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doc:success-stories:debian-edu

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Deployment Story: Debian Edu / Skolelinux and X2Go (without TJENER)

In Debian Edu contexts the main criticism since the release of Debian Edu / Skolelinux squeeze is: the whole Debian Edu system has become far to complex (LDAP, Kerberos, GOsa², Samba, LTSP, …). The default Skolelinux system has become more complex, that is true indeed. If it has become too complex is another discussion. From the view point of a Debian Edu developer and IT service provider, the system is just as it has to be. From a teacher's perspective, I deeply get the criticism of to much complexity.

However, those who feel overwhelmed by Debian Edu's grown complexity, please consider the approach described below.

Your Gateway

  • Install ipFire as a Gateway on some minor hardware
    • Red + Green interface (you need two network cards)
    • let the Red interface connect you to the internet
    • Enable DHCP service on the Green interface

Basic Skolelinux Installation

  • Assemble an average server box:
    • 4 or 8 CPU cores
    • 16GiB or 32GiB RAM
    • two fast hard drives (SSD)
    • 2 network cards
  • Install a Debian Edu / Skolelinux Standalone system (no TJENER!) on that server hardware
  • Make sure that your Skolelinux system's hostname can internally be resolved via DNS. Use the ipFire system to configure this.
  • Test local login, test DNS, install required (educational) software
  • Create more users on the Skolelinux system through the normal Posix tools (adduser) or through some fancy user administration GUI (present in KDE / GNOME)

Basic X2Go Installation

  • Then proceed with setting up X2Go Server on the Skolelinux system:
    • Add the X2Go archives for Debian to the Skolelinux system
    • Install the packages x2goserver-xsession and x2goserver-fmbindings on the Skolelinux machine. Optionally, you may want to install the package x2godesktopsharing.
    • Test X2Go access to the Skolelinux system from another client machine that gets hooked up to the Green network interface of the ipFire system

X2Go Thin Client Environment

  • Then proceeed with setting up an X2Go Thin Client Environment on the Skolelinux system:
    • Install the package x2gothinclient-management on the Skolelinux system
    • Follow the X2Go TCE documentation in this wiki to get the TCE up and running
    • Make sure you serve the X2Go Thin Clients via the second network interface of the Skolelinux system

What you have at the end...

… is a Debian Edu / Skolelinux based class room that can be administrated by normal Linux user and group administration tools. No Kerberos, no LDAP, no Samba, no XXX involved.

doc/success-stories/debian-edu.1362910305.txt.gz · Last modified: 2013/03/10 10:11 by sunweaver