BerryTerminal (Edubuntu/LTSP terminal)

BTW, is it possible to set BerryTerminal to work in 16bit colour to save bandwidth?, I tried using the lts.conf file in LTSP

Do not support any lts.conf settings.

Reducing colors results in ugly graphics.
Think there are better ways to reduce bandwidth if you need to. E.g. use NX for compression.

Hi,
I have connected to the edubuntu server and I am receiving the screens correctly. But, how do I change the screen resolution? For my monitor (HDMI) I had to setup the config.txt file with the US, sound, DMT, and screen size. When I tried that with this image the screen never initialized. Any ideas what I am missing?

Nettekpi

I have connected to the edubuntu server and I am receiving the screens correctly. But, how do I change the screen resolution? For my monitor (HDMI) I had to setup the config.txt file with the US, sound, DMT, and screen size. When I tried that with this image the screen never initialized. Any ideas what I am missing?

Would expect it to work the same as with other images, as I think the config.txt part is handled by the closed source bootloader before the Linux kernel is started.
Have you copied the config.txt file from your working (Debian?) SD to your BerryTerminal SD, as opposed to typing in the parameters, to make sure they are exactly the same and there are no typos?

You don't get anything on the screen after setting config.txt, not even the splash screen? ( http://elinux.org/R-Pi_Troubleshooting# ... ash_screen )

Has anyone considered porting the thinstation distribution to raspberry pi?

That would be pretty cool, the thinstation guys have got ICA, VDI and RDP working I think and its a tiny distro.

am happy to help, have a pi, and quite willing to put time / resources into it as part of the berryterminal project.

Has anyone considered porting the thinstation distribution to raspberry pi?

That would be pretty cool, the thinstation guys have got ICA, VDI and RDP working I think and its a tiny distro.

Problem is that Thinstation relies on closed source components, and that comes with some practical and legal issues.

To my knowledge the Citrix's ICA and VDI components used are not open source, so can only be compiled for the rPi by Citrix.
Any bugs can only be fixed by them, and they would need to authorize distribution.
Be aware that while the components can be downloaded for free from their site, that doesn't automatically grant you the right to bundle them with your own stuff.


Other companies did open source their client libraries, so they would be a more logical choice for inclusion in a future version of BerryTerminal.
Think of VMware view open client, RedHat's SPICE project and NX.

There is such a programm as WinSwitch which uses different transfer protocols..
Here is nice comparison table of the protocols:
http://winswitch.org/documentation/prot ... hoose.html

Hi,

we have an LTSP setup at work. Thin client boot from the ltsp server. Today I tried berryterminal and it has "seen" the ltsp server correctly.
Unfortunately there is an issue with login that fails.

I think the raspberry isn't using the correct protocol to authenticate, but I'm not finding the setup files.
where should I start from ?

thanks

we have an LTSP setup at work. Thin client boot from the ltsp server. Today I tried berryterminal and it has "seen" the ltsp server correctly.
Unfortunately there is an issue with login that fails.

I think the raspberry isn't using the correct protocol to authenticate, but I'm not finding the setup files.

Berryterminal uses SSH, which is the protocol for LTSP 5

Can you connect to the server IP with a normal SSH client (e.g. putty) using the same username and password you entered?

Do you have a non US keyboard?

Ha ha Max,

I AM a newbie, but not that newbie

But thanks for reminding and confirming (brain f**s happen here )

But NO. The server is accessible through ssh and I checked for password typoes due to the layout

Actually no ssh login attempts were visible in server logs.
So My doubt is maybe the LTSP server was configured not with the default ssh auth.
Where would I check that?

thanks

Actually no ssh login attempts were visible in server logs.

Then your logging may be wrong, or you have firewall rules preventing connection from the IP the Pi is using.

Berryterminal will attempt to SSH login to the server.
It is the only protocol it knows, plain and simple.
(Microsoft Windows rdesktop is not supported, neither XDMCP used by ancient LTSP versions)

BTW what Linux distribution is used as LTSP server?

You do get the colorful LTSP login screen GUI, right? ( http://www.berryterminal.com/qemu-stuff.png )
(can also get a text login screen, which is meant as a recovery shell if something goes wrong instead)

@bindo

I found I had to add server=x.x.x.x to the kernel config file and then logins worked correctly.

Hope that helps

btw, using the latest berryterminal from 02/06/2012.

Cheers

I found I had to add server=x.x.x.x to the kernel config file and then logins worked correctly.

When you don't hardcode server=x.x.x.x in your cmdline.txt what happens exactly?

Does it go to the colorful LTSP login screen, but doesn't accept your password?

Or does it stay in the grey on black text screen, and display an "Error retrieving LDM settings from 1.2.3.4. Not a LTSP server?" error message?

@Max

Yes, it gets to the login screen but refuses to take the password.

Cheers

mrlinux

BTW what Linux distribution is used as LTSP server?

You do get the colorful LTSP login screen GUI, right? ( http://www.berryterminal.com/qemu-stuff.png )
(can also get a text login screen, which is meant as a recovery shell if something goes wrong instead)

Can you share the command for boot BerryTerminal on qemu? I want to try your work but not with LTSP, I'm interested on trying it with TCOS http://www.tcosproject.org It's a very similar alternative to LTSP but more simple and graphically.

Can you share the command for boot BerryTerminal on qemu? I want to try your work but not with LTSP, I'm interested on trying it with TCOS http://www.tcosproject.org It's a very similar alternative to LTSP but more simple and graphically.

You will need to recompile the source, because I compiled later versions with the arm-bcm2708hardfp- compiler optimized for the rpi and qemu doesn't seem to understand some instructions it produces ("illegal instruction" errors when you start X).

