Creating a ThinLincClient TCZ

As I mentioned in a previous article I mainly run the thinlinc client software from Cendio on it. The thinclinc client software is available as dynamic linked package for ArmV7, X86 and X86_64 Bit Linux (beside other package formats and systems). However it is quite easy to create a thinlinc client TinyCoreExtension that can be smoothly integrated into an installed tiny core system.

Here is short step by step manual:

1. Make sure that at least the squasshfs-tools are installed.
2. Download the latest ThinLinc client from Cendio
3. Create a directory in /tmp for extension preparation and switch into it
   mkdir -p /tmp/tl-client/usr/
   cd /tmp/tl-client/usr/
4. Unpack the archive at current location
   tar -xzf tl-<Version>-client-linux-dynamic-i686.tar.gz
5. Rename directory
   mv tl-<Version>-client-linux-dynamic-i686 local
6. Create a tlclient.desktop within the share/application subfolder
   mkdir -p share/application
   cat > tlclient.desktop
   [Desktop Entry]Name=ThinLinc
   Exec=tlclient 
   Type=Application
   X-FullPathIcon=/usr/local/lib/tlclient/tlclient_48.png
   Icon=tlclient
   OnlyShowIn=Old;
   Categories=System;
7. Create the extension
   mksquashfs /tmp/tl-client tl-client-<Version>.tcz
8. Copy the extension to your tce/optional folder
   cp /tmp/ tl-client-<Version>.tcz /etc/sysconfig/tcedir/optional
9. Add an entry to onboot.lst
   echo tl-client-<Version>.tcz >> /etc/sysconfig/tcedir/onboot.lst
10. Reboot or load extension manually
    tce-load -i tl-client-<Version>.tcz

Update TinyCore

I use Tiny Core Linux on my thinclient since half a year. The only problem I have is a blank screen in text mode when using the Noveau Display driver for my Nvidea graphic. However, this isn't really a problem that troubles me in my daily work, so I did not spend any time on it to find a solution ;-)

I really like the fast startup time even on low powered hardware. The small base in combination with the in-memory root filesystem allows small and powerful systems anyway. When I started with Tiny Core Linux the version 6.1 was the recent one I could install. In meantime some minor release updates were published by the TCL team, so currently Version 6.4.1 is the latest one you can install. Upgrading a version within the same major (6.1 → 6.4) release is quite simple, just replace the core.gz in boot directory and reboot.