[K12OSN] Proposal time for an LTSP Rollout

[Angus Carr]

I've finally got the go-ahead to propose radical restructuring of an 
all-windows shop to a partial thin-client shop. Hardware will be sunk 
into a specific short-term project (an email garden), so we'll be able 
to do the rollout as a progressive optional rollout instead of a 
required, mandated rollout, without worries on that front.

It's a neat project possibility which is developing into a vision-quest. 
Teehee.

Anyway, I just thought I'd put in a vote for LTSP systems (this'll be 
K12LTSP, just 'cause) in general, and put in a request for the list:

1) I am planning a 10 client system to start. I'm not too worried about 
the hardware for the server. It's not going to be terribly stressed. 
Probably an amd64 chip and 2GB of memory will be more than sufficient. 
Right now our common file server has 18/60GB free, so no worries on that 
front.

2) What have your business requirements been, which I might be 
overlooking? I want to roll out to the word/excel/outlook/ie crowd with 
functional upgrading - for example spam filtering at the client. I like 
Thunderbird for spam filtering, personally, but I suspect Evolution will 
be better suited. We're not using Exchange server, which is nice.

3) How have you dealt with the "travelling professional" who is out of 
the office a few days a month, and needs a laptop for that. Options seem 
to be to leave them on laptops, or roll out thin clients and have a pool 
of travelling laptops which can sync to the file server for specific 
files to travel with.

4) How have you dealt with burning CD's and having USB keys available 
(yes, I know this is a current issue with LTSP) and other client 
expectations?

5) Any good ideas you want to share?

6) Any particular applications you think I could promote as big 
functional improvements for normal people?

This is a pet project that may see the light of day. I admit it.

Thanks,
Angus Carr.