How do i network home pcs to reduce maintenance...

[LysarZ]

I'm a longtime Linux desktop user and migrated to MX Linux from PCLOS a few years ago when they stopped supporting 32-bit systems. I currently have a cable modem+router connected to 3 systems running MX 18.3 that I want to network together in order to streamline maintenance and consolidate file storage. I plan on setting up individual accounts for each family member instead of us all sharing one like we currently do. I would like for the accounts to be based on our HTPC in the living room, but for each user to be able to use hard drives in my bedroom if needed. I've used Teamviewer and Anydesk for remote maintenance in the past, but still have to manually connect my backup drives to each system to make backups.

As an example of how I'd like the configuration to work, I'd like my youngest son to be able to log on to the HTPC or the office computer and get the same configuration and file access without having to manually copy all the data back and forth. Is this fairly easy to do with MX Linux? My only experience with that kind of networking is from a turn-of-the-century 20-node network with Windows 98 Pcs and a RH 5.1 server.

[handy]

Perhaps you could add a Raspberry Pi to the equation, by using it as your very cheap to purchase & run fileserver (& a Foxmarks bookmarks server - that will allow a user to sync their Bookmarks between Firefox based browsers on different devices ON THEIR OWN SERVER - works with Waterfox too! :D )

That's my next project.

[JayM]

It sounds like you want to set up your various MX computers as thin clients using LTSP. As to how easy or hard that would be I have no idea, having never done it. You'll probably be the first to try it, at least with MX Linux. LTSP server and client versions plus the docs are available in the stable repo in MX Package Installer. I recommend making snapshot ISOs of all of your computer before starting this project so in case something goes wrong you can easily restore them to the way they were and start over. Good luck and have fun.