Saving Money by Recycling Existing Computers with LTSP

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Saving Money by Recycling Existing Computers with
LTSP

• Peter Billson
• Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP.org)
• Trenton Computer Fest
  May 1st 2nd,
  2004

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What is the LTSP ?
The Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP) is the
component of Linux that allows inexpensive thin
client computers to be connected to a server,
spreading the power of the server to many
desktops.
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History of the project
LTSP was started in 1999 to fill a need for a
customer in the USA. The customer needed an
inexpensive reliable method of giving 35 users
access to a server based application.
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Customer Requirements

• Connectivity to existing business applications
• Word Processing
• Spread sheets
• Email
• Web browsing
• Easy to maintain
• Low Cost

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Possible Solutions

• Traditional PC with Microsoft Windows
• Windows Based Terminal (WBT)
• Full PC based on Linux
• Thin client based on Linux

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1 Traditional Windows PC

• Too expensive to deploy. Each workstation would
  cost 1,350 US.
• Expensive to maintain. 35 workstations would
  require at least 1 full-time sysadmin.
• License management problems
• Proprietary solution depending on vendor.
• Virus and Security problems
• Future software upgrades mean hardware upgrades
  to ALL desktops.

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2 Windows Based Terminal

• Based on Microsoft Windows
• Proprietary Solution depending on vendor
• Expensive Per-User licensing
• Virus and Security problems

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3 Full PC based on Linux

• Lower initial cost than option 1 or 2
• Too much hardware at each desktop. No need for
  the Harddrive, CDRom or Floppy.
• Expensive to maintain. A hardware failure would
  result in downtime for the user.

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4 Thin client based on Linux

• No moving parts
• Loads the operating system from the server
• No local storage. Means all data and
  configuration information is stored (and backed
  up) on the server.
• Significantly lower cost.

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Our Choice....
4 - Linux based thin clients
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Only 1 Problem !
There was no place to purchase a Linux based thin
client solution.
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Solution
Build our own Linux based thin client
solution... The birth of the LTSP
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Features of LTSP

• Ability to run any Linux program
• Graphical user interface using the X Windows
  System
• StarOffice / OpenOffice for Word Processing and
  Spreadsheets
• Mozilla / Netscape / Opera / Konquerer for web
  browsing
• Graphical Email Clients such as Evolution and
  Kmail
• Access to MS Windows systems via Rdesktop and
  Citrix ICA client.

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More Features

• Support for Redhat, SuSE, Mandrake, Debian and
  many other Linux distributions.
• LTSP is very well supported.
• Installed at over 100,000 sites (estimated)
• LTSP is FREE (Licensed under the GPL)

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So... How do you save money?
Many older computers are no longer capable of
running the latest version of Microsoft Windows,
so Microsoft is not only forcing you to upgrade
the software, but they are also forcing you to
upgrade the hardware as well. Fortunately, it is
very easy to convert those older computers to
LTSP workstations by removing the hard disk,
CD-Rom and floppy drive, and adding a bootable
network card or a bootrom to the existing network
card. A 90Mhz Pentium with at least 16MB of ram
makes a great LTSP workstation.
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How much can you save?
47,250
21,500
5,750
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How much can you save?
189,000
74,000
11,000
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Where to go for More Info

• www.LTSP.org
• www.K12LTSP.org
• www.DisklessWorkstations.com
• www.elbnet.com/libsys

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Demonstration
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Thank You
Questions?