What is Nexedi DLS ?

Nexedi DLS is a custom Mandrakelinux distribution built with umibuilder and intended to create an easy-to-use thin client server.

Which thin client technology does Nexedi DLS use ?

Nexedi DLS is based on tightVNC thin client technology because it provides a very balance in terms of speed, bandwidth, latency and compatibility.

Where can I find more technical description of the thin client setup ?

A brief technical description of how to setup an VNC thin client server can be found here . Nexedi DLS is based on this approach and adds numerous small improvements to improve useability.

Why don't you use X11 ?

tightVNC was prefered over X11 because it uses much less bandwidth and requires less powerful thin clients. A powerful tightVNC thin client could be built nowadays for less than 50 USD.

Why don't you use NX ?

Although NX is a great technology, tightVNC was prefered because it behaves much better over Wifi networks thanks to lower latency. Also, tightVNC is compatible with all XFree extensions (OpenGL, anti aliasing, etc.) which allows to provide really great graphics on low end thin clients.

I tried VNC on Mandrakelinux and it was uggly. How come do you get nice results ?

Nexedi DLS is based on a custom VNC server called xf4vnc which provides fantastic results. xf4vnc is based on XFree 4.x and is compatible with OpenGL, anti-aliasing, true type fonts, etc. xf4vnc really makes a huge difference !

Where can I download Nexedi DLS ?

You can download it from Nexedi CVS . Everything is GPL licensed.

That does not help much, where can I get a Nexedi DLS which I can try ?

Nexedi does not provide (yet) something you can download and try. Nexedi is planning to provide this summer 2004 an easy way to try Nexedi DLS. Meanwhile, you may consider buying Nexedi DLS from rentalinux

Is Nexedi DLS a kind of Ultra-Thin Client of Mandrakelinux ?

The term Ultra-Thin Client applies very well to Nexedi DLS appoach since it is based on a thin client protocol, tightVNC, which requires extremely little CPU and can run on thin client devices costing about 100 EUR and available from various sources. Nexedi DLS is also based on a clustering approach which scales well with a growing number of clients. What makes Nexedi DLS unique compared to other Ultra-Thin Client technologies is that it is based only on open standards and Open Source / Libre Software. It does not force clients to use a specific type of hardware.

Is it browser-based access to applications ?

Nexedi DLS provides both browser based access thanks to tightVNC java client and native access thanks to a variety of clients applications for Mac, Windows or Unix.

What areas are you hoping to target with this ?

Nexedi DLS technology has three different targets:

• organisations which want to add a rich library of Mandrakelinux desktop applications to existing networks of Macintosh, Windows PC or Unix workstations and benefit from a wider range of productivity applications;
• organisations interested in migrating to full Mandrakelinux Desktop based on thin client architecture and benefit from massive cost savings;
• organisations which want to access Internet applications through a Mandrakelinux safeharbour and isolate Windows PC from potential Internet attacks which may cause damages to mission critical applications.

The rentalinux service provided by Nexedi in partnership with Mandrakesoft is intended to help small and medium organisations with little or no Linux skills to benefit from Nexedi DLS.

What Mandrakelinux desktop apps are there that a company might need ? Applications such as StarOffice are already available for Windows ?

Nexedi DLS includes all Mandrakelinux Powerpack Desktop applications. This includes OpenOffice, gimp, konqueror, etc.

In countries where the labour cost is expensive, it is cheaper to install a single Desktop Linux Server than walk arround the company and install OpenOffice on 10 or 100s Windows PCs. Besides OpenOffice, many utility applications in the area of file conversion, graphics and security available on Mandrakelinux appear to be very valuable to many Windows users.

What client platforms does rentalinux support in terms of legacy platforms ?

For tightVNC optimized client: Windows 95 and later. MacOS 9.1 and later.

For non optimized VNC, Nexedi DLS can run on an impressive list of platforms with slower performance though.

Can you give me any information on identity management and security features ?

Identity management is based on OpenLDAP+TLS, which is built at the core of Nexedi DLS. High grade security with tightVNC on linux based thin clients is implemented at this time with built-in ssh tunneling. Future versions of tightVNC or of Nexedi DLS may include a wider range of options for privacy and security.