Kiosk mode?

xiofett · 2012-01-05 18:19:07

Running xfce 4.8 on CentOS 6.2, trying to lock the desktop down completely for use as a POS station. I finally managed to get rid of the right-click desktop menu, so the only thing I need is to lock down the panel so that right-click doesn't being up any menu or allow any modification by the user.

I tried editing the user's .config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-panel.xml file and using the locked parameter as described in this post (http://forum.xfce.org/viewtopic.php?id=5681), but every time the user account logs in the file is replaced with the original. I've tried chown to remove write permissions and even chattr +i, that just caused the system to create a xfce4-panel.xml.new file and use it.

So my question is, is there really a kiosk mode that will lock down the panel? More importantly, are there any instructions on it aside from the ones at http://git.xfce.org/xfce/xfconf/tree/do … el-xml.txt? Or am I going to have to find something other than xfce?

If it matters, the Cent6 rpm packages are as follows:

libxfce4util-4.8.1-2.el6.i686
xfce4-doc-4.8.3-1.el6.noarch
xfce4-panel-4.8.3-2.el6.i686
xfce-utils-4.8.3-1.el6.i686
xfce4-mixer-4.8.0-1.el6.i686
xfce4-session-4.8.1-4.el6.i686
xfce4-icon-theme-4.4.3-5.el6.noarch
xfce4-session-engines-4.8.1-4.el6.i686
xfce4-power-manager-1.0.10-1.el6.i686
libxfce4ui-4.8.0-4.el6.i686
xfce4-settings-4.8.3-1.el6.i686
xfce4-appfinder-4.8.0-2.el6.i686

Thanks in advance!

jeromeg · 2012-01-05 21:29:52

Hello,

As explained in the post you linked to, the locked parameter should not be added to the file in .config. You need to setup the panel as you want it to be then close your session and reopen it to make sure xfconf saves the config to the xml file then you copy the config to /etc/xdg/... (there is already some xfconf stuff there) and you edit this config to add the lock parameter.

At least that's how it should work big_smile

Cheers,

Jérôme

xiofett · 2012-01-10 16:58:20

Thanks for the response, Jerome.

I don't know how I missed the part about copying the xfce-panel.xml to the /etc/xdg directory...

However, it's still not working when I have the locked statement. I get a blank panel and the following in .xsession-errors

xfce4-panel-Message: Plugin "launcher-2" was not found and has been removed from the configuration
xfce4-panel-Message: Plugin "launcher-3" was not found and has been removed from the configuration
xfce4-panel-Message: Plugin "launcher-4" was not found and has been removed from the configuration
xfce4-panel-Message: Plugin "tasklist-7" was not found and has been removed from the configuration
xfce4-panel-Message: Plugin "clock-1" was not found and has been removed from the configuration

/etc/xdg/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-panel.xml is chmod 644

I've tried copying the launcher-2, -3, and -4 directories to /etc/xdg/xfce4/panel, thinking that was causing the problems, but I still just get a blank panel and the same error messages in the log.

Here's the contents of the xfce4-panel.xml file.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

I'm sure I'm just missing something simple, but I sure can't see it...

Thanks again for your help.

xris_xcess · 2012-04-06 08:14:57

I had been trying to do the same for a while know. I have set up a lab in a school and was anxious to eliminate the posibility of "tampering" by individual users.

I searched high and low and found little to go by... but eventually pulled together enough info, and testing, to get it working quite well.

I also had tried copying a users panel config to the /etc/xdg/xfce4/xfconf dir, but as you have found out, it does not work. It seems that when a regular user creates or modifies launchers in a panel, specific configuration files and folders are created in his .config dir. (ie. 13257851131.desktop). I don't know exactly the reason why, I supect it's because you may customize certain aspects of the launcher but keep other defaults, so it pulls the default .desktop files and adds the modifications.

Anyway, what I have found is that you must keep all the configuration for the panels inside the xfce4-panel.xml file. That is, the first part where it defines the number of panels and its contents (launchers, applets, etc), the second part that defines "plugins" (ie, plugin-1, plugin-2, etc) and the last part where you can define the launchers (which are a kind of plugin).

So, instead of having...
<property name="plugin-3" type="string" value="launcher">
<property name="items" type="array">
<value type="string" value="13257810923.desktop"/>

You should have...
<property name="plugin-3" type="string" value="launcher">
<property name="items" type="array">
<value type="string" value="name_of_a_application.desktop"/>

Assuming that the application in question has a .desktop file in the /usr/share/applications/ dir. You can also create your own .desktop files for your own applications or midifications of other .desktop files. I modified the midori file so that it used the generic web-browser icon, since It's icon isn't easily recognizable as a web browser. I also created .desktop files for web-links and created a simple menu with a multi-item launcher (you have to set the "arrow" to "inside" so that it opens when clicked, instead of opening the first item...).

