Very Computer

Hi Guys,
there will be a SunRAY Server Software version for x86 Linux ans Solaris
(who cares? :-)) ). Anybody has already a alpha or beta version of this?

SUN USA plans are to realease the software on new years eve. :-)

        Thomas

Quote:>there will be a SunRAY Server Software version for x86 Linux ans Solaris
>(who cares? :-)) ). Anybody has already a alpha or beta version of this?

Rumor has it that alpha/beta testers are prevented by a NDA from speaking
publicly about the rumored SunRay for Solaris x86 build.

John

Rumor has it that Scott McNealy wants to wire me the
5.5 billion Sun has on the bank.

Thomas

comp.unix.solaris:

Quote:>there will be a SunRAY Server Software version for x86 Linux ans
>Solaris (who cares? :-)) ). Anybody has already a alpha or beta
>version of this?

>SUN USA plans are to realease the software on new years eve. :-)

Could anyone point me to sites regarding the SunRay machines?
In particular the possibilities to link it to other than SunRay would be
interesting. And the old SunRay 1 sells really cheap those days.

Regards,
Simon
--
I think we agree, the past is over.
        -George W. Bush ber sein Treffen mit John McCain,
         The Dallas Morning News, 10. Mai 2000

comp.unix.solaris:

Quote:>there will be a SunRAY Server Software version for x86 Linux ans
>Solaris (who cares? :-)) ). Anybody has already a alpha or beta
>version of this?

>SUN USA plans are to realease the software on new years eve. :-)

Could anyone point me to sites regarding the SunRay machines?
In particular the possibilities to link it to other than SunRay server
software (too expensive for me) would be interesting.

The old SunRay 1 sells really cheap those days and seems to be a really
nice thing.

Regards,
Simon
...superseded the old msg
--
I think we agree, the past is over.
        -George W. Bush ber sein Treffen mit John McCain,
         The Dallas Morning News, 10. Mai 2000

Quote:> Could anyone point me to sites regarding the SunRay machines?

It is an framebuffer device which communicates via UPD, right?

Quote:> In particular the possibilities to link it to other than SunRay server
> software (too expensive for me) would be interesting.

Nothing else out there, I am aware of. - Someone 'reverse engineered'
the protocol but there was never a implementation. The hardware in a Sun
Ray isn't that attractive. 8MByte ATI, 32 Mbyte Ram, 100 Mhz Ultrasparc
IIi (?).

Quote:> The old SunRay 1 sells really cheap those days and seems to be a
> really nice thing.

Yes, but Sun Ray isn't the best thing todo  or in other words it is
*braindead* to use a framebuffer over a network.

But there was a time I really liked this this thin clients.

You can download the Sun Ray Server for 'free' from
http://www.sun.com/downloads/ but you need a 'license' to run it
legally. - That's right?

But Sun Rays are 'only' cool if you run them in a 'commerical
envrionment' and use mobile session. :-))

        Thomas

Take a look at the previous discussion:

http://groups.google.com/groups?threadm=3A5426CF.3151C04E%40informati...

There are no possibilities, unless you replace the Sunray firmware
with your own.

  -Greg
--
Do NOT reply via e-mail.
Reply in the newsgroup.

comp.unix.solaris:

Quote:>> Could anyone point me to sites regarding the SunRay machines?

>It is an framebuffer device which communicates via UPD, right?

Sorry, I didn't get that (only learning about this box).
Did you mean UDP/IP, that is, the SUNRay only gets display via U*DP*?
But then, why would one send user input (keystrokes, mouse) in
unreliable datagrams?

Quote:>> In particular the possibilities to link it to other than SunRay
>> server software (too expensive for me) would be interesting.

>Nothing else out there, I am aware of. - Someone 'reverse
>engineered' the protocol but there was never a implementation. The
>hardware in a Sun Ray isn't that attractive. 8MByte ATI, 32 Mbyte
>Ram, 100 Mhz Ultrasparc IIi (?).

The hw isn't bad for a terminal, is it?

And SUN talks about using Citrixs MetaFrame software within NT4
Terminal Server (pls don't throw me out of this group now :-) in
<http://www.sun.com/products/sunray/whitepapers/fullbro1000.pdf>.
And standard ASCII-based terminal services.

Quote:>> The old SunRay 1 sells really cheap those days and seems to be a
>> really nice thing.

>Yes, but Sun Ray isn't the best thing todo  or in other words it is
>*braindead* to use a framebuffer over a network.

