Press releases
Stuttgart, 22nd March 2022
Last weekend, you could visit us at the Chemnitz Linux Days.
As in previous years, many specialist discussions were able to take place and there was a lively exchange between interested parties and our specialist staff.
Unfortunately, the current situation and the resulting lack of planning certainty did not allow for the Chemnitz Linux Days to be held at a physical venue.
This was implemented in purely digital form and was very well received by visitors and our staff alike.
At the stand, setting up and booting a thin client was demonstrated using a camera and screen sharing. Several interested visitors approached, wanting to use this solution in their companies. Examples included replacing Teradici with openthinclient using VMware Horizon, or utilising 200 existing clients from other manufacturers with RDP. New contacts with Debian developers opened up exciting discussions about PXE, boot protocols, and X servers.
Particularly noteworthy is the presentation „Linux on a Leash“ by our Development & Support employee Jörn Frenzel, which was very well attended with 68 visitors. You will soon be able to watch this presentation again; please use the following address http://chemnitzer.linux-tage.de
New actions and offers are already maturing within our team, so openthinclient gmbh will be represented again next year!
Stuttgart, 6 October 2021
On October 5th, the new feature for Windows 10 announced by Microsoft was released on Windows 11. According to Microsoft, the free update has a modern design. The catch is that the update can only be installed on relatively new PCs.
Around 50% business PCs are not compatible with Windows 11
For current Windows 10 users, a tool is being installed in the background to test whether the hardware meets the requirements of the new operating system. This will reveal to millions of PC owners worldwide that their system is too old. Experts say that only just under half of today's PCs are suitable for Windows 11.
For example, Intel processors of the sixth or seventh generation are no longer supported; furthermore, Windows 11 requires the controversial Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0.
Use PC as a thin client
What to do if the computer fails the hardware test, and the actual PC isn't that old at first glance?
This would be an ideal time for SMEs and mid-sized companies to switch to server-based computing (SBC). A PC could be used as a thin client and, after booting up, would open a remote desktop connection to the virtual workspace. This is particularly interesting for companies with around 100 employees or more that already use Terminal Server or Citrix. This would allow hardware unsuitable for Windows 11 to be used for a few more years.
At the same time, the workload for administrators will be significantly reduced, as managing hundreds of thin clients is a breeze. This frees up time for other important IT projects.

PXE Boot: Switching and testing made easy
The advantage of openthinclient is that thin clients are booted over the network via PXE. This means that a PC can be converted into a thin client with a simple adjustment to the boot order in the BIOS. This allows for quick and easy testing of openthinclient with existing PCs. The openthinclient solution does not install anything on the PCs. This means that after the test is completed, the BIOS setting can be reversed, and the work and functionality of the already installed Windows 10 can be continued as before.
Source:
https://www.ict-channel.com/software-services/55-der-business-pcs-nicht-fuer-windows-11-geeignet.125950.html
https://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/gadgets/windows-11-wie-microsoft-mit-einem-kostenlosen-update-geld-verdient-a-fab46dec-a052-42fc-80a3-20cddcedefb0
For downloading the openthinclient management server:
https://openthinclient.com/de/software-download.html
Stuttgart, 3 December 2020
Due to high demand, openthinclient has added the two tools Microsoft Teams and Zoom as native applications.
Using the openthinclient manager, customers can now create such video conferencing or screen sharing applications with just a few clicks and assign them directly to the ThinClients. This allows users to start and use Teams or Zoom locally from the ThinClient. In parallel, it remains possible to run these collaboration tools as plugins via Citrix Workspace. Administrators can install the apps afterwards in the package management of the openthinclient manager (from version 2020.x).
For home office users, there is a new version 2020.2.1 of openthinclient-on-a-Stick. The download link can be ordered via the webshop as a 0.00 EUR evaluation.
Stuttgart, 3 December 2020
The new version of openthinclient software, version 2020.2, will be released in November. Support will be provided for Intel-compatible 64-bit ThinClients and also for existing PCs.
The solution is available in two variants. Firstly, with central management for booting clients in companies with the Linux-based ThinClient operating system. Subsequently, server-based applications such as Citrix or RDP can be used. A Chromium browser that can be executed natively on the ThinClient can be used for tasks involving pure cloud computing.
openthinclient Management Server boots client via PXE and UEFI
With the new release, in addition to PXE boot, support for UEFI PXE has also been added. This allows newer hardware to be booted with the openthinclient OS via LAN. In this case, an installation of an image on the client is not necessary, and adding, booting, and administrating a new thin client takes only a few minutes.
OS-on-a-Stick for standalone thin clients
The second variant is openthinclient-OS-on-a-stick – a live system that includes the OS and the previously mentioned apps, as well as local management. This stick is ideal for use in a home office. It can be plugged into any PC or laptop, then boots from this stick and allows access to the company's Citrix or terminal servers. To allow this securely, OpenVPN is included as an app.
Citrix Workspace with Teams and Zoom plugins can be ideally used for home office setups.
Both variants include the latest Citrix Workspace app with plugins for Microsoft Teams and Zoom.
To test the software, both openthinclient versions can be accessed via the web shop http://shop.openthinclient.com can be ordered free of charge as an evaluation.
