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LTSPLTSP [Linux Terminal[Linux TerminalServer Project]Server Project]

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LTSPLTSP

y LTSP stands for Linux Terminal Server Project.

y LTSP is an package for Linux that allows you toconnect lots of low-powered thin client terminals to

a Linux server. Applications typically run on theserver, and accept input and display their output onthe thin client display.

y Last version released LTSP-4.2

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LTSP conceptLTSP concept

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What is needed?What is needed?

y A powerful server.

y A few low-power clients. PCs orworkstations.

y Network equipment.

y The server software (the client software iscontained in the server)

y The server is running his own operatingsystem (Fedora, for example).

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What are the benefits of LTSP?What are the benefits of LTSP?

y Save money

Software licenses.

Powerful clients.

y Save time

You do not need to configure each workstation,only the boot configuration, because all theconfiguration is in the server.

If you have a PC, you have to set up updates,firewalls, install new applications ...

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y Open source LTSP provides documentation, you can learnabout Linux configuration and networking whileyou are implementing LTSP.

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What are the withdrawals ofWhat are the withdrawals of

LTSP?LTSP?

y Your server OS must be Linux.

Mostly all distributions are supported.

y Your client OS is going to be Linux.

y You have to setup the server

Linux configuration could be confusing.

y Only Linux applications can run. But you could use a Windows emulator (WINE).

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y

Linux environment Not everybody knows how to work in a Linuxenvironment.

Less friendly environment than windows.

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Server requirements exampleServer requirements example

y Disk space

Besides the OS you need about 100 MB for the LTSPsoftware.

User data.

x Example: 25 users, 5 GB per user => 125 GB

y RAM

4GB of RAM, 50 workstations.

y Processors Pentium 4, 2.4 GHZ, 50 workstations.

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y Ethernet NIC

Linux compatibility.

y Other hardware attached to the server

Printers, CD/DVDs writers.

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Client hardwareClient hardware

y Low-powered computers. Low processor capabilities, low RAM, low harddisk or even without hard disk.

A 90MHz Pentium with 16MB RAM is a goodone.

It is possible to start a computer without harddisk.

y

Workstations. LTSP.org provides a list of tested workstations.

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Workstation exampleWorkstation example

y LTSP Term 140

y 200 MHz processor

y 64 MB ram

y 1280x1024 at 16 bitcolour video resolution

y Requires LTSP v4.1

y Boots via PXE

y Price $224.95

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Other solutionsOther solutions

y Traditional Windows PC

PCs are too expensive.

Expensive to maintain. 35 workstations would require atleast 1 full-time system administrator.

License management problems.

Proprietary solution depending on vendor.

Future software upgrades mean upgrading ALL desktops.

y Windows Based Terminal

Based on Microsoft Windows Proprietary solution depending on vendor

Expensive Per-User licensing

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InstallationInstallation

y There are three phases to building an LTSPserver:

Installing the LTSP utilities Installing the LTSP client packages

Configuring the services needed by

LTSP

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Installing the LTSP utilitiesInstalling the LTSP utilities

y Includes utilities for installing and managing theLTSP client packages, and for configuring theservices on the LTSP server.

y The last version is LTSP 4-2.y Availability in several formats

tgz, rpm, devy About 40KB.y You can download the rpm version from

http://ltsp.mirrors.tds.net/pub/ltsp/utils/ltsp-utils-0.25-0.noarch.rpm

y Other formats can be found in:

http://www.ltsp.org/download/y Install the package:

rpm -ivh ltsp-utils-0.25-0.noarch.rpm

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Installing the LTSP client packagesInstalling the LTSP client packages

y Run the ltspadmin command in a shell.y You will see the administration window.

y Choose "Install/Update" option to install the packages.

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y

The LTSP Installer configuration window will appear.

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y The options that you have are: Select the source of the packages.

x If your computer is connected to Internet typehttp://ltsp.mirrors.tds.net/pub/ltsp/ltsp-4.2/

x Else you have to download the files and save them in a file. For

the LTSP 4-1 version and below you can download the ISO fileand burn it into a CD.

