Diskless Client?

[dbfresh23]

Just wondering if anyone has managed to build a diskless client. I'm really starting to consider caving in and paying MS the $1000 to get the dev kit for Windows XPe. I used the demo to of the kit to create a windows install ~240mb in size and booting off a DiskOnChip ide card - I was literally in windows in about 3 seconds after post. The whole key is that I want to run windows in ram - which i'm doing with my XPe eval now - but it only lasts 120 days.

Oh well - just windering if anyone has come up with another way to run diskless...


Doug

[PGPfan]

Hi Doug,

XPe is kind of cool, isn't it! I've had it now for about a year and a half, and have it on various machines. I'm currently working on getting Sage Server up and running on it. I just wish that more people had it available to them. It really is the way XP 'should' be. I might be able to help you with compiling your OS into a more permanent solution if you're interested.

FWIW, the MVP is a 'diskless' client. For $70 it's a great way to have a Sage client.

-PGPfan

[sudipto]

Have you considered BartPE, a free alternative to WinPE ?

[PGPfan]

Thanks sudipto,

But we're referring to XPe (Windows XP 'embedded') not WinPE. XPe is basically a modular version of XP, for use on STB, etc.

-PGPfan

[Nightrader_]

Originally Posted by PGPfan

Hi Doug,

XPe is kind of cool, isn't it! I've had it now for about a year and a half, and have it on various machines. I'm currently working on getting Sage Server up and running on it. I just wish that more people had it available to them. It really is the way XP 'should' be. I might be able to help you with compiling your OS into a more permanent solution if you're interested.

-PGPfan

I have been playing with the eval of XPe for a couple days now, VERY COOL.

If you have XPe working with SageTV, then you must have built packages for Java and SageTV. Any chance I could download those from you (or even just the java package) so I don't have to reinvent the wheel.

Also which templates have you tried? (Basic STB, Digital STB, Advanced STB)

Thanks in advance.
Nightader

[PGPfan]

Hi Nightrader_

I no longer have the XPe dev environment on my PC (gone several formats ago ) but I'll be reinstalling it all soon since I'm going to upgrade the htpc.

When I originally got Sage working with XPe, I didn't build Sage or Java as 'components', I just installed them as if using a regular Windows XP build. I opted for this route since both Java and Sage are routinely upgraded and I didn't want to have to rebuild my run time image for every upgrade.

When I redo my htpc I 'may' look into componentizing Java, but I'm probably going to leave Sage the way it is. Do keep experimenting with XPe, it really is cool to have on an htpc. I think it is the right way to do an htpc, and I won't be going to anything else. It has every bit of the stability of a Linux based machine, without the pain that most Linux users go through to have a 'media player' (like only being able to use an illegal 'hack' for DVD playback). I just wish Microsoft would wake up regarding the way that they price the XPe dev environment. Last time I looked it was around $1000, plus $100 per device license. If you just had to pay for the device license, it'd be a steal - or make the dev environment the same price, or something. This is the big reason we don't see XPe used on a WIDE scale.

-PGPfan