[KLUG Members] gnome users in a one app prison

[Dirk H Bartley]

On Tue, 2003-07-08 at 07:50, Tony Gettig wrote:
> This is a very interesting thread to me. One of the holy grails of the 
> environment I work in is the ability to restrict the users desktop. I would 
> like to do exactly what you're describing, Dirk. Please do share your results.

I have succeeded in my quest to some degree.  

The application I want available to the users is a terminal application
capable of setting the backspace and delete key like gnome-terminal's
compatibility tab or multi-gnome terminal.  These clients are being used
to telnet (or ssh) to the server that runs the application that runs our
business.  I have one client that I may in the future want running a
mail client.

Preferable would be to understand how to get the results with backspace
and delete from hacking termcap or terminfo.  Then I would running these
ltsp clients in ltsp's runlevel 4 which does not start the x server.  As
of yet I do not know if this is possible or how to do this.  I've done
searches on the ltsp list and the question has been asked but not
answered.

The big trick is to use the gnome-session-properties program which can
be found from the start here icon on the desktop ->preferences ->extras
->sessions or by entering gnome-session-properties at a command line. 
With this I can start a gnome-terminal which is gnome-session aware.  In
the session properties create a session name in the session options tab
and check the automatically save session box.  In the current session
change the style of gnome-terminal to restart.  Then logout.  As root
edit the /home/username/.gnome2/session file removing all of the session
entries but the metacity and the gnome-terminal and reducing the number
that starts each line so that it still follows the pattern.  The
previous sentence makes sense if you look at the file, I hope.  Then log
back in as the user and a blank desktop with gnome-terminal exists, no
icons or panel.  Anytime the gnome terminal application is closed, it
automatically restarts.  Set the command in the terminal (edit current
gnome-term profile title and command tab) to a shell script that goes
like so:
while [ 1 = 1 ] ; do
  echo "Press enter to connect to server"
  read dum
  telnet host
done

One problem is that it is not completely secure with the user being able
to right click and remove the command in gnome-term, but I'm not to
worried about that here.  These users would not know what to do with a
command line.

Another problem I would like to figure out is how to set up an /etc/skel
directory so that it automatically builds this.  Some of the important
files use the username and/or full path which has the username in it so
this becomes difficult.

Another problem is that I could have done this all with one user
automatically logged in with gdm configurations.  However gnome-terminal
would change font on all terminals logged in as the auto-logged in user
when one terminal with a different screen size has a person change it's
font size.

 
> 
> And hey, with math class finally over, I intend to be at KLUG tonight! I have 
> to remember not to take another Tuesday night class. :)
> 
> Tony
> 
> 
> Quoting Dirk Bartley <bartleyd2@chartermi.net>:
> 
> > On Mon, 2003-07-07 at 20:56, Bruce Smith wrote:
> > > > I would like to know how to put a user into a one or two application
> > > > prison in gnome.  I'd like to control these users desktops to have no
> > > > gnome-panel and only an icon or two to execute from the desktop.  Is
> > > > this possible?  They will be getting a desktop through ltsp.  
> > > 
> > > Does it have to be Gnome?  
> > 
> > No, does not have to.  I was attempting to make this easier by not
> > installing another window manager on this machine.
> 
> ...
> 
> -- 
> Tony Gettig
> Voiceovers, PGP key, and more at
> http://gettig.net
> 
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