I accidentally replied off-list, and sam did the same. Sending it back to the list.
On Mon, Oct 03, 2005 at 02:41:50PM -0500, Sam Hart wrote: > > On Mon, 2005-10-03 at 12:29 -0700, Bill Kendrick wrote: > > > On Mon, Oct 03, 2005 at 02:08:20PM -0500, Sam Hart wrote: > > > > Actually, a lot has changed since the original discussion to use IceWM > > > (I was actually the original one to propose IceWM in an IRC meeting long > > > ago). Gnome's ability to just handle things like USB drives and cameras > > > does actually make it very attractive now. > > > > Eep! Please consider KDE over Gnome. Don't make me dig up horror > > stories! ;) > > > > -bill! > > Actually, KDE was what was used... and the students found it extremely > confusing with all the features and customizability. KDE really isn't a > very good option. The Kiosk Framework would no doubt be useful here. I've set it up in the past as web browsing public access terminals, and, while I admittedly REALLY slimmed it all down (only browser & calculator available, pretty much), it worked quite well. Since I did that, a GUI tool for configuring it has been created, which is great. Parents/teachers could go in and tweak whatever default 'lock-down' settings the default 'Jr' setup provides, if needed. http://extragear.kde.org/apps/kiosktool/ Googling for "kde kiosk framework" brings up loads of useful-looking articles and stuff, too. ;^) <snip> > The only reason why Gnome now seems more viable than it used to is > because of all the support in the desktop environment for out-of-the-box > USB devices. I think KDE does, too, or is close. I guess it depends on what exactly Gnome is _doing_ with the devices. > Things like that just working in the classroom is a very > nice thing. Also, Gnome is more obfuscated so it can be harder to tweak > and customize than KDE, and it has a more limited interface (both of > which are ideal for the classroom). I guess that's why I don't like Gnome. They got rid of the "Apply" button in config screens! YIKES! <:^( > Remember, we're not talking about environments we like to use (if we > were, I'd be advocating using Fluxbox or Ratpoison in the classroom :-) > We're talking about what provides a simple-enough interface as to not > cause confusion, and yet gives them the most functionality for their > buck. Of course. Depending on the age group, something like Apple's old "Launcher" would be appropriate. Older kids would probably enjoy something tweakable like KDE (or Gnome), too. -- -bill! [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/ -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
