Which of the netbook OSs (if any) support VPN (or VNC) and Remote Desktop to Windows machines? I occasionally need to VPN into my work place which run a pretty standard setup with Windows Server 2003 for the servers and Windows XP Pro for the desktops. I love Linux and really want a netbook but if I can't VPN into work on it when I need to then it's not so useful to me.

Kind of an open ended question. There are LOTS of different ways to VPN, some work under Linux, some don't. Some require a special client and a hardware token, some are software only. Check with your VPN/network guys at the office, and see if things are supported under Linux.

I know you can remote desktop to a Windows machine, using Krd.

I use rdesktop to connect ot my Windows mahcines

unfortunatly I have a Checkpoint Firewall and there is no Checkpoint VPN SecureClient for Linux..

Cisco VPN can work.
Windows VPN works.
Other standard IPSEC VPN can work with Linux.

So you do need to find out what type of VPN you have available.

You can always setup a netboot as Dual boot.. Windows and Linux. Dell, Lenovo, and Acer Netbooks are all available with Windows or Linux. the Lenovo and Acer units have actual hard drives so theres plenty of space if you want a dual boot netbook.

Picked up an Acer Aspire One last night with a 160 GB HD in 'High Performance Black'.

- Used gparted from the SystemRescueCD to resize the windows XP partition down to 40 GB (was feeling generous)
http://www.sysresccd.org/Main_Page

- Found directions for doing a Debian netinstall from a flash drive to the Acer Aspire One
http://wiki.debian.org/DebianAcerOne

- left 20 GB of free space in case I decide to try out another Linux distro on this unit.

So yes, Dual boot is entirely possible on the netbooks if you have enough space available on the mass storage device (HD)...

I haven't got around to installing my checkpoint VPN client yet but I don't see anything that would be a show stopper.

OK, we're a little confused here. What I want to know is do any netbook specific distros support VPN and give everything you need to connect to a MS network out the box? I.e. without having to install kvpnc or any packages.

out the box? - knoppix

you will probably have to install the client for any distro..

Several options are available

PPTP Client
http://pptpclient.sourceforge.net/

OpenSWAN
http://www.jacco2.dds.nl/networking/linux-l2tp.html

Checkpoint has a product that will do vpn with linux. It also makes it alot easier to have people outside of your company connect. It's Connectra. You can set it up so you don't have to use secure client. You'll hear a lot less complaining. It's can do a browser based vpn and support rdp.


ps I think it's weird that a lot of checkpoints products run on linux and they don't have secureclient for it.

Yes, that's the ssl based VPN. I can do that with my checkpoint firewall, but if I use the SSL based VPN I can not use the challenge/response based authentication. (similar to the RSA Tokens, just a different manufacturer and MUCH more reasonably priced.)
Dual Factor authentication is required due to regulatory requirements, so the SSL based VPN is out.

Thanks for the suggestion, and I agree with the oddity.
Not only is there no client for Linux, but you can't run the Checkpoint Secure console on a Linux machine either. My Checkpoint training class was done entirely on Linux servers..