pre-caching firefox... i don't do it actually, but i guess if the first student loads it then its shared libraries are in the server's memory and it loads quicker for all the other students. i know office has "quick load" desktop applet that pre-load the major libraries into memory maybe their is a possibility for firefox as well ? to some comfort... beta version 3.0 of firefox is much quicker to load an surf. about the Squid (proxy): we run proxy on the ltsp server and point all the browsers to it. whether we use Firefox / Opera / Konqueror (even IE from windows labs) and it speed up the surfing in all cases. especially when all the users surf to the same site, the school's internet connection does not have to clog with the same data for each student request :-) <div>On 23/01/2008, Kemp, Levi <<a href="mailto:lnkemp@bolivar.k12.mo.us">lnkemp@bolivar.k12.mo.us</a> > wrote:<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> > -----Original Message----- > From: <a href="mailto:k12osn-bounces@redhat.com"> k12osn-bounces@redhat.com</a> > [mailto:<a href="mailto:k12osn-bounces@redhat.com">k12osn-bounces@redhat.com</a>] On Behalf Of Joe Korzeniewski > Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 10:37 AM > To: Support list for open source software in schools. > Subject: Re: [K12OSN] Server specs > > When you mention preloading firefox, how would you go about > doing that? It may be a good idea to preload other common > apps such as Writer based on what kind of classroom you are > running the server in as well. I just can't think of a way to > preload apps automatically (i.e. if you run firefox from a > shell that has no display associated with it, it just fails). > > >>> "Nadav Kavalerchik" <<a href="mailto:nadavkav@gmail.com">nadavkav@gmail.com</a>> 01/22/08 4:43 PM >>> > How to DRASTICALLY speed up app response on K12LTSP > <a href="http://www.redhat.com/archives/k12osn/2007-October/msg00084.html"> http://www.redhat.com/archives/k12osn/2007-October/msg00084.html</a> > (it helps) > > also, use dual-core if you can. > if all fails... use Opera. we use it and it's fastttttt ! > especially with KDE desktop (they share the same qt libraries > so it take less memory and less time to > load) > > you can pre load firefox or have a script that loads firefox > that does not load it the second time they click. > > don't forget to use Squid proxy which helps even better. > when all surf to the same site. I'm going to look into this more later if I have time, but what did you mean by using Squid proxy? Can it be used to cache pages that all the students use? I know a lot of my teachers use web sites for Math and Science lessons and all the students use them at one time. No one complains about speed, but anything to improve there experience would be great. Levi > > and add "Click Notification" (jumping icon) so they know the > click was accepted by the computer. > > hope it help :-) > > On 22/01/2008, James P. Kinney III > <<a href="mailto:jkinney@localnetsolutions.com">jkinney@localnetsolutions.com</a> > wrote: > > > > Looks like your RAM is sufficient but the cpu count is low. > If you can > > toss a dual core into the box, that will be the good. If > you can put > > in a quad-core, even better. I'm unclear on the specs of > the machine > > you listed. > > > > You will need to run the PAE kernel on the server to use > the 8GB most > > efficiently (I think that machine is 32-bit and not 64-bit). The > > 32-bit systems can't address more than 4GB RAM directly and the PAE > > kernels provide a workaround. > > On Tue, 2008-01-22 at 07:14 -0500, Ronnie Miller wrote: > > > I need a little help from those better informed than I. > I've got a > > > lab > > of > > > 28 terminals that is running on the Centos5 based LTSP. It's runs > > > fairly well, but there are speed issues with programs not loading > > > quick enough (mostly Firefox), which results in the kids clicking > > > the programs > > multiple > > > times, which in turn slows the server down even more. > There's also > > > intermittent problems with Flash, but from what I've been able to > > > determine from the archives, is not unusual. > > > > > > The existing server is a refurbed 3 Ghz Xeon > processor-based HP6000. > > > I upgraded it from 4 GB of RAM to 8 GB (which I found out > later was > > > pointless), in order to help the speed issues. The speed issue is > > > not a problem when one or two are trying to run different > programs. > > > The issues appear when you've got a room full of impatient first > > > graders who are "click happy". The teachers aren't real thrilled > > > about the problems and are grumbling about the K12LTSP > lab. I've got > > > another lab for 4th grade running the exact same setup > and the Flash > > > is not an issue with them as they don't use it much. As > far as speed > > > issues, they've been trained to click once and wait - not > to sit there continuously clicking. > > > > > > After all this explanation, my question is this: what > would be the > > > specs needed for a decent/sufficient server running Centos5 and > > > serving less than 30 terminals? I've got some money to > spend, but not a large amount. > > > > > > Am I right in assuming that it's not a memory issue as > much as it is > > > a processor issue? In other words, won't I be a lot > better off with > > > either multiple processors or a dual-core type processor? > > > > > > Thanks for any help on this matter. You've all been a > great resource > > when > > > I've needed you in the past. > > > > > > -- > > > Ronnie Miller > > > Technology Specialist > > > Seminole County Schools > > > 800 S. Woolfork Ave. > > > Donalsonville, GA 39845 > > > 229.524.5235 Ext. 227 > > > > > > -- > > > This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous > content by > > > MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > K12OSN mailing list > > > <a href="mailto:K12OSN@redhat.com"> K12OSN@redhat.com</a> > > > <a href="https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/k12osn">https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/k12osn</a> > > > For more info see <<a href="http://www.k12os.org">http://www.k12os.org </a>> > > > > > -- > > James P. Kinney III > > CEO & Director of Engineering > > Local Net Solutions,LLC > > 770-493-8244 > > <a href="http://www.localnetsolutions.com"> http://www.localnetsolutions.com</a> > > > > GPG ID: 829C6CA7 James P. Kinney III (M.S. Physics) > > <<a href="mailto:jkinney@localnetsolutions.com">jkinney@localnetsolutions.com</a>> Fingerprint = 3C9E 6366 > 54FC A3FE BA4D > > 0659 6190 ADC3 829C 6CA7 > > > > > > -- > > This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by > > MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. > > > > _______________________________________________ > > K12OSN mailing list > > <a href="mailto:K12OSN@redhat.com">K12OSN@redhat.com</a> > > <a href="https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/k12osn"> https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/k12osn</a> > > For more info see <<a href="http://www.k12os.org">http://www.k12os.org</a>> > > > > > _______________________________________________ > K12OSN mailing list > <a href="mailto:K12OSN@redhat.com">K12OSN@redhat.com</a> > <a href="https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/k12osn">https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/k12osn</a> > For more info see < <a href="http://www.k12os.org">http://www.k12os.org</a>> > _______________________________________________ K12OSN mailing list <a href="mailto:K12OSN@redhat.com">K12OSN@redhat.com</a> <a href="https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/k12osn"> https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/k12osn</a> For more info see <<a href="http://www.k12os.org">http://www.k12os.org</a>> </blockquote></div>