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Converting a thin client

B

BigTy

Gawd
Joined
Feb 19, 2003
Messages
943
I was looking at option to run a low powered PC just to host a Unify controller server and a SNMP server. I was wondering if there is a way to convert a thin client to run a Linux distro? then I could load this two servers on the thin client.
 
The answer is yes and no :)

If you're asking then you're problably not gonna do it if someone else didn't do it yet for the machine you've got on hand. Most likely there will be need for kernel tailored for the machine to fit and run on the hardware provided.

First of all whats the machine? is it x86 based at least?
 
Unless you already have a thin client that happens to have a distro available, you might be better off just getting a Raspberry Pi.
 
Just download a Linux Mint ISO, download and run unetbootin to create a bootable USB and give it a try. Mint is really good at running on PCs without having a distro for that machine. Just went thru it on Asrock Q2900 mobo no issues, only driver I had to get was for my laser printer, and that was easy also just a straight download of the universal linux driver from Samsung and installed it.
 
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@Stevo_ thinclient is not a standard motherboard and most likely it will have built-in flash or flash slot instead of normal hard drive controller.
 
BigTy said:
I think I found a unit that has a standard SATA slot/controller.

http://www.cnet.com/products/dell-optiplex-fx160-atom-230-1-6-ghz-monitor-none-series/specs/
Click to expand...

Meant to suggest that exact model, you can get these virtually brand new and cheap all day on eBay. A friend just got done with a conversion on one of these. There's actually 2 Sata connections (2nd one takes a power plus sata connector though) on the 330 dual core version and a mini-pcie slot under the hard drive, that has a neat spring loaded lockdown mechanism rather than using the normal screw mounts
 
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Cool putting one on order now.I was thinking about adding a 16GB or 8GB SSD card in this unit to keep as little of moving parts as possible.
 
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BigTy said:
Cool putting one on order now.I was thinking about adding a 16GB or 8GB SSD card in this unit to keep as little of moving parts as possible.
Click to expand...

Put one of these mini-pcie to sd micro adapters in my L1 build with 2x64GB SD Micro cards, even booted a Win10 preview off one as an experiment but I think it will highly depend on hardware/drivers/bios etc how well they work for size limits and bootability going by the reviews.

http://www.mfactors.com/products/MR15-252d-Dual-Micro-SD-Cards-to-Mini-PCIe-adapter.html
 
Have you considered a SFF kit instead of thin client? For instance, the ECS LIVA was recently on a hot deal for around $120 and it idles under 5W and loads under 15W. I'd think thin clients that don't use a modern super low power draw mobile CPU would have a difficult time beating that.
 
I didn't know about this little unit. It does look like something I could use for a customer, but for my test learning lab the combo I have now should work.
 
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