LTSP on Hard Drive | Online Tech Tips, Free Software for Everybody

LTSP on Hard Drive

Posted in Linux, Open Source | By AhTim @ August 21st, 2008

LTSP or Linux Terminal Server Project is one of the good method to save your Microsoft Windows OS license cost.Basically, LTSP client can boot on various way: a diskette, CDROM, Network Card (NIC) or Hard Drive. In this way, of course it save your hardware cost too!

I’ve implemented LTSP client in production workstation 2 years ago. All LTSP client boot with configuration set on SUSE Linux server (SLES 9). Less admin work, easier to maintain such huge workstation pool. Most of my LTSP client have no hard drive. They run on just NIC or a diskette for older motherboard that don’t have PXE.

LTSP Boot Device Problem

Recently I faced a problem to overcome LTSP boot device error. As you know, we seldom use acient floppy drive nowadays. Some old LTSP computer have to boot from floppy diskette and the floppy drive spoilt. How to resolve this problem once for all? It is tedious job to buy floppy drive and replace. Floppy drive and diskette is high consumable item. It can just spoilt easily without notice.

So, I’ve do some reseach and found a way to install LTSP client on hard drive (HDD). Since the old computer has small and unuse hard drive, I can utilise that. Now we don’t scrap those 2GB, 4GB, 10GB hard drive. What a waste. They are more than enough to store 5MB LTSP boot image!

Install LTSP Boot from Hard Drive

I surpise nobody post about this method on internet. Actually, it is quite easy if you know the tricks. You will need to download 2 files:

After download the files, unzip the RAWRITE.zip and “burn” the eb_on_hd.ima image into a blank floppy diskette. In Windows Command Prompt:

>  rawriteb eb_on_hd.ima a:

Wait for the floppy disk to be written in all 80 circles. Boot up the old computer from the floppy diskette. Follow the instruction on screen and install etherboot on hard drive ( for all NIC drivers). Done!

Now my old LTSP client has been resurrect and running even smoother. ;)

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One Response to “LTSP on Hard Drive”

  1. CrazyHorse Says:
    March 6th, 2009 at 5:26 pm

    It sounds really good!!! I will test tomorrow with our LTSP Project, I’ll let you know!

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