[olug] Damn Small Linux install on WYSE thin client

Mon May 19 22:22:55 UTC 2008

whats the model number of the WYSE?

On Mon, May 19, 2008 at 4:01 PM, DYNATRON tech <dynatron at gmail.com> wrote:

>  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
> >
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