[debian-edu-commits] [Debian Wiki] Update of "DebianEdu/BeforeGettingStarted" by pulchras

Fri Mar 21 00:53:33 UTC 2014

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The "DebianEdu/BeforeGettingStarted" page has been changed by pulchras:
https://wiki.debian.org/DebianEdu/BeforeGettingStarted?action=diff&rev1=8&rev2=9

  <<TableOfContents(5)>>
+ 
+ = Before getting started =
+ 
+ DebianEdu is an awesome Debian Blend that just works out-of-the-box. Their developers have been working for years and have burned lots of neurons developing it for you. Even though, some work is still necessary to make it work at your place so. To succeed, make sure you take enough time to read and understand the following page to bring your DebianEdu network up and running. You actually need few knowledge so let's begin acquiring it!
+ 

  = Basic terminology =

- ''' Workstation '''
+ There is basic terminology you just need to know and understand to follow any tutorial or instructions. First of all, let's present any element you can find on a standard DebianEdu topology.

+ '''Gateway'''<<BR>>
+ It is a node on a TCP/IP network that serves as an access point to another network. Most of the people with Internet connection at home have a modem router that serves as a gateway to the Internet. On medium to large intranets it will more commonly be a router that in turn receives routed traffic from another router.<<BR>>
+ '''WARNING:''' be aware that on a DebianEdu network this gateway must be able to serve using "class A" ip's (typically 10.0.0.1 or similar). At home you will normally use "class C" (typically 192.168.1.1 or similar). Normally those routers are more expensive because they are sold under a "business brand". As an alternative, it is possible to use dd-wrt on suitable hardware like (for example)the Linksys WRT54GL router. Take a look (at your own risc) to http://lifehacker.com/178132/hack-attack-turn-your-60-router-into-a-600-router
+ 
+ 
+ ''' Network Switch '''<<BR>>
+ It's a computer networking device used to connect devices on a network. It is capable to send specific packets to the specific hosts that requested them.<<BR>>
+ '''WARNING''' do not confuse with a hub, as they only broadcast any packet they receive to any host connected to it.
+ 
+ 
+ ''' Workstation '''<<BR>>
  In short, a workstation is regular computer. Applications are installed and run locally, allowing faster startup time and access to local devices such as CD-writers. It has a big maintenance cost as any workstation's operative system and software must be installed an maintained and configured individually.

- '''Main server (Tjener)'''
+ '''Main server (Tjener)'''<<BR>>
- 
  The main server or Tjener (which is the norwegian word for server) contains information about users as well as their files and it runs most of the services in a DebianEdu network. Even though, most services can easily be moved to a different machine if necessary. '''There must be only one "Main server" in the network. You can install both a main server and a thin client server at the same time'''. 

- ''' Thin client server '''
+ ''' Thin client server '''<<BR>>
- 
  A thin client server runs all the processes that are served to the thin clients. It is a powerful machine, doing most of the work for all the thin clients connected. One might have multiple thin client servers in the network.<<BR>>
  True for all the clients, is that there is a central storage of files and central user authentication, as explained in [[DebianEdu/Product| "How Skolelinux works"]]. Generally, they do not offer any services to the rest of the network, hence the name, but they may be used to share printers.

- ''' Thin client '''
+ ''' Thin client '''<<BR>>
- 
  A thin client only needs a mouse, a keyboard and a display because it only has to draw the graphics that receives from the server and to be able to catch keyboard and mouse information to send it to the server which is the one that actually runs and serves processes. It can be an old weak machine, which would otherwise be useless and doesn't need any hard disk. It only need the ability to boot from network (generally through PXE).

  A thin client is a computer terminal with a monitor, mouse and keyboard. All of the information displayed on screen and all applications which run come from a Terminal Server. Therefore the thin client requires neither a hard disk, nor a particularly powerful processor. As such the thin clients make very economic use of old hardware. There are so few points of failure with thin clients that their installation is often as simple as turning on a light bulb.
  A 133Mhz Pentium I is enough for this purpose. It is best if the network card is bootable (by PXE or Etherboot). Older cards can be obtained for just a few Euro — alternatively you can boot them using a Bootdisk.

- '''Diskless Workstation '''
+ '''Diskless Workstation '''<<BR>>
- 
  A diskless workstation is similar to a thin client in that it boots from the network with pxe. But instead of running applications on the server and displaying them on the thin client screen with X. A diskless workstations mounts it's root file system from its next-server, and runs all applications on the local hardware. You can think about it like a regular workstation with a very long hard drive cable.
  '''NOTE:''' Diskless workstations are also marketed using the term "LowFat Clients" or "Halfthin Clients" or "stateless workstations".

- ''' Printer '''
+ ''' Printer '''<<BR>>
- 
  Printers may be connected anywhere in the network, also to thin clients, but they cannot be administrated from them. Skolelinux uses [[http://www.cups.org/|CUPS]] for printing.

- ''' Switch '''

+ 
- ''' Gateway '''
+ ''' Gateway '''<<BR>>

  See [[DebianEdu/FAQ/glossary|glossary]] for more