Public PC

["Dave Walker" <carol.dave.walker@gmail.com>]

I hope to place a PC running Etch in our small (tiny, actually)
airport building for use by pilots. The PC will be used to access
perhaps 10 web sites (plus or minus) over a DSL connection and to run
a few utilities to show GMT and a calculator and maybe a few
additional applications. The box will also serve as a real-time data
collection platform and web server for a local weather observing
system, so I want to prevent it from being re-booted.

I hope to make the PC reasonably idiot proof (the box will be kept
separate from the users) - the keyboard and display will be
accessible. The goal is to keep users from inadvertently trashing the
machine, but to provide usability.

Should I run a GUI (currently Gnome is installed)? How do I restrict
access to functions that users shouldn't access?

Is there a way to run a menu system, without using a Gnome...perhaps
another window manager?

Thanks, all
Dave W.