Preparing the Thin Clients

Introduction

1. an ISO file to burn on a CD-ROM. This can be used to:
   • boot from the network
   • install on to the hard disk or flash disk
   • install to a bootable USB disk
   • boot from CD
   • boot into a set of network diagnostic tools
2. a ZIP file to be installed onto 2X ThinClientServer or else to be extracted to the TFTP server directory. 2X ThinClientOS will then be downloaded and booted by thin clients configured to boot via PXE or Etherboot.

Thin Client System Requirements

• Any thin client/computer with a Pentium processor or higher
• 32 MB of RAM is needed for CD-ROM USB or hard disk
• 64 MB of RAM is needed for PXE or Etherboot
• 450 MHz processor or higher
• If you want to boot via PXE, ensure that your thin client device supports PXE booting. Not all thin clients or computers can boot via PXE
• If you want to boot via USB disk, ensure that your thin client device supports USB disk booting. Not all thin clients or computers can boot via USB disks
• If you want to boot via Etherboot, ensure that your thin client device has a supported network card. A list of supported network cards can be found here:
  http://www.etherboot.org/db/

Configuring a thin client to boot from a hard disk, USB or flash disk (CD install)

Step 1: Downloading the thin client OS

Step 2: Burning the ISO image to a CD-ROM

• If using Windows XP and Nero Burning ROM, simply go to menu “Recorder”, choose option “Burn Image...”, and select the downloaded .ISO file.
• If using Linux & K3B, simply go to Burn CD. Select the ISO image and click “Start”.
  • Use good quality CD-ROM (avoid CD-RW) media which is known to work with your CD-ROM drive.
    • Burn the CD as a finalised single session using track-at-once (TAO).
  • Enable Buffer-Underrun Protection.
  • Ensure that the downloaded ISO file is not in use (for example by anti-virus software).
  • Set the burning speed to match the recommended speed specified by the CD-ROM media and gradually lower the speed if problems are encountered reading the CD-ROM.
  • Ensure that the system has enough free resources to complete the burning process.
    • If problems persist try to boot from the CD-ROM drive used to burn the ISO.

Step 3: Configure the thin client to boot from CD-ROM

Step 4a: Installing 2X ThinClientOS on the hard disk

1. 1. Choose “2X ThinClientOS Installer” using the cursor keys and press ENTER.
2. 2. Click OK on the welcome message.
   3. 3. The installer will check if you have free unpartitioned space on the hard disk – if it finds free space, it will automatically create a partition of 32 megabytes and install 2X ThinClientOS.
4. 4. If it does not find unpartitioned space, it will prompt you whether you wish to:
   1. a) Overwrite an existing partition – this option will allow you to select an existing partition, which the installer will use to install 2X ThinClientOS.

2. b) Resize a partition – this option will cause the installer to attempt to resize an existing partition by reducing it by 32 MB, and then creating a new partition for the 2X ThinClientOS.
   3. c) Erase entire hard disk – this option will erase all data on the hard disk and create a single partition for 2X ThinClientOS.
4. d) Manually partition – this option will start a partitioning program and allow you to re-partition the hard disk. After the partitioning is complete, the installer will allow you to select which partition to install 2X ThinClientOS on.

5. 5. The installer will now prompt you to install a boot loader menu. This allows you to select, at boot-time, whether to boot into 2X ThinClientOS or whether to boot into the Operating System which was originally installed.

Step 4b: Installing 2X ThinClientOS on a USB disk

1. 1. Choose “2X ThinClientOS Installer” using the cursor keys and press ENTER.
2. 2. Insert the USB disk in one of the USB ports available.
   3. 3. The installer will then scan the system for available installation devices. The local hard disk of the machine will be listed also.
4. 4. Click OK on the welcome message.
   5. 5. Select the appropriate USB disk. Be careful not to select the wrong device. Use the detected size as an indicator if the device has been detected correctly.
6. 6. The installer will now copy the entire 2X ThinClientOS installation CD to the USB disk. The USB disk will function exactly like a bootable CD but will have the ability to save and cache data locally. After it is finished, the machine must be rebooted.

