Linux in the online club

Linux is not as complex system, like many people think about it and most of them would suit users, but most administrators clubs primarily interested in control room. The range of programs is not as dense as on Windows, but still something is and the number of programs is becoming more and more. I wrote a review of existing management programs in the internet cafe linux system and I will see to it that it was urgent. Test all of the programs have not yet had the opportunity to.
So, to control the bend Net cafes under linux.
IClub - the first Russian club management system computer ( Internet cafe ) is running a free operating system Linux / FreeBSD.
(the site does not work).


Zencafe. - An interesting Linux distribution with integrated accounting stredstvom computer time on the basis of the library. CCL. (for more details:. http://linux. blogs. ie/2007/08/17/22 /. ).


Cyborg. - Released under the GPL license to write a web application in the language of PERL to control the room with clients Linux/Win32, using the program. Zeiberbude client. to lock the computer.


Zyba cafe. - Program control room for Linux, which works by using a PostgreSQL database. Now this program is called. OutKafe.
OutKafe. - GPL software for the control room, which includes the server daemon for time tracking, control panel, customer programs to block Linux/Win32 and uses a PostgreSQL database.

CCL. Cafe Con Leche ( coffee with milk ) - C library to simplify the development of management software internet cafe. libccls - Library used for writing server applications, libcclc to write a client application control room. Developed under Linux, but it is expected that he will work wherever the library ported SQLite, GLIB and OpenSSL. Tested only on Windows and Linux.


Dharma Internet Cafe Management.
Cross platform client-server application, (Linux, Win32, Mac OsX) written in RealBasic. Includes functions for time, billing, customer management, registration of patrons, point of sales, and reports. The aim of the project - to facilitate administration of Internet cafes.

Now Tell us about your experience using Linux in Internet cafes.
Run games and applications under linux win32.
A few years ago I tried to use Linux on client computers. Percent of the 30-50% win32 games running under emulators. WINE. and. Transgaming Cedega. very good. CounterStrike, GTA, MU - the most popular games work fine. Lineage run, but the problem was that the players - zadroty run multiple processes simultaneously Lineage, and I have even on a system with a gigabyte of memory is not got to run more than two ' lines ' at the same time on one computer. Linux programs similar to instant messaging via the Internet (ICQ, kopette, gaim) and browsing work just fine. But, again, small things - an interface similar programs completely different and it makes a screeching halt inexperienced users. Users accustomed to click on the flower ICQ and immediately enter your UIN, but here most of customers ICQ menu pops up saying stupid 'in which system you want to go IM AOL, ICQ, Jabber' and m. Dr.. Any deviation from the standard interface, and the habit - it lost customers. As the saying goes ' the devil is in the details '. Another option that I have not tried it for religious reasons, is to use a standard WINE vindovyh client. ICQ. You can try as an exercise. Another thing - Skype, which looks the same as under windows, but in terms of functionality version of linux a little smaller than vindovym. But glad that now, finally, came Skype, which supports video from webcam.

Pleasures of the use of Linux.

If you add up the game on a file server Samba, they can be run directly from the server. Even in a 100 megabit network, the game is loaded from the server and is very smartly. But the problem is that many games require write permission to work in its directory, and if the entry is forbidden - take off with an error. Interesting effect can be achieved by using a virtual filesystem unionfs or aufs. These file systems can combine multiple directories to one. If one of the source directory will contain the game and will be mounted in read-only mode, and the second is empty and with a resolution of record, all changes to the game directory will be stored only in the second. After removing the files from this directory, you can roll back, just as it can be done in ShadowUser or DeepFreeze.

Disadvantages of using the Linux operating system.

Of the disadvantages of the first problem that I have not decided yet - a system update on client computers. System Settings and experiments I have conducted on the single computer. And since Linux is rapidly developing, updating accounts every week. For example, a new version of the emulator. WINE. is published every two weeks, and each update really brings some joy, such as support for new games or fix bugs in the game is already running. You always want to try as soon as possible, what will please a new version of WINE. Solve the problem of updates can be synchronized with one of the computers in the room.

Diskless booting over the network.

To overcome the problem, I decided to update the system using thick clients. Created a server from which the client can boot via PXE, a network card that supports booting from a network. Integrated network interface cards typically support PXE boot from the network. I made ​​sure that the computer is booted into graphics with OpenGL drivers and use local resources (memory, video card, CPU ), and the root filesystem mounted over the network. Loading took the time. She worked as a system is not bright enough, but tolerable. When the game is loaded into memory, there was virtually no brakes. For example, HalfLife2 could easily drive even the memory of 256 megabytes.

Restricting the rights of the club visits.

Sometimes after a visitor gets another, and indignant that the mouse button in the settings have changed, or hidden places which the elements of the desktop. In order to users not to customize the system for themselves, for other visitors uncomfortable way is to limit the rights of.
The first way you can solve this problem - is the use of the same unionfs combined with chmod. The method is inconvenient because the computer after each posetetilya have somehow revert to the original settings. The other way - is to use a kiosk - mode KDE, which forbids the user to change the assignments of the form. Guide to setting up a kiosk - mode KDE can be found in English here:.
http://www. ibm. com/developerworks/ru/library/linux_migr/part4. html.
http://developer. kde. org / documentation / tutorials / kiosk / index. html.
In addition there is a program guidelines for setting restrictions on KDE kiosk mode:.
http://extragear. kde. org / apps / kiosktool /.

