Linux scuola kiosk mode - omartek/linux_variePerLaboratorio GitHub Wiki
It may come in handy to safeguard the panels of Xubuntu against a clumsy user, who may otherwise remove them by accident. You can do that by locking down the panels, or put them in kiosk mode. You can do that as follows:
- Configure the panels in your user account exactly as you want them. Including plugins etc.
- Now copy the panel settings in your home folder, to a systemwide folder. The settings file is called xfce4-panel.xml.
Copy and paste the following magical incantation into the terminal (this is one line):
sudo cp -v ~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-panel.xml /etc/xdg/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/
- Now make sure that you have installed the applications gksu and leafpad:
sudo apt-get install gksu leafpad
- Then type in the terminal (use copy/paste to avoid typo's):
gksudo leafpad /etc/xdg/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-panel.xml
Almost at the top of the text in that text file you see the line:
<channel name="xfce4-panel" version="1.0">
Delete that line and replace it by this line (use copy/paste):
<channel name="xfce4-panel" version="1.0" locked="*" unlocked="root">
Save the modified text file.
Reboot your computer.
The panels are now in kiosk mode and can't be deleted or modified. See the screenshot below, what happens when you try to modify it anyway (click on it to enlarge it):
Note: when your Xubuntu has more user accounts than your own, the kiosk mode has an annoying side effect.
Those other users will namely lose a part of the functions of their panels, because they have been locked on the settings of one user account (yours). In realtà si possono aggiungere gli utenti con permesso di modifica
Undo panel lockdown (reverse the kiosk mode)
Reversing the panel lockdown is easy: simply remove the file xfce4-panel.xml from the system folder in which you placed it earlier on. Removal by terminal command is easiest:
- Open a terminal:
Menu button - Accessories - Terminal Emulator
Copy and paste the following magical incantation into the terminal (this is one line):
sudo rm -v /etc/xdg/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-panel.xml
Press Enter. Your password will remain entirely invisible, not even dots will show, this is normal.
- Reboot your computer.
The panel lockdown has now been undone, for all user accounts.
- Create the directory /etc/guest-session/skel
- While logged on under an admin account, start a guest session
- Make any changes to the guest session that you want using whatever tools/utilities you wish
- Change back to admin account and open a terminal
- cd to /tmp and find the temporary guest home directory (guest-XXXXX).
- Copy the files in the temporary guest home directory to /etc/guest-session/skel using the command: ‘sudo cp -rT /tmp/guest-XXXXX /etc/guest-session/skel’.
- Log out of the guest session and login again to check.