Re: Public PC

[Kevin Mark <kevin.mark@verizon.net>]

On Sun, Aug 05, 2007 at 03:06:10PM -0500, Dave Walker wrote:
> 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.
The basics include: remove all packages that are not needed including
services(daemons). Disable access to the console in the xorg.conf (the
ctrl-alt-f1). Use stable releases. Get a 'test user' to try and do
stupid things to make it crash. 
If I understand you, the users will not need 'local' applications
(solitaire, word processor, games, etc.) but ONLY a web browser. As the
web browser will be the interface to some web server application that
does all this stuff like : calculate gmt, records data, etc. In that
case, all you need is a web browser and its reverse dependencies. Then
you can create an x session just containing the web browser, making it
the only thing on the screen.
=K
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