Baslinux mailing list

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On Wed, 2 Sep 2009, baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org wrote:

> Message from Steven
> ===================
> Sindi wrote:
> > > With xdm the username/password is entered remotely.
> >
> > Would this only allow me to run X and not a console?
>
> X only, but of course you could then run an xterm.
I might need to do this to use the laptop keyboard and screen.

> > > Or, alternatively, you could run one of those servers
> > > from system startup, and login remotely.
> >
> > Put dropbear in rc?
>
> I've never used dropbear, but I assume you can start
> it at the end of rc

I am experimenting with a working-keyboard desktop and a laptop, connected 
via network cable (two straight cables and a hub).  insmod the desktop 
network module.  Run the laptop pcmcia start script to insert network 
modules on the laptop.  assign IP numbers 192.168.0.1 and 192.168.0.2. 
Type dropbear on the desktop (having set it up previously - see archives). 
Type dbclient root AT 192.168.0.1 on the laptop. Y.  Give password to log in.

I can run console programs including dbclient from the desktop (typing and 
reading on the laptop) to a bbs where I am writing this email, just as if 
I were on the  desktop (except for screen and monitor).  top lists 
dropbear and dbclient.  So the laptop is acting the same as a regular 
terminal.  It has 112MB RAM and is 200MHz.  Sound does not work.  I should 
be able to use the desktop sound.

> > I should not need a monitor on the server.
>
> No monitor (or keyboard) required.

After logging in, if I try to load X, it loads on the desktop (where I can 
run programs using the desktop keyboard).  How do I run Opera with this 
setup?

 >> Is there any minimum hardware requirement to run X on
> > an old laptop with BL, as a terminal?  8MB RAM okay?
>
> 8mb (with 16mb swap) should be fine.  You are just
> running a bare Xserver.  You might want to avoid
> up-to-date Xservers, which could be more demanding
> than Xservers from Slackware 7 or 4.  You should
> also avoid starting unnecessary processes.

The desktop is the X server and the laptop is the client.
Without X, dbclient uses about 1MB RAM.

I switched to another terminal just now and loaded X.

Xfbdev, icewm and rxvt use 3.6% of 112MB (about 4MB) RAM.
But free shows about 11MB being used on the laptop.
jwm and no rxvt would save a bit of memory. But 8MB is too little.

I have a 133Mhz Toshiba with 16MB and USB.  And a 486 with 12MB and one 
bad key (;/: - linux may not need these).  Also a 866MHz with broken 
screen and no hard drive adaptor - could run it from a live CD.

I switched terminals and loaded X (on laptop, the client), dbclient 
root AT 192.168.0.1, logged in,  and tried to run Opera.  Did not work.
Opera:  cannot connect to X server.
Fatal error on creating Qt object.

Opera loads if I exit dbclient. (Runs on the laptop not the desktop).

If I run dbclient, log in, then load X, the X and wm appear on the desktop 
not laptop and I need to use the desktop keyboard to run programs on it.

I am supposed to startxt on the client (I just found it on the desktop in 
BL3) then on the desktop
export DISPLAY=192.168.0.2:0
icewm &

So I would need to add this to rc along with dropbear.

After exporting DISPLAY on the desktop, I cannot start X on the laptop - 
no open sockets.   top shows that Xvesa and icewm are running but nothing 
is visible yet.  "Can't connect . X must be running and $DISPLAY set".

startxt is for BL3 and I don't have most of what it refers to.
Xvesa does not work.  Xfbdev does not specify resolution.

I tried using just
exec xfbdev -ac - cannot establish any listening sockets, make sure
an X server is not already running.

I then tried following instructions.  Login into the desktop with 
dbclient.  Or don't log in - seems to work either way.

First run startxt (exec xfbdev -ac using xfbdev on the desktop after 
connection with dbclient, or Xfbdev on the laptop without using dbclient*) 
- either way I get X on laptop without wm.

(But it is 1 am and I may be confused)

Then on the desktop export DISPLAY ... icewm &

icewm appears on the laptop screen and I can ping a website whether or not 
I first ran dbclient.

What does -ac do?
startx has a -terminate (don't wait for other info?).

If I don't have a desktop keyboard, presumably I would need to turn on the 
laptop and run startxt before turning on the desktop server.



svgalib will not display to the laptop (only text console will).
(Maybe there is some similar way to export display?).

If I log into the desktop as above from laptop, zgv displays to the 
desktop, scrambled.  I exited zgv on the laptop but the image remains on 
the desktop.  And I cannot exit svgalib on there, had to switch terminals.

svp (also svgalib-based) says it allocated a virtual console when I run it 
from the laptop after logging into the desktop.  Scrambled image on 
desktop.

I need to use the desktop keyboard to access the svgalib programs.


If I mount /fd when connected, is it the desktop fd that gets mounted?
I have a laptop missing the floppy drive that would be usable here.
Can I play DVDs on the desktop and watch them on the laptop?

> Your biggest issue is likely to be the speed of
> the connection between the machines.

The connection speed is 10MB/sec (non-cardbus network card) which is way 
faster than any internet connection I have ever used.  Even a nullmodem 
cable should keep up with dialup internet.  One laptop just given to us 
included a yellow laplink parallel cable - even faster than serial.

Using two laptops would let two of us share the internet (so I would not 
be downloading info about PDAs in the middle of trying to get this set 
up).  I suppose one serial and one parallel connection is possible at the 
same time.  Is there still the limitation of X running on only one 
terminal?


 > Cheers,
> Steven