Completely managed operating system from anywhere
Completely managed operating system from anywhere
Hey guys, new to this forum. Been watching Linus for a while and finally came over here. Disclaimer: I am probably not as technically knowledgeable as most of you guys so if I seem unintelligent, I apologize. At my work we use these very tiny hp computers. They are extremely basic- as in ethernet, 4 usb 2.0 ports, and a VGA out. They have the most barebones software and rely on a server for almost all of their storage. Because of the compact size the hardware is pretty terrible and slow. I guess the concept is that the company saves alot of money by having the one good central unit to host all the files and applications and having employees using these cheap tiny units to access it and do their work. And this gave me an idea, that might not be very original but I wanted to see what you guys thought. So imagine having one really good rig, built just the way you want it, can have any assortment of hardware and storage. Now Imagine having a very average, maybe even below average laptop or tablet etc. who's only purpose was to be a portable extension of that bigger machine. The laptop would have no traditional OS to use, it just boots straight to the "mother" machine over a network. It sends your input wireless and displays the monitor wireless. Also this could be done anywhere you can access internet, kind of like windows remote desktop but more dedicated. And perhaps you can even set up multiple users with their own extensions of that machine. I know, its alot like remote desktop, or all those apps you can get for your phone, or even the nvidia shield. and I know that you wouldn't be able to play games really if you left the local network of the machine that hosts it. The big difference I can see is that the extension device would be dedicated to interfacing with that mother computer and I think it would be super useful for people like me, who can afford only one good computer for my house and have to deal with a sub-par laptop when I want to leave my desk. If my laptop only had to stream a video, and send inputs that wouldn't a problem at all. Or imagine if you owned a large office and you could have one big central computer with all the power everyone in the office needs and the rest are just receivers for it. that would save so much time and money I feel. So I'm curious what everyone thinks of this,and if it has been done in the way I am talking about? or am I just dumb?
Are you planning to construct a massive supercomputer alongside a large number of smaller PCs that host virtual machines? That sounds like a more practical and cost-effective approach than building everything from scratch. If so, it would be simpler and likely cheaper to tailor each computer specifically for its tasks. Mark, if he's working all day, maybe he needs a dedicated render farm instead—Suzi could handle the setup with a single NUC.
The school's Linux lab relies on a main server for managing accounts and data, with devices connecting via Ethernet. All operations run locally on the teacher's Red Hat systems and certain Linux applications, though the exact names are unclear. Eventually, upgraded hardware replaced the need for a powerful central server.
From a user standpoint, it’s about simplicity and flexibility. You’d prefer a device focused solely on transferring data between your main system and other devices, rather than handling complex tasks or running multiple applications. For families, having a single powerful machine for schoolwork and browsing would streamline usage and reduce clutter.
Windows consumer operating systems (xp, vista, 7, 8) lack the capability to support thin clients. Without purchasing a Windows server license and the numerous client access licenses (one per machine), this becomes a costly endeavor with Windows. You can connect remotely into standard Windows, but only one user at once, requiring each machine its own license. Or you might opt for Linux, which allows all these features (though setup is more complex) but limits you to a non-Windows environment (except via virtual machines).
as a remote protocol it has been implemented. features like RAdmin let several users access one machine concurrently. the issue remains the Windows OS only sets up a single session upon login. even with multiple users logged in, only one person can operate the system at once. thus, using RAdmin still relies on the same desktop environment. supporting thin clients would demand major changes to the Windows OS, likely violating the EULA and preventing sales. you’d need to establish separate sessions, environments, and connections—perhaps using a hypervisor with multiple virtual desktops and servers—but licensing costs would remain high for remote clients. running a Linux server as a file/print server could work, but you’d still incur license fees for the domain controller.