TLCOS needs some serious TLC (ha), and it's difficult to justify spending time on doing this, since we don't think there is much demand for it. We could however verify this first, for example by checking the number of downloads for TLCOS over the last few months. If we decide to get rid of it, then we should make sure we remove: - TLCOS - Documentation (TAG, whitepapers) - Website material/downloads - Bugzilla targets etc - Course material - Build system components And make a discontinuation announcement on the relevant channels. We also need to make sure that any current customers using TLCOS are taken care of.
Start by evaluating if we can remove TLCOS. This involves: - Getting some decent download statistics - Check with sales if any customers uses TLCOS, and how future sales might be affected - Check support cases for TLCOS issues - Investigate possible alternatives for customers
Created attachment 470 [details] Graph of total issues which include TLCOS keyword
Greate guide for deploying thinstation using Windows 2008 WDS eg. PXE boot thinstations images with a customized syslinuz boot menu. http://dlehman.blogspot.se/2012/03/thinstation-50-and-windows-deployment.html
I have done some tests using SUSE Studio which is a service to build an costumized live/installation image based on JeOS (Just enough OS) which is very minimal. SUSE Studio does also provide a way for us to publish this base image so other users can clone the configuration into their own appliance and customization, all done though a nice Web UI.
(In reply to comment #5) > I have done some tests using SUSE Studio which is a service to build an > costumized live/installation image based on JeOS (Just enough OS) which is very > minimal. > SUSE Studio does also provide a way for us to publish this base image so other > users can clone the configuration into their own appliance and customization, > all done though a nice Web UI. After some more play with this service i have actually been able to create a slim LXDE / OpenBox JeOS image which autostarts a thinclinc client. Need some clenaup in menu configrations etc. but is a good base for a replacement.
My opinion and summarization on this topic are: TLCOS is used to give a customers a choice to push back the investment costs with the effect of a higher maintenance cost. I see following alternatives: Remove TLCOS from the product and its burden from us and refer alternatives such as ThinStation or even a SUSE Studio base template. This way we will still have the ability to use the sales pitch and give the customer a choice. I think that the SUSE Studio alternative is the best choice due to its simplicity and a customer who did use TLCOS could come very close to it. ThinStation is another corner, if i had 200 Hp XXYY desktops, i would make an slim pxe image to boot them on, but that is not often the case, 3-4 models at least needs to be maintained in different boot images etc.. This is a too big maintainance cost at end.
Notices about discontinuation of TLCOS is added to the ThinLinc Administrators Guide in commit 27196.
Added a note to social media "todo" about announce of TLCOS discontinuation. Tester should make sure that release notes contains a notice.
