Maintaining a Computer Lab (LTSP)

There are a lot of suggestions to make when maintaining a Linux Lab. Feel free to use this page as a resource when maintaining your Linux Lab via LTSP.

About Computer Lab Maintainance

I often tell my students, "If you really want to learn about Linux system administration, create a Linux computer lab (via LTSP), and volunteer to provide support for that lab" ...

Linux system administration can be a number of task which may include:

• Checking / maintaining smooth operation of the server / workstations (run benchmarks)
• Replace defective server / workstation hardware
• Perform computer hardware upgrades
• Install applications
• Upgrade Linux OS / Upgrade applications
• Create / Remove / Suspend Linux computer accounts
• Create / Enforce Acceptable Use Policy of Computer Lab
• Maintain security (from within / outside) the computer lab
• Write programs (including shell scripts) to automate routine tasks

As the saying goes "necessity is the mother of invention", and when you set up a system to support, users will ask you questions which will encourage you to automate or fix problems, instead of you having to think of what to automate by yourself. There is simply no better experience (other than working for a company in IT)...

Ubuntu LTSP Documentation (General Reference)

Here is a link to Edubuntu's Documentation of the LTSP server: http://doc.ubuntu.com/edubuntu/edubuntu/handbook/C/server.html

Automating Routine Tasks

As a Linux system (LTSP computer lab) administrator, Your jobs is to "look after" the smooth operation of the computer lab. This will require you to either use graphical applications (programs) to administer the computer lab, or open a command prompt (called a "shell" in Linux terminology) to issue Linux operating system commands.

What ?!? Issue old fashioned Linux commands? Yuk!

Well hold on here a minute... I didn't say you always had to issue Linux commands, there are a lot of graphical programs that act as graphical "frontends" to achieve the same result from issuing Linux commands. But sometimes it is nice to know you can resort to Linux commands if a graphical administration tool is not available. Also, Linux commands can be placed into a file to run (like MS Windows "batch" files) to automate routine tasks. This allow you to create you own "customized" programs!

A wise Linux user once mentioned, "With Linux, learn it once, know it always". What is really means is if you take the time to learn how to do everything in Linux by issuing commands and understanding its files and structure, you can perform all of the tasks with or without graphical administration programs. Therefore, people that were working on UNIX systems in the 70's can still operate new Linux systems (and not have to pay $10.000 every 4 years to maintain their designation, or learn new graphical administration tools)...

Knowing which type of programming language to use when automating a task is based upon a programmers experience of knowing which is the "best tool for the task". Should the program is compiled (like C, C++, etc) for efficient operation (if a lot of people run same program within a compressed period of time), or should program be interpreted (eg. Shell Script, Perl Script, JavaScript) for ease of programming? Many factors are involved here, but shell scripting is definately an easy way for the adminstrator to automate rountine tasks... I will only be discussing Shell Scripting in the WIKI, although, you can access by webpage to learn other programming languages (like C - Course: IPC144)...

Many of the shell scripts on the Internet are "open-source" so instead of trying to "re-invent the wheel", you may be able to use, and modify to meet your own needs...

Learn How to Use Linux

There are many resources in the Internet on learning Linux commands and shell scripting. Here is a link to an old (defunct) scripting course I taught: https://cs.senecac.on.ca/~murray.saul/SPR720/notes.html

Sample Shell Scripts

These sample shell scripts will grow over time... Note that some of the shell scripts using the "zenity" Linux command (utility) to provide graphical input/output boxes that can be used when you run shell scripts...

Scheduling Routine Tasks (cron)

To be completed...

Additional Resources

To be completed ...