Software not friendly in an LTSP environment

This page lists bugs, design flaws, and important missing features in software that make the software not friendly to LTSP environments. When possible, this page should include links to bug trackers, any workarounds, and in which version the bug was fixed.

System resources

• Firefox and OpenOffice.org: both have shown that they can consume significant amounts of X11 resources and crash thin clients when visiting image heavy sites like popular social networks, or editing picture heavy documents. See Terminal Memory Usage documented by the Mille Xterm project for technical details.
• GNOME by the numbers: NFS locks, Evolution leaking memory, file handle leaks
• gamin's gam_server consumes way too much CPU time (Red Hat bug 204906)
• See also Fedora's meta-bug 204948 "Userspace sucks (wakeups)" for software that eats CPU

Easily fixed by rebooting a workstation

• GNOME panel randomly disappears but is still running

Not designed for network use

• ESD (ESound) cannot adjust volume (see also the page Sound)
• Linux GUI Palm Pilot applications don't work over network
• Gnome Nautilus: hide device icons (CD-ROM, floppy, etc.) in Computer and file dialogs

Not designed or well tested for multiple users per computer

• Gnome GDM: Cannot set XDMCP MaxSessions^?
• Gnome Vino preferences shows :0 for all users
• (fixed in GDM 2.??.??) Gnome GDM: Timed Login behavior broken when daemon/TimedLogin is set to a script that returns the userid via the pipe syntax
• (fixed in GDM 2.20.1) Gnome GDM: num_sessions never decrease after xdmcp logout

Bugs in LTSP itself

• Bugs in LTSP

Issues related to any Linux site with many users

In this section, the issues are not so LTSP-specific because they affect any Linux site with many users.

• OpenOffice.org: identify user who has opened a document (making it read only)
• World Domination as an Optimization Hack: a survey of large Gnome deployments
• Firefox does not remove .parentlock with profile on network file system

Ease of administration

• Evolution: Lockdown support meta-bug
• Evolution: support central deployment (softdist)

-- AndrewZ - 27 Sep 2006