[ On Monday, July 9, 2001 at 09:55:18 (+1000), Jenkins, Graham K \[IBM GSA\] wrote: ]
> Subject: RE: Terminal server
>
> I'd really like to see a NetBSD terminal server project. We have a deployed a
> number of old 486 machines as Xterminals in a DHCP environment - but
> the users tend to do horrible things with their power switches - which
> can result in corrupt filesystems.
> 
> So a client terminal bootable via a NIC-PROM and/or floppy - would solve a
> lot of problems for me.  I know I could set all this up myself, but having
> a number of more experienced heads working on this thing as a project
> could produce a superior end result, able to be used by a large number
> of people.

Note that a "terminal sever" is not what you appear to be talking about
here (traditionally a terminal server is something that has a bunch of
serial ports and provides telnet/ppp/rlogin/etc. access to a bunch of
connected async terminals or modems).

Note also that NetBSD does already boot diskless from the network, and
from floppies too!  ;-)

See for instance:  http://www.netbsd.org/Documentation/network/netboot/
and:  http://www.netbsd.org/Documentation/network/netboot/intro.i386.html

-- 
							Greg A. Woods

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