How to configure, update and auto login Ubuntu 12.04 LTSP Fat Clients

Submitted by The Fan Club on

This guide is based on the comprehensive LTSP documentation done by the Ubuntu Community - Ubuntu Community Documentation - UbuntuLTSP

This guide is intended as a relatively easy step by step guide to:

  • Configure Ubuntu 11.04, 11.10 and 12.04 fat clients.
  • Update and Upgrade fat clients
  • Install software on fat clients
  • Auto login fat client users.
  • Configure fat client user experience.
  • Last updated : 14-09-2012

Requirements:

1. Disable root login on fat clients.

  • To disable root login from thin clients edit the ssh_config file .
  • Open the Terminal Window and enter :
sudo gedit /opt/ltsp/i386/etc/ssh/ssh_config
  • Change the following if set or add to the bottom of the config file :
PermitRootLogin no

2. Copy DNS and Repository information from server to fat client to sync updates.

  • To update the DNS information on the fat client image simply copy your LTSP server DNS details to the client image.
  • Open the Terminal Window and enter :
sudo cp /etc/resolv.conf /opt/ltsp/i386/etc/resolv.conf
  • An easy way to install software sources for fat clients is to install the repositories on the LTSP server and then copy the software sources to the fat client image.
  • Open the Terminal Window and enter :
sudo cp /etc/apt/sources.list /opt/ltsp/i386/etc/apt/sources.list
sudo cp /etc/apt/sources.list.d/* /opt/ltsp/i386/etc/apt/sources.list.d/

3. Update & Upgrade fat client installation.

  • For normal updates open the Terminal Window and enter :
sudo chroot /opt/ltsp/i386 apt-get update 
sudo chroot /opt/ltsp/i386 apt-get upgrade
  • When done, update the client image
sudo ltsp-update-image --arch i386
  • For Kernel updates do the following from the Terminal :
export LTSP_HANDLE_DAEMONS=false
sudo mount --bind /dev /opt/ltsp/i386/dev
sudo chroot /opt/ltsp/i386
mount -t proc proc /proc
apt-get update && apt-get dist-upgrade
exit
sudo ltsp-update-kernels
sudo umount /opt/ltsp/i386/proc
sudo umount /opt/ltsp/i386/dev
  • When done, update the client image
sudo ltsp-update-image --arch i386

4. Install additional fat client software.

  • If you have added the Google Chrome PPA's details to your software sources, and copied these sources in step 2. you will be able to install Google-Chrome, open the Terminal Window and enter :
sudo chroot /opt/ltsp/i386 apt-get install google-chrome-stable
  • To install the Flash Plugin for your thin/fat clients, open the Terminal Window and enter :
sudo chroot /opt/ltsp/i386 apt-get install flashplugin-installer
  • To replace Gnome-Screensaver (Black screen only) with XScreensaver, open the Terminal Window and enter :
sudo chroot /opt/ltsp/i386 apt-get remove --purge gnome-screensaver 
sudo chroot /opt/ltsp/i386 apt-get install xscreensaver xscreensaver-gl
  • When done, update the client image
sudo ltsp-update-image --arch i386

5. Autostart software on all fat clients.

  • To autostart a program for all fat client users is fairly easy, simply copy the .desktop shortcut of the application to the /etc/xdg/autostart folder.
  • If you want to start google-chrome and xscreensaver for all fat client users open the Terminal Window and enter :
sudo cp /opt/ltsp/i386/usr/share/applications/google-chrome.desktop /opt/ltsp/i386/etc/xdg/autostart/
sudo cp /opt/ltsp/i386/usr/share/applications/xscreensaver-properties.desktop /opt/ltsp/i386/etc/xdg/autostart/xscreensaver.desktop
  • Tip: To autostart Google Chrome in full screen mode on a specific webpage, edit the new autostart google-chrome.desktop file and add --kiosk and you site URL as shown below :
[Desktop Entry]
X-AppInstall-Package=google chrome
X-AppInstall-Popcon=39584
X-AppInstall-Section=universe
Version=1.0
Name=Google Chrome
GenericName=Web Browser
Comment=Access the Internet
Exec=/opt/google/chrome/google-chrome --incognito --kiosk http://www.google.com
Terminal=false
X-MultipleArgs=false
Icon=google-chrome
Type=Application
Categories=Network;WebBrowser;
MimeType=text/html;text/xml;application/xhtml_xml;x-scheme-handler/http;x-scheme-handler/https;x-scheme-handler/ftp;
X-Ayatana-Desktop-Shortcuts=NewWindow;NewIncognito

[NewWindow Shortcut Group]
Name=New Window
Exec=/opt/google/chrome/google-chrome
TargetEnvironment=Unity

[NewIncognito Shortcut Group]
Name=New Incognito Window
Exec=/opt/google/chrome/google-chrome --incognito
TargetEnvironment=Unity
  • Now edit the new autostart xscreensaver file and replace "-demo" with "-nosplash" :
sudo gedit /opt/ltsp/i386/etc/xdg/autostart/xscreensaver.desktop

6. Auto login fat clients based on IP address.

  • To auto login clients you need to supply the usernames and passwords for each user based on the IP address of the client machine.
  • For the Terminal Window and enter :
sudo gedit /var/lib/tftpboot/ltsp/i386/lts.conf
  • Replace the usernameX and passwordX with the username and password for each user  :
[Default] 
# Local Apps 
LOCAL_APPS = True 
LOCAL_APPS_MENU = True 
LOCAL_APPS_MENU_ITEMS = firefox, google-chrome 

# Network settings 
DNS_SERVER = 192.168.1.1 
LDM_DIRECTX = True 

# Theme Settings 
LDM_THEME = ubuntu 

# Restrictions 
LOCALDEV_DENY_CD = True 
LOCALDEV_DENY_USB = True 
LOCALDEV_DENY_INTERNAL_DISKS = True 

# Auto Login 
LDM_AUTOLOGIN = True 

[192.168.1.21] 
LDM_USERNAME = username1 
LDM_PASSWORD = password1

[192.168.1.22] 
LDM_USERNAME = username2 
LDM_PASSWORD = password2 

[192.168.1.23] 
LDM_USERNAME = username3 
LDM_PASSWORD = password3
 
[192.168.1.24] 
LDM_USERNAME = username4 
LDM_PASSWORD = password4 

[192.168.1.25] 
LDM_USERNAME = username5 
LDM_PASSWORD = password5

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