1) get the source and extract it somewhere: http://www.berryterminal.com/dl/source/
2) in the folder type: make menuconfig, set the following options, and exit:

- go to "toolchain" -> "toolchain type" -> and change it from "custom" to "crosstool-ng toolchain"
- crosstool-ng library -> eglibc
- enable c++
- use software floating point by default

3) type: make
4) grab coffee while it compiles everything
5) compile or grab a linux kernel suitable for qemu from somewhere. E.g.: wget http://unicorn.drogon.net/rpi/zImage
6) qemu-system-arm -kernel zImage -m 256 -M versatilepb -cpu arm1176 -serial stdio -append "root=/dev/sda server=1.2.3.4" -hda output/images/rootfs.ext2 -clock dynticks

Can you share the command for boot BerryTerminal on qemu? I want to try your work but not with LTSP, I'm interested on trying it with TCOS http://www.tcosproject.org It's a very similar alternative to LTSP but more simple and graphically.

You will need to recompile the source, because I compiled later versions with the arm-bcm2708hardfp- compiler optimized for the rpi and qemu doesn't seem to understand some instructions it produces ("illegal instruction" errors when you start X).

1) get the source and extract it somewhere: http://www.berryterminal.com/dl/source/
2) in the folder type: make menuconfig, set the following options, and exit:

- go to "toolchain" -> "toolchain type" -> and change it from "custom" to "crosstool-ng toolchain"
- crosstool-ng library -> eglibc
- enable c++
- use software floating point by default

3) type: make
4) grab coffee while it compiles everything
5) compile or grab a linux kernel suitable for qemu from somewhere. E.g.: wget http://unicorn.drogon.net/rpi/zImage
6) qemu-system-arm -kernel zImage -m 256 -M versatilepb -cpu arm1176 -serial stdio -append "root=/dev/sda server=1.2.3.4" -hda output/images/rootfs.ext2 -clock dynticks

Thanks for the detailed procedure It's working on make, when I've got something working with TCOS I must share here, but probably your work with BerryTerminal don't need any change.

This sounds very interesting. I was involved with setting up an LTSP installation at a community centre in Exeter and at the moment the client machines are old P3 machines which are getting a little long in the tooth. If we can replace these long term with a few Pis that would take the power consumption down by a large amount

This gives me something to try with my Pi, just need to get LTSP running again on Virtual Box

Rob

Just come across something interesting while testing the berry terminal package and trying out abiword etc (ltsp servers running in virtualbox for now).

I've got one ltsp server running on ubuntu 10.04 and running abiword v 2.8.2 which works great as is very responsive (almost native speed). DE is gnome 2.8.x

Got another ltsp server running on xubuntu 12.04 and running abiword 2.9.2 and it exhibits the exact same problem (very sluggish at typing and refreshing the page) people have encountered running abiword on raspbian/wheezy (had the same issue myself). DE is lxde.

now I wouldn't have thought this problem would occur on a RPI running a LTSP session when the server is doing all the donkey work (firefox etc work find on both servers).

does anyone have clue why this is (is there that much difference between the 2 abiword versions, or did they break something in 2.9.2)?

cheers for now

paul

does anyone have clue why this is (is there that much difference between the 2 abiword versions, or did they break something in 2.9.2)?

Seems someone with a normal modern computer (amd64 architecture) has reported it as a bug in the Ubuntu tracker as well, which only occurs with certain window managers.

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... bug/988485 (Abiword is slow to update the document when typing)



Also note that according to Abiword.com 2.9.2 is not a stable release.

Our latest development release is version 2.9.2. Development releases are aimed at developers, or people willing to test unstable software. They should not be used in a production environment.

does anyone have clue why this is (is there that much difference between the 2 abiword versions, or did they break something in 2.9.2)?

Seems someone with a normal modern computer (amd64 architecture) has reported it as a bug in the Ubuntu tracker as well, which only occurs with certain window managers.

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... bug/988485 (Abiword is slow to update the document when typing)



Also note that according to Abiword.com 2.9.2 is not a stable release.

Our latest development release is version 2.9.2. Development releases are aimed at developers, or people willing to test unstable software. They should not be used in a production environment.

Sorry for the delay in replying,

fixed the problem by installing the stable version from the abiword website and removing the 2.9.2. version.

btw, do you have any plans to release another version of your excellent berryterminal system?

cheers

mrlinux2u

btw, do you have any plans to release another version of your excellent berryterminal system?

Only when either:

• the upstream project releases a new major version (there are only a few tiny changes since rev. 1443: https://code.launchpad.net/~ltsp-upstre ... /ldm-trunk )
  -OR-
• There are major changes on the Raspberry side (e.g. accelerated X)

btw, do you have any plans to release another version of your excellent berryterminal system?

Only when either:

• the upstream project releases a new major version (there are only a few tiny changes since rev. 1443: https://code.launchpad.net/~ltsp-upstre ... /ldm-trunk )
  -OR-
• There are major changes on the Raspberry side (e.g. accelerated X)

That's fine as berry terminal is more than a match for my dedicated thin client.

cheers

mrlinux2u

Hi Max

Thanks for this outstanding little image!

I already had edubuntu installed and LTSP configured but never even thought of trying to run the Pi from ltsp. I am amazed at the performance, which is mostly of course server side.
I can actually use libreoffice with ease. This makes using the Pi a pleasure.

Thanks again.

regards

Hi Max,

nice to see BerryTerminal, working with Edubuntu LTSP. I have a project (language labs), and I will try with this configuration.
Thanks for the image.

rgds