Need Help blocking Customized Desktop settings

[leillo1975]

Hello

I don't have idea if this subforum is the right place to post this question. I work in a Technical School and we have a classroom with 16 PC's with Linux Lite Installed. The students are very "anxious" and modify the appearance of the desktop constantly. They modify panels, icons, backgrounds, shortcuts , etc.

I would like to know if is possible to reset this changes in every login to the original "modified by me"  configuration (our background, shortcuts on desktop, items on panels, etc) . I don't want that they lost her files (even if they are on the desktop). Can someone help me?

[trinidad]

There are several ways to accomplish what you want here, but it depends on how the classroom network is set up. If the student PCs are not virtual clients on a main server you will need to have an administrator account on each of the PCs to work from. If the PCs are big enough 64bit you would be better off having the student systems run in virtual space with a USB attached for saving files to. I teach a monthly seminar for the elderly here and work with people who own their own laptops. Attendance is irregular but they always show up when they break something.

TC 

[leillo1975]

The PC's run a 32 bits system and they are not virtualiced.I think that if I don't allow students to write the configuration files (I leave them as read only) I could get it. The problem is that I don't know what files are the configuration XFCE (background, menu, panels ...)

[trinidad]

Yeah 32bit is an issue. Don't install the Linux Lite OS to the PCs at all. Install Ubuntu server and grml rescue boot and run the LL live ISO. They can make all the changes they want while they use it but none will be saved and they won't be able to install it by accident either. They can save common personal files to a USB.

Otherwise you'll have to modify the user permissions on each PC involving the desktop. I do not recommend using the restore default in alacarte. You might want to look into this, much as I don't totally agree with the criticism:

https://unlockforus.com/definitive-fix-f...lite-menu/

TC

[ralphy]

Hello


I don't have idea if this subforum is the right place to post this question. I work in a Technical School and we have a classroom with 16 PC's with Linux Lite Installed. The students are very "anxious" and modify the appearance of the desktop constantly. They modify panels, icons, backgrounds, shortcuts , etc.


I would like to know if is possible to reset this changes in every login to the original "modified by me"  configuration (our background, shortcuts on desktop, items on panels, etc) . I don't want that they lost her files (even if they are on the desktop). Can someone help me?

Here is a simple trick that could save you quite a lot of work.


1- Setup the students accounts the way you want it.
2- Launch the applications they are gonna be using at least once
3- Lock it down:


From Terminal:

Code:

sudo chown -R root:root /home/students/.config
sudo chown -R root:root /home/students/.local

students refers to the home directory of the students account, so you need to replace "students" with the proper user home directory name.


Your students will be able to login and work as usual. They can change backgrounds, icons, etc. But a simple logout and login will revert everything to the way you first set it up.


If you have multiple accounts in the same computer for which you want to do the above, you will be better off creating a little script for convenience.


Remember, to make changes to those accounts again, you will need to revert the ownership of the folders above changed:



From Terminal:

Code:

sudo chown -R students:students /home/students/.config
sudo chown -R students:students /home/students/.local

I hope this takes you in the right direction. Cheers!