HP Thin Client streaming

[kd5pck]

Hello all. I came across a thin client on ebay for a great price. Problem is, the Windows XPe installed on it is locked down. I cannot get administrator rights to change anything on it. I was considering trying out Linux instead. I have no experience with Linus though. My first two questions are what flavor of Linux would be best for streaming my feed and what program to use for streaming the feed? It looks like ScannerCast doesn't support Linux. Thanks for any help.

 

[Rob_K]

I'm not sure how Linux would run on a thin client. (Never tried either)

Go to here: HP Support & Drivers | United States

Type in the model of your thin client and you should be able to download an image with the operating system "and wipe it clean".

Good luck!

 

[kd5pck]

Thanks for the link. I did that and now I just need to learn the intricacies of WP embedded. Am I right that anything written to the flash memory is wiped when the unit is shutdown? If so, would i need to run the scannercast software from a USB drive? Maybe I'll will stick with the XP instead of trying to learn a new OS.

 

[Rob_K]

Yes and No on the flash...

XPe devices usually have a "write filter". When enabled, anything you change will be lost on a reboot. You can disable it to save the changes. I disabled mine when i installed RadioFeed and then re-enabled once everything was setup.

I'm guessing a lot of people leave it disabled but I like it because it keeps the image fresh. A reboot gives me a clean session of Windows.

 

[kd5pck]

Makes no difference to me if it's enabled or not. I suppose I'll just leave it alone. I can program the hell out of radios but this computer stuff is over my head.
It looks like I need to get Microsoft .NET Framework V2.0 in order to have ScannerCast work as well. From what I am reading online, my system may not be able to support it. I'm running XP embedded with service pack 1. I am going to look around some more to see if I can get a version of the .Net Framework to work.

 

[Rob_K]

You will want to disable it while you get it setup. Once everything is exactly how you want it, it wouldn't hurt to reenable. That way if you have problems, you can reboot and you'll be back in business.

I don't want to push you away from ScannerCast but I use RadioFeed. I believe it links you to the proper download for .NET framework and any other prereqs.

I know I'm running XPe but I'm not sure if it is SP1 or not.

Again, Good Luck! It is a fun little project that may cause you to pull some hair....but it is all worth it in the end.

 

[kd5pck]

Well it looks like I can't get the .net framework v2.0 to install. Seems like i need service pack 2 to get the .net installed which looks like it's no longer available. I guess I'll start looking for solutions.

 

[W2PMX]

Service Pack 3 should still be available. (Service packs are cumulative - if you need 2 for .net 2.0, you need at least 2 - it will install with SP3 also.)

 

[kd5pck]

That's what I was thinking. I have to look at the specs to see if the thin client I have will support service pack 3. Maybe I will luck out. If these people at work would just leave me alone I could get things done -- my things. Maybe after lunch I could steal some time away from work and dig into service pack 3. Thanks.

 

[W2PMX]

If these people at work would just leave me alone I could get things done

LOL - that's my problem too. They actually expect me to work on their things during the hours I get paid for. Do you know of any "pure research" positions open? Just play on the web and find "things"? I could put in 60 hour weeks doing that kind of "work".

 

[AC9BX]

Be careful with those HP thin clients. Most are of little use for anything but as a workstation on a network. Most have little RAM in them. Be sure to check out the hardware stats before you purchase it. Make sure it will support what you want to do with it. Some do not have any means of running a local operating system. This one with XPe obviously can. Now then, if you do have an appropriate model running Linux can be useful. You can run the free Shoutcast server on Linux (I highly recommend this over running it on Windows). It won't offer the tag information like ScannerCast but it can be run on a minimalist Linux system, Arch Linux perhaps, all free, very stable and secure. If the box has enough RAM and CPU to run Linux with a GUI I'd recommend Lubuntu. It's not yet an official Ubuntu supported distro but is very lightweight and offers a basic GUI. You could choose any of the flavors of Ubuntu as well or OpenSUSE. For the purpose of running a streaming server they're all the same.