---
name: "ltsp"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "ltsp"
version: "23.02-3"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/ltsp"
---

# ltsp(8)

entry point to Linux Terminal Server Project applets

## NAME

**ltsp** - entry point to Linux Terminal Server Project applets

## SYNOPSIS

**ltsp** \[**-b** *base-dir*\] \[**-h**\] \[**-m** *home-dir*\] \[**-o** *overwrite*\] \[**-t** *tftp-dir*\] \[**-V**\] \[*applet*\] \[*applet-options*\]

## DESCRIPTION

Run the specified LTSP *applet* with *applet-options*. To get help with applets and their options, run \`**man ltsp** *applet*\` or \`**ltsp --help** *applet*\`.

## APPLETS

The following applets are currently defined:

- •

  **dnsmasq**: configure dnsmasq for LTSP

- •

  **image**: generate a squashfs image from an image source

- •

  **info**: gather support information about the LTSP installation

- •

  **initrd**: create the ltsp.img initrd add-on

- •

  **ipxe**: install iPXE binaries and configuration in TFTP

- •

  **kernel**: copy the kernel and initrd from an image to TFTP

- •

  **nfs**: configure NFS exports for LTSP

LTSP clients also have some additional applets, like **initrd-bottom**, **init** and **login**, but they're not runnable by the user.

## OPTIONS

LTSP directories can be configured by passing one or more of the following parameters, but it's recommended that an /etc/ltsp/ltsp.conf configuration file is created instead, so that you don't have to pass them in each ltsp command.

- **-b**, **--base-dir**=*/srv/ltsp*

  This is where the chroots, squashfs images and virtual machine symlinks are; so when you run **ltsp kernel img\_name**, it will search either for a squashfs image named **/srv/ltsp/images/img\_name.img**, or for a chroot named **/srv/ltsp/img\_name**, if it's a directory that contains /proc. Additionally, **ltsp image img\_name** will also search for a symlink to a VM disk named **/srv/ltsp/img\_name.img**. $BASE\_DIR is exported read-only by NFSv3, so do not put sensitive data there.

- **-h**, **--help**

  Display a help message.

- **-m**, **--home-dir**=*/home*

  The default method of making /home available to LTSP clients is SSHFS. In some cases security isn't an issue, and sysadmins prefer the insecure NFSv3 speed over SSHFS. $HOME\_DIR is used by **ltsp nfs** to export the correct directory, if it's different to /home, and by LTSP clients to mount it.

- **-o**, **--overwrite**\[=*0\|1*\]

  Overwrite existing files. Defaults to 1 as administrators are not supposed to manually edit LTSP autogenerated files, but maintain local content into separate files (e.g. /etc/exports.d/local.exports). If you manually maintain ltsp.ipxe, it might be a good idea to set OVERWRITE=0 in ltsp.conf.

- **-t**, **--tftp-dir**=*/srv/tftp*

  LTSP places the kernels, initrds and iPXE files in /srv/tftp/ltsp, to be retrieved by the clients via the TFTP protocol. The TFTP server of dnsmasq and tftpd-hpa are configured to use /srv/tftp as the TFTP root.

- **-V**, **--version**

  Display the version information.

## FILES

- **/etc/ltsp/ltsp.conf**

  All the long options can also be specified as variables in the **ltsp.conf** configuration file in UPPER\_CASE, using underscores instead of hyphens.

## ENVIRONMENT

All the long options can also be specified as environment variables in UPPER\_CASE, for example:

```
BASE_DIR=/opt/ltsp ltsp kernel ...
```

## EXAMPLES

The following are the typical commands to install and maintain LTSP in chrootless mode:

```
# To install:
ltsp image /
ltsp dnsmasq
ltsp nfs
ltsp ipxe
# To update the exported image, after changes in the server software:
ltsp image /
```

The following are the typical commands to provide an additional x86\_32 image, assuming one uses VirtualBox. If you specifically name it x86\_32, then the ltsp.ipxe code automatically prefers it for 32bit clients:

```
ln -rs $HOME/VirtualBox\ VMs/x86_32/x86_32-flat.vmdk /srv/ltsp/x86_32.img
ltsp image x86_32
ltsp ipxe
```

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright 2019-2022 the LTSP team, see AUTHORS.

## SEE ALSO

[**ltsp.conf**(5)](/ltsp.conf/5.md), [**ltsp-dnsmasq**(8)](/ltsp-dnsmasq/8.md), [**ltsp-image**(8)](/ltsp-image/8.md), [**ltsp-info**(8)](/ltsp-info/8.md), [**ltsp-initrd**(8)](/ltsp-initrd/8.md), [**ltsp-ipxe**(8)](/ltsp-ipxe/8.md), [**ltsp-kernel**(8)](/ltsp-kernel/8.md), [**ltsp-nfs**(8)](/ltsp-nfs/8.md), [**ltsp-remoteapps**(8)](/ltsp-remoteapps/8.md)

Online documentation is available on https://ltsp.org