Locking down UI features in Precise Pangolin

[sgifford]

Hello,

I'm using the new Precise Pangolin LTS release for workstations to run a dedicated set of applications in an office. I'd like to lock down some Ubuntu/GNOME features which should not be needed by our users. We are running a GNOME-style installation (not Unity) since it seems easier to lock down, and the interface is more straightforward for limited-purpose workstations.

In my searches, I see a lot of references to earlier versions of Ubuntu, using tools like Pessulus and Lockdown Editor. These tools don't seem to be available for Precise Pangolin.

I have had some luck so far with tools like dconf, and I'm hoping my remaining issues can be solved using settings I haven't figured out yet, or maybe some tool I don't know about.

Here are the items I'm trying to remove/hide/disable:

"Places" menu at the top
"Time and Date Settings" below the clock (but keeping the clock itself)
The virtual desktop switcher in the lower-right corner
"System Settings", "Displays", "Startup Applications", and "Software Up To Date" in the gear menu
"Attached Devices" and "Printers" in the gear menu
"Suspend" and "Hibernate" in the gear menu (but leaving log out, shutdown, etc.)


I have attached some screenshots that may help to clarify.

Thanks for any advice, tips, etc.!

[coesunixadm]

We are working on a similar thing over here. So far we have used gsettings to modify the schemas stored in /usr/share/glib-2.0/schemas as follows:

gsettings set com.ubuntu.update-notifier auto-launch false

gsettings set com.canonical.indicator.session suppress-restart-menuitem
gsettings set com.canonical.indicator.session suppress-shutdown-menuitem true
gsettings set com.canonical.indicator.session use-username-in-switch-item false

gsettings set com.canonical.unity-greeter play-ready-sound false

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.lockdown disable-print-setup true
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.lockdown disable-lock-screen true

Please let us know of other lockdown methods you have used.

[sgifford]

Thanks! But, these commands give me errors, for example:


$ gsettings set com.ubuntu.update-notifier auto-launch false
No such key 'suppress-suspend-menuitem'
$ sudo gsettings --schemadir /usr/share/glib-2.0/schemas set com.ubuntu.update-notifier auto-launch false
No such key 'suppress-suspend-menuitem'


Was there any trick to this? Or did it just work for you? I'm on Precise Pangolin.

As far as the settings we have locked down so far, we have done it through the dconf-editor tool, and by setting these options in the GUI:


apps/indicator-session/user-show-menu: Off
com/canonical/indicator/appmenu/bluetooth/visible: Off
com/canonical/indicator/appmenu/datetime/show-events: Off
com/canonical/indicator/appmenu/power/icon-policy: Never
org/gnome/desktop/lockdown/disable-print-setup: On
org/gnome/desktop/lockdown/disable-printing: On
org/gnome/desktop/lockdown/disable-user-switching: On
org/gnome/desktop/media-handling/automount: Off
org/gnome/desktop/media-handling/automount-open: Off
org/gnome/desktop/media-handling/automount-never: On
org/gnome/desktop/screensaver/user-switch-enabled: Off


Thanks for your help!

-----Scott.

[coesunixadm]

We ran into those errors after we had previously un-installed the entire update manager via:


sudo apt-get remove update-managerCheck to make sure it is properly installed on your system. If it is there it should be in the same folder:


/usr/share/glib-2.0/schemas/

[sgifford]

Thanks, that did help with some of them!

[kposney]

Hi

I an locking it down for use in a retail stores. Found these tweaks below.

Workspace switcher app on panel removal

Installed MyUnity app allowed me to set workspaces to one which removed the workspace switcher from launcher on it’s own.



Launcher Panel reset of launcher icons to original on login.
gsettings get com.canonical.Unity.Launcher favorites

Take the results and change command to set and put in the script on login.

gsettings set com.canonical.Unity.Launcher favorites "['gnome-terminal.desktop', 'firefox.desktop', 'chromium-browser.desktop' ]"

[grahammechanical]

Have you considered Ubuntu Business Remix? I might not be exactly what you are trying to do but as the advert says,


it’s just a convenient starting point that includes many common changes made by IT administrators deploying Ubuntu in a corporate setting.

it’s just a convenient starting point that includes many common changes made by IT administrators deploying Ubuntu in a corporate setting.