Ubuntu Linux Help

It seems we always need to update our PC hardware at one point or another, to keep abreast of the increasing demands that current software makes of our computers. If like me, you hate to lose the use of older PC’s, you may store them away for “later” projects.

When I was a heavier Windows user, I often had the experience of using Terminal server connections via diskless workstations. At that time, one of the touted benefits was the ability to revive and use obsolete computers because the processing and applications were run on the Terminal Server, not the workstation. I’ve been contemplating trying to afford the addition of another workstation to use as a media centre. I’d been hemming and hawing about the cost of a new PC for this as the funds are just not there, until it occurred to me that I could use a couple of the older units for this purpose; connected to a Linux Terminal Media Server.

What exactly am I accomplishing in this post? Creating a rough guide showing how to set up a centralized Media Terminal Server that allows connecting computers to function as “thin” Media clients. The following is the basics of how I got it to work, hopefully some of you can provide better ways or improved steps to enhance this guide. Please keep in mind that some of the configuration on your systems might be different to mine (file paths and network configuration for example). This is the basics of what worked for me, so I hope this one helps you as well as gives you something to build upon!

Here’s the scenario…

When setting up the “main computer”, I want to be able to make changes or install other things and not break the media terminal server, so I’ll do the installation in VMWare, which is already installed now. (More information bout VMware here: http://www.vmware.com/). Also, I wanted the Media Centre’s (maybe one upstairs and the other downstairs?) to use Freevo (About Freevo here: http://freevo.sourceforge.net/). One of my friends uses Freevo so I thought it would be a bit different from MythTV which I seem too read almost daily about And because he had Freevo working, I just had to do it too. To the point: I wanted older PC’s to function as media stations.

I wanted this on a separate subnet so that I would not have to change around any of the existing network configuration. This was pretty easy to do, just plug a second hand router into the network. Plug the WAN port of that router (it was an old SMC) into one of the LAN ports of the router connected to the Internet (via the broadband modem). On that second hand SMC router, disable DHCP (you’ll find out later). I ran one Cat5 cable upstairs and left another downstairs. And the server got plugged into one of the LAN ports of the SMC router (those 2 extra cables got plugged into the other LAN ports of the SMC router as well).

I needed the following…

The “main” PC with a version of Ubuntu Feisty installed in Vmware.
Wireless keyboard/mouse, so users can surf the web, email, chat, etc. (Which is cheaper than a whole computers).
Google, for research as to packages needed, etc. (mencoder, freevo, codecs, tvtime and other packages).

Google found me some good resources listed below (you will find lots more):

Linux Terminal Server Project
45 Minutes to a Linux Terminal Server
UbuntuLTSP

Steps to get this working…

Open a terminal in Feisty (in vmware), update apt and install the needed packages:

sudo su
apt-get update
apt-get install openssh-server
apt-get install ltsp-server-standalone ltsp-utils student-control-panel ltsp-build-client ltsp-update-sshkeys

We need to configure DHCP. Remember up above when I said disable it on the router? If not, then there’s a 50/50 chance your thin clients will obtain DHCP leases from the wrong device (the wrong device being the router, they need to get the connection from the Terminal Server).

Create a backup in case of mistakes (you can go back to the original):

cp /etc/ltsp/dhcpd.conf /etc/ltsp/dhcpd.conf.bak

I need to configure the correct information (your IP addresses may be different:

The gateway for access: 192.168.1.1
The media terminal server: 192.168.1.2
My private “special” thin client (downstairs): 192.168.1.3
The address range given to other clients: 192.168.1.50 - 192.168.1.55 (only 2 will ever be used but I added extra just in case of some weird DHCP lease problem).

Configure DHCP:

nano /etc/ltsp/dhcpd.conf

authoritative;
default-lease-time 7200;
max-lease-time 7200;

subnet 192.168.1.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
range 192.168.1.50 192.168.1.55;
option domain-name “media.int”;
option domain-name-servers 192.168.1.2;
option broadcast-address 192.168.1.255;
option routers 192.168.1.1;
option subnet-mask 255.255.255.0;

filename “/ltsp/pxelinux.0″;
option root-path “di″;
}

group {
use-host-decl-names on;
option log-servers 192.168.1.2;

host rogerbox {
hardware ethernet 00:13:D4:4E:86:93;
fixed-address 192.168.1.100;
}
}

Exit the terminal and reboot the terminal server.

Now we need to make sure the thin client gets set up properly…

sudo nano /opt/ltsp/i386/etc/lts.conf

Side note: Always make backups first. I learned that the hard way.

