[olug] Damn Small Linux install on WYSE thin client

Mon May 19 21:01:16 UTC 2008

 yes, i've tried F2, but not in a combo (alt, ctrl, whatever).
i'll do that now....

okay...it doesn't work.

boot sequence is as follows.
before pushing the button (when power supply is attached) all three of the
"lock" buttons on the keyboard eminate a faint glow, but do not function
with the appropriate keys. this continues all the way through the booting
process as if the keyboards are locked out on boot. very strange.
after the power button is pushed, you get a 3-part macID display/flash
memory check.
after that you get the splash screen which has all your favorite corporate
logos (M$, citrix, wyse, etc).
this splash screen lasts for a good few minutes before the screen goes
black, and here comes..
OSLoader v4.xxxx (or some version that starts with a 4. v4.01, i think).
then you get the solid blue M$NT4sp5 loading screen which identifies 128MB
RAM (2ice the on-board flash!).
after waiting for windows to f around for about 3 more minutes, you get a
login box with the user "User" already typed in along with various other
dialogs telling me about failed drivers and unset clocks. so far, i have not
been able to login. if there were some way to brute force it....i don't
know.
i can't do the NT (P)asscrack without something to boot it from. that's back
to getting a LILO or grub or something like that running on it.

as of now, i'm running out of ideas.
btw, rob- i forgot to thank you for the link.

no PXE server. not familiar with it.
should i be? i'll check it out if i remember after pushing send...
i'm gonna check out the link first.

just to clarify, i'm being fairly scientific about it, so i've got 3 of them
side by side while i do this.
so far, there are no anomalies between them.
#1 is stock (except no mouse) with the bootable thumbdrive inserted. thumb
drive never lights up.
#2 is stock (except no mouse)
#3 is stock, (except no mouse and has the WiFi card removed)

