[NBLUG/talk] Linux for my grand kid's computer

[Todd Cary]

Nat -

It appears the most important I overlooked was doing a custom install 
rather than selecting the packages I want need.  That is going to my 
first task.  Then I will explore the suggestion on using Postfix.

Many thanks.....

Todd

Nat W wrote:

>The best my suggestion is follow the setup at Sonoma
>State University
>library.  There they have a very simple setup where
>you can type things, and
>search the internet.  You could add thunderbird and
>maybe a few games.  (All
>good computer systems for kids need games, it's a
>given.)  From the looks of
>it it's Redhat 9 but I'm not really sure.  But really
>if you're installing
>Fedora then you can choose which packages you want at
>install.  Then you
>just have to down load the updates and you're done. 
>You might want to lock
>the terminal or something, but really it's just taking
>the time to choose a
>good selection of packages and then securing the
>system. 
>
>I'm not one to know how to lock down a system so its
>break proof but I know
>a few guys on this list work at SSU so maybe they
>could explain how to do
>it.
>
>And the computers I'm speaking of are the ones on the
>third floor in the
>Shultz library.
>
>-Nat W. 
>http://www.pseudoweb.net
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: talk-bounces at nblug.org
>[mailto:talk-bounces at nblug.org] On Behalf Of
>Todd Cary
>Sent: Saturday, December 11, 2004 6:47 AM
>To: General NBLUG chatter about anything Linux,
>answers to questions,etc.
>Subject: [NBLUG/talk] Linux for my grand kid's
>computer
>
>With the propensity kids have for loading their
>computers with viruses 
>and spyware, I would like to install Linux on my
>grandson's computer.  
>However, I am faced with the challenge of deciding
>which flavor to use 
>and then what programs to include.  As background, I
>earn my living as 
>the lead software developer for Gilardi and Co. in
>Kentfield, a class 
>action lawsuit administration firm.  Everything is in
>the Windows 
>environment.  At my home office, I run two Linux
>boxes: RH 9 (for work) 
>and Fedora 3 (for play).  Some years ago I started
>with RH 4 which I use 
>to run my test environment for PHP programs (my client
>runs them on NT) 
>and my FTP server, but I realized that I needed to
>know more about those 
>two boxes.  This resulted in taking Mark Street's
>course in Linux 
>Administration (one of the best CS courses I have
>taken and I learned 
>that I am not a systems administrator!).
>
>I love Red hat Linux because it installs and runs and
>runs and runs with 
>little help from me, but I look at the plethora of
>programs that are 
>installed, ninety percent of which I have never used
>or looked at.  What 
>would a kid need?  Firefox and Thunderbird plus the
>OpenOffice suite and 
>maybe a easy to use GUI text editor?  Can such a
>simple version of 
>Fedora be installed?  Or should I venture into another
>flavor of Linux?  
>I have Lindows on a CD, however that seems too
>restrictive.
>
>The bottom line is that I am looking for a no frills
>desktop (maybe a 
>notebook version too that has WiFi support) that will
>not require too 
>many admin skills (you know those phone calls - "Grand
>dad, my computer 
>is not working!  Can you come over and fix it?").
>
>Suggestions welcomed......
>
>Todd
>  
>

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