Unbreakeable Linux DE for Youngsters

[spankmon]

Currently the grandkids are using Mint xfce to play games on Steam or locally installed. Also, flash games on the internet, youtube, PBS, Netflix and typical kid interests. I run maintenance on their pc every ten days or so. Sometimes I'll find that they have goofed-up several things on the xfce desktop. I'm looking for a way to permit their haphazard pc use without destroying the desktop. I need a bulletproof desktop environment and feel confident that a few of you geezers out there have already found an answer. Maybe an openbox session with only the visible app launchers that are absolutely necessary for their clicking craziness?

 

[USAFRet]

1. Don't give them the admin password.
Little they can screw up without that.

2. Different user accounts. If Johnny screws up his desktop, it does not affect Janes desktop.

 

[spankmon]

It's mostly destruction of the desktop interface, deleted icons, panels that disappear, multiple instances of apps... even while the items have been locked. They don't have access to the passwords, but they do things that can make the computer unuseable until I'm around to fix it. Thanks for the reply.

 

[dmroeder]

I say let them break it, then have them help you fix it. That's how they'll learn, teach them.

 

[spankmon]

I say let them break it, then have them help you fix it. That's how they'll learn, teach them.

That's my intention... but gradually. For now I just need the desktop to be as unbreakable as possible while still allowing them to use it with abandon. By the way, this isn't about security issues (they are supervised regarding content), but about a solid user interface. One that is still usable even after app crashes, accidental drag-and-drops, resizing windows to invisibility, things of that nature.

 

[skittle]

I would just make the desktop read-only for example. Or just take a tar image and let them break it. It is a learning experience.

 

[dmroeder]

What do you think about running a virtual machine and letting the kids use that instead of the host? Then you could have a snapshot to revert back to.