I am looking to use an old laptop as a remote keyboard and monitor for a more powerful desktop computer. I do not want the desktop running when I am not using the laptop. I was thinking that a WOL script somewhere in the very beginning of the boot process would be the first step. I want to connect to a windows desktop and they need as much time as posssible to boot.I have 2 questions. What is the best way to send the WOL packet? Can GRUB possibly do it before booting? Second what is the slimmest distro I can use that will work as smoothly as possible?I tried to search but I am was not able to sort through all the different options without getting confused.
One more thing. Can I set up the remote desktop so that when linux finishes booting it is already logged in and I am looking at the regular windows desktop? Maybe some sort of batch file on the windows pc to tell linux when it is ready for the connection. I am sure linux will win the race. After windows is ready the linux pc will initiate the rd connection. The question is how do I go about that?
Thanks in advance.

I don't know of a way to send wol with grub.

Guess if you knew the mac and had a small wol app it would be easy to start after the laptop's network is up.

Might be able to remaster xpud for a rdp client and wol app. Normally I'd suggest a disk from 2X.com. They offer a small multi app client cd used to be the pxes disk. Xpud is about the fastest boot I have seen.

Another option for just a RDP client OS is Thinstation. It is configurable and should be able to run a app on boot but have not played with it in a long time.
http://www.thinstation.org/

will this help me for the WOL? It looks like what I wanted to do.http://www.gossamer-threads.com/list...v/users/323913

There are quite a few references to wol on gpxe. If you want you may find a way to get it to work.

This would only be needed if the client is diskless. Any sort of OS on the client would allow for a normal wol setup.