 On 5/19/08, DYNATRON tech <dynatron at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>  On 5/19/08, Rob Townley <rob.townley at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> F2 is mentioned in the manual limked earlier.  Not exactly sure that
>> it will work for this, but try it and let us know.
>>
>> Do you have a PXE server on your LAN?
>>
>> On 5/18/08, DYNATRON tech <dynatron at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > i've never made it to an installfest, but i'd really like to see what
>> it's
>> > about. i have thought about going to one for a while.
>> > if i don't get this figured out by the next one, i'd be honored to bring
>> a
>> > couple in to mess around with.
>> >
>> > i've tried using a compactflash reader to access the CF card, but as the
>> > first poster mentioned, they are either locked or have some wierd
>> format.
>> > there is no write-protect switch on it, it may be permenantly write
>> > protected for all i know.
>> > one hope on this front is finding a 64 MB CF that is not locked and
>> putting
>> > a bootloader on it. there is the grim possibility that it will not boot
>> > anyhow if the CF is not locked to the key the mobo provides.
>> > i.e. i may have to lock the replacement before using it...that would
>> suck.
>> >
>> > when the compact flash is attached to my workstation....
>> > linux, in general, crawls with it attached. windows explorer crawls with
>> it
>> > attached.
>> > i can't access it in windows "please insert disc", i can not mount it in
>> > linux (PHLAK).
>> >
>> > do you think there might be a BIOS configuration to enter on boot of the
>> > thinclient?
>> > that may allow me to tinker with boot sequence/options.
>> > On 5/17/08, Rob Townley <rob.townley at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> On Sat, May 17, 2008 at 10:07 AM, Rob Townley <rob.townley at gmail.com>
>> >> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> > On Fri, May 16, 2008 at 8:56 AM, Brian Roberson <roberson at olug.org>
>> >> wrote:
>> >> >
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Hey J --
>> >> >>
>> >> >> That's a doozie! I have seen similar setups to this NT4 (embedded)
>> >> >> thing
>> >> >> from HP, notably their older "Previo" Disk2Disk backup Vaults. The
>> >> compact
>> >> >> flash was on board, and there was a front panel display hooked
>> through
>> >> the
>> >> >> floppy controller, I spent a few hours trying to figure out the boot
>> >> >> sequence,
>> >> >> but got side tracked by work ;-) In any event, I think that would be
>> >> >> the
>> >> >> first thing to figure out, as in, what *exactly* is the boot
>> process. I
>> >> >> would think from there, you could figure out a way to get a (linux
>> >> >> friendly)
>> >> >> boot loader shoe horned into the process to take over. Once that was
>> >> >> figured
>> >> >> out, the next step would be to sort out how to unlock the on-board
>> >> compact
>> >> >> flash to allow yourself to load a DSL-type linux solution on the
>> flash.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> If you have a few of these, how about bringing it into the
>> installfest
>> >> >> tomorrow
>> >> >> and we could try to figure it out together? No promises, but I would
>> be
>> >> >> happy to assist in the hard core hacking of this thing!
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >> On Fri, May 16, 2008 at 01:31:22AM -0700, DYNATRON tech wrote:
>> >> >> > hello everyone.
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > i've got a pyle of wyse thin clients that i'm trying to convert
>> into
>> >> >> linux
>> >> >> > boxes (basically for web browsing, maybe simple office apps).
>> >> >> >  ideally, i'd like to install linux on the on-board compact flash
>> so
>> >> >> > i
>> >> >> don't
>> >> >> > need a thumb drive for each box.
>> >> >> > i decided to use damn small linux (good choice?), and after
>> formating
>> >> a
>> >> >> > thumb drive (thanks jay) for FAT32, i used syslinux to make it
>> >> bootable.
>> >> >> > i then unzipped the embedded version onto the thumbdrive as
>> >> >> > instructed
>> >> >> by
>> >> >> > the DSL-USB drive tutorial....
>> >> >> >
>> >> >>
>> >>
>> http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/wiki/index.php/Installing_to_a_USB_Flash_Drive
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > everything went well as far as preparations, but when i put the
>> USB
>> >> >> drive
>> >> >> > into the thinclient, it doesn't even light up.
>> >> >> > i boot the thinclient and rather than the thumb drive booting up,
>> it
>> >> >> boots
>> >> >> > from the on-board compact flash card into the crapfest that is
>> >> >> > windows
>> >> >> NT
>> >> >> > 4.0.
>> >> >> > even worse, i can't use my NT password crack on it (no CD drive,
>> >> >> > can't
>> >> >> boot
>> >> >> > USB), so i have a useless OS (even with the password), and i can't
>> >> >> > get
>> >> >> into
>> >> >> > any bios configuration. i've tried all of the usual hotkeys, but
>> to
>> >> >> > no
>> >> >> > avail. i tried checking out wyse's website, but they only have
>> >> >> support/docu.
>> >> >> > for items less than 2 years old. this model was built april 2000.
>> the
>> >> >> > tutorial suggested trying to format FAT16 instead of 32, but if
>> the
>> >> USB
>> >> >> > drive isn't even powering up, then i don't think the file system
>> >> >> > would
>> >> >> be
>> >> >> > the issue (not yet anyhow).
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > i've been without a permanent linux installation for about a year
>> >> >> > now.
>> >> >> all
>> >> >> > i've got is this PHLAK liveCD from 2005 that i'm using now to send
>> >> this
>> >> >> > e-mail, so i'd really like to get these thin clients up and going.
>> i
>> >> >> plan on
>> >> >> > donating a couple them to the library down the street for web
>> >> browsers,
>> >> >> as
>> >> >> > they currently only have a couple crappy P2 boxes right now.
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > i'm open to any suggestions, but i usually just get flamed or
>> ignored
>> >> on
>> >> >> > OLUG.
>> >> >> > i guess i don't hate M$ enough or something...
>> >> >> > if anyone has some constructive advice, i'd be greatly greatful.
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > the thin clients have a 64MB compact flash instead of a HD, a
>> single
>> >> >> stick
>> >> >> > of laptop RAM, one USB port, onboard sound/ethernet/video, PCMCIA
>> >> WiFi,
>> >> >> and
>> >> >> > some wierd processor that might be a cyrix or some off brand like
>> >> that.
>> >> >> the
>> >> >> > thumb drive is a 64MB.
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > thanks for taking the time to read this.
>> >> >> > thanks even more for taking the time to respond.
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > -j
>> >> >> > _______________________________________________
>> >> >> > OLUG mailing list
>> >> >> > OLUG at olug.org
>> >> >> > http://lists.olug.org/mailman/listinfo/olug
>> >> >> _______________________________________________
>> >> >> OLUG mailing list
>> >> >> OLUG at olug.org
>> >> >> http://lists.olug.org/mailman/listinfo/olug
>> >> >>
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> > Is the CompactFlash card removable?  Do you have an external USB
>> Compact
>> >> > Flash reader?  If so, try putting the CF into a workstation.
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Further, many of these types of devices look for a tftp server on
>> bootup
>> >> or
>> >> upon bootup and holding down a special key.  For instance, Linksys
>> routers
>> >> will look for a tftp server.
>> >>
>> >> A search for WYSE Compact Flash got this admin manual.  All my SD
>> memory
>> >> cards have a physical write protect switch, does compact flash?
>> >>
>> >> http://www.wyse.com/products/winterm/quickstart/admin/pdf/0a342.pdf
>> >> _______________________________________________
>> >> OLUG mailing list
>> >> OLUG at olug.org
>> >> http://lists.olug.org/mailman/listinfo/olug
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > dynatron digital services
>> > box 191 - 68037
>> > www.dynatron.org
>> > dynatron at gmail.com
>> >
>>
>
>
>
> --
> dynatron digital services
> box 191 - 68037
> www.dynatron.org
> dynatron at gmail.com
>