And if this "networked framebuffer" sells for less than an SBus cgsix?

BTW, the only time I saw one in action was at the front desk in an
expensive hospital.
..running NT4 on a 18" IBM panel. With a SUN type 6 keyboard :-)

Quote:>But there was a time I really liked this this thin clients.

I'd just like to have a reliable (and stylish!) terminal making *zero*
noise. If it could talk to different servers running Solaris 8, 9, NT4
(and RDP and VNC ...no, just kidding :-), it would be a great thing.
And, no, I don't want an 1984 ASCII terminal.

How does the SUNRay know how to find its host, the server? Can there be
only one on the subnet?

Quote:>You can download the Sun Ray Server for 'free' from
>http://www.sun.com/downloads/ but you need a 'license' to run it
>legally. - That's right?

I don't think so, at least
<http://store.sun.com/catalog/doc/BrowsePage.jhtml?cid=93266> talks
another language regarding the price (that's the download version

Quote:>But Sun Rays are 'only' cool if you run them in a 'commerical
>envrionment' and use mobile session. :-))

Not to forget the smartcard reader for ppl who can't remember three
different passwords.

At least, seems to be _really_ admin-friendly :-))
Simon
--
I think we agree, the past is over.
        -George W. Bush ber sein Treffen mit John McCain,
         The Dallas Morning News, 10. Mai 2000

[...]

Quote:>>Could anyone point me to sites regarding the SunRay machines?
>>In particular the possibilities to link it to other than SunRay
>>server software (too expensive for me) would be interesting.

>Take a look at the previous discussion:

>http://groups.google.com/groups?threadm=3A5426CF.3151C04E%40informati
>k.med.uni-giessen.de&rnum=1

Very interesting thread (about running a "full" OS on the appliance).

Quote:>There are no possibilities, unless you replace the Sunray firmware
>with your own.

Yes, I understand that.
But I meant the other way round: I asked about linking the SUNRay (dumb
as it is - gfx and sound from the network and keyboard/mouse to the
network) to another server than one running SunRay server software.
That is, using the SUNRay as a terminal for different Servers (Citrix,
ASCII, whatever).
Let's call it a KVMoE-Replacement :-)

Simon
--
I think we agree, the past is over.
        -George W. Bush ber sein Treffen mit John McCain,
         The Dallas Morning News, 10. Mai 2000

Unless you install different firmware, the Sunray units will
discard any code you send them that don't have Sun's crypto
signature on them.  Obviously, only Sun's Sunray Server
software has code modules properly signed.

  -Greg
--
Do NOT reply via e-mail.
Reply in the newsgroup.

It uses UDP as well as various
other network protocols, but the traffic is
compressed and encrypted, and it uses a Sun
Ray private protocol. 3rd party vendors
such as Cryptek offer additional hardware
to get military grade security.

Quote:> > The old SunRay 1 sells really cheap those days and seems to be a
> > really nice thing.

> Yes, but Sun Ray isn't the best thing todo  or in other words it is
> *braindead* to use a framebuffer over a network.

Today's networks are fine for such activities, as long
as you don't run complex OpenGL applications, or a few
*braindead* applications which send sequences of
complete pixmaps to the Xserver, instead of X requests.
Did you ever start an X application from a remote
host? If yes, was it a *braindead* thing to do? ;-)

Sun Ray needs a low network latency, and a low packet loss rate.
The actual bandwidth requirements are quite low.

Thomas

Quote:>> Yes, but Sun Ray isn't the best thing todo  or in other words it is
>> *braindead* to use a framebuffer over a network.
> Today's networks are fine for such activities, as long
> as you don't run complex OpenGL applications, or a few
> *braindead* applications which send sequences of
> complete pixmaps to the Xserver, instead of X requests.
> Did you ever start an X application from a remote
> host? If yes, was it a *braindead* thing to do? ;-)

There much better approaches out there. And if you don't understand why
it is *braindead* to send a framebuffer over a network - I can't help
you anyway.

Quote:> Sun Ray needs a low network latency, and a low packet loss rate.
> The actual bandwidth requirements are quite low.

Really? - I wasn't aware of that. Could you please explain further? :-))

Did you know that the Sun Ray appliance has actually *four* USB ports?

        Thomas

http://wwws.sun.com/software/download/

System Administration -> Sun Ray Server Software 2.0 leads to:

http://wwws.sun.com/software/download/products/3e3af226.html

Remember that you need a licence to use it legally.

Regards,
  Michael