VNC + Boot w/o keyboard, video & mouse

[Clive Menzies]

On (14/02/07 16:18), NoOp wrote:
> I have several customer located servers (database, print, intranet etc)
> located at customer sites. For security purposes & so the customer
> employees don't mess with them these machines do not have any keyboards,
> video, or mice attached to them. To access the machines I VNC across a
> secure VPN (both remotely and locally when on site). They are currently
> running Windows, but I am in the process of converting them over to linux.
> 
> In order to make the conversion to linux (Ubuntu) I've been testing a
> couple of machines locally & have found that I cannot boot 6.061 without
> an attached keyboard or mouse. I can of course boot with a keyboard &
> mouse attached and then disconnect them. But that defeats the purpose of
> being able to keep the systems isolated from curious hands.
>   On the Windows machines if I do an update, I can reboot the machines
> remotely via VNC & have them come back up in the proper configuration. I
> cannot do this in 6.061.
> 
> I have figured out how to overcome the problem of the 640x480 60hz video
> screen default when no video monitor is attached[1], and now wonder if
> anyone has any suggestions for doing the same with no keyboard & mouse.

Use ssh to administer the machines from the command line.  There's
probably no need to run X on the servers.  You may need to post a bit
more about what packages your running on the servers.  

The few programs you are running the easier it is to keep them secure.

Regards

Clive

-- 
www.clivemenzies.co.uk ...
...strategies for business