8/3/2019 z-LTSP

1/26

1

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

2/26

LTSP Definition LTSP Concept Requirements Server requirements clients requirements

Other solutions Installation Installing the LTSP utilities Installing the LTSP client packages Configuring the services needed by LTSP Workstation specific configuration

Booting technologies Advantages FUTURE SCOPE Conclusion References

2

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

3/26

What Is LTSP?

LTSP stands for Linux Terminal Server Project.LTSP is an package for Linux that allows you to

connect lots of low-powered thin client terminals

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

the thin client display.

3

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

4/26

SERVER

Executes theprocess of allworkstations

DISKLESSCLIENT

DISKLESSCLIENT

DISKLESSCLIENT

DISKLESSCLIENT

SWITCH

4

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

5/26

A powerful server.

A few low-power clients. PCs or workstations.

Network equipment.The server software (the client software is

contained in the server)

The server is running his own operating system

(Fedora, for example).

5

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

6/26

Disk space

Besides the OS you need about 100 MB for the LTSP software.

HDD.

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

RAM

4GB of RAM, 50 workstations.

Processors

Pentium 4, 2.4 GHZ, 50 workstations.

Ethernet NIC

Linux compatibility.

Other hardware attached to the server

Printers, CD/DVDs writers.

6

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

7/26

Low-powered computers.

Processor 533 MHz

32 MB RAM

PCI Video Card16Mb memory Network Card (PXE network boot loader)

PS/2 mouse, keyboard

7

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

8/26

Traditional Windows PC PCs are too expensive. Expensive to maintain. 35 workstations would require at least 1 full-time

system administrator. License management problems. Proprietary solution depending on vendor.

Future software upgrades mean upgrading ALL desktops.

Windows Based Terminal Based on Microsoft Windows Proprietary solution depending on vendor Expensive Per-User licensing

Full PC based on Linux Lower initial cost than option the options above Too much hardware at each desktop. No need for the Hard drive, CDRom

or Floppy.

Expensive to maintain. A workstation failure would result in downtimefor the user.8

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

9/26

Windows PCs

Workstation

Old used PCs

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

Cost comparison for 35 computers

$28,000 $7,875 $1,750

9

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

10/26

There are three phases to building an LTSP server:

Installing the LTSP utilities

Installing the LTSP client packagesConfiguring the services needed by

LTSP

10

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

11/26

Includes utilities for installing and managing the LTSPclient packages, and for configuring the services on theLTSP server.The last version is LTSP 5.2.

Availability in several formats tgz, rpm.About 40KB.You can download the rpm version from

Other formats can be found in:

Install the package: rpm -ivh ltsp-utils-0.25-0.noarch.rpm

11

http://www.ltsp.org/download/http://www.ltsp.org/download/http://ltsp.mirrors.tds.net/pub/ltsp/utils/ltsp-utils-0.25-0.noarch.rpmhttp://ltsp.mirrors.tds.net/pub/ltsp/utils/ltsp-utils-0.25-0.noarch.rpmhttp://ltsp.mirrors.tds.net/pub/ltsp/utils/ltsp-utils-0.25-0.noarch.rpmhttp://ltsp.mirrors.tds.net/pub/ltsp/utils/ltsp-utils-0.25-0.noarch.rpmhttp://ltsp.mirrors.tds.net/pub/ltsp/utils/ltsp-utils-0.25-0.noarch.rpmhttp://ltsp.mirrors.tds.net/pub/ltsp/utils/ltsp-utils-0.25-0.noarch.rpmhttp://ltsp.mirrors.tds.net/pub/ltsp/utils/ltsp-utils-0.25-0.noarch.rpmhttp://ltsp.mirrors.tds.net/pub/ltsp/utils/ltsp-utils-0.25-0.noarch.rpm

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

12/26

Run the ltspadmin command in a shell.

You will see the administration window.

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

12

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

13/26

The LTSP Installer configuration window will appear.

13

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

14/26

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

If your computer is connected to Internet type

Else you have to download the files and save them in a file. For the LTSP 4-1version and below you can download the ISO file and burn it into a CD

Directory of the client tree. Accept the default value

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

the default options

FTP proxy. The same than before.

14

http://media/cdrecorderhttp://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=17723http://ltsp.mirrors.tds.net/pub/ltsp/ltsp-4.2/http://ltsp.mirrors.tds.net/pub/ltsp/ltsp-4.2/http://ltsp.mirrors.tds.net/pub/ltsp/ltsp-4.2/http://ltsp.mirrors.tds.net/pub/ltsp/ltsp-4.2/

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

15/26

Press a to select all components and q to install them.

