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localboot

The localboot application allows openthinclient OS and applications to be installed on a local storage medium to speed up booting and reduce network load.

Configuration data (e.g., screen resolution or RDP connection settings) is still loaded over the network from the central openthinclient server. Therefore, maintain a permanent connection to the openthinclient server.

This solution enables thin clients at remote locations with low bandwidth to retain central administration through the openthinclient Manager.

Prerequisites

  • Ensure a functioning installation of thin clients that boot from the openthinclient server
  • Local storage media with at least 8 GB of storage space

Configuration

Below is an overview of the application’s configuration and settings options.

General Settings

Setting
 Value
 Explanation
Autostart

Yes

No

Whether the localboot configuration should start automatically when the thin client boots up.
Hide icon

Yes

Hide on desktop

Disable

Yes:

Hide the application icon.

Hide on desktop:

It'll place the icon in the menu and Run dialog.

Show the application icon.

Show the application icon
Custom icon File name or absolute path on the ThinClient
 File name of the icon in <Manager-Home>/nfs/root/custom/icons
After closing the application

Do nothing

Log out user

Shut down the thin client

Restart ThinClient

Configure the action that occurs when the application closes.

General settings

Setting
 Value
 Explanation
Unattended mode

Yes

No

If this option is selected, the system erases the storage medium without prompting. 
Select the hard drive to use.

Select during installation on ThinClient

sda

mmcblk0

mmcblk1

Manual entry, see next line
Manual device name Device name

To query the device name, open a shell on the thin client and enter the command lsblk .
Partition scheme for hard drive size

Automatically detect hard disk size

32 GB or more

16 GB or more

8 GB or more (best practice: use larger capacity)

Size of the partition scheme to be used.


Allocate 82% of the selected size to the system partition for the openthinclient OS and files from the Custom folder.

Allocate the remaining space to the boot partition and Persistent Home.

To expand the space for the Persistent Home, select a smaller partitioning scheme — it's recommended to allocate sufficient space for the system partition first.
Use Hybrid MBR

Yes

No

localboot creates a GUID partition table. Some thin clients with older BIOS versions might not boot from it. To work around this issue, create a hybrid MBR.

Leave this setting unchanged whenever possible and select Hybrid MBR only after encountering the issue described above.

Settings for updating Localboot clients

Setting
 Value
 Explanation
Enable client update

Yes

Yes, even when booted over the network

Select "No updates" to skip updates.

If enabled, the client checks every 10 min for updates to client packages on the server and installs them automatically as needed.
Bandwidth limit per second KB/s

If set to 0 the system uses the maximum available bandwidth. 

IP settings (cable connection)

Setting
 Value
 Explanation
Use DHCP

Yes

No
Static IP
Setting
 Value
 Explanation
IP and subnet mask (CIDR format)

IP and subnet mask

Network settings when "Use DHCP" is disabled.

With these settings, a single thin client can be operated with a static IP address. To do this, fill in all fields. Add the application directly to the thin client, not to the hardware type.

If all fields are specified, the client boots with a network connection; specifying fewer fields lets the client boot without networking, which is useful when configuring Wi-Fi settings below.
Default gateway

Gateway IP
Name server

IP of the local DNS server
Hostname

ThinClient hostname
Domain ThinClient domain

Wi-Fi settings

Configure settings for PSK or open Wi-Fi connections.

After booting, the system attempts to connect to all specified Wi-Fi networks until it establishes a connection.

Wi-Fi connections always use DHCP. Wi-Fi can operate alongside a wired connection. Alternatively, configure ThinClients to boot without a (wired) network — disable DHCP for the wired connection and leave the static IP field blank.

Note, all communication with the openthinclient server occurs via Wi-Fi when a wired connection isn't present. Disable the update if required.

Wi-Fi Connection 1 - 3
Setting
 Value
 Explanation
SSID Name of the Wi-Fi network
Password Wi-Fi network password

If a password is specified, attempt a WPA (PSK) connection.

If the password field's empty, the system attempts to connect to an open Wi-Fi network.
Band

Auto

2.4 GHz

5 GHz

Client-side restriction to a specific frequency band, even if the access point offers multiple bands.
Hidden SSID

Yes

No

Enables connection to a hidden SSID. This uses a direct scan instead of the normal broadcast.

Use this option only when required, as it slows down the scanning and, consequently, the connection process.
Additional Options

Expert settings: Option to add any options at the end of the network block.
Roaming for Wi-Fi Connection 1 - 3

Enables transparent switching to another access point with the same SSID if it provides a better connection.

Setting
 Value
 Explanation
Signal strength threshold (dBm)

Enable roaming

-85 dBm

to

-65 dBm

Threshold value at which the system attempts to switch access points.

As a rule of thumb, -70 dBm or higher is considered good, while a signal strength below -80 dBm can lead to significantly improved performance.

Short interval (s)

 Numeric

Configure how often to search for better access points when the signal is weaker than the threshold.

Long interval (s)

 Numeric

Configure how often to search for alternative access points when the signal is stronger than the threshold.

Install localboot via PXE

1. Determine the device name of the local storage medium

The easiest option is "Select during installation on ThinClient." This displays (only) the detected devices on the ThinClient

To preset the hard drive, open a terminal on the thin client CTRL+ALT+T and enter the following command:

lsblk -apde7

This is a shorthand for: ` lsblk --all --paths --nodeps --exclude 7` — a list of all block devices with full paths, including only independent devices.

Identify the desired device in the output.

NAME     MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
/dev/sda   8:0    0    10G  0 disk
/dev/sr0  11:0    1  1024M  0 rom

2. Run / set up localboot

2.1 Create a new localboot application. Configure the application and assign it to the desired thin clients.

2.2 Use PXE boot to start a thin client assigned to the localboot application.

2.3 The localboot application icon is located on the desktop.

2.4 After the application starts, the local storage medium is configured and the necessary data is copied.

3. Change the thin client’s boot settings

Restart the thin client and open the BIOS/UEFI. Change the boot settings to boot the thin client from the local storage medium.

To check which boot option was used, access System Information in the menu under System. Alternatively, read the environment variable `$localboot`, e.g., in a terminal window CTRL+ALT+T:

$ echo $localboot
true
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