[ale] Help needed for a Non-Profit project - if not Linux then will go Windows

Sat Apr 5 23:38:10 EST 2003

Jonathan,

Will having heterogeneous hardware (vid cards and the like) not give
Kickstart headaches?

Haven't tried it, so just curious...

John

IBB said:
> There is a KIOSK howto.  http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Kiosk-HOWTO.html
>
> I did this on a series of PII 233 MHz laptops w/32 & 48 MB of RAM using
> Redhat 7.2.  I had 2 GB harddrives, so had more room to work, but think
> it should be possible to strip down a RH7.2/7.3 installer to do the bare
> minimums.
>
> The boot-to-browser is trivial, once  you've configured X...and the
> RH7.2 installer seems pretty good at configuring X.
>
> What I did to make the "Kiosk" effect was to setup the box to boot to
> run-level 3, have "auto-login" login as a standard user (testuser) and
> had their .Xclients file launch Netscape in full screen mode (probably
> want to use Mozilla, now).  Here is my /etc/sysconfig/autologin file:
>
> USER=tester
> EXEC=/home/tester/.Xclients
> AUTOLOGIN=YES
>
> If the person killed Netscape, it killed the session, and automatically
> restarts.  To avoid switching to another console, disable Alt-F2 and up
> in /etc/inittab.
>
> # Run gettys in standard runlevels
> 1:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty1
> #2:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty2
> #3:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty3
> #4:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty4
> #5:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty5
> #6:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty6
>
> To avoid rebooting the box, reconfigure the Control-Alt-Delete trap to
> do something other than reboot. (again in /etc/inittab).
>
> # Trap CTRL-ALT-DELETE
> ca::ctrlaltdel:/sbin/echo "Ctl-Alt-Del doesn't work here." > /dev/null
>
> Once you have successfully completed a bare-bones custom install on one
> machine, copy the 'anaconda-ks.cfg' file, and use it to automate the
> other installs via Kickstart.  If you configure X-windows during
> installation, that info will be in the anaconda-ks.cfg file.  If you
> setup the filesystem in a special way, that info will be in there, but
> commented out.  Remove the comments to auto-magically partition the
> drive.
>
> As part of the Kickstart installation, you can specify a series of
> commands to run b/f the box reboots.  Here is where you can setup the
> auto-login download and installation (if you have a network connection
> available) and configuration of the /~/.Xclients file.
>
> Hope this helps. If you need more info, ask away, but I cannot promise
> much.  I have two major projects going on right now, too.
>
> Jonathan Glass
>
> On Sat, 2003-04-05 at 17:50, Greg wrote:
>>  I am helping out at a non-profit called Free Bytes
>> (http://www.freebytes.org) that is providing support to the Atlanta
>> Food Bank for an initial order of 30 computers - out of a possible
>> future order of several hundred.  We are looking for an OS that can be
>> installed on machines that will immediately dial up via modem to an
>> ISP, have a web browser come up so folks can use a web based form for
>> ordering food shipments, and the box must be configured so that it
>> will not allow the user to get to a command line or otherwise play
>> with the machine.  A working model must be done by this week and not
>> only is there a time crunch, but since the first distro we went with
>> (a Slackware derived version) failed miserably (only 1 successful
>> install out of 4 machines and even then the modem is almost
>> unconfigurable). We need a solid victory or Windows 98 will be
>> installed on all machines (it is an all or nothing project - only 1 OS
>> will be selected).  MS Windows is our back-up if a Open Source
>> solution cannot be found.
>>
>> Here are the HW requirements:
>> 	RAM:	64 MG (sorry, we have little ram and the machines have varying
>> slots) HD:	1 GB is the lowest size, we can put other hard drives in
>> the PCs (all
>> less than 1 GB, though)
>> 	CPU:	Pentium 133 MHz
>> 	Modem:	We need an easily customizable interface so we can easily
>> customize
>> it.
>>
>> Here are the SW requirements
>> 	Boot to a browser after the X windows comes up.
>> 	GUI (for a browser and for a button to push that will do a
>> shutdown/halt)
>> Need to have good looking fonts on browser.
