Research On Embedded Linux Network Computer

Network computer is a kind of thin client technology used for network computing, which obtain computing and storage resources from the server, sometimes also hold some local computing ability. Network computer takes the advantage of central control and easily maintains, and decreases the total cost of ownership. The development of network computer also makes a great chance to push our country's own property operating system technology and chip research stage. Network computer enable technologies mainly include theory of architecture, operating system, and remote display protocol, it runs in a manner of server-based computing, which will run the applications in server and display the user interface and computing result on the remote client. However current network computer solutions mostly based on foreign property technologies, it is necessary to develop an own property NC system.Remote display protocols and operating system technologies are key enable technologies of NC。Remote display is realized with a mechanism of application sharing to allow a view onto a computer application executing at one site to be advertised within a session to other sites. Remote Desktop Protocol and X Window both support application remote presentation, but realized in different manner.Embedded Linux Network Computer (ELNC) is terminal/sever based thin-client solution which integrates embedded Linux in the client and Windows terminal server in the server. Thin client operating system uses a tailed Linux, and server operating system use windows terminal server. The client remote login application uses Remote Desktop Protocol to access server's application, and display application window with X window locally. After login to the server from Linux, user will get an experience just as operate a Windows locally. The system also realized USB storage device redirection. In the part of thin-client operating system design, we first make an analyse of Linux kernel theory and embedded Linux architecture, and then give a detail description how to design kernel, custom root file system, organize system initial process and desing graphic system base on system capacity requirements. In performance test, we test the display performance, resource utilization, and network adaptability of ELNC, and find that it satisfies basic network application requirements.