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List: ltsp-discuss
Subject: Re: [Ltsp-discuss] Fat Client Graphics Distortion
From: richard kweskin <rkwesk_ltsp () hellug ! gr>
Date: 2017-02-28 21:32:17
Message-ID: 873ac58ca36094baa2e48baa02df1935 () hellug ! gr
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> FROM: richard kweskin <rkwesk_ltsp@hellug.gr>
> SENT: Monday, February 27, 2017 8:31 PM
> TO: ltsp-discuss@lists.sourceforge.net
> CC: Donaldson Jeff
> SUBJECT: RE: [Ltsp-discuss] Fat Client Graphics Distortion
>
>> From: richard kweskin [mailto:rkwesk_ltsp@hellug.gr [1]]
> > Sent: Friday, February 24, 2017 3:57 PM
> > To: Donaldson Jeff
> > Cc: ltsp-discuss@lists.sourceforge.net
> > Subject: Re: [Ltsp-discuss] Fat Client Graphics Distortion
> >
> >> FROM: richard kweskin <rkwesk_ltsp@hellug.gr>
> >> SENT: Friday, February 24, 2017 4:03 AM
> >> TO: ltsp-discuss@lists.sourceforge.net
> >> CC: Donaldson Jeff
> >> SUBJECT: Re: [Ltsp-discuss] Fat Client Graphics Distortion
> >>
> >> On 2017-02-23 21:41, Donaldson Jeff wrote:
> >> > Greetings,
> >> >
> >> > I'm running an Edubuntu 12.04 LTSP server and I am having an
> >> issue
> >> > with my Fat Client image where drop down and dialog boxes
> appear
> >> with > distorted graphics. These work just fine on the thin
> client
> >> side so I > imagine it is a video driver problem in the chroot.
> The
> >> machines are > using an Intel 4 Series Chipset Integrated
> Graphics
> >> Controller.
> >> I've
> >> > tried installing the ppa:glasen/intel-driver repository and
> >> updating > the drivers, but that has no effect. I'm at a loss as
> to
> >> how to get > these to appear correctly. Any help or insight is
> >> appreciated.
> >> >
> >> > P.S. If it's not too much trouble, kindly reply to me as well
> as
> >> the > list to ensure I don't miss any replies due to my email
> >> rules.
> >> > Thanks!
> >> >
> >> > Regards,
> >> > Jeff
> >>
> >> Jeff
> >>
> >> I have no experience with the Intel 4 Series Chipset Integrated
> >> Graphics Controller so I googled it. Intel regards this as legacy
> >> hardware so adding a ppa seems pointless.
> >>
> >> One important place to check is to see what kernel video driver
> is
>
> >> in
> >>
> >> play.
> >>
> >> You report that when this client runs as a thin client all is
> well.
> >> Compare which video driver is in use both when in thin client
> mode
> >> and in fat client mode. If you want to see the kernel video
> driver
> >> use the command lspci -knn | grep -A2 VGA in a terminal. Take
> care,
> >> however, that while in fat client mode the command will apply to
> >> the
> >> client's hardware as stated above, but when in thin client this
> >> same
> >> procedure
> >>
> >> reports the server's kernel video driver!
> >>
> >> If you also have the Epoptes application on your server open it
> and
> >> right click on the thin client's icon and choose run -> open
> local
> >> admin terminal. Then the above command will apply to the client
> and
> >> not the
> >>
> >> server.
> >>
> >> If you do not have Epoptes (but you really should add it!) see
> >>
> >> http://wiki.ltsp.org/wiki/Troubleshooting#xterm_localapp [2] [1]
> >>
> >> Troubleshooting - LTSPedia [2]
> >> wiki.ltsp.org
> >> This page is a stub, there should be some more information to
> >> provide
> >> a balanced overview of the topic. Help us make it complete.
> >>
> >> in order to then use the above command to see the thin client's
> >> kernel video driver.
> >>
> >> Please report back to the list what the above command shows in
> both
> >> modes when using the stock video driver and not the ppa one.
> >>
> >> Richard
> >> FROM: Donaldson Jeff
> >> SENT: Friday, February 24, 2017 12:02 PM
> >> TO: richard kweskin; ltsp-discuss@lists.sourceforge.net
> >> SUBJECT: Re: [Ltsp-discuss] Fat Client Graphics Distortion
> >>
> >> Richard,
> >>
> >> Thank you for the reply. When I run that command from the local
> >> console of a thin client, I get the following output:
> >>
> >> VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation 4 Series
> Chipset
> >> Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:2e12] (rev 03)
> >>
> >> Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:0420]
> >>
> >> Kernel driver in use: i915
> >>
> >> If I run the same command from the console of a fat client, I get
> >> the
> >> same results. So if they are using the same kernel video driver
> on
>
> >> the
> >> exact same hardware, why is one behaving differently than the
> other?
