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(Last updated: Jan. 09, 2002)

The Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP) package has become the standard for running thin client computers on a Linux server. It provides an ideal solution for organizations who want to provide high quality computing solutions to networked users at the lowest possible cost. LTSP software can be found in homes - providing affordable computing for all the family - through internet cafes and classrooms, right up to commercial, corporate, and public sector organizations, providing enterprise scale desktop computing.

The launch of Windows XP and the imminent end of Microsoft support for Windows NT/9x is threatening many organizations with an unwanted and expensive software and hardware upgrade. LTSP v3 provides an alternative, extending the life of existing desktop PCs until they literally fall apart from old age. The tiny footprint LTSP v3 client software boots in seconds on standard PCs, and can deliver leading edge performance even on 486 PCs on the desktop. Users of previous versions of LTSP have eagerly snapped up PCs dumped on the second hand market by Microsoft users. Usage has been particularly enthusiastic in countries where IT budgets are tight - variants are available in English, German, Spanish and Indonesian.

Using LTSP v3, all the heavy work takes place on a server. Due to the efficiency of the underlying operating system, a business class server can serve hundreds of desktops far more than a comparable Windows system. The more users who run the same software package, the more efficient the system becomes. Furthermore, a server based architecture means easy administration of all clients from one central point, no software distribution hassles, virtual elimination of virus problems - all of which add up to low maintenance, low cost computing.

At the heart of LTSP v3 lies the open source GNU/Linux operating system, specially tailored to run on a diskless workstation - a thin client computer. The LTSP team have taken standard utilities familiar to Linux/UNIX people and built them into a single, easy to install, fully documented package, which runs on all common Linux variants. This means that anyone with basic UNIX or Linux skills should have no difficulty installing and running a complete LTSP v3 environment. And, as it's open source, there are no licence fees to pay.

Technical Information

LTSP v3 packages are available in RPM, TGZ, and DEB formats from the LTSP website http://www.ltsp.org. On the server, LTSP v3 is supported under the following Linux distributions:

Redhat 6.0, 6.1, 6.2, 7.0, 7.1, and 7.2
Mandrake 7.2, 8.0, & 8.1
SuSE 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 7.1 & 7.2
Debian 2.0, 2.1 & 2.2
Caldera eDesktop 2.3, 2.4, & eServer 2.3;
Conectiva

The standard client software is based on a specially built 2.4.9 kernel and XFree86 4.1.0. It can be booted from a floppy disk, a hard disk or a network card using Etherboot software (http://etherboot.sf.net) or PXE bootroms. The client software supports the use of local printers (serial / parallel port and USB), and v3 includes automatic detection of PCI network and video cards, simplifying the installation and configuration process.

About the LTSP organization

The LTSP software is developed, supported, and maintained by hundreds of developers across the world, working under the Open Source development model, and using the facilities of SourceForge http://www.sf.net. For further information, join the LTSP discussion lists details at http://www.ltsp.org/mailinglists.php.

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