Disable Shutdown in KDE
 

I am maintaining a Simply Mepis box for public use of searching the web and accessing Email. I need to disable the Log out Shutdown feature on the KDE toolbar so that only I can do it in Terminal mode with Root password. Some one is shuting it down and depriveing others use of the system till I turn it back on. The public only has access to the keyboard and mouse. The only Icon I leave on the desktop is to firefox but someone has figured out how to right click the mouse and do a shutdown. Just seting KDE so only root can shut it down wont solve the problem because it drops it down to a password required window and you can neither shut it down nor return to desktop without root password. Grrrrr TIA for your help. Maury

change your desktop manager to gdm or xdm and completely remove kdm, then it wont give you any option to shutdown, just log out. i know this isnt much better but thats about the best kde has to offer. you could set up fluxbox and w/ idesk to do that though.

I'm trying to find an easier way. I've been using linux 3 1/2 years now but am not really into command line though I can go in and make changes if I have the information. Someone pointed me to how I could change a script to disable the screensaver password feature and that worked for awhile but now whoever is doing it has figured a way to shut it down so I set it to require root pasward but that dosen't really solve the problem. I suspect there is a way to disable the shutdown Logout feature inside KDE somewhere. Anyone???

Kiosk mode
 

http://www.roseindia.net/linux/tutor...osk-HOWTO.html


v1.0, October 1999

This document provides a guide for setting up a WWW-based kiosk using Linux, X11R6, FVWM2, Netscape Navigator 4.X, and a customized trackball. It outlines the methods that were used to create a public kiosk for the Hands On Biodiversity Gallery at the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto.

RE:Kiosk mode
 

Thanks for the link. I got busy and am just getting back to the problem. It looks like this may be the answer if I can just figure out how to put it all together.

I'm interested in setting up a similar box; are you using kde's kioskTool? I've been having trouble getting it working right.

Anyway, I noticed in kcontrol you can go to KDE components => session manager and uncheck "offer shutdown options". This removes the shutdown/restart options when you logout. Is this what you're talking about?

I didn't even know that feature was there will check it out later. I did solve my problem. Google up KioskCD 2.8. I tried to download it from their server but had problems but there is a link and I purchased two of them delivered for 8 bucks. I put one in the box and it is being used as is. It just boots up to a firefox browser and a few links and all they have to do is type in a web address and go. that is all the control they have, surf the web and get email. Thats IT. On the website is another small prog. for customizing and reburning (your own start page) when I have time I'll do that but it's working fine as is and no hard drive required. Running on a P III 256mb sdram. <smile>

Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out (it's been recommended to me on another forum as well). I was kind of hoping to give them more than just web browsing, though; just in a controlled environment.

Yeah I wanted to do the same but it got out of hand. I still don't know if it was someone playing games or just dumb but it was too much of a hassel to deal with. So far I've had no complaints from the new setup. Good Luck.