Are you setting up a new Proof of Concept 
Turning old PC’s into Thin Clients are very much alive and a lot of you are downloading the ThinClientPC ScriptFrameWork. I recently came past 2 very good articles discussing these matters The fundamental flaws of thin clients and Converting PC’s into thin clients – a rundown of a suddenly crowded niche.
Now that the Citrix XenApp 5.0 Feature Pack 2 are released supporting HDX MediaStream for Flash I have created a new version. Please take a look at the Readme.txt for further instructions. My golden image machine are Windows XP SP3.
Downloads :
- Adobe Flash Player
- Citrix Online Plugin Full 11.2
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 7
- Microsoft Net Framework 2.0
- Microsoft Windows Media Player 11
- Microsoft Security Essentials
- ThinClientPC ScriptFrameWork
Note :
Please note that these scripts are provided “as is” and that using these is at your own risk. Please feel free to leave comments below regarding bugs & suggested improvements in future releases.
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Trond,
Like the fact that you are thinking about re-using machines in this day and age rather than chucking them out.
I would suggest you also have a look at Microsoft steady state
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/sharedaccess/default.mspx
A free install and download for XP that allows you to create restrictions and also reverts a machine back to an initial image on restart.
Now Brad, your first question, “Why would anyone want to use XP as a thin client?” From a Citrix or MS RDP perspective, the answer is simple, features. Linux thin apps do not have the feature set of the Windows ones, plain and simple. You want to best user experience? You go Windows.
These days it is about user acceptance and providing a familiar consistent experience.
I am also surprised that you offered quite a lot of comment for someone who admits at the end of the a post that he isn’t even using a thin client solution at all…
We have been very impressed with 2X – old PCs can be booted over the …network with a small footprint Linux/RDP/Citrix OS … no need for Windows on the client machine, users and access managed from a central 2X server that connects in to AD via LDAP… perfect for reusing old machines!
That’s true Matthew, back in the days we even used ICA DOS
BUT as Damien states : “You want the best user experience? You go Windows.”
All these new Citrix HDX | High Definition User Experience Features will not be available on Linux
Eric
Been there done that, and now I work somewhere else where thin clients won’t (currently) work with our main product. This is why I say that I need USB 2.0 to work over the network, we have check scanners and full page scanners that are USB only and relatively high speed, high enough that even if we can make a virtual/tc combo even see the scanner, it chokes and dies and slows down after the 3rd document (USB 1.1 speeds).
Our customers are banks, and I would *love* to sell them a centrally managed solution, but I can’t. Back when my customers were hospitals with barcode scanners and nothing else, heck yeah! Citrix all the way! Working for a big engineering company, we used Citrix for everything, but mainly to centralize some apps and offer up others in environments that could not be stolen. ESG gateways for road warriors and home use, the works.
Now, money *is* an object, USB 2.0 still isn’t ready, and the price point for Citrix for 4-10 user shops is *WAY* too high already without doubling up on MS licenses (XP/TS-CAL/Citrix CAL) for full XP clients. I can’t make it go, and no one has shown me anything that can move the silly scanner any further than the max USB cable length from the server.
The PC-over-IP stuff will probably work, but the price point is too high (full PC + more hardware to make it IP) unless they are completely security obsessed, which many banks are not (Scary!).
Thin clients are great, but the security and patches etc. for maintaining a full XP client just for that makes me twitch. “The Best User Experience is Windows”, I just can’t bring myself to be ok with that. I haven’t had a good experience with Windows in years, it’s a total minefield in hostile territory. Sorry.
Citrix and VMWare are missing a boat by not making Linux clients. M$ must have made a field trip to Palo Alto and Ft. Lauderdale to emphasize how much they didn’t like their pseudo-partners even thinking about Linux, since they are already looking the other way on licensing. Gad, the licensing, another ulcer.
And, yes, I even built a 286 with DOS and ICA DOS. It worked, but it wouldn’t win any speed records.
It would be nice to see a version designed for Citrix independent of VMware View.
Thank you, Tom
Also, info on setting this up with IE 8.x would be very much appreciated.
Thank you, Tom
Hi Tom.
My script is based on script made for VMware View, but they are completely independent. Take a look at this demo video and you´ll see how is works.
http://www.xenappblog.com/2009/video-demonstration-of-thinclientpc/
This will also work with IE 8, but it´s possible that you get some other IE pop up boxes. I will try to fix this in the next version.
Eric
First great article, second a quick question.
How are you getting the xenapp webinterface not to ask for the domain name where it is autopopulated? We are currently having that problem with deployment, and really haven’t had alot of great sucess with it…
Thanks,
James Briggs
Hi James
On your Web Interface Server in AMC – Right click the XenApp webpage – Authentication Methods – Properties – Domain Restrictions – Add
Eric
Turn old PC into Thin Client for Free – Version 1.1
Wheer do I download???
You will find it under the download section or directly here
thanks its amazing how many times I passed over it, and never saw it…
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