Solution for school lab

[Fbsd8]

Sergio de Almeida Lenzi wrote:
> I use a solution that is:
> 1) a "large" Freebsd box (phenon X4,8Gb of memory, 1TB disk)
> 2) OS=Freebsd 8.2 with all gnome2.32 installed
> 3) Virtualbox 10.x  installed in FreeBSD
> 4) NT 2003 server with unlimited number of users on rdp (the iso is in
> internet or torrent).
> 5) internet connection
> Here this would cost about US$400
> 
> Install the system using zfs, insert all users can hold about 1000 users
> Setup FreeBSD to boot diskless (and so will run on all the old machines
> in 
> your place) using either pxe or custom CD.
> 
> The users will use Gnome interface, and those who wants windows,
> can use via rdesktop, pointing on the NT server on the same machine.
> 
> You will need a swith with ONE gigabit port, and the others is
> 100Mbits...
> 
> This setup you have:
> about 1200 applictions (from the FreBSDports),
> some include:
> java, eclipse, python, c, c++, multimedia, web browing, office,
> printing, email, chat, calculator, vector drawing, dia (visio),
> raster image editor (gimp), monodevelop(.NET devel framework),
> sql (postgresql), sql administration (pgadmin3).
> 
> Reliable, fast, rock solid, central administration...
> 
> It just works....
> 
> 
> []
> 
> Sergio

You should look into the Freebsd port qjail. At our school lab all the 
pcs have ms/windows on the hard drive with the "putty" client installed. 
Students use putty to get logged into a jail on a single Freebsd system. 
Each student can practice installing ports, packages, or one of the 
desktop window environments in their private jail. The goal being to 
teach students to be system administrators.