blog@cloud-client.info

Hi Folks,

maybe you already noticed that you have an USB Security configuration in the Device section of the IGEL Setup.

If you want to allow a special USB Memory mostly people use the Vendor ID (VID) and Product ID (PID) for this. This works quite well but has one big disadvantage…. It works for all USB Memory with the same VID and PID.

To extend this, you can use the UUID (Unique ID) but how can you setup this?

1) First of all, it will only work with an Filesystem that supports a UUID… NTFS will do, FAT16 or FAT32 will not. So you need to format the USB Memory with NTFS.

2) Now use a thin client where one or more storage devices are allowed without any USB restrictions.

3) Open a console session and type in the command: “ls /dev/disk/by-uuid”. You will get a short list now and insert the USB Stick. Type in “ls /dev/disk/by-uuid” again, compare these lists and write down the new one. The UUID should look like “FE1CFEABB210AA”.

4) Create a new USB Device configuration and type in the PID/VID and the UUID you have written down and assign the configuration to a client. Don’t forget to allow HID devices (Mouse/ Keyboards) in General before assigning the configuration. For VID and PID, use always 4 Digits like 0C00 and remember: Linux is case sensitive! If you don’t know how you can get the VID and PID type in lsusb.

5) Done… Now you have a unique USB Memory to use with the client, all other will not work anymore. Also if someone format this USB Memory it will also not work anymore. Secure and easy to setup.

Cheers

Michael

Hi Folks,

if you’re using a Linux based IGEL Thin Client together with an analog Monitor or TV and you get only a black Screen/frequency error or the Monitor goes in the standby mode this article will provide you some guidance how this can be fixed.

1) Don’t use a KVM Switch in general for your tests.

2) Make sure that you have the right VGA cable in place, there are two Versions available: 14 and 15 pole. Depending on the Display you could be required to use an 15 pole cable.

3) Not all issues can be fixed and if possible test also the connection with a DVI cable.

4) If using a DVI-I splitter cable to VGA / DVI-D make sure that the cable is an original IGEL Y-Cable or if using a Universal Desktop OS converted device a Y-Cable certified by the Vendor of the inbuild Graphic Card. Splitter cables DVI-I to 2x DVI or DVI to 2x VGA (both are not DVI Standard and only used if a vendor extend the DVI standard by there own) are not supported with original IGEL Thin Clients, for Universal Desktop OS converted devices this depends on the inbuild GFX Card: Please contact the hardware Vendor in this case.

5) If you’re using VGA and you got an issue try the following Settings in the IGEL Setup->System->Registry:

x.xserver0.analog_timings= Enabled
x.xserver0.connector= VGA, if you’re using two Displays also set x.xserver0.screen1.connector to the right port
x.xserver0.noddc= Enabled

Assign the configuration and reboot the device, if this did not solve the issue try 1-4 or open a support case at IGEL but mostly the issue should be fixed thru these Settings.

Cheers
Michael

Hi,

if you’ve connected several Audio Devices to an IGEL Linux based Thin Client, you might want to be able to configure the default Audio Device for your Citrix Session. This will only work for IGEL Firmware with Citrix Receiver 12 or 12.1!

Currently this can’t be done via the IGEL Setup but there is a way how this task can be performed.

First of all: This will only work as long the Client configuration is not touched or modified by the IGEL Universal Management Suite or the local Setup! If you change something here, you have to reboot the Client to setup the configuration again.

Preparing the configuration: Connect all Audio Devices to the Thin Client and open the Sound Mixer Tool (Speaker Symbol in the Taskbar), to open the Tool use the right mouse button and click on the Symbol->Select Audio-Settings

Now select Input and click on Advanced Settings, in the drop down menu “Soundcard” write down the name for the device without the (Alsa mixer) extension. Sample UD5 Internal Soundcard= HDA VIA VT82xx or the 1st USB Headset = USB Headphone Set

After this is done and you got the name for the Audio Device close the Audio Mixer and open the local IGEL Setup or the UMS Profile. Now browse to System->Firmware Customization->Custom Commands->Desktop Commands->Custom Command Desktop final and enter here:

echo “[ClientAudio]” >> /config/ica/wfclient.ini
echo “AudioDevice=HDA VIA VT82xx” >> /config/ica/wfclient.ini

Replace HDA VIA VT82xx with the name of the Audio Device you want to set as default, after this is done you can assign the configuration and reboot the device. Now the default Audio Device is configured until a new Audio Device is connected to the Client, a new device will be automaticly set as default.

