[Ltsp-discuss] Video card issues on thin client with an LTSP-PNP server running Debian 8

[Robert Mavrinac]

I have built a new i386 LTSP-PNP server, and "inxi -G" on the server yields:


Graphics: Card: Matrox Systems MGA G200eW WPCM450
Display Server: X.Org 1.16.4 drivers: mga (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
Resolution: ***@59.88hz, ***@59.88hz
GLX Renderer: Gallium 0.4 on llvmpipe (LLVM 3.5, 128 bits) GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 10.3.2



The clients are mostly Atom N270 with Intel 945GSE integrated graphics.


As a fat client, "inxi -G" on the client yields:


Graphics: Card: Intel Mobile 945GSE Express Ingegrated Graphics Controller

Display Server: X.Org 1.16.4 drivers: N/A

Resolution: ***@60.00hz

GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel x86/MMX/SSE2

GLX Version: 2.1 Mesa 10.3.2


Question #1:


If the package xserver-xorg-video-intel is providing the graphics card support, why is "inxi -G" reporting "drivers: N/A"? Surely I don't need a proprietary driver.


Question #2:


If I run the client as a thin client, a notice displays that the desktop is "Running in software rendering mode". Isn't a thin client supposed to be using it's local X server and video drivers?

[Vagrant Cascadian]

On 2015-06-23, Robert Mavrinac wrote:
> I have built a new i386 LTSP-PNP server, and "inxi -G" on the server yields:
>
> Graphics: Card: Matrox Systems MGA G200eW WPCM450
> Display Server: X.Org 1.16.4 drivers: mga (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
> Resolution: ***@59.88hz, ***@59.88hz
> GLX Renderer: Gallium 0.4 on llvmpipe (LLVM 3.5, 128 bits) GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 10.3.2

The server's graphics hardware is not used for fat or thin clients.


> The clients are mostly Atom N270 with Intel 945GSE integrated graphics.
>
>
> As a fat client, "inxi -G" on the client yields:
>
>
> Graphics: Card: Intel Mobile 945GSE Express Ingegrated Graphics Controller
>
> Display Server: X.Org 1.16.4 drivers: N/A
>
> Resolution: ***@60.00hz
>
> GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel x86/MMX/SSE2
>
> GLX Version: 2.1 Mesa 10.3.2
>
>
> Question #1:
>
>
> If the package xserver-xorg-video-intel is providing the graphics card
> support, why is "inxi -G" reporting "drivers: N/A"? Surely I don't
> need a proprietary driver.

Never used inxi, no idea what it's querying. But yes, the
xserver-xorg-video-intel is surely the correct package.


> Question #2:
>
>
> If I run the client as a thin client, a notice displays that the
> desktop is "Running in software rendering mode".

Which desktop environment?

It may be related to https://bugs.debian.org/776746


> Isn't a thin client supposed to be using it's local X server and video
> drivers?

It uses the client hardware, but hardware accelleration requires
coordination from the server-side software that typically isn't
available via ssh X11Forwarding or even plain X11 traffic
(e.g. LDM_DIRECTX=true).

Many desktop environments no longer support running X remotely,
unfortunately...


live well,
vagrant

[Robert Mavrinac]

> From: Vagrant Cascadian <***@debian.org>
> Sent: June 23, 2015 1:19 PM
> To: Robert Mavrinac; ltsp-***@lists.sourceforge.net
> Subject: Re: [Ltsp-discuss] Video card issues on thin client with an LTSP-PNP server running Debian 8
>
> On 2015-06-23, Robert Mavrinac wrote:
> > I have built a new i386 LTSP-PNP server, and "inxi -G" on the server yields:
> >
> > Graphics: Card: Matrox Systems MGA G200eW WPCM450
> > Display Server: X.Org 1.16.4 drivers: mga (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
> > Resolution: ***@59.88hz, ***@59.88hz
> > GLX Renderer: Gallium 0.4 on llvmpipe (LLVM 3.5, 128 bits) GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 10.3.2
>
> The server's graphics hardware is not used for fat or thin clients.
>
> > The clients are mostly Atom N270 with Intel 945GSE integrated graphics.
> >
> >
> > As a fat client, "inxi -G" on the client yields:
> >
> >
> > Graphics: Card: Intel Mobile 945GSE Express Ingegrated Graphics Controller
> >
> > Display Server: X.Org 1.16.4 drivers: N/A
> >
> > Resolution: ***@60.00hz
> >
> > GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel x86/MMX/SSE2
> >
> > GLX Version: 2.1 Mesa 10.3.2
> >
> >
> > Question #1:
> >
> >
> > If the package xserver-xorg-video-intel is providing the graphics card
> > support, why is "inxi -G" reporting "drivers: N/A"? Surely I don't
> > need a proprietary driver.
>
> Never used inxi, no idea what it's querying. But yes, the
> xserver-xorg-video-intel is surely the correct package.
>

OK. So the driver is good.

inxi is just a handy little system information tool for the console.

>
> > Question #2:
> >
> >
> > If I run the client as a thin client, a notice displays that the
> > desktop is "Running in software rendering mode".
>
> Which desktop environment?
>
> It may be related to https://bugs.debian.org/776746
>
>
> > Isn't a thin client supposed to be using it's local X server and video
> > drivers?
>
> It uses the client hardware, but hardware accelleration requires
> coordination from the server-side software that typically isn't
> available via ssh X11Forwarding or even plain X11 traffic
> (e.g. LDM_DIRECTX=true).
>
> Many desktop environments no longer support running X remotely,
> unfortunately...

