Which Tools Does LTSP Automatically Configure?

Updated

LTSP automatically configures and uses a specific set of networking, boot, storage, and authentication tools so that a single template installation can serve many diskless clients. According to the Linux Terminal Server Project, these tools are: iPXE, dnsmasq or isc-dhcp-server, dnsmasq or tftpd-hpa, mksquashfs, NFS or NBD, tmpfs and overlayfs, NFS or SSHFS, and SSH, SSHFS, or LDAP. Each one covers a distinct part of the boot-and-run chain, from the initial network boot menu to user login.

The full tool set and what each one does

Tool Role in LTSP
iPXE Network boot loader that shows the initial client boot menu and loads the kernel/initrd
dnsmasq or isc-dhcp-server DHCP server that assigns IPs to clients, or ProxyDHCP server when another DHCP server is used (e.g. a router)
dnsmasq or tftpd-hpa TFTP server that sends ipxe/kernel/initrd to the clients
dnsmasq Optional DNS server for DNS caching or blacklisting
mksquashfs Creates a compressed copy of the template image/chroot/VM to be used as the client root /
NFS or NBD Serves the squashfs image to the network
tmpfs and overlayfs Make the squashfs image temporarily writable for each client, similarly to live CDs
NFS or SSHFS Access the user's /home directory, which resides on the server
SSH or SSHFS or LDAP Authenticate users against the server

How the choices work

Several roles offer more than one option, so the exact tools in use depend on your setup:

  • DHCP: use dnsmasq or isc-dhcp-server as the DHCP server. If another DHCP server already exists on the network (for example, a router), LTSP uses one of these as a ProxyDHCP server instead.
  • TFTP: dnsmasq or tftpd-hpa handles sending ipxe/kernel/initrd to clients.
  • Client root image delivery: NFS or NBD serves the squashfs image over the network.
  • Home directories: NFS or SSHFS provides access to the user's /home on the server.
  • Authentication: SSH, SSHFS, or LDAP authenticates users against the server.

dnsmasq can appear in multiple roles (DHCP/ProxyDHCP, TFTP, and optional DNS), which is why it is listed more than once.

Why this matters

Because LTSP wires these tools together automatically, maintaining tens or hundreds of diskless clients becomes as easy as maintaining a single PC. The template installation lives in a virtual machine image, a chroot on the LTSP server, or the server root (/, chrootless), and the tools above turn that single template into a working netboot environment for every client.

For setup details, the project points to its installation page.