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Old 05-05-2020, 04:15 PM   #1
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Default Thin client for web browsing

I just got tasked by work to procure and setup 60 thin clients for online exam delivery. The only thing the clients need to have is a web browser so it can access the exam webapp. My first thought was grabbing a bunch of Raspberry Pi Zeros, but I'm not keen on a manual OS and enclosure setup 60 times over. Is there a vendor that sells pre-packaged Pi's with an OS pre-installed? Failing that, what would be the best alternative for a plug-in-play thin client?
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Old 05-05-2020, 04:22 PM   #2
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Default Thin client for web browsing

nvm
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Old 05-05-2020, 04:29 PM   #3
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Something like this?

https://www.viewsonic.com/eu/product...ion/SC-T25.php

https://www.amazon.ca/ViewSonic-SC-T.../dp/B01G2LHB02
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Old 05-05-2020, 04:35 PM   #4
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Or this: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us...ute-stick.html

Intel has a Compute Stick model that comes pre-loaded with Win 10 x86 for $150 American. Based on what you claim the requirements are, that's about as easy as it gets.
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Old 05-05-2020, 04:37 PM   #5
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Yeah I thought of something similar, just with ChromeOS instead of Windows:

https://www.amazon.ca/CHROMEBIT-Stic.../dp/B0181JTPCU
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Old 05-05-2020, 10:13 PM   #6
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Yeah I thought of something similar, just with ChromeOS instead of Windows:

https://www.amazon.ca/CHROMEBIT-Stic.../dp/B0181JTPCU

I was super intrigued until I saw that it only has a single USB port, I don't want to be dealing with 60 sets of batteries for wireless keyboards and mice. Gonna go with the Intel Compute Stick I think
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Old 05-05-2020, 10:52 PM   #7
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Yeah being Windows it might be easier to administrate too.
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Old 05-05-2020, 11:01 PM   #8
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Yeah being Windows it might be easier to administrate too.

I'm actually leaning towards building an Ubuntu image and wiping them all. They're being left off the corporate network purposfully and will be locked down so only Chrome will work. That's really easy to accomplish in Ubuntu and while possible in Win 10, it's a pain in the ass
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Old 05-06-2020, 01:36 AM   #9
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What about buying 60 chromebooks or Chromeboxes with more than 2 USB ports and hdmi output? You wouldn't have to modify them, right?

Wouldn't it be essentially the same price range (especially if you are buying 60 of them) as the mini pc and computer sticks being linked which are being sold in the $150-250 range?

I think it might also be easier to acquire in the quantities you need due to them being mass produced for educational purposes vs it might not be easy to find 60 of the same mini pic/computer sticks with your preferred OS pre-installed.
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Old 05-06-2020, 09:02 AM   #10
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What about buying 60 chromebooks or Chromeboxes with more than 2 USB ports and hdmi output? You wouldn't have to modify them, right?

Wouldn't it be essentially the same price range (especially if you are buying 60 of them) as the mini pc and computer sticks being linked which are being sold in the $150-250 range?

I think it might also be easier to acquire in the quantities you need due to them being mass produced for educational purposes vs it might not be easy to find 60 of the same mini pic/computer sticks with your preferred OS pre-installed.

Chrome boxes seem to be at least $100 more expensive than the Intel stick, and I've never worked with Chrome OS before so I have no idea how easy they are to lock down or even if that's possible. I also actually just discovered Windows 10 kiosk mode, this will make my life way easier by going the Intel stick route


https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...osk-single-app
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Old 05-06-2020, 05:20 PM   #11
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I'm actually leaning towards building an Ubuntu image and wiping them all. They're being left off the corporate network purposfully and will be locked down so only Chrome will work. That's really easy to accomplish in Ubuntu and while possible in Win 10, it's a pain in the ass
Intel has versions of the Computestick that has no OS on it, and iirc, they did offer a Linux build too. Forget which flavour. It's been a while since I've had to deal with them.
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Old 05-06-2020, 08:50 PM   #12
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Quote:
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Chrome boxes seem to be at least $100 more expensive than the Intel stick, and I've never worked with Chrome OS before so I have no idea how easy they are to lock down or even if that's possible. I also actually just discovered Windows 10 kiosk mode, this will make my life way easier by going the Intel stick route


https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...osk-single-app
In ChromeOS you would be using parental control settings I believe. It makes even more sense to go with the method that you are most comfortable with as you're the one managing the devices.
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Old 05-07-2020, 07:40 PM   #13
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Well I'll have to muck around with an OS install anyways now as the Intel sticks only come with Windows 10 Home, which is a no go in a corporate environment. Windows 10 Enterprise upgrade licenses are laughably expensive and would double the cost of the project, so now I'm headed off into Ubuntu land. I'm quite comfortable setting up an Ubuntu machine to act as a web kiosk, but I've never done any kind of Linux imaging before. Anyone have any good guides for capturing an Ubuntu image that can be deployed via USB?
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Old 05-27-2020, 10:15 PM   #14
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Just as a follow up, we decided to go with Intel compute sticks running IGEL OS. It's a fantastic little thin client OS that you can customize and lock down completely through a management server. Setup is simply booting from USB, installing the OS, then running a scan on the management server to pick it up and apply policies. The only other thin client management system I had used before this was 10Zig, and it was complete garbage. I had a test system setup to boot directly to a Firefox browser in a few minutes after setting up the management server. IGEL also makes physical thin clients with the OS pre-loaded, so if anyone is ever in the thin client market I'd highly recommend them
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