Now that makes sense. What desktop is best to use on the thin client for now? Mate?

Also, I'm having problems setting the display resolution using xrandr settings in lts.conf. I was using ltsp-cluster settings, up to now, to set a custom variable if the xrandr settings were different than the default. I can't seem to get anything but 1024x768.

> live well,
> vagrant


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[Robert Mavrinac]

Never mind about the video resolution - I have it working now.
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[Lance Levsen]

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Hash: SHA1

What was the issue? I've had off and on issues with thin client
resolution before. I usually solve it by directing them to the thick
client install.

Cheers,
lance


On 23/06/2015 2:10 PM, Robert Mavrinac wrote:
> Never mind about the video resolution - I have it working now.
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Monitor 25 network devices or servers for free with OpManager!
> OpManager is web-based network management software that monitors
> network devices and physical & virtual servers, alerts via email & sms
> for fault. Monitor 25 devices for free with no restriction. Download now
> http://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/clk/292181274;119417398;o
> _____________________________________________________________________
> Ltsp-discuss mailing list. To un-subscribe, or change prefs, goto:
> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/ltsp-discuss
> For additional LTSP help, try #ltsp channel on irc.freenode.net
>

- --
Lance Levsen, Catprint Computing
C: 306-230-8783 P: 306-493-2278
PO Box 579 Delisle, SK, S0L 0P0
Canada
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[Robert Mavrinac]

Regarding problems with resolution:

We were using ltsp-cluster for so long, the convenience of grouped settings will be sadly missed.

I used to have a custom xrandr script that would run when XRANDR_DISABLE=True, using the xrandr variables provided to the clients by the cluster configuration, to set the resolution correctly for a variety of client video cards and monitors.

Now, with lts-pnp and no ltsp-cluster, I have to script the creation of the lts.conf sections to configure all the clients individually with sections based on MAC. Seems like a lot of extra work, since I have about 200 clients. I'm hoping to find some a more efficient way to do this.

I now let the default xrandr script do the work. My problem was getting the sections right to include the correct xrandr settings, for example the lts.conf looks something like this:

[Default]
LDM_DIRECTX=True
LDM_SESSION="mate-session"
LDM_THEME="ltsp"
RM_SYSTEM_SERVICES="apache2 mysql dnsmasq nbd-server nfs-kernel-server"
RM_THIN_SYSTEM_SERVICES="qemu-kvm virtualbox"
USE_LOCAL_SWAP=False
LOCAL_APPS=True
LOCALDEV=True
XKBLAYOUT="us"
TIMESERVER=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
DNS_SERVER="xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx"
LTSP_FATCLIENT=False
XRANDR_DISABLE=False

[VGA1]
# LTSP_FATCLIENT=True
XRANDR_OUTPUT_0="VGA1"
XRANDR_MODE_0="1280x1024"
XRANDR_NEWMODE_0="1280x1024 109.00 1280 1368 1496 1712 1024 1027 1034 1063 -hsync +vsync"

[DVI1]
# LTSP_FATCLIENT=True
XRANDR_OUTPUT_0="DVI1"
XRANDR_MODE_0="1920x1080"
XRANDR_NEWMODE_0="1920x1080_60.00 173.00 1920 2048 2248 2576 1080 1083 1088 1120 -hsync +vsync"

[00:e0:c5:3d:4a:8c]
HOSTNAME=eh3104-2
LIKE=VGA1


I like that I can easily switch between thin and fat client mode. I certainly need these ATOM clients to run as thin clients, with some local aps, to take advantage of some servers with lots of resources like CPUs and memory.
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[Alkis Georgopoulos]

On 24/06/2015 08:34 μμ, Robert Mavrinac wrote:
> We were using ltsp-cluster for so long, the convenience of grouped settings will be sadly missed.

I've never used ltsp-cluster, could you explain that a bit more?
lts.conf supports "LIKE=" directives for grouping settings.
A new settings deamon, ltspd (http://wiki.ltsp.org/wiki/Dev:Ltspd), will
be implemented for LTSP6 in order to replace lts.conf.
That daemon will also support an /etc/ltsp/config.d directory.

If you're asking for something specific, maybe the ltspd specs could be
changed so that they cover it...

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For additi

[Helmut Lichtenberg]

Hi Vagrant,

Vagrant Cascadian schrieb am 23.06.2015 19:19:
> On 2015-06-23, Robert Mavrinac wrote:
> > Isn't a thin client supposed to be using it's local X server and video
> > drivers?
>
> It uses the client hardware, but hardware accelleration requires
> coordination from the server-side software that typically isn't
> available via ssh X11Forwarding or even plain X11 traffic
> (e.g. LDM_DIRECTX=true).
>
> Many desktop environments no longer support running X remotely,
> unfortunately...

I'm not shure, what this finally means.
Will LTSP suffer from this?
What about KDE, is it also influenced?

Regards
Helmut

--
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Helmut Lichtenberg <***@fli.bund.de> Tel.: [phone]
Institut für Nutztiergenetik (FLI) 31535 Neustadt Germany
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

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