null Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 I just installed ubuntu (5.10) on my kid's win2k box. Install went fine, with no errors anywhere. I liked the installer just fine. Only thing I didn't like was that I wasn't prompted for any package selection or deselection. Seems it just installed something like 5000 things I did not want. I figured that I would just remove them after install. I'm not really used to the synaptic front end. I always used apt from the CL. I try to remove things like evolution, open office, and other things an 8 yr old would not be interested in... but it doesn't like to let me do those things. Would be nice if I could do what I wanted to. So anyway, when I go to "advanced" mode like it suggests, and mark those things for removal, it gives a message that it will have to remove the following other item: ubuntu desktop not sure what that means... remove the desktop...??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nchancock Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 Ubuntu Desktop is a meta-package that, as far as I know, can be safely removed. I have removed it on my box without consequences. You might also want to check out this site: http://www.cs.cornell.edu/~djm/ubuntu/ They've got all kinds of Ubuntu tips and tricks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyme Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 ubuntu-desktop is just a package that will install a bunch of other packages, (aka a meta package, as nchancock states). removing it won't remove any actual data from your drive, save the entry that says "ubuntu desktop is installed" (ok, so it probably says something different) in the package managers database. it's just there so you can install a bunch of stuff at once without selecting each package individually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
null Posted June 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 ok, that makes sense. tomorrow I'll try removing those things again - and tell it ok to the "ubuntu desktop" warning. I prefer the installs that have "pre-packaged" installations - such as "workstation" blah blah, although I usually select "manual" package selection... Ubuntu just forged ahead and never asked anything... Still, at least it installed without error. First I tried pclinuxOS but that bombed out very quickly...returned me to a limited shell. Then I tried a genieOS install, which went pretty good - until the package selection... got some error no matter what I selected - "manual" package selection, or else "workstation".. ended up not installing anything. I was pretty impressed with the genieOS until that point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarecrow Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 Have you ever heard of Edubuntu? It's supposedly designed for kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helmut Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 My daughter loves the kde-edu package on her mdk2005 box! Edubuntu sounds like a good idea for 8-year olds. You may want to look at the edu.kde.org website for details. You can also contribute stuff for the edu-package, just as many others, me included have done. Helmut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
null Posted June 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 no, I never heard of edubuntu, but I'll check into it. I did look at the pclinuxos version for kids. However, it looked a little "too young" for my kid. My kid likes blowing away monsters & stuff. Although, his favorite type of games are the complicated "war" games, ie battlefield 1942. Those type of games do seem to involve "some" learning... For example, my kid now know what "Axis", "Allies", and words like that mean. He has a PS2 also, but he is not allowed to own any "M" games - such as Grand Theft Auto... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artificial Intelligence Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 Just remember to reinstall ubuntu-desktop package if you deciding to upgrade ubuntu 5.10 to 6.06 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
null Posted June 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 only problem with putting linux on my kid's machine, is that he doesn't have internet. My wife & I have 3 machines in the next room with DSL internet, and my kid has been bugging me and bugging me..."when can I get the internet...?" It's kind of a drag to unconnect his machine, and drag it into the next room to hook it up to one of our ethernet cables, but I told him we'd do it every couple months or so - to upgrade, or look for more games via apt. I still think he's too young to have internet access in his room... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelcole Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 (edited) maybe if you set up a firewall and only open up connection to certain sites you have checked for kids only materials. Like maybe just the educational sites. It will mean you have to add lots of sites (IP addresses) into the rules file but what it gives you is peace of mind about what he is accessing from the bedroom.. (Later you could add access via a firewall with content scanning...) But also it gives him a bit more freedom. Therefore he may not bug you so much. Sites like discovery channel , the museums near you, the Kids tv internet sites like Nickelodeon. If he is into cars or computers then you could add sites like the car companies, and some of the computer companies. I would not just stop the interest he has but help it grow with you protecting him at the start. Further to that while you are in the room you can change the firewall to allow full access so you can watch what he is up to. (and then add those web sites as well). You can also allow for the computer to access the Ftp sites for the updates therefore he will have the ability to upgrade or install more programs as he gets older.. Edited June 28, 2006 by michaelcole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aioshin Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 or setup squid proxy or similar device so you can do filtering.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artificial Intelligence Posted June 29, 2006 Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 Perhaps: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=3...parental+filter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grendal Posted June 29, 2006 Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 I know you have just nstalled, but there is a kid safe pclinuxos available, that has internet filters built in. I'm just throwing out a suggestion, good luck and I hope he is having fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arctic Posted June 29, 2006 Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 Perhaps: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=3...parental+filter Hah.. nice... if I could access it as a normal user. What's that now AI? Are you locking users out? Why? You are currently viewing our forum as a guest which gives you limited access to participate in new and ongoing discussions. By joining the Ubuntu Forum Community you will have access to use the post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload your own photos and much more. Registration is fast and simple.Limited access???? NO access at all!!!! You are not logged in or you do not have permission to access this page. Are you trying to hide anything over there? :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grendal Posted June 29, 2006 Report Share Posted June 29, 2006 :ph34r: Its a need to know site, and you don't need to know ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.