Revitalizing old hardware using Gnu\Linux and LTSP

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What is Linux* LTSP?

 

The Linux Terminal Server Project.  It is a program that allows older, slower computers (clients) to run by connecting to a more powerful computer.  As many as 20 - 30 computers (clients) can run connected to a server.  This allows schools to more easily provide computers to students, because the requirements for clients are very low.    

 

http://wiki.ltsp.org/twiki/bin/view/Ltsp/WebHome

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ltsp

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What are the minimum specs for LTSP?

Server requirements:

The server should be relatively new (preferably AMD Athlon or newer) and have at least 1 gigabyte of RAM for each 10 thin clients it supports.

 

Thin client requirements:

Minimum requirements: Pentium II with 48MB RAM and a 2MB display card

Recommended requirements: at least Pentium II/300 with 64MB RAM and a 4MB display card for satisfactory performance

 

Standalone requirements:

The requirements of a stand alone Gnu/Linux machine will be heavily influenced by choice of distribution and Desktop environment. (You may be used to only one Desktop environment per operating system; they are two separate entities and can greatly affect system requirements and performance. The most common desktop environments in Gnu/Linux are Gnome and KDE, which both require a greater amount of ram and CPU usage (but less than you are used to if you don't use Gnu/Linux). XFCE and  LXDE are two 'lighter weight' environements. The 'lightest' environments are FluxBox, and IceWM.

Ken Starks, founder of the Helios Project (an organization that refurbishes and repurposes hundreds of machines with Gnu/Linux), commented:

" So much depends on some small and insignificant things when matching

hardware to a distro but there are some rules of thumb to follow. When you

are dealing with sub-P4 machines such as PIII's with cpu speeds ranging from

700 megahertz to 1 gig, it's best to choose a distro running Fluxbox,

openbox or a similar environment. Also taken into consideration is that

these machines come with 256 meg of ram. That is further inducement to use

a light environment. In those machines, we use distros like Crunchbang.

Most everything we put out today is over a 2 gig chip size and we've found

that Linux Mint is the best choice. Mint has worked on machines that Ubuntu

fails so go figure...Mint is based on Ubuntu but their development team

takes the time to go in and fix bugs that Ubuntu has carried for 3-4

releases."

For Debian, a good distro for older stand alone computers, the minimum specs are listed as follows:

A Pentium 4, 1GHz system is the minimum recommended for a desktop system.

 

Table 3.2. Recommended Minimum System Requirements

Install Type	RAM (minimal)	RAM (recommended)	Hard Drive
No desktop	64 megabytes	256 megabytes	1 gigabyte
With Desktop	64 megabytes	512 megabytes	5 gigabytes

     *source http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/i386/ch03s04.html.en

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What are the most popular Educational LTSP solutions?

 

Three of the largest Linux disributions Debian, Ubuntu, and Red Hat have LTSP solutions specifically targeted toward educational environments. 

 

Skolelinux (DebianEdu) is an educational LTSP system with built in web filters and classroom lab monitoring software; Skolelinux is very popular in Scandanavian countries and Germany.   

http://www.skolelinux.org/en/

http://media.lug-marl.de/images/linux/skolelinux/http://media.lug-marl.de/images/linux/skolelinux/andernach/http://media.lug-marl.de/images/linux/vest/Schulen/

 

 

Many schools in the US use K12Linux, the successor of K12LTSP, which is (indirectly) based on Red Hat Linux.

https://fedorahosted.org/k12linux/

 

 

Edubuntu offers an LTSP server solution.  Edubuntu is based on Ubuntu the most popular Linux distribution. 

https://wiki.edubuntu.org/IntrepidClassroomServer

http://yogharp.wordpress.com/2007/03/01/class-room-ltsp-with-edubuntu/

 

 

Edulinux is a spanish language LTSP Linux distribution.  

http://www.edulinux.cl/

 

Any Linux distribution is capable of providing an LTSP environment; however, it is advisable to use prepared systems for the ease of installation and support base of experienced users, web forums, and 'Frequently Asked Questions.'  

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How do I set up LTSP?

 

LTSP is set up easily using install options presented by the install CD.  For example to create an Edubuntu server a user would:

1. Download the alternate install CD for Ubuntu (choose 386 or 64bit) http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/downloadmirrors#alternate
2. At the first screen press 'F4' and choose LTSP
3. The installation finishes and you should have a working LTSP server.