I still have to see how the setup behaves once the students start using it full time, but for the time being it looks pretty decent, simple and funtional.

I can also tell you that you are not limited to locking setting the panel. You can also lock most of the xfce-...xml files the same way. Like that I was able to completely lock the desktop and eliminate the desktop-menu!!!

zeedon · 2012-04-10 02:51:21

How did you managed to remove the desktop right click menu?

wtsch · 2012-04-10 10:09:14

zeedon wrote:

How did you managed to remove the desktop right click menu?

Don't start xfdesktop wink

xris_xcess · 2012-04-10 13:55:54

To get disable of the right-click on the desktop I disabled the "icon type" in the desktop settings. In the last tab "Icons", next to appearance, set to "none". This disables right-click, but also, err, desktop icons.

I have yet to come across a way to disable items (desktop settings, properties, application menu) in that menu, so as not to completely disable it. Having said that, overall it does not seem to affect my users much. It might be slightly unsettling if you are a desktop junkie, but if you keep yourself to windows and files in folders (:-) except the desktop folder!) you should be ok.

I was wondering about not running xfdesktop? With my current setup, would it affect in an adverse way?

edit: How would I disable xfdesktop system wide? I know I can setup my own xinitrc file, but I would prefer not to do it for each of users. Maybe in /etc/xdg/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-session.xlm?

Last edited by xris_xcess (2012-04-10 14:00:06)

wtsch · 2012-04-11 12:17:12

xris_xcess wrote:

edit: How would I disable xfdesktop system wide? I know I can setup my own xinitrc file, but I would prefer not to do it for each of users. Maybe in /etc/xdg/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-session.xlm?

edit /etc/xdg/xfce4/xinitrc

Last edited by wtsch (2012-04-11 12:17:39)

xris_xcess · 2012-04-12 18:46:11

@ xiofett:

Did you get the menus locked?

wtsch · 2012-04-13 11:04:53

locked? Which menus? Applications menu?

xris_xcess · 2012-04-13 16:57:27

Sorry!!! I meant panels. Did xiofett get the panels locked and configured as he wanted?

I'm interested to know if someone else gets it working with this method.

wtsch · 2012-04-16 07:25:43

/etc/xdg/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-panel.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<channel name="xfce4-panel" version="1.0" locked="*" unlocked="root">
....

talkingtek · 2012-08-29 20:43:52

hello, I came across this post and was able to do almost all as mentioned above. I was able to lock to panel, no right click, but I also have an issue which I'm stuck. I created a main account customized the panel on the top. I removed everything except a logout and firefox icon on the panel. I removed the bottom panel. I created test user as desktop user. I copy the xfce4-panel.xml file from the main account to /etc/xdg/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-panle.xml

I've changed the following line.
<channel name="xfce4-panel" version="1.0" locked="*" unlocked="root">

Save and Restart, when the computer logon to test account, firefox icon wasn't show the icon as firefox but a gray icon. I click on the icon but nothing happen. The panel was locked. when I logout of the test account and log to the main account I can see the firefox icon and was able to launch firefox.

What have I dont wrong? Can someone help? thanks1

wtsch · 2012-08-31 09:07:48

talkingtek wrote:

hello, I came across this post and was able to do almost all as mentioned above. I was able to lock to panel, no right click, but I also have an issue which I'm stuck. I created a main account customized the panel on the top. I removed everything except a logout and firefox icon on the panel. I removed the bottom panel. I created test user as desktop user. I copy the xfce4-panel.xml file from the main account to /etc/xdg/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-panle.xml
I've changed the following line.
<channel name="xfce4-panel" version="1.0" locked="*" unlocked="root">
Save and Restart, when the computer logon to test account, firefox icon wasn't show the icon as firefox but a gray icon. I click on the icon but nothing happen. The panel was locked. when I logout of the test account and log to the main account I can see the firefox icon and was able to launch firefox.
What have I dont wrong? Can someone help? thanks1

try to remove $HOME/.config/xfce4

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#1 2012-01-05 18:19:07

Kiosk mode?

#2 2012-01-05 21:29:52

Re: Kiosk mode?

#3 2012-01-10 16:58:20

Re: Kiosk mode?

#4 2012-04-06 08:14:57

Re: Kiosk mode?

#5 2012-04-10 02:51:21

Re: Kiosk mode?

#6 2012-04-10 10:09:14

Re: Kiosk mode?

#7 2012-04-10 13:55:54

Re: Kiosk mode?

#8 2012-04-11 12:17:12

Re: Kiosk mode?

#9 2012-04-12 18:46:11

Re: Kiosk mode?

#10 2012-04-13 11:04:53

Re: Kiosk mode?

#11 2012-04-13 16:57:27

Re: Kiosk mode?

#12 2012-04-16 07:25:43

Re: Kiosk mode?

#13 2012-08-29 20:43:52

Re: Kiosk mode?

#14 2012-08-31 09:07:48

Re: Kiosk mode?

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