I have a specific need for a tailored appliance version of what you are proposing. It is the bootable client appliance remote-desktop front-end for an end-user F95-based modeling language surrounded by xterm menu scaffolding in Perl. The remote desktop server is configured as a TDE R14 Ubuntu 14.04 Togglebox VPS now. It is part of the scaffolding for an end-user development (EUD) type of workflow called quality assurance and evolution (QAE) to extend a science exploration modeling technology called MetaCalculus, which has been under continuous development for 50 years.

End users can connect to this remote middleware via NX remote desktops from the bootable appliances, similarly configured as TDE-Ubuntu or TDE-PCLinux distros on LiveCD or LIVE USB sticks. NX remote desktops communicate through FreeNX server apps, and NoMachineRemmina or X2GO client apps.

The front-end PC and Togglebox TDE desktops are preconfigured mirrors that merge with each other, each having 20 virtual desktops accessed though side panel pagers (client-right opposing server-left). Taskbar panels similarly oppose each other (client-top opposing server-bottom). This is the front-end of a server-based MetaCalculus "automation lab" (AutoLab). 

This dual mirrored OS client-server "AutoLab ensemble desktop environment" is designed for shared menu-guided workflow of an EUD-QAE team on a collection of virtual desktops, some on client and some on server via several connected interactive sessions spanning multiple servers, where up to 400 (20 x 20) sessions may be running simultaneously from a single PC workstation. And since NX supports desktop sharing, the desktop collection can span teams of overlapping user workflow sharing of teachers and students. 

As you can imagine, this dual OS Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) ensemble is designed as an integrated front and middleware interactive workflow environment, which in turn fronts a background massively parallel Docker batch system for cloud supercomputing, using AWS et al. It can integrate "super SaaS" collaborative open-source development and K-12 end-user STEM education.

The modeling language, an F95 Extension "NeoFortran" supporting the modeling solver and kernel API of the original mainframe PROSE language, can operate on all three of these computing layers (client PC,  Togglebox  VPS, or AWS et al) in various configurations (from client tablets for K-12 students to Togglebox VPS's for developers to AWS Docker jobs for high-fidelity big-data simulation models globally optimized in massive parallel jobs).  

Since the NeoFortran is an optimization modeling language which can optimize system-dynamics models translated via the XMILE protocol; and since optimization searching is embarrassingly parallel, this integrated environment can support interactive SERIAL modeling of parallel optimization processing in the cloud (similar to web searches), without any parallel programming. Simplification of this parallel processing is what I am working on now.

Although I am a Trinity user, and have been since the fatal KDE4 fork that set back my downstream development by several years, I don't participate in this forum much, but I would like to see Trinity win the desktop race. As you can probably tell, most of the higher infrastructure I have shown in the links above was accomplished before that plasmoid fork. Ironically KDE (as one of the original two Linux desktop environments) is still more generally sanctioned than TDE. But the general trend (Windows style war) that forking trend was part of has hobbled the whole Linux community in another pursuit of the Tower of Babel.  

I would like to see the Trinity community adopt this LiveCD/USBstick Linux-boot ensemble as a QAE project and expand its desktop functionality. There are many TDE improvements I can think of that this QAE effort would mandate. Not the least would be integrated QA with the NX clients, which would significantly improve overall Linux interface reliability. This effort would enable TDE to trump the KDE style leadership with EUD-friendly practicality. The intent is to adapt more of an EUD "walled garden" approach, like Apple has achieved with the Mac, in order to broaden Linux EUD.

In the above links you see evidence of a host of integrated EUD automation apps designed to lift the OS development focus out of the "Windows style swamp" that the Linux downstream community has blundered into.

My intent is to emerge new EUD order out of this chaos by giving the original computing language new life in the clouds: optimization of simulation modeling in parallel processing, without parallel programming. This can be the killer app to transform the industry the way Fortran did originally, by exploding diversity in R&D; something IT middlemen cannot accomplish on their own, because they are not diversified enough to match the diversity of science, like end-users are. Thus we need to simplify and generalize advanced Linux EUD as this ensemble aims to do. 

Cheers, 

Joseph 'Bear' Thames

On Jul 29, 2016 5:24 AM, "Felix Miata" <mrmazda@earthlink.net> wrote:

>

> >

> >

> >

> Marvin Jones composed on 2016-07-29 06:11 (UTC-0600):
>

>

> >

> >

> >> I am building a new workstation and I really, Really, REALLY

>> want to fire it up with Ubuntu 16.04 LTS with Trinity R14.0.3.
>
>

>

> >

> >

> >> Ref: https://wiki.trinitydesktop.org/LiveCDs , has anyone built a

>> Live CD for Xenial yet?  Or, is a Live CD under construction?   Or,
>> has anyone installed installed TDE 14.0.3 on Ubuntu 16.04 yet and
>> could/would share their experiences if I run into "challenges"
>> during a raw install?
>
>

>

> >

> >

> >> I don't believe I've seen any chatter about Ubuntu 16.04 on this list.

>> And, I really do not want to start out 2-years old with Ubuntu 14.04.
>> "Inertia" usually prevents me from upgrading releases once I have a
>> solid linux workstaion humming along.  Hell, my primary workstation is
>>   $ cat /etc/lsb-release
>>   DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
>>   DISTRIB_RELEASE=10.04
>>   DISTRIB_CODENAME=lucid
>>   DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 10.04.4 LTS"
>>    ... with TDE 3.5.13.3
>
>
> I did minimal 16.04 HTTP minimal installs on two 64 bit machines, then added 14.03. I recall no trouble with either.
> --
> "The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant
> words are persuasive." Proverbs 16:21 (New Living Translation)
>
>  Team OS/2 ** Reg. Linux User #211409 ** a11y rocks!
>
> Felix Miata  ***  http://fm.no-ip.com/
>
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