this post was submitted on 27 Jan 2025
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How to grandma-proof Linux? (lemmy.world)
submitted 2 days ago by stefounet@lemmy.world to c/linux@lemmy.world
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In short, my question is "Is there a way to prevent a non-malicious but unknowledgable and clumsy user to ruin their own home directory?"

Say my grandma opens a file browser looking for a picture, finds those dot files or those mysteriously-named directories distracting, sets her mind to deleting them. And assume she somehow finds a way to do so. While I understand that dot files or mysteriously-named directories of a non-privileged user are of no ultimate importance, it is a maintenance nightmare.

Plus, it's not only mysterious files that are prone to be targetted. She might well delete by accident the picture she was looking for.

Two kinds of solutions that come to mind are: -Restrict file permissions in an adequate way -Implement an easily operable, fool-proof, back-in-time scheme

Is there a mainstream, well-supported distro of GNU/Linux that has figured this use-case out?

I figure it might come in handy when Window 10 is no longer supported and the reports of hacks keep coming in.

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[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 12 points 2 days ago (1 children)

It is already Grandma-proof if she doesn't know the root password.

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 22 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Did you read the post? He wants to prevent her from deleting non-root stuff too. Like photos.

[–] Eldritch@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

Well that and they should 100% have older generations fuzzing operating systems and software. Not that MS has ever been particularly secure. But back around 2000 or so. I set up the main PC at home with a fresh install of windows 2000. My mother and I were the main ones using it. So I had her and I set up to administrate. My father I had set up as an unprivileged account because he had a history of oopsy-doodles. He started complaining about not being able to access the Internet. Somehow without administrator access, poking around randomly he'd managed to change some setting blocking network access for unprivileged accounts.

I have them both on Linux now with recent MS bullshit. He was telling me he needs another operating system because this one always locks up on him. I went to check. The OS was fine. He meant the browser. Which wasn't locked up either. He wanted to print something he didn't need to. But hadn't selected his printer. So it was going to save a PDF. But he couldn't find his printer in his home directory and left it on the dialog lol. He will 100% fuck his home directory up at some point. But that's why I have it backed up weekly.