Subj : Start Linux session from within Windows
To   : comp.os.linux
From : Michael Hearne
Date : Mon Oct 25 2004 03:47 am

Hello,
I am a home user and have a small network of four machines. The server 
is Mandrake Linux v10, and all of the clients are various Windows versions.

The Linux server is currently the:
1. Internet connection and firewall.
2. Samba server.
3. Apache web server.
4. FTP server
5. Backup and storage area for all clients.

Each client has a corresponding home directory on the Linux machine. My 
users want to be able to start Linux sessions from their Windows 
workstations. The Windows machines are not dual-boot, and do not have 
Linux installed locally.

I'm not talking about using Samba to transfer files, we can already do 
that. We want to log on to Linux from the Windows machines, and bring up 
our Linux Desktops.

Even with full access to the Linux machine, users cannot currently log 
in from Windows, and begin a Linux session. They can only transfer files.

I don't think that VNC is the answer, because that will only bring up 
the currently running desktop, and not the individual user's desktop. 
Could the login menu be placed on another tty (such as tty8) and a VNC 
login accomplished that way?

I've been reading about a product named WinaXe, which might do what I 
want to do, but it is not free ($100 usd). I would like to use the tools 
I already have at hand.

Any ideas will be appreciated.

Michael

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    RLU #352695
35.14 N - 101.50 W

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