For Firmwares with an ICA Client 11 or older change the Audio Device Name to /dev/dsp0 (1st Audio Device) /dev/dsp1 (2nt Audio Device) and so on…. The ICA Client Version 11 and below is using an other Audio System and will not work with the Device Names shown in the Sound Mixer.

Cheers
Michael

Hello Folks,

if you’ve configured the Firefox Browser coming with the IGEL LX/OS Operating System to start in Kiosk Mode (no menus available) you maybe have noticed that still the Tabs bar is shown and the user can open an other Website. I’ve currently not found a setting in the regular IGEL Setup GUI but you will found it in the registry.

To hide the tab bar again open the local Setup or the UMS Profile and browse to System->Registry->Sessions->browser*no*->app and enable the setting “tabs_bar_hidden”, after this configuration is applied the tab bar will not be shown anymore.

This is related to the newer Firefox Versions coming with the IGEL Linux and you will not see this issue with older Firmware Versions.

Cheers

Michael

P.S.: There are a lot of more Settings in this part of the registry to configure the browser session a lot more then in the GUI, just check it out.

Good morning,

i’ve been asked if it is possible to Setup a public dislaimer with use Terms for the IGEL LX/OS based Clients.

This can be done but the configuration is hidden in the registry, open the local IGEL Setup or the UMS Profile and browse to system->registry->userinterface->disclaimer. Here you will find several Settings to configure the disclaimer, the disclaimer will pop up after a boot and prevent Access until the disclaimer is confirmed or perform a shutdown/reboot after the user denied the disclaimer.

Cheers
Michael

Hi Folks,

this is really rare but sometimes it might happen that you have issues with the display of a mouse pointer in an ICA or RDP session. If this is the case, try first this setting: IGEL Setup or Profile->System->Registry->x.xserver0.sw_cursor

Mostly this will fix the issue.

Cheers
Michael

Hi,

currently it’s not possible to manage the overall volume for IGEL based Thin Clients thru the UMS or to configure it during the start with a local configuration.

There are some ways to deal with this by transfer the asound.state config file but this way is not permanent and also not really easy to setup, so it’s not useful from my point of view.
After some test’s on a customer site we figure out how we can do this very simple/flexible and this is how you can configure it:

In the local Client Setup or the IGEL UMS Profile open the configuration, now browse to System->Firmware Customization->Custom Commands->Desktop Commands->Custom Command Desktop Final and now enter here:

amixer set Master 100 unmute
amixer set PCM 100 unmute
amixer set Front 100 unmute

The result in the configuration should look like this:

Please note: you can play around with this command in the command line and it’s also possible to configure the record volume and much more in this way. If you’re using the mentioned configuration it will boost the Audio Volume to 156% at all and this could be to much for your speakers, so please figure out the best volume for your devices. Also it’s important to know that you can hide the Sound Mixer thru the Accessories configuration to prevent that a user can change this during runtime. Also these settings will be applied after a restart again, user settings will not stay permanent anymore! …and of course you can use these command to mute the system too! 😉

Cheers

Michael

P.S.: I’ve released an article here how to deal with cron job’s, you can use these commands with a time scheduled cron job too and this will apply also the volume configuration “during” the run time without any user interaction….

P.S.2: The mentioned settings are hardware independent and will work with all IGEL Linux based devices incl. the UD2 Multimedia ARM or IGEL Universal Desktop OS (UDC) based PC’s. For IGEL Universal Desktop OS the 3rd party sound card must be supported in general, if not it can’t work!