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General discussion

Looking for public computer software

Dec 4, 2014 12:05AM PST

Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening everyone,
I work with a non-profit organization that provides transitional housing to homeless veterans. One of the services we provide is internet access from our computer lab. Per our Executive Director, our clients are allowed to use the computers for email purposes, 15 minutes per day. With approval from a client's case manager, they may be allowed a longer period of time and/or to visit other sites (e.g. job searching, applying for benefits, etc.). Currently I have a net cafe software I can use for time limits and the routers setup for whitelisting email websites. What I am looking for is a software that will help me control both of these restrictions as needed. Preferably something that is either freeware or relatively inexpensive as funds are limited. Any help is appreciated.

Discussion is locked

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A local house here
Dec 4, 2014 2:30AM PST

Went with the honor system. Cheap, works. If someone abuses it, their privileges are reduced. No cost at all.

I've seen folk hunt for that unicorn for years. The honor system works very well.
Bob

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I know what I'd do
Dec 4, 2014 5:45AM PST

No hard drives in any computer.

Use an $8-10 USB flashdrive (USB3 even better, but cost more) for each user to keep, paid by them or a charity, copied from a Linux master flashdrive, which was already configured to work with all hardware on the computers used. The user then only needs to walk in, put in the flashdrive, boot from it, have an operating system right there the way he wants it, about 7-8GB storage space left he can save files he needs, browse internet, do email, and then shut down, pull the flashdrive, put back on his keyring, keeping it all his and private.

An alternative is to have multiple flashdrives, the person enters, borrows one, boots a computer from it, do his browsing and email online, saving anything to an online account or webmail, then hands it back as he leaves the internet cafe.

Never have to worry about any user leaving personal info on the computer which the next person might be able to access.

If each person has their own flashdrive, don't even need to collect anything back after they are through.

Set "lease time" on router's DHCP settings, requiring reboot if going over one's time. Might have to extend time to 20 minutes if using USB1 speed flashdrives though instead of a hard drive.

That's what I do with my laptop since it's mobile. System on flashdrive, set for password protected encryption, added truecrypt for extra encryption on a saved volume where sensitive files are stored, pulled the hard drive, and keep on keychain. Someone steals the laptop, no data loss. Lose the key flashdrive, double encryption, fairly protected. Put in a windows computer, will never see anything other than appearing as unformatted space in windows disk manager, windows explorer won't view it at all.

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Linux
Dec 4, 2014 5:22AM PST
Ubuntu, Mint 17, Kubuntu 14.04 LTS, Zorin, Solydk, and others.

You can create a separate profile for each user and fairly easy to limit capabilities in an installed version. The logon page will have them all, you can create multiple guest accounts and even give each a separate password or not require a password for it. Each person could have their own "Limited" account.

You could also just leave a LIVE DVD copy in each computer and have it boot anew for each user, requiring any data be saved to a cheap flashdrive.

I personally use Linux Mint 17 MATE.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqLmOPap6u0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD6nqQrJx78

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7G7TJyZPKPo