computing for kids

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computing: for kids

Overview

Computers intended for use by children have a specialized set of needs.

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Notes

Linux for kids

Linux offers a lot more fine-tuned control of how computers are set up, including who is allowed access and what they are allowed access to. There is even a particular distribution of Ubuntu aimed at kids – Edubuntu – but it is designed more for educational contexts than for home use.

Handy remote-control commands:

• sudo shutdown now
  • forces the computer to shutdown immediately, terminating all activity (especially useful at bedtime)
• telinit 3 ; telinit 5
  • not sure of the details, but this should end the current GUI session without shutting down (n.b. phealy says telinit 5 won't work on Ubuntu, so just telinit 3 should suffice)
• ps -u username
  • shows what processes the user is currently running; you can kill any inappropriate games

To be able to view what kids are seeing remotely (incomplete instructions):

• on the kid's machine:
  • edit /etc/X11/xorg.conf
    • inside Section "Module", add Load "vnc"
    • inside Section "Screen", add Option "PasswordFile" "/root/.vnc/passwd"
    • save the changes
  • as root, run vncpasswd
• not sure what happens next; does something need restarting? Presumably you also need to run a VNC client on your machine, and that will need parameters...