LTSP - Mandrake 9.0
I've set up a
Linux Terminal Server running on Mandrake
9.0 using the excellent documentation and packages from
LTSP.
As there were no specific documents for LTSP and Mandrake 9.0, I decided
to write this document at the same time that I worked on the project.
The closest documentation that I've found was
the LTSP-HOWTO for Mandrake 8.2
available here.
In that document, there are a series on links to rpm packages. Those links
don't work. Download the
latest rpm versions from
this
page instead. The packages that I've download and used are:
- ltsp_core-3.0.7-0.i386.rpm
- ltsp_kernel-3.0.5-0.i386.rpm
- ltsp_x_fonts-3.0.0-0.i386.rpm
- ltsp_x_core-3.0.3-0.i386.rpm
For the Server
First of all, install the dchp-server, the
nfs-utils and the tftp-server packages, either with the
command urpmi or with the rpmdrake GUI tool. After that, start the
following services:
- dhcpd
- xinetd (tftp server is run through xinetd)
- portmap
- nfs
Second, install the downloaded RPMs for the LTSP. Usethe command
rpm -ivh *.rpm, the urpmi utility or the rpmdrake GUI, as you wish.
Third, configure the system:
Edit the /opt/ltsp/i386/etc/lts.conf, change the line
SERVER=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx to the proper IP of your Linux Terminal
Server. Comment out the [ws001] sections, by adding the # symbol at the
start of every line
Configure the tftpd protocol, (the file /etc/xinetd.d/tftp)
so it's active and points to the proper ftpdboot directory, like this one:
service tftp {
disable = no
socket_type = dgram
protocol = udp
wait = yes
user = root
server = /usr/sbin/in.tftpd
# server_args = -s /var/lib/tftpboot
server_args = -s /tftpboot
}
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Note that the line that starts with a # is commented,
because tfpd must point to the real tftp boot directory (where we have the
ltsp subdirectory with the file vmlinuz-2.4.bla.bla.bla.ltsp).
Then, re-start the service xinetd.
Install a light Window Manager, MS-Windows look-a-like.
This way your users don't get lost, the transition is painless and eveybody is happy.
I Like
qvwm, available for MDK 9.0 at the
Penguin Liberation Front.
This,
this and
this screenshots show
the qvwm I use. It's a customized version, with a few configuration changes.
Contact me if you are interested in the changes.
Modify the CONFIG file in
/opt/ltsp/install_scripts/ according to your needs (IP mask and such.)
Run the initialization script ltsp_initialize.sh
found in this directory /opt/ltsp/templates/. Review the proposed changes,
to understand what is going to happen.
Run the initialization script install.sh found in this directory
/opt/ltsp/install_scripts/.
Verify the /etc/dhcpd.conf file and use the sample entries
in /etc/dhcpd.conf.example for sample entries.
Verify the /etc/hosts and /etc/hosts.allow files
and modify whatever you don't like about it.
Modify the file /opt/ltsp/i386/etc/lts.conf . There's the
file /opt/ltsp/i386/etc/lts.conf.readmeas a reference. This is the
file for the clients settings: Xserver, swap size and location, ability to
run local apps...
Re-start the X server, switching to runlevel 3 and then
back to runlevel 5
For the Client
Get a bootdisk for the LTSP client. They can be found at
room-o-matic's website. Get the
one that matches your client's network card (NIC) and it's from a stable release
(5.0.8 as of today). If you cannot find a module for your card, use
Google
to find it, with a search similar
to
this one. Then, make a boot floppy with the command:
dd if=eb-5.0.4-eepro100.lzdsk of=/dev/fd0
On the previous command, eb-5.0.4-eepro100.lzdsk is
the name of the file obtained from the rom-o-matic website. Here's a list of NICs and
the required driver used in my project, included as an example on what to look for:
NIC Model
|
Module
|
SMC-1244TX (Realtek RTL8139/810TX) |
rtl8139 |
Compaq Netelligent 10/100TX (TLAN) |
tlan
|
Intel Etherexpress 10/100 |
eepro100
|
In my set up, I have each workstation assigned an individual
IP address related to its MAC address. So, for each workstation, I add an entry on
the dhcpd configuration file.
Edit the /etc/dhcpd.conf.sample file in your DHCP server, add
a line new line just above the default-lease-time that says (without the quote marks)
"ddns-update-style none;". Also, check out the configuration for this Sample
Terminal Workstation (WS01), with fixed IP address 192.168.0.77, MAC address 00:a1:2b:3c:4d:5e,
etc :
host WS01 {
option host-name "WS01";
filename "/lts/vmlinuz-2.4.19-ltsp-1";
next-server 192.168.0.1;
option root-path "192.168.0.205:/opt/ltsp/i386";
dynamic-bootp-lease-length 21600;
hardware ethernet 00:a1:2b:3c:4d:5e;
fixed-address 192.168.0.77;
}
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And in the group section, make sure that you have
the following line:
ddns-update-style none;
This should be all. Now, boot a client machine with the proper
floppy, and you should see the login screen. Enjoy LTSP!
Troubleshooting
I've had my own amount of "gotchas". Thanks to the LTSP project,
those problems were painless to troubleshoot. How do you troubleshoot a problem?
With the silver bullet,
of course. And, if even the silver bullet fails, contact the LTSP team at the #LTSP channel
on the irc.freenode.org server.
- Author: Sinner from the Prairy
- WebPage: Europe
/ USA
- Versions:
Version |
Date |
Reason |
Author |
V.1.0 |
Thu Jan 30 16:16:26 EST 2003 |
Public release to LTSP project |
by Sinner |