Hello there! I'm pretty new here, I've known AntiX due to a friend in my LUG, and I find it fascinating, so I'd like to know if it fits my actual purpose

I'm setting up a computer network for a community center that a friend of mine helps managing, and being a fan of trashware I'd like to use some old computers I recovered.
My plan is to use 1 computer as server (a P4 1,8Ghz, 768MB RAM and 40 GB Hdd, DVD Rom, CD burner and eventually DVD burner) and use the other computer as some kind of thin client (p2 and p3 ranging from 400 to 1000 Ghz and equivalent AMDs, CD ROM and WITHOUT HARD DISK). The network would have a modem/router too, which would act as DHCP server (I haven't checked yet if it is OpenWRT compatible, but I hope so, cause I'd like to flash it - but that's not related with the top) and I'd like to make the client boot from a live iso stored on the server that should load to client ram, in order to circumvent the lack of hard disk and maybe point to the server home partition to store and retrieve saved files. I think that PXE boot, or iPXE - I still haven't understood the difference - should be involved, but my main question is, would AntiX be a choice - especially for clients - or should I use something even lighter - I don't know if I can mention what I was thinking about without breaking forum rules - ?

My aim is to have a minimal OS client side, but still usable for non-techie ppl, for what concern system administration I will deal with it, and I am not afraid to learn, I'd like the user to turn on the computer, be able to surf the internet or edit some text/document/calc sheet/other and shut down, without any major system lag

Thanks in advance, if you need more info, or are just curious, don't esitate, ask! __{{emoticon}}__

Sounds feasable to me, server would need setting up as a boot server (PXE). From memory, there are 2 different ways of doing that, using different software. As AntiX is basically Debian, I would point you towards the Debian instructions for setting up your server, when I was 'playing' with it, I found the info on the Debian Forum. Hope that is of somehelp to you.

We don't support network booting. You would have to rely on whatever support is supplied by Debian.

We do support booting off of CD and from USB. I don't know if you are interested in these options for the client. We could easily help you modify the bootloader so it boots right away with the configuration you choose. Likewise, it is very easy to modify the file system on the iso (used by both CD and usb) for booting into a custom configuration.

Other distros might directly support the network booting you are looking for. Don't restrict your search to lightweight distros. We stripped out almost all network support in the early boot process in order to be as light as possible.

If I wanted to make something like this, I'd start with the
========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"http://www.syslinux.org/wiki/index.php/PXELINUX"
linktext was:"PxeLinux"
====================================
bootloader and then add back in enough network support in the initrd so it can get the linuxfs file via tftp or something like that.

I'd like to try modifying the ISO, I just need to get my hands dirty with it anyway, because I'll need at least to link the subfolder in the home folder to the matching ones on the server, to make saving files easier.
My biggest concern is about usability, I forgot to mention the client ram, that should be around 256 MB. I'd like those pc to feel responsive and not lagging - that's why I'd look for lightweight distro, I need them to perform well on P2s and P3s, and the Lightest I've found is AntiX __{{emoticon}}__
If one (or more) of my assumption is wrong please don't esitate to point it out

I'm just about to try AntiX LiveCD on one of those old P3s - I'm assembling it right now -. How would the responsiveness change booting from lan, would be more, less or the same?

In order to load the OS on RAM (in order to let multiple client use the same iso to boot, and avoid massive network usage over a FastEthernet network) I need the RAM to be at least as much as big as the distro ISO?

Boot from USB is mostly not or badly supported by those old motherboards, and booting from CDs would mean - in the best scenario - having a CD player always busy for the boot disc, that would get probably lost if removed after the boot to use the CD Player - maybe not the first time, but in few uses - and would mean also burn a disc for every computer - 5 or 6 at the moment - and reburn them all every time I update. I think it would be more practical due to this to use network boot - not considering the fact that this allows me to learn something new, and that's good __{{emoticon}}__ -.

Thank you guys, you replied very quickly __{{emoticon}}__

Paraffine wrote:I'd like to try modifying the ISO, I just need to get my hands dirty with it anyway, because I'll need at least to link the subfolder in the home folder to the matching ones on the server, to make saving files easier.

m_pav recommends using the program isomaster for manipulating iso files. He has recently posted instructions for combing this with live remaster to make your own custom ISO file. You can use a LiveUSB as your development system. Set it up as you want and then do a live remaster. Then take the stick to a host system to run isomaster for creating a new iso image.

