KDE Kiosk Mode

Although the Control Center menu items can be removed, it still is possible for users to control settings. Control Center restrictions can be set to ensure users cannot make many global system changes.

The following section in kdeglobals disallows users from accessing the respective control modules. A complete list of modules can be seen by using the kcmshell --list command:

...
[KDE Control Module Restrictions][$i]
kde-crypto.desktop=false
kde-clock.desktop=false
...

KDE even provides the ability to restrict URLs entered into Konqueror or another program using KDE's internal URL libraries. To block URL access to a specific Web site, use the following in kdeglobals:

...
[KDE URL Restrictions][$i]
rule_count=n
rule_1=open,,,,http,example.com,,false
rule_2=open,,,,file,,/mnt/share,false
rule_3=list,,,,file,,/mnt/cdrom,true
...
rule_n=...
...

The format for the rules is: rule_N=<action>,<referrer protocol>,<referrer host>,<referrer path>,<URL protocol>,<URL host>,<URL path>,<enabled>. Any option that isn't listed explicitly matches all by default.

The first rule above restricts users from accessing the example.com Web site. The second rule blocks a user from opening or saving any file in the /mnt/share directory. The third rule blocks users from even seeing a list of files in the /mnt/cdrom directory.

The following rules prevent users from accessing a certain domain using http, forcing them to use https instead:

..
[KDE URL Restrictions][$i]
rule_count=2
rule_1=open,,,,http!,*example.com,,false
rule_2=open,,,,https,*example.com,,true
..

The URL Restriction convention is to match protocols of similar name, so a rule involving http would also encompass https. In the above example, http! is used to match only http and not https.

Recent work on automating the kiosk environment has led to the production of a Kiosk Admin Tool (see the on-line Resources). This program automates the administration of many of the advanced kiosk features KDE supports. The administrator can customize many of the items covered in this article using the Kiosk Admin Tool without the need for manual editing of the configuration files. The Kiosk Admin Tool also allows the administrator to create multiple kiosk profiles, maintain the profiles on a central machine and dispatch the configuration framework over a network with a protocol like SSH. Although the tool does not yet support every possible configuration value that could be customized, future versions are sure to add more configurability.

Figure 9. The Kiosk Admin Tool gives the administrator the ability to create and deploy kiosk configurations.

By using the advanced configuration features that KDE's Kiosk framework provides, the desktop experience can be completely customized. Whether it's administering multiple workstation configurations or simply providing a default configuration for new users, administrators have more than enough power at their fingertips to create the desired configuration result. This article barely begins to scratch the surface of possible configuration items. Experience and experimentation will provide more insight into all of the items available to create a customized desktop configuration.

Resources for this article: www.linuxjournal.com/article/7927.