Source: desktop-autoloader Section: misc Priority: optional Maintainer: Debian Edu Packaging Team Uploaders: Mike Gabriel , Standards-Version: 4.1.3 Build-Depends: debhelper (>= 9), cdbs, Vcs-Git: https://anonscm.debian.org/git/debian-edu/pkg-team/desktop-autoloader.git Vcs-Browser: https://anonscm.debian.org/git/debian-edu/pkg-team/desktop-autoloader.git Homepage: https://anonscm.debian.org/git/debian-edu/pkg-team/desktop-autoloader/README.md Package: desktop-autoloader Architecture: all Depends: ${misc:Depends}, adduser, xvfb, Description: Accelerate Diskless Workstation systems by pre-loading a dummy Desktop Session This package is for diskless Linux clients as you often find them in school class rooms running an LTSP based fat client environment. . The logon into and the initial session startup on such diskless workstations can be considerably slow, because all applications need to be fetch from one server hosting the fat clients' filesystem. . The situation gets worse, if 24 computers in the same class room get switched on simultaneously or the teacher tells the students to open the same application (e.g. Libreoffice) at the same time. . However, this issue only occurs to the first student using a diskless workstation that day. Other students see all applications launch within a fraction of a second. . Reason: once an application has been launched, it ends up in the diskless machine's filesystem cache in RAM. . This package, thus, pre-loads a desktop session of the admins choice and some popular applications. It does it before 7:30 in the morning only. So, combine this package with Wake-On-LAN to make sure systems are up and the desktop session has been autoloaded (and quit) already before the first students come into the class room.