| App restores Linux desktops to pristine state |
Jul. 17, 2007
Deep Freeze system consistency software, popular in Windows and Mac settings, is now available for Linux desktops. "Deep Freeze Linux" is said to reset a Linux workstation's boot process to a pristine state, enabling successive users to avoid misconfiguration by previous users of the computer.
The software is currently aimed at Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop (SLED). However, Dmitry Shesterin, Faronics marketing manager, told DesktopLinux.com that the company is "looking at other distributions and will make future announcements."
Shesterin said the decision to develop Deep Freeze for Linux was "customer driven." In particular, educational users didn't want to deploy Linux workstations without Deep Freeze, said Shesterin, in environments already equipped with Deep Freeze-equipped Windows or Mac hardware.
According to the company's announcement, Deep Freeze protects a workstation's operating system and software without restricting user access. Every system restart begins with a reset to an original state. Faronics claims that public computing environments -- typically schools, kiosks, libraries, hospital family rooms -- are easier to manage because the computers are kept running at 100 percent capacity through the "reboot-to-restore" process.
System administrators can remotely manage Deep Freeze-equipped workstations via a command line, says the company, and the installed package offers a Stealth mode which allows Deep Freeze to run without user awareness.
Farid Ali, CEO of Faronics, said "We're the only ones that have a system consistency solution that works across the Windows, Mac and Linux operating system..."
Availability
Deep Freeze Linux is priced at $35.95 (single copy) and includes a one-year maintenance package, according to the company's website. Volume discounts can bring the license price per workstation down to the $5 range, Shesterin said. A 30-day free trial may be accessed here
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