CCBoot and similar commercial products are the usual way to run an internet café without a hard disk in every PC. Broom does the same job — every PC boots one shared Windows image and is clean after each reboot — as free, open-source software with a different design. This page compares the two approaches honestly. Commercial products change between versions; check their own documentation for current details.
At a glance
| Broom | CCBoot / commercial diskless | |
|---|---|---|
| License | Apache-2.0, free, source on GitHub | closed source, paid licence |
| Server | any x86_64 Linux, one static binary | Windows |
| Windows clients | Windows 11 Pro | several Windows versions |
| Linux clients | yes (ext4 / LVM goldens) | — |
| Where the client runs | from a VHDX cached on the PC’s own SSD | depends on product and setup |
| Reset | every boot | every boot |
| Secure Boot / TPM / HVCI | yes — works with FACEIT | check the product |
| Games | shared games disks, versioned, updated from one PC | product-specific game update tools |
| Track record | young project | many years, many sites |
Where Broom is different
- Runs on the PC’s SSD. Each PC keeps the golden on its own SSD and boots Windows natively from it. The network is only used when a new golden arrives, so the server does not have to serve every disk read of every PC. A room can share one modest server.
- One file on Linux. No Windows Server licence, no services to install — DHCP, TFTP, iPXE, iSCSI target and web admin are all inside one binary.
- Signed boot chain. With Secure Boot clients on, the whole network boot is signed, so Secure Boot, TPM 2.0 and HVCI stay on — what modern anti-cheats require.
- Versions in a click. Snapshots of the golden are hard links: instant and free until the golden changes. Games disks get a new version on every save, and PCs already playing keep the old one until they reboot.
- Open. You can read, audit, fork and fix the code; no licence keys or per-PC fees.
Where Broom is behind
- Young project — fewer sites in production, no commercial support.
- Windows 11 Pro only on the Windows side, and UEFI PCs only.
- Each PC needs an SSD for Windows images (Linux images can run without one).
- Sized for small sites — about 10–30 PCs per server.
- Web admin in English only.
If those fit your site, Broom gives you a diskless café without licence fees. Start with Diskless boot Windows 11 with Broom.