Linux Terminal Server Project

The Linux Terminal Server Project adds thin client support to Linux servers. LTSP is a flexible, cost effective solution that is empowering schools, businesses, and organizations all over the world to easily install and deploy thin clients.

New thin clients and legacy PCs alike can be used to browse the web, send e-mail, create documents, and run other desktop applications. LTSP not only improves Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), but more importantly, provides increased value over traditional computing solutions. LTSP workstations can run applications from Linux and Windows servers. Linux based thin clients have proven to be extremely reliable because tampering and viruses are virtually non-existent.

Here discuss about a remote booting structure as an example;

Server Side

Minimum requirement;
RAM = 2GB
HDD = 40GB
If choose IDE hard disk, can support maximum 10 clients, if hard disk is SATA can go upto maximum 25 clients and for SCSI hard drive can support maximum of 60 clients from one server.

Software needed
dhcp = Clent communication.
tftpd = Kernel file transfer protocol.
portmap = Port open software.
nfs-kernel-server = Network file Server.
xdmcp = For GUI.
libwww-perl = Library File.
LTSP = Linux Terminal Server Project Software (write it on a CD)

#apt-get install dhcp tftpd portmap xdmcp libwww-perl

after this mount CD-rom;
#mount /cdrom
#cd /cdrom
#cd ltsp-utils

Copy the file to root for installation;
#cp itsp-utils-0.25-0.tgz   /root

Go to the location;
#cd /root

Unzip the copied the file;
#gzip-cd ltsp-utils-0.25.0.tgz | tarx
#cd  /root/itsp-utils
#ls -l

Here we can see install.sh file, for installation;
#./install.sh
Once installation finish go to;
#ltspadmin

We enter the admin page of LTSP. Here do some basic configuration;

1. Install / update ltsp-utils package (enter). If error shows go to second option otherwise straight to option 3.
2. Configure the installer options.
3. Configure LTSP.

• location://path where the file which copied from CD-rom.
• Directory (enter)
• Proxy (enter)
• none (enter)
• Choose C (configure manually) after that,
•  default runlevel (2)
• DHCP (y)
• TFTP (enable)
• Portmap (enable)
• NFS (enable)
• XDMCP (enable)

1. disable graphical login (n)
2. add entries to /etc/hosts (y)
3. create /etc/host allow entries (y)
4. Do you want to create a default its-conf file (y)  

Press 'A' to select all,

Press 'Q' to install. 

 

#cd /etc

#cp dhcpd.conf  dhcpd.old

#cp dhcpd.conf.sample dhcpd.conf

 

#nano dhcpd.conf

#dns-update-style (if not, comment it)

#if substring

#file name /tft

#}

#else {

                       host ws 050 {

                       hardware ethernet 'mac id of the client pc';

                       fixed-address 192.168.0.3;

                       filename "/tftphost/lts/vmlinuz-2.6.17-ltsp-1"

#nano /etc/inetd.conf

$lin.tftpd/ (delete the rest of line)

Here we need to choose second terminal login with root power, for that use CTRL+ALT+F2, because we need to set IP address permanently and also change linux kernel.

#nano /etc/interface

iface eth1 inet static

address 192.168.0.1

netmask 255.255.255.0

network 192.168.0.0

broadcast 192.168.1.255

 

#cd

#cd /tftpboot/lts change the linux kernel image to net bootable linux image.

Restart the process by manually;

#etc/init.d/dhcp3-server restart

#etc/init.d/openbsd-inetd restart

#etc/initd/portmap restart

#etc/init.d/nfs-kernel-server restart

#etc/init.d/gdm restart

             or

Restart the server by #init 6.

Client Side

Minimum Requirement;

Motherboard = P100

RAM = 64mb

Network Interface Card

BOOTROM (27C128, 27C256), purchase from local market and can program using eprom programmer in every city computers service person can help.