Directory of the client tree.x Accept the default value

Http proxy URL.x If your connections go through one, specify the URL.

Otherwise accept the default options FTP proxy.

x The same than before.

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y

Press a to select all components and q to installthem.

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Configuring the services needed by LTSPConfiguring the services needed by LTSP

y LTSP relys on 4 services:

DHCP [Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol]:used to lease IPs to clients.

TFTP [Trivial Transfer File Protocol]: to transferfiles to clients, like the client software.

NFS [Network File System]: used to mountremote directories.

XDMC

P [XD

isplay Manager Controller Protocol]:used to implement graphical login displays.

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Configuring the services needed by LTSPConfiguring the services needed by LTSPy Type ltspcfg.

y That are the options you have to configure:

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y Runlevel Select runlevel 5 to indicate that your system is in

graphical mode in a network.

y Interface selection Select the current NIC

y DHCP It will create a default dhcpd.conf file and run the service.

y TFTP Enable the service

y Portmapper Used by RPC services, such as NFS

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y NFS It will create the default configuration file and start the

service.y XDMCP

Allow graphical logins in the client. Enable it.y Create /etc/hosts entries

Some services like NFS need to be able to map the IP of aworkstation to a host name. Create the entries.

y Create /etc/host.allow entries This file provides security. Create it.

y Create the /etc/exports file This file is used by NFS to determine which directories are

allowed to be mounted by remote machines. Create it.

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Configuring the services needed by LTSPConfiguring the services needed by LTSPy Create the lts.conf file

The configuration of each workstation is in this file.y Type ltspcfg and s to check the configuration.

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Workstation specific configurationWorkstation specific configuration

y For your specific network there are 3 files youneed to edit. /etc/dhcpd.conf

x For the DHCP service.

/etc/hosts

x For the name/IP address mapping.

/opt/ltsp/i386/etc/lts.conf

x Specific configuration of the workstation.

y

The explanation of how to edit /etc/dhcpd.conf and/etc/hosts goes beyond this paper.

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Workstation specific configurationWorkstation specific configuration

y

The file /opt/ltsp/i386/etc/lts.conf includes a defaultconfiguration for the clients.

[Default]SERVER = 192.168.0.254XSERVER = autoX_MOUSE_PROTOCOL = "PS/2"X_MOUSE_DEVICE = "/dev/psaux"X_MOUSE_RESOLUTION = 400X_MOUSE_BUTTONS = 3USE_XFS = NLOCAL_APPS = N

RUNLEVEL = 5

y Use the default values but SERVER , specify your server IP

address.

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Booting workstationsBooting workstations

y Set up the workstations to boot up. Hard disk

CD

Floppy disk Network Interface Card

y Technologies PXE [Pre-boot eXecution Environment]

Etherboot

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Booting technologiesBooting technologies

y PXE [Pre-boot eXecution Environment] Allows you to boot a computer without hard diskor floppy disk or CD.

It boots from network.

x You need a NIC.

It is a feature available in most NICs.

You have to enable PXE in the BIOS setup

This is the process:

x Send DHCP requests.x Get IP.

x Get the boot file.

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Booting technologiesBooting technologies

y Etherboot A boot image is required for starting the bootprocess.

You create a boot image in a CD or floppy disk.

x Set up the BIOS to boot from CD/floppy disk.x http://www.Rom-O-Matic.net/

You also can create the boot image in the NIC

x The boot program is written in an EPROM memory.

x

The EPROM is inserted in a socket in the NIC.x Set up the BIOS to boot from a LAN.

x http://www.Rom-O-Matic.net/

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ConclusionConclusion

y Remote execution of process is an interesting concept with alot of applications in the real life.

y You can save money in hardware and in licenses.

y Other solutions are either inefficient or more expensive.

y The LTSP software provides an administrator tool forinstalling/monitoring the software.

y Computers without hard disk can be booted from a serverusing either PXE or Etherboot.

THEENDTHEEND

Documents

Ltsp Final