Linux-related job postings - Hopkinton NH School District

[Dan Jenkins]

Jeff Kinz wrote:
> I have used VNC to help in this type of situation. You can put some win
> boxes somewhere on the net and let those special users access them from
> any Linux box across the LAN. If your LAN can handle the load its a
> great solution 'cause:
> 	A: they can use their win box from anywhere
> 	B: The win box is physically isolated/more secure
> 	C: They get slightly pushed in the OSS direction
> 
> VNC= any VNC clone including tightVNC.

We already have VNC deployed to all the systems so we can remotely work 
on them.

This is an idea. The drawbacks are mainly finding some place to 
physically locate the Windows systems thus being controlled. And finding 
more machines to use in their place (as they would be pulled from 
classrooms). Network performance is quite adequate. We got a new network 
fabric in a couple of years ago to replace the disastrous NetDay project 
and donated (junk) Cabletron equipment they originally had.

> NXmachine - is newish but reportedly works better than(faster) than
> VNC and its clones. There are both proprietary and OSS version
> available.  Unclear if there is an NXMachine win-host version in OSS.
> 
> proprietary NXMachine is here:
> http://www.nomachine.com/

I hadn't run into this one. I'll check it out.
I had also considered Citrix Metaframe with Linux clients, but the 
pricing likely rules that out.

> Any clue who their testing service is? Or why they feel they need to use
> only IE?  (I wonder if anyone has tried it using an OSS browser with a
> faked up IE user agent string.. )

The testing service applications are written in compiled HTML, a 
Microsoft-only solution. Mozilla simply asks to download the .HTA files 
and save them to disk. Not how it needs to work.

While I disagree with their choices, the applications do seem to work 
pretty well and definitely fulfill the school's need for information. My 
objection is more that, rather than a limited core of testing systems 
configured thusly, all systems in the school are getting reconfigured 
for this as the desire to use this application grows.

-- 
Dan Jenkins (dan at rastech.com)
Rastech Inc., Bedford, NH, USA --- 1-603-206-9951
*** Technical Support for over a Quarter Century