I forgot to mention the client ram, that should be around 256 MB. I'd like those pc to feel responsive and not lagging

antiX can run well with only 256 MB RAM but you won't have enough room to save the linuxfs file in RAM.

I'm just about to try AntiX LiveCD on one of those old P3s - I'm assembling it right now -. How would the responsiveness change booting from lan, would be more, less or the same?

I don't have experience with booting over the network but my guess is that if you have the bandwidth, the network could be much faster than a cd because cds are usually pretty slow.

In order to load the OS on RAM (in order to let multiple client use the same iso to boot, and avoid massive network usage over a FastEthernet network) I need the RAM to be at least as much as big as the distro ISO?

Yes, pretty much. Multiple clients can still boot from the same file even if they don't store it in RAM.

Boot from USB is mostly not or badly supported by those old motherboards, and booting from CDs would mean - in the best scenario - having a CD player always busy for the boot disc

antiX offers a hybrid boot where the boot starts with cd but finishes with the usb. This works on any system that can boot from a cd. It gives you better performance and also opens the door for persistence options and live remastering. The performance depends on whether usb 2.0 is available. If you only have usb-1.1 then it will still be pretty slow. I'm not suggesting this is better than booting over the network, just letting you know what your options are.

[...] that would get probably lost if removed after the boot to use the CD Player - maybe not the first time, but in few uses - and would mean also burn a disc for every computer - 5 or 6 at the moment - and reburn them all every time I update.

I agree booting from cd/usb is not optimal for what you want to do. With the hyrbid boot, you would only need to reburn the cd if the kernel you are using changes.

I think it would be more practical due to this to use network boot - not considering the fact that this allows me to learn something new, and that's good __{{emoticon}}__ -.

I agree that network booting may be your best choice. With only 256 MB of RAM, storing the linuxfs file in RAM is not going to be a viable option. You will have access it over the net (or on a cdrom or a usb stick) as needed.

Paraffine wrote: My plan is to use 1 computer as server...
...and use the other computer as some kind of thin client... WITHOUT HARD DISK.

The network would have a modem/router too, which would act as DHCP server...

...should load to client ram, in order to circumvent the lack of hard disk and maybe point to the server home partition to store and retrieve saved files.
[...]
My biggest concern is about usability, I forgot to mention the client ram, that should be around 256 MB. I'd like those pc to feel responsive and not lagging - that's why I'd look for lightweight distro, I need them to perform well on P2s and P3s, and the Lightest I've found is AntiX

You might find Tiny Core Linux (TCL) worth looking at. By design it is very lightweight in its use of system resources and also has a very small basic ISO. Additionally, network booting thin client/server has been incorporated for many years. Setting it up is well documented in the online book the distro provides and also in its wiki. There is also plenty of expertise in this area via its forum. All can be accessed via
========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"http://www.tinycorelinux.net"
linktext was:"http://www.tinycorelinux.net"
====================================

Paraffine wrote: My aim is to have a minimal OS client side, but still usable for non-techie ppl...

I'd like the user to turn on the computer, be able to surf the internet or edit some text/document/calc sheet/other and shut down...

One of the central ideas on which TCL is based is minimalism. It ships with a basic set of apps to which you add your own selection. In this way you are able to create whatever suits your purpose and exclude those apps that are extraneous. In turn this enables you to fine tune the use of system resources.

It is helpful to view TCL as a toolbox into which you place your choice of tools. The tools you add determine whether the system you produce is a fully featured general purpose desktop system (such as antiX-13.2), or one that is dedicated to a single role (such as TCL terminal server), or something between those two polar opposites.

The tools (apps) are able to be downloaded from the TCL repositories which also now include apps from Debian repos (via dCore).

Paraffine wrote: ...this allows me to learn something new, and that's good

In addition to network booting thin client/server, if you decide to explore local booting via CD or USB, these have also formed part of TCL since its inception.

The default GUI desktop for TCL is FLTK/FLWM, however Fluxbox, JWM and IceWM (among others) are also available. Because these are the three main desktop WMs used in antiX, an identical look to the desktop can be created in antiX and TCL. So if you like the look of a particular antiX desktop it can be reproduced in TCL.

Don't forget that the X window system can be run on a server & be seen/used from/on a thin client.
That was its original purpose. You will have to look at the X window systems docs to work out how.