Using X -query to setup a LAN

[A. Jorge Garcia]

I'm having a problem with X -query - I can't get this to work at all.

If I knoppix-installer all 25 PCs in my classroom, I was thinking of adding X -query to /etc/rc.d/rc.local to automatically have my student's X-server boot to the "server's" X-server so they go directly to a login screen with their userids and /home dirs. Is there something else I have to initialize for this to work?

BTW, do I need to update /etc/hosts for X -query to work if I'm using raw ip addresses? What about X -broadcast?

Sorry I'm so clueless wrt setting up a LAN....

TIA,

[A. Jorge Garcia]

I remember setting up a LAN like this years ago with Slackware. I just added X -query 10.10.2.64 (where 10.10.2.64 is the server ip address) to /etc/rc.d/rc.local and every PC booted-up as a slave to the server's X login screen. Now I can't get this to work. Is there something new I'm missing? There seems to be a bunch of different rc.d's and no rc.local but something like kdelaunch.local?

TIA,

[RockMumbles]

On your server you'll need to set up kdm, gdm or xdm to allow remote X logins, what is your servers login display program? If you are using kdm you should be able to find the threads here on setting it up to allow remote x logins. I use gdm and its setup is different.

You wouldn't really have to install on all of the 25 client machines, you could just run from cd (or a poorman's install), booting into runlevel 2 (console mode) using:
knoppix 2 (plus any other necessary boot parameters)

then once the student's (client) computer has the root prompt then use:

X -query ip.add.re.ss

or use:

X -broadcast

If you want to do hd installs on each client, then I would recommend setting the default runlevel to 2 (console mode) and then at the very end of the runlevel 2 startup run a script that will run either of the X commands. I made a script in my init.d directory called Xrem which had the line:
/usr/X11R6/bin/X -query 10.181.6.25
you have to make the Xrem script executable for at least root.

then in /etc/rc2.d I made a symlink to Xrem like this:

ln -s /etc/init.d/Xrem /etc/rc2.d/S99Xrem

The reason I named this S99Xrem is it needs to be the last startup script ran on boot.

HTH

~rock

[A. Jorge Garcia]

Client Side and hdinstall:
OOO, this is exactly what I was looking for! Thanx, Rock! I sure would like to get away from CDs and boot floppies and data floppies. OK, how do I run a script after runlevel 2 completes? You say make Xrem an executable (shell?) script in /etc/init.d and then make a sym link in /etc/rc2.d - is that all I do?

This is so differrent than I remember. Years ago I think all I did was to set runlevel 3 and add /usr/X11R6/bin/X -query 10.10.2.64 to the end of /etc/rc.d/rc.local! Does it matter on the client side whether I knoppix-instaler as knoppix or debian for this procedure to work?

Server Side and hdinstall:
I'm not sure, but I imagine I'm using kdm for logins. I use whatever the default is from the debian knoppix-installer which is how I installed the server. OK, I found http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6873#6873, but this link does not exist: http://linux-sxs.org/remotexkdm.html

Client Side and liveCD
Now that you mention it though, maybe just running knoppix 2 off the poor man's install would suffice. Will my clients still have all the poor man's install autodetection and <k><knoppix><configure><configure printers> as well as /mnt/auto/floppy?

Thanx,

[A. Jorge Garcia]

OK, I tried to get this to work today.

On my server (which is knoppix-installed as debian):
I editted the /etc/kde3/kdm/Xaccess file to uncomment this line:
any host can get a login window
Then I editted the file /etc/kde3/kdm/kderc and set Enable to true:
[Xdmcp]
Enable=true
Then I issued the command line:
/etc/init.d/kdm start
and in /etc/rc5.d I issued the command line:
ln -s /etc/init.d/kdm /etc/rc5.d/S99kdm
then, one final command line:
chmod a-x /etc/init.d/xsession

On my client (which is a KNOPPIX liveCD or poor man's CD image):
I issused the following command line after a knoppix 2 boot:
X -query 10.10.2.64
(which is the server's ip).

The client booted up to the grey X screen and froze! Now, what did I miss?

If I can get this working with the liveCD, then I'll figure out how to get the clients working this way as hdd installs.

TIA,

[A. Jorge Garcia]

OK, I tried to get this to work AGAIN today!!!

Server Side:
My server is knoppix-installed as debian.

I checked the /etc/kde3/kdm/Xaccess file to see if I uncommented this line:
any host can get a login window

Then I checked the file /etc/kde3/kdm/kdmrc and to see if I set Enable to true:
[Xdmcp]
Enable=true

Then I issued the command line:
/etc/init.d/kdm restart

Then I
rm /etc/rc5.d/S99kdm
and reissued the command line:
ln -s /etc/init.d/kdm /etc/rc5.d/S99kdm

Then, one final command line:
chmod a-x /etc/init.d/xsession

Client Side:
My clients are also knoppix-installed as debian and set to boot to runlevel 3 (text-based login screen only).
I logged-in as a user defined on the client and issused the following command line:
X -query 10.10.2.5
(which is the server's ip).

The client booted up to a grey X screen and froze! All I can do is move the mouse around!! What I expected to see was the login screen on the server....

What's wrong here? Please help!!!

TIA,

[horo]

Hi,

this is what I did:

In /etc/kde3/kdm/Xaccess change
#* ...
to
* ...

In /etc/kde3/kdm/kdmrc in section [Xdmcp]
Enable=true
In /etc/X11/xdm/Xaccess the same change as above.

and finally in /etc/X11/xdm/xdm-conf comment out this line:
DisplayManager.requestPort: 0
it becomes
! DisplayManager.requestPort: 0

Then do:
/etc/init.d/kdm restart

For a test on this computer:
X -query localhost :1
on VT8 should start a KDM screen.

If this is ok, you can try it from another computer:
X -query <COMPUTERNAME>
if there is no X running, else
X -query <COMPUTERNAME> :1

I was able to work with an old notebook (486, 16MB, 640x480, virtual screen 800x600, 10BaseT, SuSE 7.0) without problems.

Hope it helps,
Ciao Martin

[A. Jorge Garcia]

OK, great! Thanx Martin (aka horo), I will try that in my lab tomorrow! It looks like you caught some steps I left out....

Regards,

[A. Jorge Garcia]

Oh, btw, how do I view VT8 agian?

TIA,

[A. Jorge Garcia]

Martin: Thanx for all your help.