[Default]
SERVER = 192.168.1.2
SOUND = Y
SOUND_DAEMON = esd
VOLUME = 80
LOCAL_DEVICE_01 = /dev/hdb:cdrom
LOCAL_DEVICE_02 = /dev/sda:usb
LOCAL_DEVICE_03 = /dev/fd0:floppy

Some other directives I came across that are helpful with thin clients are:

X_MOUSE_DEVICE = /dev/input/mice
PRINTER_0_DEVICE =/dev/lp0
PRINTER_0_TYPE =P

However, these are things I don’t need to worry about here. See here for more research: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=368869 and here: http://www.skolelinux.org/~klaus/sarge/x2700.html

Now let’s update/upgrade and get freevo and the other packages for the thin clients…

We are going to chroot the image the one we installed in vmware. What is chroot some of you may ask?

“The chroot command ‘changes the root’ to another location. Why would you want to do that? One of the more popular reasons is to create a sandbox for either an application or a user. Once a new root is declared via chroot, any references that a user or application makes to ‘/’ will resolve to the new directory. This is a pretty effective way to restrict access to the real root and therefore the real file system. In fact, sometimes that act of chrooting is referred to a jailing or a chrooted shell is referred to as a jail shell.” Read more here: http://www.newlinuxuser.com/explain-what-is-chroot/

sudo chroot /opt/ltsp/i386
apt-get update
apt-get dist-upgrade

Let’s grab some packages (you can also include others that you want):

sudo apt-get install freevo mencoder tvtime xine-ui w32codecs ubuntu-restricted-extras libdvdcss2 libdvdcss libxine-extracodecs libjpeg-progs exiftran vlc vlc-plugin-esd mozilla-plugin-vlc lame flac cdparanoia amarok

Side note: If you’re interested in multimedia, you might enjoy this post: How to Play Most Restricted Media Formats in Ubuntu.
Also, if you really prefer MythTV, then remove from the above command: freevo
and add: mythtv mythtv-themes

Freevo related:

freevo setup
freevo plugins -a

At this stage, it’s really up to you how you’d like to configure Freevo. I found the site (Freevo) immensely helpful. The homepage is here: http://doc.freevo.org/Index. If you prefer to boot directly into Freevo when powering up then this page will be for you: Boot directly into Freevo. And a blurb from the Freevo site:

“From a developers point of view - unlike other projects Freevo tries to reuse existing other applications such as mplayer, xine and gstreamer for this task. The new API is designed to be very flexible, splitting the logic into several independent modules that can also be used by other projects. It contains a subproject kaa with the different modules and the GeeXboX project has joined the Freevo team to create a Live-CD based on Freevo 2.0.”

For those of you who really prefer MythTV, a good starting point is: MythTV Ubuntu Installation Guide

Yesterday evening I was joking around with a couple of the people here as they were bugging me about being an “Ubuntu” user. Often the questions I receive are about how to do something in “Ubuntu”. Maybe I’m just being thin-skinned, but I’d like to clarify something, particularly to new users. Ubuntu is not an operating system as I understand it. Instead Ubuntu is a version of LINUX! It is Linux, we are Linux users. I call it Ubuntu Linux so clarify what type of Linux I am talking about. The key focus is “Linux”. Got it!? There… rant over.

Fun and jibes aside, I’ve always espoused that anyone who really wants to roll up their sleeves and learn about Linux, should install a customized system from the ground up. Sure we can install Ubuntu, Gentoo, Fedora and a myriad of other distributions, and we would learn a lot. But (in my opinion) to garner a really powerful learning experience, I’ve often suggested that users try the LFS Project. What’s that?…

“Linux From Scratch (LFS) is a project that provides you with step-by-step instructions for building your own customized Linux system entirely from source.”

For readers of my blog that truly want an enriched experience and enjoy tinkering to develop their own fully customized PC, I really do encourage you to check out the amazing Linux From Scratch resource here: http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/lfs/index.html

I’m pretty sure that you’ll find the resource very rewarding!

Over the last few days I’ve received questions about Linux. So… This is a quick post that hopefully will answer most of the ones I thought were helpful.

How do you get the numlock to stay on when booting Linux?

Using Ubuntu (Gutsy), you can do this:

sudo apt-get install numlockx

And read more about that here: Num Lock

How do I get MP3, MOV and WMV files to play? Where can I get the extra codecs?

A guide is here: How to Play Most Restricted Media Formats in Ubuntu

Can I restart GNOME without rebooting computer?

Yes. There are two ways:

1) Use Ctrl + Alt + Backspace or,

2) sudo /etc/init.d/gdm restart

How can I improve my web surfing speed in Firefox?