Step 5: Configure the thin client to boot from the hard disk/USB

Configuring a thin client to boot from a hard disk, USB or flash disk (Network install)

1. Configuring the thin client to boot via PXE: Enter the BIOS of the thin client / computer and configure it to boot via PXE. Reboot the thin client / computer, enter the BIOS, and check for a boot sequence entry. For more information, check the documentation of your thin client / computer.
2. Booting the thin client for the first time: You will need to boot the thin client so that 2X ThinClientServer can add the thin client to the list of detected thin clients. Once the thin client has booted successfully and displays the login screen, you are ready to move to step 3.
3. Flagging the thin client for a disk install
   

• 3.1. Select the thin client(s) where you would like to have the 2X ThinClientOS installed and click on “Install to Disk” > “Queue for Disk Installation”. This will change its status to “Pending Disk Installation”.

• 3.2. You must now reboot the thin client to initialise the installation procedure. The thin client will again boot over the network, but will receive new parameters instructing it to perform a hard disk installation.
• 3.3. The installer will check if you have free unpartitioned space on the hard disk – if it finds free space, it will automatically create a partition of 32 megabytes and install 2X ThinClientOS. If you insert a USB key at this stage, the option to create a USB key install is available.
• 3.4. If it does not find unpartitioned space, it will prompt you whether you wish to:
  • 3.4.1. Overwrite an existing partition – this option will allow you to select an existing partition, which the installer will use to install 2X ThinClientOS.

• 3.4.2. Resize a partition – this option will cause the installer to attempt to resize an existing partition by reducing it by 32 MB, and then creating a new partition for the 2X ThinClientOS.
• 3.4.3. Erase entire hard disk – this option will erase all data on the hard disk and create a single partition for 2X ThinClientOS.
• 3.4.4. Manually partition – this option will start a partitioning program and allow you to re-partition the hard disk. After the partitioning is complete, the installer will allow you to select which partition to install 2X ThinClientOS on.
• 3.5. The installer will now prompt you to install a boot loader menu. This allows you to select, at boot-time, whether to boot into 2X ThinClientOS or whether to boot into the operating system which was originally installed.
• 3.6. The installer will now copy the 2X ThinClientOS image to the hard disk. After it is finished, the machine must be rebooted.

• 4.1. After you have installed 2X ThinClientOS, you must now ensure that the thin client / computer will boot from the appropriate boot device. Go into the computer’s BIOS and check that the boot sequence starts with the hard disk or USB depending on the target destination.

Configuring a thin client to boot via PXE

Step 1: Download the 2X ThinClientOS image

Step 2: Copy the image to a 3rd party TFTP Server (optional)

Step 3: Configuring thin clients to boot via PXE

Configuring a thin client to boot via Etherboot using the 2X ThinClientOS LiveCD

Step 1: Download the 2X ThinClientOS image

Step 2: Copy the image to a 3rd party TFTP Server (optional)

Step 3: Download the 2X ThinClientOS LiveCD

Step 4: Burning the ISO image to a CD-ROM

• If using Windows XP and Nero Burning ROM simply go to menu “Recorder”, choose option “Burn Image...”, and select the downloaded .ISO file.
  • If using Linux & K3B, simply go to Burn CD. Select the ISO image and click ”Start”.
    • Use good quality CD-ROM (avoid CD-RW) media which is known to work with your CD-ROM drive.
    • Burn the CD as a finalised single session using track-at-once (TAO).
    • Enable Buffer-Underrun Protection.
    • Ensure that the downloaded ISO file is not in use (for example by anti-virus software).
      • Set the burning speed to match the recommended speed specified by the CD-ROM media and gradually lower the speed if problems are encountered reading the CD-ROM.
    • Ensure that the system has enough free resources to complete the burning process.
    • If problems persist try to boot from the CD-ROM drive used to burn the ISO.

Step 5: Configure the thin client to boot from CD-ROM

Installing a new version of 2X ThinClientOS

1. Download the latest 2X ThinClientOS ZIP file from http://www.2x.com/thinclientserver/downloadlinks.html
   2. If your thin clients boot via PXE or Etherboot, extract the contents of the PXE folder in the ZIP file to the TFTP directory on the 3rd party TFTP server. This is not necessary if you are using the TFTP server bundled with 2X ThinClientServer. The next time the thin client boots, it will use the latest 2X ThinClientOS.
3. Install the downloaded 2X ThinClientOS version by going to the “ThinClientOS” node under “System” in the 2X ThinClientServer Management Console sidebar.
   

4. Once installed, all thin clients that are configured to use the latest thin client OS image will retrieve the update and install it automatically. Only a reboot is required.