OSDev.org

Now I came up with this idea, I'm not sure if I'm the first person to think this though.

It's all about multihead (multi-monitor) systems.

Modern PC's, can have 2+ mice (is mice the correct term?), 2+ keyboards and 2+ monitors attatched to one PC. Ifact 2+ monitors attatched to one graphics card. Any way if you havent seen where this is going. This means with a bit of good OS design you could code an OS that alows 2+ users to be logged on and usin 1 PC.

I think this is a better use of 2 moniters than the extend desktop you can get in windows and linux's X.

What do you think.

When you computer starts up both moniters show a loggon and are controld by different mice and keybords.

A good idea?
Already been done?
Or is this stupid?

i say its stupid. 1 computer, 1 person.

Two-Head systems are nothing new: in the realms of 3d design, this is pretty usual as well as in CAD design.

What You want to say with: one computer can have two keyboards and two mice, i do not understand.

But from the networkers view of thingses, I can present you the following:

you have one small computer, whose processor suffices display and keyboard and mouse management as well as some network fiddling - and you have several other computers lingering in the local network. these you can connect to either via telnet, ssh,remote terminal services or X terminal .. to each one of those remote computers - and need only one keyboard monitor mouse - this i call modern.

From what I see here it's not been done before.

beyond infinity: The two-head systems I'm fermiliar with I'm talking about putting them to a differnt use allowing to users to be logged on one machine. Using a differnt mouse and keyboard for control. But sharing RAM and CPU and other devices like HD.

slacker: I think the idea has potential. Computers can now have very fast CPU's over 3GHz and RAM past 2GB's. But the avreage home users dosn't need all this speed. So why not share it with evry one in the house. I know people would love to use the PC when I'm using it and this would realy help. I say 1 computer n users.

i guess im not good at sharing. i'd rather have my own computer sitting in front of me. plus its kinda nice not to have monitors, keyboards, and mice laying all over the place.

I see what your saying here. But in a way it more space saving than having 2 computers sitting next to each other. Perhaps an idea for the less selfish ay? :-\

Many long years ago when I was just a kid, I worked in a video store that paid some pretty big bucks for a system that was little more then a PC running multi-tasking DOS with a couple of VT100 type terminals attached to it. There might still be a market for such an OS in convienent store and other small independant stores that do not have to link up to the mother ship.

I think it is a pretty neat idea. With the correct layoring it could also function much like winframe/windows terminal server.

I say go for it!

_mark()

thats never the less what I have said: virtual terminal.

UNIX OS'es permit following: Remote login of different users from different remote computers onto one central machine at "same" time - this is multi user muti processing: can also be done via x terminal.

But the terminal needs to have at least the intelligence (for use as x term with mouse & kbd) to handle the x server and the underlying os (say a customized linux kernel) Then you can have one central server which offers remote boot & Login & software (f. ex. x-clients) This is networking in its purest fashion.

true ... I wonder whether there are still X terminals sold nowadays ... or if it would be possible to build one with limited hardware

That's feasable, even with my old sparc station4. I'd have to download some things, do some compiling and installing (a stripped down sparc kernel f. ex.), rip off the disk & cdrom drives from it and voila - here it is the diskless x terminal. Graphics isn't that cool like on a nowadays pc but for doing work it is sufficient.

Sun sells such X Terminals. I think IBM has some in its production plan too. Just check out the site.

Microsoft is currently pushing Terminal Services, which is just the Windows equivalent of the X protocol. The idea behind that is that you run one or more application servers, where the applications run, and access them from some small computer running the TS client.

Check out for HOBLink JWT 2.3 - thats a kind of terminal client which can connect to a MS-Terminal server. I work with it.

Why have one PC with 2 keyboards, 2 monitors and 2 mice when you can have one server with users upon users with a desktop with X server, terminal services, or Citrix? Having one computer with two of everything would be a step back.

Not really a step back. You can get a monitor, kb, & mouse for cheaper then a VT100 now. Wyse makes terminals for WinFrame and Windows TS, but have you seen the prices on them??? You could just buy another PC. Personally I like the idea and can see a use for it in small retail stores, small realestate offices and things like that.

_mark()

Yes _mark(). This is the kinda market i was looking at. For example at home, Istaed of buying a server and client machine. 1 PC around ?400 and a addition keyboard and mouse ?50 (at most). Alot cheeper than the alternitive.

And I thought very usful.