How to Install Thinstation 5.5 and Build Thin Client ISO Image on VMware

Thinstation 5.5 Installation and Build Thin Clint ISO Image on VMware

This tutorial shows how to install Thinstation 5.5 and build a Thin Client ISO Image on VMware Workstation/Player step by step. This tutorial is also helpful to installing Thinstation DevStation on physical computer or laptop.

Thinstation 5.5 Installation and Building Thin Client ISO Steps:

1. Download Thinstation 5.5 Installer ISO
2. Create VM on VMware Workstation/Player
3. Start Thinstation DevStation Installation
4. Build Custom Thin Client Installer ISO Image
5. Install and Review Thin Client Image

Installing Thinstation 5.5 and Build Thin Client ISO Image on VMware

What is Thinstation?

Thinstation is a basic and small, but very powerful, Open Source thin client operating system supporting all major connectivity protocols: Citrix ICA, Redhat Spice, NoMachine NX, 2X ThinClient, Microsoft Windows terminal services (RDP, via RDesktop/FreeRDP), VMWare Horizon View, Cendio ThinLinc, Tarantella, X, telnet, tn5250, VMS terminal and SSH.  It only requires standard 32-bit x86 PC hardware and can boot directly from the network via PXE or Etherboot from a TFTP server, or from local devices such as Hard disks, CompactFlash drives, USB keyrings and CD/DVDs.
Thinstation Website: http://thinstation.github.io/thinstation/

Thinstation Key Features

1. Linux kernel 4.6 (this is a moving target so this info may already be outdated)
2. XOrg 7.7 (moving target too).
3. Boot media: etherboot, pxe, CD, hard disk, compact flash
4. Small image size - typically 30-50 MB or larger with client side web browsers
5. Support of a lot of locales (national languages)
6. Client side web browsers - Dillo, Mozilla Firefox, Chrome.
7. Network booting using DHCP and TFTP (for etherboot and pxe)
8. Samba and NFS file access
9. Automatic mount of client floppies, HDs, CD/DVDs, USB storage
10. Sound on clients (if supported by the server) and client side connected printers (LPT and USB) - as well as server and network printers
11. PS/2 and USB keyboards and serial, PS/2 and USB mice
12. Scroll wheel mice
13. Support for syslog server (to monitor the clients). Remote or local.
14. Enhanced Shell with command line editing and history
15. Telnet, web and VNC access to clients so the admin can login and check logs in /var/logs and if necessary reboot the workstation remotely

Thinstation Minimum Hardware Requirements

1. i686 class CPU with 64 MB RAM or better.
2. NIC: Anything supported by the current Linux kernel.
3. VGA: VESA and anything supported by the current X.org version

Hope you found this Thinstation 5.5 installation and review tutorial helpful and informative. Please consider sharing it. Your feedback and questions are welcome!