Post on 13-May-2015
Ubuntu and Linux Terminal Server Project
Dr. Sameer Verma, Ph.D.Associate ProfessorInformation Systems DepartmentCollege of BusinessSan Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, CA 94132 USA
Ubuntu Community Day, LinuxWorld 2008
About
teach: information systems strategy and governanceresearch: diffusion and adoption (open source, mobility)fun: ubuntu, olpc, mythtv, etc.
Me
SF State University
Open Source at SF State http://opensource.sfsu.eduOLPC-SF list http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/olpc-sfOne of the largest live environments of MoodleSoftware Freedom Day 2006, 2007 (and 2008)
Courses I Teach
Managing Open Source Information Systems elective
Free and Open Source Software in general
Collaborative software development
Licensing Business models Software maturity models
Multimedia App Development Information Systems elective
Use of multimedia applications Graphics, Animation, Desktop
Publishing, Audio, Video, Web Content creation and licensing Business models
Managing Open Source
Introduction to FOSS on Windows The Open CD/The Open Disc
Introduction to Ubuntu Live CDs + voluntary installs Linux Lab with Ubuntu
Introduction to the Open Source “community” Field study: Attend a LUG meeting Guest Speakers
Multimedia Business Application Development
The experiment Software needed for the class: Approx. $200 Will a student at a public university spend $200 on software for a
semester? Can FOSS tools adequately fill the need?
Important constraint Choice of tool should be based on the curriculum and not the other
way around.
Applications
•GIMP – Bitmapped graphics
• Blender – 3D rendering
• Inkscape – Scalable Vector Graphics
• Audacity – Audio editing and manipulation
• Scribus – Desktop Publishing
• Tux paint – Fun for kids...and grown ups!
• Kino – Nonlinear Digital Video Editor
•Drupal* – Web 2.0 CMS
*Server-side
Examples
• Elephant's Dream
•CG animation made entirely with FOSS
Assignment
ccmixter.org•Audio assignment based on
ccmixter.org samples and loops
•Students download vocals, drum loops, effects, etc. and use Audacity to mix and recreate tracks.
•Learn audio tools and legal aspects via Creative Commons licenses
Our “Linux” Lab
Communication and Advanced Computing Lab Limited/specialty software lab
Dualboot Windows XP and Linux Windows XP
Simulation Statistical Analysis
Linux GIMP Inkscape Audacity ...
Lab
Dual boot Ubuntu Dapper and Edgy and Windows XP. Installation and upgrades are laborintensive. Actively explored LTSP on Edubuntu platform (Feisty and
Gutsy) Multiboot environment: PXE boot for Linux with Windows XP on
local disk
Medusa Project
Thank you!
Bo Kim – taking up the challenge Jack Tse and Don Strickler – loaning us a switch Tony Chan and Karl Schackne (BUS computing) – for letting
us use the lab. Edubuntu team – making an excellent LTSP distro!
What is LTSP?
Linux Terminal Server Project Allows “thin” clients to connect to a Linux Terminal Server.
All programs run on the server Clients run a thin Linux base with network and X session capabilities.
LTSP allows for a single point of configuration and control Great for lab environments
LTSP until 4.x LTSP 5
A “thin” client performs a Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) boot and retrieves an IP from the LTSP server via DHCP. /etc/ltsp/dhcpd.conf points to a bootable img file Note location of the dhcpd.conf file
DHCP response
PXE DHCP request
How it works
How it works
A small footprint Linux image is sent to the thin client computer via TFTP.
The client loads the Linux image and starts the X window system via secure shell (ssh) client images and server have ssh keys
X session forwarded over ssh
DHCP response + TFTP Linux image
How it works
All programs execute in a X session on the server, but are forwarded via ssh and displayed on the thin client.
Feedback from the user (keyboard & mouse) are sent back to the server over ssh as well.
X session forwarded over ssh
mouse+keyboard
What Does it Look Like?
192.168.0.0/24
eth1 eth0
SFSU130.212.14.0/24
firewall
Hardware Requirements
Server CPU should be powerful enough to run multiple simultaneous X
sessions. Intel Xeon processor(s). 75150MB of RAM per client. 2 Network Interface Cards Private interface preferably Gigabit
Hardware Requirements
Client Minimum
Pentium II with 64 MB RAM and a 2MB display card. Recommended
Pentium II and above with 64MB RAM and 4MB display card. Identical hardware for each client preferred
Networking Requirements
Network Avoid
Hubs 10BaseT cards
Preferred: 100 Mbps switch 100BaseT cards
Ideal: Gigabit switch. 100 Mbps switch with 1 Gbps uplink to the LTSP server.
Software Requirements
A Linux distribution with or without LTSP included. LTSP (if not installed natively)OR
LTSP 5 LTSP 5 is significantly different Builds thinclient environment off of the server environment.
sudo apt-get install... sudo chroot /opt/ltsp/i386/
sudo apt-get update...
Software Requirements
Four services running on the LTSP server: DHCP for IP address leases TFTP for initial netboot kernel NBD for filesystems SSH for all communication on the LAN
subnet 192.168.0.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 { range 192.168.0.20 192.168.0.250; option domain-name "sfsu.edu"; option domain-name-servers 130.212.10.163; option broadcast-address 192.168.0.255; option routers 192.168.0.254; option subnet-mask 255.255.255.0; if substring( option vendor-class-identifier, 0, 9 ) = "PXEClient" { filename "/ltsp/i386/pxelinux.0"; } else{ filename "/ltsp/i386/nbi.img"; } option root-path "/opt/ltsp/i386";
}
/etc/ltsp/dhcpd.conf
Advantages
Diskless clients
Highly centralized
patches firewalling
Cost effective
Customized profiles
LDAP auth Change lab footprint as needs grow
Invest in powerful server
Need a fast network
Documentation is weak
Many references to LTSP 4.x Latency sensitive apps will not work
well, especially multimedia
Disadvantages
Thin Client Scenario
Client Server
Pentium II128 MB RAM
Pentium 44 GB RAM
Distribution of “crunch”
Fat Client Scenario
Client Server
Pentium III512 MB RAM
Pentium III512 MB RAM
Distribution of “crunch”
Individual installs
Lowfat Client Scenario
Client Server
Pentium 42 GB RAM
Pentium III1 GB RAM
Distribution of “crunch”
PXE Boot images
LDAP + NFS
•Authentication•Storage •Configuration•Backup
Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron)
Alternate CD At boot screen, hit F4 and select LTSP server If your server has two NICs, the installation is seamless You will be ready to boot into a thin client after the install
LTSP 5
Many more options for building images Default image is a thin client based on what's running on the server Custom images (lowfat, kiosk, mythbuntu...)
sudo ltsp-build-client --workstation --Kubuntusudo ltsp-build-client --workstation --Ubuntusudo ltsp-build-client --kiosksudo ltsp-build-client --mythbuntu...
LTSP and Sugar
sudo apt-get install sugar*
Ten steps for fun and profit!
1)Get the alternate CD http://releases.ubuntu.com/releases/8.04/
2)Get a machine (PIII will do) with two NICs
3)Boot from CD
4)Hit F4 at the boot screen
5)Select LTSP Server
6)Install
7)Plug in a crossover CAT5 into eth1
8)Plug in a PXE Bootable client into the other end
9)Boot
10)Profit!
Links to check out
http://ltsp.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_Terminal_Server_Project
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuLTSP/LTSPQuickInstall
http://edubuntu.org/Documentation
http://doc.ubuntu.com/edubuntu/edubuntu/handbook/C/customizingthinclient.html
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuLTSP/LTSPFatClients
Contact