Hello, I'd like to ask a question about your very nice write-up for Local Apps. Once I activate local apps in lts.conf using LOCAL_APPS=True, does this mean that *any* program that the user would want to use needs to be installed into chroot? Or only those that I want utilizing the local thin client resources?
IE: If I want the students to run Firefox locally on the thin client, I'd set Local_Apps=true, then sudo apt-get install firefox within the chroot. But what if the students also need access to (for example) Tux-Paint which is not part of the local apps installation? Can they still run it? Thank you very much. Joseph On Thu, Dec 8, 2011 at 9:36 PM, Lachele Foley (Lists) <[email protected]> wrote: >> I am a little confused here. You set LOCAL_APPS=true in lts.conf? >> Whoch programs does that force to be run on the client instead of the >> host? >> >> I was under the impression that I needed to install the program >> locally and then do "ltsp-localapps firefox". > > According to the latest manual, you have to set LOCAL_APPS=true in > lts.conf to use localapps. I haven't tried not doing that. Of > course, you only want to do this if your local machines have enough > computing resources to make it worthwhile. Most of the machines > around here don't bother because they run much faster as clients than > as regular computers. But, some of our work involves heavy data > analysis, often with heavy graphics, so we made a little cluster > designed to make those tasks easy for the folks who do them. For > those computers, local apps are worthwhile in some circumstances. > > The LOCAL_APPS=true in lts.conf doesn't force anything to be run > locally. Doing that merely instructs the ltsp server to allow apps to > be run locally if the person so desires. > > You have to install the program you want to run locally in the chroot > for the client image. If you only need programs that you can install > using something like "apt-get" or "yum install", then it's a pretty > trivial procedure (see link below for Ubuntu). If you need programs > that can't be installed that way, and if your client has sufficiently > different hardware from the server, and if you need the programs > installed for all similar clients, then you will also want to look up > "LOCAL_APPS_EXTRAMOUNTS" because you'll need to have a mount point you > can write to (you can't write to the image running your client). I > can elaborate if need be. > > Anyhow... assuming you get the software you want installed in such a > way that it is visible to the rather restricted chroot-based > environment delivered to the client, then you can run apps locally. > The default chroot is very limited -- on purpose. You don't want your > client bogged down by a huge image. So, for example, if I try > "ltsp-localapps firefox" from my command line, I am quietly returned > to the command line without having started firefox. If I open an > "ltsp-localapps xterm", and say "firefox" in the new xterm, I learn > the reason is "bash: firefox: command not found". However, the > "ltsp-localapps xclock" works because that's a standard part of the X > package. So, your chroot probably won't have firefox installed by > default. BTW, I find localapps is more likely to work or give useful > errors in general when called from an "ltsp-localapps xterm". > > To change what's in the chroot using apt-get in ubuntu, see below. I > used it (or something equivalent) with 11.10, and it seemed to work. > > https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuLTSP/UpdatingChroot > > But, do keep in mind that you don't want to bloat the client image. > Only install local programs into the chroot if you need to. There is > an alternative. Our apps are mostly scientific software, so we > install them into an "extra mount", where it doesn't grow the image, > but can still be used as a local process. So far, I've been able to > compile the programs using the client image but setting the install > location to the extra mount. I hope that keeps working... > > Just curious: are you on GigE ethernet or 100? That can make a big > difference in speed, particularly with graphics. > >> Where there specific things that made you choose XFCE over LXDE? I >> don't know which to choose =) > > I think it was about a week ago when I finally got the system stable > enough that I could force myself to start using it regularly. By > "stable," I mean I only break it once or twice a day now... :-) I > knew xfce from a decade or so ago, so tried it. It worked well. A > few days ago, I heard about lxde and thought "that sounds > interesting." So, I installed it. But, I haven't had the luxury of > making comparisons yet. Based on Rolf's statements, tho, I might try > it out some more. I have seen what might be instabilities in xfce, > but, here on the bleeding edge, it can be hard to tell which bit is > actually misbehaving. > > -- > :-) Lachele > Lachele Foley > CCRC/UGA > Athens, GA USA > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Cloud Services Checklist: Pricing and Packaging Optimization > This white paper is intended to serve as a reference, checklist and point of > discussion for anyone considering optimizing the pricing and packaging model > of a cloud services business. Read Now! > http://www.accelacomm.com/jaw/sfnl/114/51491232/ > _____________________________________________________________________ > Ltsp-discuss mailing list. To un-subscribe, or change prefs, goto: > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/ltsp-discuss > For additional LTSP help, try #ltsp channel on irc.freenode.net ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cloud Services Checklist: Pricing and Packaging Optimization This white paper is intended to serve as a reference, checklist and point of discussion for anyone considering optimizing the pricing and packaging model of a cloud services business. Read Now! http://www.accelacomm.com/jaw/sfnl/114/51491232/ _____________________________________________________________________ Ltsp-discuss mailing list. To un-subscribe, or change prefs, goto: https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/ltsp-discuss For additional LTSP help, try #ltsp channel on irc.freenode.net
