Two computers in one: two users each with their own accounts, monitor, and keyboard?
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From: Eduardo M KALINOWSKI on 6 Jan 2010 14:40 Dotan Cohen wrote: >> Just get one of these and install Debian via USB thumb drive netinst: >> >> http://fit-pc2.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page >> >> It's only 4" x 4.5" x 1.05" I just measured and it's smaller than my hand. >> >> > > That looks pretty good, but it is very short on RAM (1 GB) and the FAQ > is very clear that it cannot be upgraded. Bummer. > Since the only thing running on it will be the OS and an X server (applications are run at the "server" computer), 1Gb should be more than enough. -- You could get a new lease on life -- if only you didn't need the first and last month in advance. Eduardo M KALINOWSKI eduardo(a)kalinowski.com.br -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST(a)lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster(a)lists.debian.org
From: Kelly Clowers on 7 Jan 2010 20:40 On Thu, Jan 7, 2010 at 16:02, Paul Johnson <baloo(a)ursamundi.org> wrote: > Kelly Clowers wrote: > >> On Wed, Jan 6, 2010 at 09:03, Stan Hoeppner <stan(a)hardwarefreak.com> wrote: >>> John Hasler put forth on 1/6/2010 10:21 AM: >>>> Stan writes: >>>>> What about sound? >>>> >>>> Two sound cards. Â Sound is handled entirely seperately from video.. >>> >>> No kidding? Â (sarcasm) >>> >>> The question is how do you configure the 2nd user session to use a secondary >>> sound device? Â That is what the original OP needs to know. >> >> Each user runs PA per-user as normal, and simply selects the sound device >> they use in pavucontrol. > > Given that PA is next to useless (particularly for games), is there a > NOT PA way of doing this? I disagree with that first bit, but in any case, I believe you just need to edit ~/.asoundrc Cheers, Kelly Clowers -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST(a)lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster(a)lists.debian.org
From: Albretch Mueller on 12 Jan 2010 02:20 ~ Let me add a few more general points about multiseat environments ... ~ Multiseat environments have been a great unexploited idea for a long time (what happened with cars in the 70's has been happening with computers since the 90's, but no paradigm shift has really happened since then) The only issues that I see with it are security and truly functional independent seats. Sure nowadays you can possibly hook up 24 seats to a commercial box with enough (like 6 or 8?) free pci slots and RAM, but say you have an Internet cafe at some airport/hotel; would the SSL protocol (based on the plain mac address) take into consideration that each person has an individual session going on? How safe would it be? How would you restrict your users environments regarding security? OK, for kiosks it would be great, but is this what we truly want? ~ Also say you have a home setup or a lab in which security illusions are less of an issue and using one of these 50 a 100 ft long VGA cables you have a "seat" in another room. How would she from her room use a USB external mini device with her data, if USB cables can not be that long (this is why the picture of the Linux mag article looks unbearably crowded ;-)) Extra large keyboard, sound and monitor cables are not that expensive (and if companies start mass marketting them they would surely become even less expensive) but USB cables/protocol have some physical impairments. That is why people using cameras and hidden places need all these "repeaters" and stuff ~ A possible solution to this problem (as I see it and I have tried a number of things (including those Roxio KM-13 keyboards with USB connectors in them) and read about/thought about such issues at length) would be to use one of those high-end monitors, which cables double with sound and USB connections, work as a truly functional USB hub (form which you could connect mouse, keyboard, pen, mini drives ....). A pen drive you may use, but they would not power up a mini drive which would be a drag to some semi-serious work, say students at college or designers editing their large images ~ If those and a number of other issues are addressed pertaining to the OS (virtualization, network and fs security ...), hardware, ACPI, SSL, user related issues like "presence" (users should be able "to sit any seat" and select the environment they prefer including OS and just carry their data in a pocket-size mini drive with them) ... as well as software related ones. Multiseat environments would be the next great thing, not only regarding the savings on hardware, but also on the utility bill ;-) as well as it would naturally create new posibilities such as more efficient squid installations in schools seamless backups, ... ~ lbrtchx -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST(a)lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster(a)lists.debian.org
From: Mark Allums on 12 Jan 2010 03:00 On 1/12/2010 1:14 AM, Albretch Mueller wrote: > ~ > Let me add a few more general points about multiseat environments ... > ~ > Also say you have a home setup or a lab in which security illusions > are less of an issue and using one of these 50 a 100 ft long VGA > cables you have a "seat" in another room. How would she from her room > use a USB external mini device with her data, if USB cables can not be > that long (this is why the picture of the Linux mag article looks > unbearably crowded ;-)) Extra large keyboard, sound and monitor > cables are not that expensive (and if companies start mass marketting > them they would surely become even less expensive) but USB > cables/protocol have some physical impairments. That is why people > using cameras and hidden places need all these "repeaters" and stuff There is such a thing as a repeater cable. Nine bucks from Newegg gets you sixteen more feet. Multiple cables can be chained. (However your point is well taken, at least by me. Mark Allums -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST(a)lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster(a)lists.debian.org
From: Stan Hoeppner on 12 Jan 2010 03:10
Albretch Mueller put forth on 1/12/2010 1:14 AM: > Multiseat environments would be the next great > thing, not only regarding the savings on hardware, but also on the > utility bill ;-) But here is where you diverge from reality. The total cost in hardware, OS/application setup man-hours, and electricity is *higher* if you attempt the multi-seat route with one big powerful box vs many small power efficient boxen. And, as you point at, users end up with less capability wrt freedom of external device use. Please take the following into account: 1. If/when this one machine breaks, all your seats (users) are down. In the PC model, one machine breaks, only one user is down. 2. Because the market has evolved to the "PC everywhere" model, PCs are dirt cheap, approaching $100 USD for the box (remember you have to buy all those monitors, keyboards, and mice for the multi-seat setup so the only differential factor is the price of the CPU box). The hardware cost for specialty cards, signal repeater boxes and cables for the multi-seat configuration is actually higher than buying a bunch of cheap low end power efficient PCs with standard cables. 3. This is exactly why the Citirx et al "dumb Windows terminal" model has failed. The dumb graphics terminals cost more than a PC by a factor of over 2:1, so people just bought PCs and installed the Citrix client. Then they realized "why am I paying this Citrix license when I have a fully functional PC sitting here for which I've already paid a Windows license?" Thus Citirix has become basically nothing more than a remote access solution or a niche "security minded" application solution for banks, hospitals, and such. Few, if any, are running a Citrix desktop on every screen in their organization. Linux is not Citrix, so there are no licenses involved. But to go the route you are suggesting increases overall costs in hardware and man-time significantly over a PC at every seat. I can't count the number of studies I've read over the years that make the argument that centralized computing is the better model. Thousands of organizations have tried it, and quickly dumped it, because it just doesn't work in the real world as well as the PC model, and the overall costs end up being much higher. For the hobbyist at home who just wants the wife and kids to have a screen, KB, and mouse to surf and check email, this multi-seat solution might work ok. But again, given that you can buy a fully functional new laptop for $300 USD, or a very decent used laptop for $150, the cost of extra vid cards, cables, KBs, mice, a CRT/LCD screen and time time and hassle of trying to make multi-seat work, it just isn't really worth the effort, is it? The only reason I can see someone actually doing this is the satisfaction one would receive from pulling off the hack and crowing about it. No offense intended. It would be a fairly neat hack. But given the factors I've outlined above, it wouldn't be worth duplicating by the larger community. -- Stan -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST(a)lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster(a)lists.debian.org |