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i have 5 laptops in house. i setup VPS server is there a way that on laptops i install ssh client on hard disk so i dont need operating sistems on laptops. only ssh client with login options. how this works.

thanks

unless i am mistaken the ssh client will rely on an operating-system to launch its process.

in the theoretical sense, without an operating-system a computer is nothing more than a box that blinks.

yes that was my thinking beafore few months i have conversation with some guy that works as sys admin on college. He told me that is possible yust install some client on hard disk with login screen and acces vps machine by ip. i didnt ask him nothing else beacouse i think i will find on internet examples, but i cant find anything. So i ask here.

not quite sure what vps is but you can install a minimal gnu/linux distro (like damn-small-linux) and install an ssh server on it (headless server) and just have pc's log into it when necessary.

or are you looking for laptops with very small space used on the harddrive ? then you can install a minimal gnu/linux distro (like dsl) and install an ssh client so that you log into a server to run applications ?

[/confused]

A Virtual Private Server (VPS) is usually far away and accessible only over the Internet. You normally access it over SSH but would need at least a rudimentary distro installed on your local machine so that you can run the SSH client. Even BusyBox would be enough if you compiled it with an SSH client

If you have configured the right server on your own LAN, then you can boot from the server over the LAN. In that case, you would need no hard drive on your client machines. One fancy set up along those lines would be the Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP).

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yes sorry i will explain.

i have three virtualized sistem on pc. vpn, web server, running centos. i have one virtual machine windows. i whant my parents brother etc. use that windows machine so i dont need constantly fix there machines.

my thinking was install some remote client on there laptops without any operating sistem so they enter ip address od of server and username in client and connect to remote desktop on windows. same as vnc client. its funny but like vnc live cd install on hard disk. (i know that that dont exist) but that logic. maybe some similar software exist.

yes your suggestion with small linux distro was my first sollution untit i heard that is possible install yust client.

exacly that

i didnt reed carfuly about LTPS but i dont whant complicated like this. i will install openbox. i yust heard about installing only client so was curious hove that works.

one more question.

can i log in with ssh so that login screen appears first not terminal

I'm not sure I understand the question but you can use SSH to tunnel X11. That means you can launch graphical programs, even a Window Manager or a Desktop Environment, on the remote machine and have it displayed on the local machine. However, that is rather slow and there are other methods like FreeNX and VNC (over SSH). But that activity requires at least a minimal OS set up on the client.

yes you understud it correctly.

i was in doubt about speed.

ssh -XY --this way i connected to vps terminal and then launch login screed e.g."gnome,lxde,etc." and this way graphic enviroment and apps works much faster than vnc. to be hones i didnt test this on windows i dont use it for years now. but to me on linux ssh with x11 is much faster than vnc.

but this way above to users with no technical expirience is to much. vnc for them is ideal. i will try different aproach on this and see what is best.

thanks for replays

Ok. VNC does have to be tunneled over SSH so that the connection is encrypted. If you try connecting VNC without such precautions, your session and computer will get found and taken over. Some people have recommended FreeNX instead of VNC. You'd have to see which one works for you.

If you're connecting with SSH keys, which I hope you are, then you can make an extra key that automatically runs the designated application upon successful connection. That application could be a Window Manager, VNC, or a regular application like Chromium.

ssh with certs of course. i will experiment and see. i will post after find best solution.

very thanks for comments and time!

LTSP is exacly i wonted. AT first its look complicated but after reading its best solution.