> >> Could it be a X issue? Also, if it helps...I've launched firefox
> >> from
> >> a terminal window to see if I encounter errors when accessing the
> >> drop
> >> downsdialog boxes and nothing appears in terminal. The machine is
> a
> >> Dell Optiplex 780. I've attached the lts.conf file and a picture
> so
> >> you can see the behavior. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
> >>
> >> Regards,
> >> Jeff
> > On 2017-02-24 19:12, Donaldson Jeff wrote:
> >> Also, I forgot to include that I added the X_OPTION_01 =
> ""NoAccel""
> >> to my lts.conf file and saw no change. It wasn't in the attached
> >> file
> >> I sent previously. Sorry about that. Thanks for any help you can
> >> provide.
> >>
> >> Regards,
> >>
> >> Jeff
> >>
> >> Jeff Donaldson
> >> Technology Director
> >> Newark Charter School
> >> jeff.donaldson@ncs.k12.de.us
> >> (302) 369-2001 ext: 625
> >
> > Jeff
> >
> > I have three more thoughts before I bow to those with more
> knowledge
> > on the subject.
> >
> > 1 - Check to see what kernel is in use in both modes. The command
> in
> > the terminal is
> >
> > uname -r
> >
> > Fat=3.2.0-123-generic-pae
> > Thin=3.2.0-123-generic-pae
> >
> > and show us the results please.
> >
> > 2 - Some pc's will use some main memory for the onboard graphics.
> > Check to see how much main memory and swap memory is used in both
> > modes. The command is
> >
> > free
> >
> > Fat=Used is 1.2gb out of 4gb. Swap is 0
> > Thin=Used is 1.1gb out of 4gb. Swap is 0
> >
> > and show us the results please.
> >
> > 3 - Your lts.conf shows that Gnome fallback session is used and at
> a
> > 16 bit color depth. What resolutions are offered and which one do
> you
> > use and at what refresh rate? Experiment with X_COLOR_DEPTH=8 and
> > with
> > X_COLOR_DEPTH=24 in lts.conf to see what changes you see (if any.)
> >
> > Richard
> On 2017-02-27 21:14, Donaldson Jeff wrote:
> > Richard,
> >
> > Thanks for the reply. I checked the kernel version and the memory,
> > and then tested the color depth. It seems that switching to 24 bit
> > has
> > fixed the problem in initial tests. Thanks for the heads up!
> >
> > Regards,
> > Jeff
> >
> > Jeff Donaldson
> > Technology Director
> > Newark Charter School
> > jeff.donaldson@ncs.k12.de.us
> > (302) 369-2001 ext:625
>
> Jeff
>
> That's great that your problem is solved. Hopefully you are using 24
> bit color depth only with the fat clients, since thin clients are
> constantly demanding network traffic to and from the server and
> increasing their color depth will adversly affect the network
> bandwidth.
>
> Richard
On 2017-02-28 15:03, Donaldson Jeff wrote:
> Richard,
>
> Thanks again. In a previous reply you mentioned having a different
> lts.conf for the Fat Clients. Since we primarily use thinthick
> clients, I didn't build a separate image for fat clients. I just put
> a
> ltsp-build-client.conf file in place and built the image. Then using
> the RAM_THRESHOLD variable is how we boot a fat client. Is it
> possible
> to have a second lts.conf using this method?
>
> Regards,
>
> Jeff
Jeff
No need for a second image. Your image is ready to serve a fat client
or a thin client as is. Also, no, you don't create a second lts.conf.
Indeed your RAM_THRESHOLD variable is one way to make a client fat or
thin. Placing this variable in the [Default] section means it applies to
all clients. Also, your X_COLOR_DEPTH variable will apply to all
clients.
Now if indeed all your clients are to run as either thin or fat then
make sure you set both variables appropriately. If, however, you intend
to have a mix of some thin and others fat you still need only the one
image and the one lts.conf, but you need to take care with the lts.conf.
Two senarios:
1 - You can use the fact that if fat clients have more main memory than
the thin ones you need only choose the RAM_THRESHOLD variable to
carefully lie in between so that those with more memory run fat and the
others thin. Not activating this variable at all (by putting # in front
of it) will mean that clients with less than 400 MB are thin and the
rest fat. If this is not desirable then use the variable with a value
that suits you. The X_COLOR_DEPTH variable is not needed (so put a # in
front of it) as it defaults to 16 for thin and 24 for fat clients.
2 - If some clients with the same amount of main memory are to run thin
while others run fat (which is possible) then you must create other
separate sections that do not fall under the [Default] section but
co-exist in the same lts.conf. These are illustrated by examples at the
end of http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/zesty/man5/lts.conf.5.html
Under headings with MAC addresses you can set whatever variables are
appropriate and they will override the default settings but each
client's MAC address you need to do this for needs its own heading. The
Like variable is useful.
Richard
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