
Ask HN: How to prepare laptop for 7 years old kid? - dawidw
I want to prepare laptop for my 7 years old daughter.<p>- OS should be linux based
- Only applications available: Anki, LibreOffice, some email client. No root privileges. Other applications like Firefox etc. not installed or blocked
- Tux games available only Saturday 0800-1200<p>I was thinking about installing Ubuntu then creating separate user with limited access to each application as described [1]. And then some systemd script adding user to game group only during defined period of time - the same way as [1].<p>Is there any better way to do that?<p>Any other suggestions regarding the topic?<p>[1] https:&#x2F;&#x2F;askubuntu.com&#x2F;questions&#x2F;8149&#x2F;how-can-i-restrict-program-access-to-other-users
======
txutxu
Regarding games schedule, if the user is not root you can use cron or systemd
timers, but this could be more user friendly for a child:

Create a zenity, xdialog, or any kind of graphical dialog explaining why it's
not gaming time (even remembering the allowed gaming time) and put it in
/usr/bin/games-denied

Rename the games to /usr/bin/GAME-allowed

Then with cron/timers just symlink /usr/bin/GAME to one or the other, so when
the kid click in the game will get a dialog or the game, depending on the
hour.

Also, I could recommend:

1) Try to automate the re-installation (disk images, preseed/kickstart for the
OS, ansible for the setup...)

2) Provide some way to make backups (the kid will create content, you may want
to save)

3) Download a lot of content (drawings to colorize, songs, funny images,
whatever may interest this kid) and put it in the Documents/ dir so the kid
can explore. Install extra fonts, icons, and whatever may improve document
creation.

4) You may explore the system package manager for educational, science or
artistic stimulation packages. Kids are surprised when they see the can play
the piano in the laptop, or they can see the stars, or ... :)

apt-cache show ubuntu-edu-preschool

apt-cache show ubuntu-edu-primary

apt-cache show ubuntu-edu-secondary

5) Put a sound recorder icon, and a cam recorder icon, right in the desktop
(if there is sound card or web cam in the laptop), you may get surprised by
their creativity :)

~~~
LinuxBender
Big +1 for the automation of the re-installation. Maybe even have a pxe
kickstart so the kid can choose to re-image their machine if they want. Add
prompts that ask them twice if they are sure.

Automate OS patches. Set up game saves to an NFS server that takes snapshots
with rsnapshot or lvm snapshots.

------
akulbe
I have the perfect set of steps:

Put it in a closet and forget about it.

Sell it.

Give it away.

Don't give it to her.

It's way too early. You don't want to _destroy_ her attention span do you?

Why am I saying this? I have a daughter, same age. We gave her access to
screen time too early.

It introduced a lack of ability to focus (even with giving it to her in
limited doses).

Then shortly thereafter, it became the only thing that mattered.

Books? NOPE.

Art? NOPE.

Crafting? NOPE.

Lego? NOPE.

We ended up taking it away. The reaction was swift, but short-lived. Now all
the other things that used to matter - matter once again.

I'm not a pro, I'm not claiming to be a pro. I'm just a fellow dad, who has
been down this road… and it was ugly.

Save yourself the trouble. I _promise_ \- she won't be any worse off for
waiting a little longer to be introduced to the vortex that is technology.

------
sloaken
Plastic wrap - you know where the juice will be spilled

Insurance - because you know the hands will slip

Make sure you do the backup. You will need to do a restore or complete wipe at
least once if not twice. In addition if you have GREAT backups, or go virtual,
you will probably do restores 3 to 4 times in the first year. Kids will hit
buttons as they explore, this is a good thing, it is to be encouraged. And you
will ask "Why on earth would someone take their root folder and throw it
away?" Because kids learn by exploring. If you do a simple restore then they
learn what they did and how to fix it. If you get mad, and spend a few hours
fixing it, they learn not to explore.

~~~
SamReidHughes
7 is how old I was when my second grade teacher taught us not to have drinks
at the computer. It wasn't until college that I unlearned that.

------
piocho
"off-side" message here :

I'll probably sound like an old man, you know this kind of people who says "It
was better before" and "I used to play with only one toy back it time" and so
on,

but isn't it too young to give a computer to your 7yo daughter ? I'm curious
to know why she should have a computer ? does she need for her courses ?

Please do not think I'm saying that just to criticize you, I'm just curious.