 

http://www.edubuntu.org/GettingStarted

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ThinClientHowto

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuLTSP

 

(It is also possible to start K12Linux and SkoleLinux with Live CDs -- no installation neccessary.) 

 

 

For the thin clients it is possible to boot from a PXE capable network card; this network boot option should be chosen in BIOS.

 

Many BIOSes and Network cards so not support PXE so it is possible to emulate PXE boot with a Live CD from 'Rominator.' It is recommended to find the ROM corresponding to the computers NIC; however, the easiest option is to make a live CD that has all of the possible ROMS (gpxe-all drivers).

http://rom-o-matic.net/gpxe/gpxe-0.9.6/contrib/rom-o-matic/

 

A solution similar to LTSP is XDMCP.  It is not as versatile but offers thin client support.  The 'Thin Station' Live CD offers many options for a thin client boot. 

http://www.thinstation.org/

 

Many administrators will find it useful to configure bootable USB drives to use as fat clients. 

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/usb-x-ubuntu-610/

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/FromUSBStick

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What's the difference between a  'fat' client  and a 'thin' client?

 

A thin client relies on the server for all its ram and processing power.  This is often a waste of the clients processing power.  If a thin client has 128MB ram or more, why not utilize it?  (Multiply by 10, 20, or 30 and it's easy to quickly visualize the benefits.)  Fat clients can be especially beneficial with RAM and CPU intensive programs such as graphics editing programs and multimedia applications.  

 

http://www.nubae.com/ltsp-linux-terminal-server-project-netbooted-fat-client-for-ubuntu-hardy-and-intrepid

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat_client

http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/7109

 

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/EdubuntuDocumentation/EdubuntuCookbook/HardwareRequirements

 

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Where can I get LTSP (Gnu/Linux) support?

 

In the Linux world, 'community' is key.  Each distrbution has its own web forum where questions are posted and answered.  There are also webforums specific to the LTSP releases.  There are  webforums and mailing lists dedicated specifically to LTSP.    For immediate support users are encouraged to use IRC.

 

However, many people may find the prospect of community based support scarey due to the 'mission critical' nature of an LTSP deployment.  Red Hat, SUSE, and Canonical (Ubuntu) offer paid Linux support. 

 

 

For specifically LTSP based support, administrators might want to turn to the creators of LTSP for paid support: 

Paid Support and 'Thin' Clients for Sale

http://www.disklessworkstations.com/

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FAQs [Frequently Asked Questions]

 

 

To view frequently asked questions click here.

 

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Additional Resources

 

Linux in Schools 

Recently, a recent article here describes how a New Zealand high school saved money by switiching to Linux.

This article details the success that a California school district is having with Gnu/Linux.

Here the 'Open Source Schools' website provides a short summary of the advantages of LTSP in schools. 

 

 

Online Documentation

Fedora Project  389 Directory Open Source LDAP server information available here.

 

Links

Debian-edu

Debian-edu description of why LTSP is the right choice and a graphic illustrating a Debian-edu network.

A screen shot of the default Debian-edu workstation.

A 'tour' of the software available with Debian-edu.

Debian-edu howto's.

Debian-edu integration with Windows.

 

Edubuntu

A look at Edubuntu.

Edubuntu describing the transition from Windows to Edubuntu.

Easy setup notes for LANs not using 192.168.0.xxx range.

A thorough guide for LTSP with Ubuntu.

 

K12Linux

The K12Linux site is very concise. There is even a K12LTSP live server that boots from a USB stick (i.e. an LTSP network in minutes) without even touching the hard drive.

 

Linux thin clients with Windows Terminal Server

Linux Thin clients can connect via RDP to Windows Terminal Servers.

Brief outlines are here and here.

 

 

Rom-o-matic CDs

Don't forget the batteries; you'll need these discs for thin clients that don't have default support for PXE boots.

 

Why Gnu/Linux is Better

A brief overview of 'Why Linux is Better.'

 

 

 

 

 

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*The term Linux is used through out this presentation as not to alienate those unfamiliar with Linux. Linux is the kernel, the heart of the operating system, that does little with out the other components made possible by the Gnu project. The operating system is best identified as Gnu/Linux.