15

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

16/26

LTSP relys on 4 services:

DHCP [Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol]: used

to lease IPs to clients.

TFTP [Trivial Transfer File Protocol]: to transfer files

to clients, like the client software.

NFS [Network File System]: used to mount remote

directories. XDMCP [X Display Manager Controller Protocol]:

used to implement graphical login displays.

16

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

17/26

Type ltspcfg.

That are the options you have to configure:

17

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

18/26

Runlevel

Select runlevel 5 to indicate that your system is in graphical mode in a

network.

Interface selection

Select the current NIC

DHCP

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

TFTP

Enable the servicePortmapper

Used by RPC services, such as NFS

18

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

19/26

NFS It will create the default configuration file and start the service.

XDMCP Allow graphical logins in the client. Enable it.

Create /etc/hosts entries Some services like NFS need to be able to map the IP of a

workstation to a host name. Create the entries.Create /etc/host.allow entries

This file provides security. Create it.Create the /etc/exports file

This file is used by NFS to determine which directories areallowed to be mounted by remote machines. Create it.

19

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

20/26

Create the lts.conf file The configuration of each workstation is in this file.

Type ltspcfg and s to check the configuration.

20

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

21/26

For your specific network there are 3 files you need to edit.

/etc/dhcpd.conf

For the DHCP service.

/etc/hosts

For the name/IP address mapping.

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

Specific configuration of the workstation.

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

beyond this paper.

21

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

22/26

PXE [Pre-boot eXecution Environment]

Allows you to boot a computer without hard disk or floppy disk or CD.

It boots from network.

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:

Send DHCP requests.

Get IP. Get the boot file.

22

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

23/26

Reduces the load on the server. In large work with memoryintensive application such as netscape, running theapplication on the work station can provide better

performance as long as the work station is powerful enoughto handle it.

Sound support is much easier to configure when theapplication that plays the sound is running on the work

station.

23

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

24/26

CLUSTERING the clients are going for a free ride and weregoing to put them to work. Well have the RAM and CPU of theclient do some work for the server so that the server looks like it hasunlimited power in an itty bitty space- takes some of the load off

the server. We might even start creating server farms for largeclasses (2 or 3 servers sharing the load)

JAVA working on the server and running my LEGO robots on theclients via infra-red through the USB port

Getting our Pringle Can broadband wireless project running from aLinux Thin Client environment (7km range with antennas)

24

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

25/26

Remote execution of process is an interesting concept with a lot

of applications in the real life.

You can save money in hardware and in licenses.

Linux configuration can be tough but documentation is provided

by www.ltsp.org.

Other solutions are either inefficient or more expensive.

The LTSP software provides an administrator tool for

`installing/monitoring the software. Computers without hard disk can be booted from a server

using either PXE .

25

http://www.ltsp.org/http://www.ltsp.org/http://www.ltsp.org/http://www.ltsp.org/http://www.ltsp.org/http://www.ltsp.org/

8/3/2019 z-LTSP

26/26

1.ONLINE REFERENCES:

2. Print PublicationsI. Managing NFS and NIS

Hal Stern

OReily & Associates,Inc.

1991

ISBN 0-937175-75-7II. TCP/IP Illustratred,Volume 1

W.Richard Stevens

Addison-Wesly

1994

ISBN 0-201-63346-9 26

http://www.ltsp.org/http://www.linuxtoys.net/http://www.linuxtoys.net/http://www.linuxtoys.net/http://www.linuxtoys.net/http://www.linuxtoys.net/http://www.rom-o-matic.net/http://www.rom-o-matic.net/http://www.rom-o-matic.net/http://www.rom-o-matic.net/http://www.rom-o-matic.net/http://www.rom-o-matic.net/http://www.rom-o-matic.net/http://www.rom-o-matic.net/http://www.rom-o-matic.net/http://www.rom-o-matic.net/http://www.disklessworkstations.com/http://www.disklessworkstations.com/http://www.disklessworkstations.com/http://www.disklessworkstations.com/http://www.disklessworkstations.com/http://www.disklessworkstations.com/http://www.ltsp.org/http://www.ltsp.org/http://www.ltsp.org/http://www.ltsp.org/http://www.ltsp.org/http://www.ltsp.org/http://www.ltsp.org/http://www.ltsp.org/http://www.ltsp.org/http://www.ltsp.org/http://www.ltsp.org/http://www.ltsp.org/http://www.ltsp.org/http://www.ltsp.org/