>> 	A button to push that will do a shutdown/halt
>> 	Can meet the HW requirements.
>> 	Easily installable.  I understand that given enough time any one can
>> figure
>> out how to make a modem work, but we don't have the time or the folks
>> who have a high level knowledge of a *nix to configure the modems to
>> work.  Our installers have primarily Windows experience and work
>> primarily on Saturdays for several hours.  A member of the Free Bytes
>> staff will go out to the field to deliver, configure, and do a field
>> test of the PC's as well as teach the end users and supervise the
>> initial install and test.
>>
>> 	Time Line:
>> 	If I cannot find a easily configurable distro by Sunday night and no
>> one
>> steps up with a viable alternative/solution, then I will have to call
>> the project manager at Free Bytes and tell them to go ahead with
>> Windows 98.  We would like to do a demo this week to the customer with
>> a Linux box and show how easy it is (think kiosk). If I can get a
>> workable solution by Sunday night I will call and tell the Free Bytes
>> project manager we can use Linux - with a demo box to follow by mid
>> week.
>>
>> 	Current Problems:
>> 	* HD size: most modern Linux distro's are horribly bloated and we
>> don't
>> have the time to take out every single thing as well as the fact that
>> the minimum for most distro's is about 1.7 GB anyway.
>>
>> 	* Needs to be easily installable.  We may have to do several hundred
>> of
>> these boxen.
>>
>> 	* Time.  We bet on a solution that has not worked out and does not
>> have an
>> easy way to automatically crank up the modem and easily configure the
>> modem so we lost valuable time already.  A solution needs to be done
>> ASAP - (in 2 days) and a working model by this Wed (so I can have a
>> working box in the project manager's hands by mid week).
>>
>> 	What I need help with:
>> 	Suggestions on a good distro. I intend to try several of my old ones
>> this
>> weekend.  The modern ones (RH and Suse bombed)
>> 	An already scripted distro that can be installed that will provide a
>> kiosk
>> or even just simple window manager, browser and a method to easily
>> configure the modem.
>> 	Suggestions on good modem cards and/or external modems that work well
>> with
>> Linux.  I know about the Linux hardware compatibility list but I want
>> real world advice.
>> 	Any suggestions on how to EASILY configure modems. ( I only have
>> experience
>> with TCP/IP and Linux).
>> 	Any help to come by next Saturday to put some boxes out the door -
>> unless I
>> have to recommend a Windows solution.
>> 	Either Linux or a BSD solution is ok.  I know it can be done, I just
>> don't
>> have the time now (already spending 12 hrs at work daily) to do it and
>> test it myself and Free Bytes needs it soon too.
>>
>> 	What I don't need help with:
>> 	Any politically motivated flames.  I don't have the time nor the
>> mind.  The
>> customer wants a simple computer solution and has already seen a
>> Windows box and considers it the standard to beat. We need to have a
>> solution that is realistic and will work.  The customer doesn't care
>> about the how - just the what.  I will not hesitate to recommend a MS
>> solution to help them feed people.
>> 	I am sorry, but the hardware and other requirements are not
>> negotiable.  I
>> really wish we had modern boxes with already installed <distro here>
>> that automagically just needed the phone # to work, but that is not
>> the reality. What is in the requirements is all we have to work with
>> (unless some one donates several hundred bigger/better/faster/newer
>> computer's in the next 4 days).
>>
>> 	So, can any one help ?  in any way ? even advice on modems is needed.
>>  It
>> would be nice if several dozen or even a few were to come by next
>> Saturday to help with installs too, but right now I need to get a demo
>> working within the requirements. If it passes muster, then we will
>> worry about the initial order of 30.
>>
>> 	If you want to help, then please email me at runman at speedfactory.net
>> If
>> anyone wants to seriously help take on this project AND CAN REALLY
>> REALLY DONATE THE TIME then just ask and we can talk on the phone to
>> night - but at any rate I need to give the project manager the word
>> not later than Sunday night.
>>
>> 	TIA,
>>
>> 	Greg Canter
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
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