The Linux Terminal Server Project [LTSP] is an Open Source add-on package for Linux that allows you to connect lots of low-powered thin client terminals to a Linux server. Applications typically run on the server, and accept input and display their output on the thin client display. There are many advantages to be realized from such a model in the modern office environment. There is no need to purchase an operating system license for each terminal as would be the case for desktop computers. Desktop PCs laying idle represent lost investment in both software and hardware. This means that a company can restrict their licensing purchases to only the number of seats they concurrently use rather than paying for software to sit idle. Thin clients cost less than complete workstations and supply only those applications necessarry for work related activities. Employee productivity goes up when distractions are removed, and the cost of maintenance for workstations is reduced when each machine is free fron the constant need to scan for viruses, protect from spyware, defrag or backup.

This Fedora Core 3 based terminal server was developed as a virtual Machine using VMWare 5.0 (beta) for transfer to a Del 2650 once satisfactorily configured. The documentation on the [LTSP] site is quite extensive and complete.

Some other usefull links
• http://ltsp.org/ltsp-4.1.html#ltspadmin a good quick look at the installation of the ltspadmin
• http://ltsp.org/documentation/ltsp-4.1/ltsp-4.1.3-en.html A thorough walkthrough from start to finish, installing and configuring ltsp.
• The WIKI is very good too.

The General Process
1. Install OS - In this case Fedora Core 3. FC3 was chosen due to it's Open Source licensing and good support through the Open Source community.Make sure you include the packages for DHCP, DNS, NFS and TFTP servers as well as XDCMP and Portmapper services.
2. Download and install the latest version of ltspcfg, at the time of writing this document that was ltspcfg-0.5-0. I chose to use RPMs but you could just as easily build it from the tarball.
3. Run ltspcfg as root and follow the instructions. This will launch the installer script which will allow you to download the packeges from the internet. Once all the packages are installed ltspcfg will launch the configuration script. There are 11 things to do in this script including DHCP, DNS, NFS and TFTP servers as well as XDCMP and Portmapper configuration, so you will need these packages installed before running ltspcfg.

Other stuff I had to do
• Manually install DHCP, TFTP, NFS and DNS server packages. Not difficult using the GUI.... argh!!
• Uncheck the "Always disallow TCP connections to X server
• start xdm by typing 'xdm' as root

( ! ) Warning: include(server1.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /var/www/docs.paulororke.net/ltsp/index.php on line 50
Call Stack
#	Time	Memory	Function	Location
1	0.0976	45672	{main}( )	../index.php:0

( ! ) Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening 'server1.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/share/php:/usr/share/pear') in /var/www/docs.paulororke.net/ltsp/index.php on line 50
Call Stack
#	Time	Memory	Function	Location
1	0.0976	45672	{main}( )	../index.php:0