xinitrc to /usr/local/bin

Create the following directories in the chroot:
./qt
./nx
./nx/config
./nx/temp
/etc/lessdisks/nx

Copy the files nxclient.conf and xapp.conf to /etc/lessdisks/nx

Note:
These two files are nonfunctional samples. Adapt them for your environment.
If you've made yourself a connection with NX client to NX server on a "real" workstation
before, than you will have your own files (the name nxclient.conf is "fixed" whereas the filename xapp.conf contains the name you define while configuring a connection - in this case it's xapp). These files can be found in the subdir .nx of your home directory.

Note: (ugly)
The name of the file xapp.conf is contained in the script /usr/local/bin/lessdisks-xinitrc
so if you change the name xapp.conf to something else remember to change it there, too.

Now modify the file /etc/lessdisks/terminal_install.conf:

Add /.nx, /.qt and /root to the content of the variable copy_dirs.
(these directories must be writeable for the terminal)

(that line should look like copy_dirs="/.nx /.qt /root")

Modify the file /etc/lessdisks/xterminal.conf:

The end of the file should look like that:

# alternate command to start X (runlevel 4)
#alt_x_display_command="/usr/sbin/sdm"
#alt_x_display_opts="--xserver /usr/bin/X-lessdisks vt7 -fp tcp/xapp:7100"

# another alternate command to start X (runlevel 4, NX)
alt_x_display_command="/usr/local/bin/lessdisks-nx"
alt_x_display_opts="--xserver /usr/bin/X-lessdisks vt7 -fp tcp/xapp:7100"

(You notice, that you can't run one terminal using sdm and another one to be NX terminal using the same chroot; future lessdisks releases will come along with a solution.)

Last step:
Configure the terminal to start in runlevel 4

Think about security issues ...

I'm almost sure that I've forgotten to mention something ...

Good luck

wolfgang

Justin

hi,

Very good site! i think i couldn't be able to install lessdisks and nx-client without this precious help. Thank you.

But I have a little problem with fonts on lessdisks' terminal based nxclients.

I use nxserver_1.5.0-70_i386 and nxclient_1.5.0-113_i386 on my system based on Debian Sarge.

When i run nxclient on the lessdisks terminal, the fonts do not look good. I have installed and configured the same fonts than those on the server. But on the server it looks good and not on the lessdisks' terminal.

Please can you help and tell me why ?

Justin

wolfgang · Messages: 26 Location: Bochum

Zitat: Justin

When i run nxclient on the lessdisks terminal, the fonts do not look good. I have installed and configured the same fonts than those on the server. But on the server it looks good and not on the lessdisks' terminal.

Hi Justin, i can't reproduce that. Maybe it's a DPI related Problem? Look at this article in the !M Knowledge Base.
Maybe that solves your problem.

wolfgang

wolfgang · Messages: 26 Location: Bochum

i remember having ugly and very small looking fonts on a terminal using the vesa driver. it's may be better to use a dedicated xfree 3.3.6 server for an old graphics card.

wolfgang

Justin

I try this but nothing works well! I use vesa driver on one terminal and i810 driver on another but it's the same result.

wolfgang · Messages: 26 Location: Bochum

Zitat: Justin

I try this but nothing works well!

Are you using a font server or the fonts installed in the chroot? If using the font server, you might try other values of default-point-size (120 works for me) and/or change default-resolutions (e.g. to 100,100,75,75) if not already done.

wolfgang

Justin