rws@EXPO.LCS.MIT.EDU (Bob Scheifler) (04/07/90)
After it has been set up by a system administrator (which can be done remotely via the ethernet), you can walk up to the terminal, turn it on, type your password, and start working. This is exactly what the X Consortium's XDMCP standard is all about. Several terminal vendors are close to shipping new load images that support XDMCP, if they haven't already; ask the vendors you're interested in what their schedule is.
brooks@maddog.llnl.gov (Eugene Brooks) (04/08/90)
In article <9004062107.AA13175@expire.lcs.mit.edu> rws@EXPO.LCS.MIT.EDU (Bob Scheifler) writes: > > After it has been set up by a system > administrator (which can be done remotely via the > ethernet), you can walk up to the terminal, turn it > on, type your password, and start working. > >This is exactly what the X Consortium's XDMCP standard is all about. >Several terminal vendors are close to shipping new load images that >support XDMCP, if they haven't already; ask the vendors you're interested >in what their schedule is. The latest NCD X display server supports XDMCP and remote configuration over the ethernet. Once the user has the registered network address for his display he boots from the host using a PROM monitor command on the display. This loads the X server, which you then use a setup menu to type in a couple of network addresses into non-volatile RAM which tells the display where to load the server and its configuration from (provided the system administator has done his homework). You then reset the display and it boots again. This time it puts up the XDM login widget without any interaction with the host's system administrator. I am not sure whether the system administrator appreciates being cut out of the loop. The notion of being able to hook up an X display and get it serviced by a host without evening giving the system administrator a call is pretty mind boggling. When is the last time you did that with a SUN? The X Consortium deserves some kudos here.... brooks@maddog.llnl.gov, brooks@maddog.uucp