I had good luck with this kind of thing using fvwm95. I chose fvwm95
because it require less configuration to make it provide a nice
Windows-like interface for our non-technical users. Here are some
hints that apply to either, working from the ground up:
Use xdm (on linux that'd be runlevel 5 default in your /etc/inittab)
Remove the entry for honoring CTR-ALT-DEL as a shutdown (can't
remember where this is) if you're on an Intel-architecture
If your users know what they're doing w/ XFree, you'll probably want
to turn off the CTR-ALT-BS option in your X server (didn't bother
with this myself)
Once in FVWM, turn off all the menus except a minimal window-ops, a
Start menu, and maybe a Start menu mirror accessed by a
root-window click. Don't allow access to the shell. Once someone
gets a shell prompt, game over. You lose.
With Netscape, fiddle with the .Xdefaults or app-defaults for Netscape
so access to undesirable items isn't permitted: setting geometry
to something like +1+1+1x1 for undesirable dialogs; commenting out
menu entries in app-defaults; that kind of thing.
Be *very* careful about how your helpers are setup and *make sure*
access to those configurations isn't permitted! Oh, telnet
handling might be a good thing to get rid of, since a
telnet://127.0.0.1 would normally be honored, with fairly bad
consequences I imagine.
Really, there's not a lot you need to do to fvwm other than stripping
out some configurations. A lot of the work needs to be done in other
places. I never got to go into production with my kiosks, but I felt
like I'd at least put together a real solid proof-of-concept. I'd
offer to share the .fvwm95rc and resources settings with you but the
machine I setup has been mothballed.
Previously...
>Greetings. I didn't find this in the FAQs:
>
>Can someone point me toward information on "dumbing down" fvwm2 for
>use as a window manager for a public web-based (netscape) kiosk.
>The users will have access to the keyboard, mouse, netscape and helper
>applications, but I'd like to limit access to any other applications.
>(I don't have to implement total security through fvwm2.)
>
>I suspect an appropriate .fvwm2rc would do the job. (Do I just
>need to remove menus?)
>
>Please cc any replies directly to me since I'm not on the list.
>
>Thanks in advance.
_________
mike (han_at_library.ucsf.edu)
I will not sell miracle cures
- The collected wisdom of Bart Simpson
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Received on Tue Jul 14 1998 - 14:59:28 BST