Experience of implementing.

With regard to the introduction of Linux to the internet cafe has a page on the English language, where people share experiences and blogged about it many years ago built a club -based diskless workstations. I do not work, because the thin clients are used and then deleted the game, but maybe someone will help you:.
http://www. dnalounge. com / backstage / src / kiosk /.
A Panteelev Sergei shares his experience installing Linux to internet cafe and says that everything is working fine including games:. http://internet-club. info /? q = node/32.
To date, my experience is the introduction of Linux to the Internet club focused on the following combination: computer operator, under Linux Gentoo and clients running Windows XP. I solved the problem on the reverse: Linux will translate into what you get done today. A translation operators on Linux - I think it's pretty good achievement.
The result was a machine operator's transition team on Linux is quite spontaneously, when in one week I had to pass several times Windu. Restrict the rights of the operator as possible used software. After another flash, and Bryk system is practically not working. I Psihanul due to these viruses, and put Linux. Since then, the flash drive with viruses from customers (which is every second ) only produce a sweet smile: operator delete autorun. * With the flash and explains that the flash drive cleaned, but for the home computer to watch out.

What's in my club runs on Linux.

Monitoring the room. ( the whole room under Windows, as I said ) is using an old version of Astalavista. It does not require MSSQL and runs fine under WINE emulator. The only problem - is that for the work program requires access to ICMP packets, and only works as root. This is solved by creating a shortcut with the following command:.
sudo / usr / local / bin / wine / home / oper / admin / server / server. exe.
and adding user permissions to the file / etc / sudoers:.
oper ALL = (ALL) NOPASSWD: / usr / local / bin / wine.
It is unsafe, but the best solution I came up with.
Screenshot.

Print documents on the printer.

OpenOffice opens all documents. DOC and. XLS, which brings customers. Some documents crawl, but in most cases it is sufficient to remove the empty string, so that the document has become such as have. To open a document in OpenOffice. Word2007 DOCX format, you need to install the plugin. ODF-converter. To print pictures, too, have a huge number of programs. With drivers for laser printers should be no problems. Especially, Samsung printers come with a beautiful inscription on the box 'Linux'. But with print on color printers I have nothing good happened. Pictures come out terrible quality and the normal program for printing photos, which could replace the Epson Easy Photo Print, I have not found. In addition, the printing system in Linux CUPS maintains a complete log of output including the number of pages, document name and time of printing. This can be useful for monitoring. If someone can share a positive experience either way, always ready to discuss on the forum. www. internet-cafe. info.

Recording CDs.

K3B program is very similar to Nero Burning Rom and not difficult for retraining of operators. Just one day of practice, so that even the blonde learned to write CDs under Linux using K3B.

scanning.

XSane program is much more convenient and versatile than vindovyh program to scan that for each scanner's own and in their curves. You can also start a service saned and use the client on the client computers for network scanning. The operator lozhit sheet, and the client host clicks ' Scan ' and get the image right on your computer.
Screenshot.

network.

Members retain their documents only on the server, because the local computer after a reboot back to the initial frozen mind. To do this, ' My Documents ' lead to a network share. This resource is a single room for all. Members know that the operator is necessary to save documents into the Dirk and they are not interested that the files are on the server. In order that the operator has full access to the files from the network, not only KDE program used by the filesystem autofs, which is required when accessing the resource automatically mounts it. The operator two ways to use network resources: the KDE programs using smb:/ / and file system via autofs, which mounts all the required network resources in the / mnt / auto. With the transfer operator Linux Gentoo to UTF-8 encoding with all the problems disappeared. Not on the flash drive or disk, or a network more problems with kirilitsey not found what had been using the zoo's character. Servers that have not had the opportunity to convert to UTF-8, are connected with the correct coding via autofs.
Communicating in the instant messenger.
through the site. www. meebo. com. You can communicate with systems MSN, Yahoo, Meebo, AIM, Google Talk, ICQ, Jabber, even with the use of Web cameras. The computer is also set your browser to podderzhkooy Abode Flash did not need anything. Most importantly make sure your webcam is supported by Linux. I use a Logitech Messenger and it works fine with the driver gspca. To set up the webcam use. FAQ.
Surveillance.
Using a program such as VLC,. camserv. , Motion can be broadcast on the internet with a video stream connected to the operator computer webcam or record what is happening in the room. Many resources, it does not take and do not interfere with. In terms of value is the price of webcams and maybe drive a little bit larger, and the result is a complete video- log events in the club, which can be used to control operators, and in special cases that arise on a regular basis in such establishments.
If anyone has information about the use of Linux in the computer room, I am glad I will get every bit of knowledge and discuss on the forum. http://Internet-Club. info. Just write to. q @ Internet-Club. info.
I'll be glad to help with advice.
Author: Sergej Novak.








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