The way to work with Windows applications on Raspberry Pi 

The way to work with Windows apps on Pi

WTware for Raspberry Pi
Thin client operating system

WTware — thin client operating system

To work with Terminal Server common practice is to install Windows on users computers and run Remote Desktop Connection. We recommend to remove users hard disks and boot WTware by network instead of Windows installation. The result in both cases — Windows Terminal Server desktop on users screen.

WTware is optimized for network boot, but thin clients may boot also from local media.

WTware is easy to configure, it includes services for network boot, it's graphic configurator makes workplaces tuning as simple as possible.

WTware works with all common RDP servers we know, up to Windows Server 2016.

WTware can connect to four Terminal Servers at the same time.

You can connect printer, bar-code scanner to thin client, logon to Windows by smart-card.

It's easy to replace workplace for all the settings are stored on server, programs are on server, user data is on server.

Invented by collective intelligence. Since 2003 we work to make WTware meet to all administrator desires.

WTware mission is to make user computers administration not more complicated than using electric kettle.

Now WTware released new free version, that works on Raspberry Pi. For more details about WTware for all devices see WTware official WTware site.

Raspberry Pi

Raspberry Pi is a credit card sized motherboard with memory and Broadcom ARM-processor costs $35 at pi English manufacturer site. Monitor USB hub power is enough for Raspberry Pi, no need in additional power supply.

You just plugging in mouse and a keyboard, connect it to a monitor and you're ready to go.

WTware supports:

Raspberry Pi 3, the third generation Raspberry Pi

Pi 3 Compared to the Raspberry Pi 2 Raspberry Pi 3 has:

  • Broadcom BCM2837 processor
  • Four 1.2GHz ARM Cortex-A53 kernels
  • 802.11n Wireless LAN
  • Bluetooth 4.1

Also Pi 3 has:

  • 1GB RAM
  • 4 USB ports
  • Full HDMI port
  • 100Mbit Ethernet
  • 3.5mm audio jack
  • Display interface (DSI)
  • Micro SD card slot (now push-pull rather than push-push)

Raspberry Pi 2, the second generation Raspberry Pi

Pi 2

Compared to the Raspberry Pi 1 Raspberry Pi 2 has:

  • A Broadcom BCM2836 CPU
  • Four ARM Cortex-A7 kernels
  • 1GB RAM

Also Pi 2 has:

  • 1GB RAM
  • 4 USB ports
  • Full HDMI port
  • 100Mbit Ethernet
  • 3.5mm audio jack
  • Display interface (DSI)
  • Micro SD card slot (now push-pull rather than push-push)

Old Raspberry Pi versions were with another processor, 1 kernel and less than 1GB RAM. Please, pay attention when buying, for WTware won't work on versions other than Raspberry Pi 3 Model B and Raspberry Pi 2 Model B. Sometimes "Model B" is not specified, but numbers 3 and 2 must be.

WTware for Raspberry Pi

WTware for Raspberry Pi can boot from local SD-card or by network. In both cases you need microSD card. Even for network boot microSD is still needed: there's no flash with BIOS on board, and code, that will load boot images by network, is stored on microSD.

  1. Download and install WTware for Raspberry Pi on server.
  2. Run on server WTware graphic configurator, press button Create SD card and create SD card for local or network boot using WTware wizard:

    pi wizard

  3. Insert card into Raspberry Pi.
  4. If you don't use WTware DHCP service and want to boot by network, specify in DHCP 067 parameter: 5.4.94\kernel7.img
  5. Turn Raspberry Pi on.

Configuration files structure is the same as in WTware for all devices. You can use graphic configurator, just remember, that half of parameters are not supported yet.

Monitor resolution for Pi is stored in config.txt file on SD card, not in WTware configuration files. On Raspberry Pi manufacturer site you can find all settings for config.txt file. By default Raspberry Pi sets 1920x1080 resolution.

Raspberry Pi was tested with old cheap 18.5" Philips 191V monitor connected by HDMI-DVI cable in it's standart resolution 1366x768. If Pi works with such device in such resolution, then it should work with most other digital (HDMI and DVI) monitors in other resolutions. For 1366x768 resolution by HDMI-DVI cable these two lines must be specified:

hdmi_group=2
 hdmi_mode=81

Sound, FAT32/exFAT/NTFS disks, printers, scanners, USB-COM ports redirection work now.

WTware for Raspberry Pi performance is sufficient for performing office tasks.

Build does not need license and draws no banner. It's free.

Download

Version 5.4.94, May 22, 2017
Download
ZIP (no Windows-utilites)
support

Ekaterina Kovaleva

Support

techsupport

Andrey Kovalev

WTware technical support