Need Little IT advice here...

[Phil Meyer]

On 08/11/2011 09:57 PM, Manuel Escudero wrote:
> Hi, I was Wondering if there was a tool for Linux in general
> that let me undo the system changes at reboot or something
> like that, For example:
>
> I want to set a standard configuration in a machine and then
> let that machine to be used by many users, but as soon as
> the user Log Out (preferably in that moment)
> I want the machine to undo all the possible
> changes the user may have done while he/she was using it.
>


It is actually fairly easy to set up a 'live' image via PXE boot.

For my desktop which is not great, it takes me about 10 minutes to roll 
out a change to a live image, and copy it into place on the pxe server.  
Upon reboot, they have the changes.

We use them for maintenance and training, so they change often.

Now that live images are 'writable' to the size of remaining RAM, or 
4GB, which ever comes first, the user normally has about 1.5 GB to play 
with.

It is trivial to add a 'hook' for more storage, or permanent storage.

But at any time the system is rebooted, it is back to the pristine image.

So equate log out to reboot and you have it.

The average session length would matter.  Rebooting 50 times a day would 
get annoying to the users.  Booting in the morning every day for a new 
set of students is well worth the effort of this method.  Only one file 
to maintain (the kickstart file).

Booting a broken or strange or new system into rescue or live over the 
network is a very time saving device for administrators.

Good Luck!