Setting up a box for two 3 year olds
Hello, My next door neighbor(who is a windows user) had a question
for me:
"Could I set up a computer for my two 3 year old sons to use."
Well, that is easy with even windows..but, he added:
"I want to make it so I have one computer, and both of them can use
it at the same time"
See, this is where linux comes it. I figure, with an extra ps/2 card,
a second graphics card, and an extra keyboard / mouse ,you have a
perfectly usable system(two x sessions). But, I really want it to be
usable for the kids, using Debian of course. I looked at debian-jr
and chatted with SynrG for a while and came up with these crazy
ideas(and discovered some too):
- Use kdm so they can click their picture to log in(non-networked box
with paswordless kid users).
- Use xfce with the most useful to them programs on the panel(more
explanation later)
- have gmc load with xfce set to have BIG icons(64x64 or 72x72)
- Play a soundfile saying "Hello name" on login
- Maybe use glade + my not-so-good coding skills to write a little
program to help them use a console(well, since they can't read, it
could be ready when they can)
Well, I know the idea of passwordless users seems crazy, but they are
3 years old and can't read. Their parents are also windows GUI
people, and could have issues with passwords. The fact that they are
open to linux is amazing to me(but I'll probably leave it as a
windows dual boot for some of the windows only stuff). Of course, my
telling them that linux could do what they want it to(with only one
box) helped a bit. But back on topic. Yeah, it is a security risk --
but the kids won't be on irc, and the box will be tightly protected
using ipchains / netfilter magic(in the ppp scripts...), and its not
a server, so it might have exim set up to transfer mail locally(for
cron and such). And the root password would be random.
Well, I have come upon a problem: according to some people I just
talked to, linux can't use more than one keyboard. And you can't have
more than 1 VC shown at a time..and so I can't run a copy of X on
each screen. Time to bug the kernel and X people(or hack X like the
people in #slashdot are telling me to).
Well, my xfce rant:
Ok, so xfce has buttons the kids could push. Make menus that have
programs kids would want, and the icon below them a program that is
general to the category -- xpaint, xterm, etc. Then, when they can
hit the arrows, and read, they can use the other programs in the
menu(self discovery). Of course, they get the full menu by clicking
the desktop, so they can figure that out after a while too. Nice
multi tier system of self discovery -- big gmc icons, then panel
icons, then submenus on the panel, then the real menu system.
Well, My ideas are half ranted out, and it is getting late, and I am
not hitting the keys any more...
---------------------
ASCII ART
*********
*
*********
"Ain't it l33t?"
All views expressed are IMHO.
Because MHO is better than yours.
unknown_lamer
Reply to: