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What Advice For a Single Parent As Server Admin?
Dragon_Eater, with "lots of experience setting up PCs and a passable knowledge of Linux but severely lacking in the server/client department,"
writes with a situation that probably faces a lot of parents:
I want to set up three kids, 12, 14, and 15, with newer computers so they will stop fighting for time on the one ten-year-old Dell they share now. I can get the individual computers and a server put together without any problems, but the computer-handicapped single parent needs to be able to do the following via an simple application/web page: View client computer status, On/off, sleeping etc.; Deny Internet access, not LAN, just the web; Schedule time usage of computer, ex. 7 am to 10 pm on school nights etc.; Force log-out and/or shutdown of clients, for grounding purposes; and Apply some kind of firewall filter for blocking undesired web content. And as the administrator for this network I would like the following options: Remote virus scanning of client machines, or scheduled task; Some kind of hardware monitor, high temp / fan speed low etc.; and Email alerts for various log files / alarms.
Given the lists above I am thinking about a Linux-based router/server machine and running Windows on the clients for game compatibility. I also know that a server and network boot client is possible but not sure where to start on that one."
OK. This is about as low in insight a post can get. The point of this questions is to find a solution to do what the OP asked. While I don't agree with content filtering, the parent should have that possibility without being a hardcore admin. Squid should be easy to use and remote shutoff is a ridiculously simple thing to do with a ssh script (make a button for it somewhere). Setting up access windows is also not super hard to automate with a gui and pam. The only issue is that with enough knowledge, the kids will get around anything (even your low tech solution, I know I did). The question is, is there a solution out there that does all of this and can be installed quickly not, is this worth automating. That's the parent's decision, they feel it needs automating in their situation, you know nothing of their situation so you can't comment on if they need this or not.