There’s info about this here: Speed Up Your Internet Connection in Ubuntu Linux - Part 1

How do I get Dual Monitors working?
Response: “Are you using ATI or nVidia?” Answer: “nVidia”

I use nVidia too, here’s the basics of what worked for me (on Feisty):

sudo apt-get install nvidia-glx

(Installs the driver).

sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.bak

(Backs up your config in case of errors).

sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf

(To open this file for editing).

Look for the Module area and find nv and change it to say glx

(We’re telling Feisty to use that new driver, if it already does not have that there).

Where the device heading has the driver nvidia add this line:

Option "RenderAccel" "true"

(true means you’re turning it on).

Under screen, add this line:

Option "TwinView"

(We’re turning on nVidea’s dual feature).

And under the “TwinView” add:

Option "MetaModes" "1024×768 1024×768"

(This specifies the monitor resolutions, your’s might be higher or lower).

Restart and you should have dual monitors working.

How do I schedule programs to run?

There’s a good tutorial here: Scheduling for Absolute Beginners

In Windows I use DVD Decrypter/DVD Shrink, what’s the equivalent in Linux?

Umm? K9copy? http://k9copy.sourceforge.net/

Can I run Windows software on Linux?

Yes, try WINE: http://www.winehq.org/

Can I run Linux software on Windows?
Question: “Why?” Answer: “So I can use the same applications on all computers.”

I have this bookmarked, but never used it: http://www.andlinux.org/reqs.php

What’s the equivalent for Photoshop in Linux?

The closest I think is GimpShop but you’ll probably find other usefull applications here too: Top 100 of the Best (Useful) OpenSource Applications

How do I get my wireless cad to work?

This can be a longer answer, so a good starting point might be here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=1071920&mode=linear

Fonts are fuzzy, how to I get font smoothing?

There a post for this here: How to Enable Font Smoothing in Ubuntu - The fast way

How do I get the same Windows fonts onto my Ubuntu install?

That is posted here: How to Install TTF and CTF Fonts in Ubuntu.

Re: Your post about apt-get moo, what was so funny about that?

??? (blank look at this) Umm… Moo???

Why did you switch to Linux?

Because when I tried it and began using it, I was stunned at the amount of goodies I was missing out on. There was a whole world of interesting tools and improved productivity and things just not available to me as a Windows user. I became increasingly aware of how sheltered my experiences were with Windows, how much I was missing out on that I never knew existed! As a Linux user, my online and computer life is much, much more richer and rewarding!

One of the things I dislike is reinstalling any operating system over, and over, and over again. After a while it becomes boring and inconvenient when you’ve a hot idea you want to try out. One of the things I enjoy doing (and I’ve posted several ideas or projects), is to try out new ways, ideas or Linux packages. Often this means starting from a clean system or I have to reinstall because I made mistakes and trashed an existing system. The point? Well, for one it’s a great learning environment for me, it helps my friends who have switched or considering a switch and it gives me information I can share for free in this blog - And that helps everyone!

Today is not any different, actually I’m pretty excited about this post!!! Here’s the scenario:

1) I wanted an easy way for friends to migrate to Linux (I’m using Ubuntu).

2) Personally, I needed a way that Ubuntu could install itself while I go do something else.

Side note: During today’s project, I realized that this would be a great feature for a school, a computer lab, a computer hobby group and even a business or laptop repair shop. If any of you use this idea, please let me know as I’d love to see!

The idea? I created my very own “Ubuntu Linux Plug ‘N Play Zone”!

It’s a simple 3-step method.

Users plug their laptop into one of the two ports pictured above and boot off the network. Go away, come back later and it’s all done. Voilà

Also you can see that they have the option for a Gutsy install (7.10) and soon (I’ve not set that up yet, probably over the weekend) a Hardy install (8.04). The picture above is how I’ll leave the “Zone” for now. (I didn’t want to write on the wall so put an old plastic sign over the plug and wrote on the plastic with a marker. Easy to enhance and change later). How is this done? Ahhh… Not as hard as one might think… Grasshopper.

For this to work properly, we need a DHCP server on a separate network (subnet). We also need a TFTP server and of course client laptops (or PC’s) that can netboot. (Netboot is when the BIOS is configured to boot of the network card). Last year I posted “30 Dollars, 30 Minutes, 1 Nice Fileserver” and that’s the unit I wiped clean and used for this project. We can begin by installing Gutsy (7.10) on the system.

Note: Look further down to the IP addresses. Make note and ensure that your server is using a static IP address within your subnet. The first time I did this I messed up and used the wrong address.

After this, here are the steps I took: Read the full post…

I give credit to this guy, he’s got more guts than I do!

Got a cool techie blog as well: http://www.davidsterry.com/