Is there a way to automatically set desktop settings in Debian?

I've been put in charge of administering a Linux computer lab at my school. The operating system that is being installed is Debian Etch. I'm installing Debian on 22 iPAQ computers... yeah, the shitty ones with the 4.3GB hard drive. I was wondering if there was a script or something similar that I could write to apply certain settings to the computer. For instance, write the script, run it, copy to flash drive, insert flash drive in next computer, run it, etc...

[Prometheum]

Put high-quality network cards and devices on the network, then just have all the clients boot and run off of nfs.

Problem solved. Set up the system once, nfs it out, and you're done.

By the way, it's Gnu/Linux, not Linux. Check the Debian site as to why.

If they're all running the same exact hardware, tar the whole system from one machine to your favorite media (a dvd will do). You can shell script fdisk, mkfs, mkswap, swapon, mount and chroot.

If high-end network hardware is available, follow Pr0metheum's advice.

Originally Posted by Prometheum

By the way, it's Gnu/Linux, not Linux. Check the Debian site as to why.

Seriously shut the fuck up.

[Kamisama]

No one becomes a mod by being political. Halvy101 is an example. lawl!
Yeah, man, I am a little sick of your pedantic bullshit.
Go right ahead, though.
I mean, it's not like Fidel is going to set you up, thus leading you to death.

1. Use pr0m's idea
2. Create a script to do all of that. I'm thinking you don't know what you're doing. Not good...

yeah, read about gconf and setting strings. man gconf-tool2.
You would be better off being more corporate, though.

Yes, you can create scripts if you can be the user and root.

If you're in control of the installing and maintanence process...

option:
1. Create an image server.
2. Have the images load onto the computers at bootup.

option:
1. Create images on HDD
2. Have the images loadup from the HDD (reduces network congestion)

Lock-up the BIOS to make sure no one cracks it. Lock up the boxes to make sure they don't take them apart to flash the BIOS. And make sure permissions are correctly setup on all of the boxes.

Most businesses (schools are businesses) that have computers will use HDDs with images. This allows things to be wiped at bootup. Unless someone hacks the image while you aren't noticing, which would take a superhacker not normally found below the college level, that helps prevent computers from going to hell.

Images are nice, and they make sure people don't call you up to constantly fix things.

I say option 2 combined with option 1. Have the image server on lockdown, and simply erase everything on the clients if things corrupt.

Recently, the government madataes tracking of login-in from users. I believe that's true, anyway. So, you'd have to create a server for logins, at least. It's a stupid rule, but exists in some places.

[Prometheum]

Originally Posted by Lundmark

Seriously shut the fuck up.

No. Fuck censorship.

Originally Posted by Kamisama

No one becomes a mod by being political. Halvy101 is an example. lawl!
Yeah, man, I am a little sick of your pedantic bullshit.
Go right ahead, though.
I mean, it's not like Fidel is going to set you up, thus leading you to death.

I don't want to be a mod. I want to make good posts and contribute to the communal knowledge pool. I don't care about modding.

And if you're sick of it, don't read the damn posts. It isn't like I'm preventing you from writing a greasemonkey script that replaces all instances of Gnu/Linux in my posts to Linux.

OP: Any updates?

[RAOVQ]

Originally Posted by Prometheum

No. Fuck censorship.

its not censorship, your just annoying the fuck out of everyone by getting on your high horse in every fucking thread. your not being clever and your not on a crusade.

its this fucking elistist bullshit that drives so many people away form linux. get the fuck over yourself.

[Prometheum]

Originally Posted by RAOVQ

its not censorship, your just annoying the fuck out of everyone by getting on your high horse in every fucking thread. your not being clever and your not on a crusade.

its this fucking elistist bullshit that drives so many people away form linux. get the fuck over yourself.

I'm not being elitist; OP isn't a worse person than me for saying something different, I'm just voicing my opinion.

My comment to lundmark was meant to be ironic; note his "location".

[RAOVQ]

do you have to voice your opinion about the exact same topic in every thread on this board?

its just become trolling at this point...