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Best Free Operating System For Kids
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Introduction
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| Keeping young children occupied these days is quite a challenge. Quite naturally they see computers as a source of entertainment and want to enjoy them along with the rest of us. Herein lies the next challenge in that some areas of the internet are not suitable at all for child viewing and can potentially present real life dangers. |
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Discussion
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The easiest way to run DoudouLinux is from a downloaded CD image. Once you've burned the image to a disk, there is nothing to install, update or configure. Running it from a live CD also means you wont interfere with your normal Windows installation. To run Windows again just pull out the live CD and reboot. An alternative using a USB key is also provided but this is a lot more complicated and not supported by all systems. The download link and instructions for both options are here.
Access to the installed system on which the CD is running is not possible so your resident files and settings are in no danger of being lost, altered or infected. The system comes complete with a range of programs which are both fun and educational. Content filtering is included by default so you have no worries about your charges accessing inappropriate material when connected to the internet. Most of the programs don't even require a knowledge of files, folders or menus and can be operated without the ability to read.
Some users may even find DoudouLinux suitable for older people with learning difficulties or other disabilities. There's no doubt that older kids will soon outgrow this and want the “real thing”, but for younger children, DoudouLinux is an ideal introduction to the world of computing. |
Qimo is another option which although aimed at kids from 3 and up, is much more sophisticated in what can be accomplished with it. Based on Ubuntu and using the Xfce desktop, Qimo can be used as either a live CD, or fully installed as a complete system. To use the live CD, just boot from it, select the language to use and then choose “try Qimo without any changes to your computer”.
As expected for an Ubuntu based distro, Qimo recognized my network and I was able to connect straight away. You can also assign custom DNS servers thus adding a range of default online protection safeguards depending on the service chosen (see the DNS related section in this article for more information). Firefox is the default browser so familiar territory for many there.
Qimo comes pre-installed with a range of educational games some of which, and a basic text editor, are already configured as desktop icons. Everything else is available from a standard drop down menu.
Although Qimo is more than usable for very young kids, it's better suited to the older age groups that will be more capable of getting the most out of it. This might be especially important for “transitional” types who don't want to feel they are being obliged to use a kids system.
Another option aimed at young children is the Fedora based Sugar on a Stick (SoaS) featuring the award winning Sugar Learning Platform. (My appreciation to fellow editor Panzer for informing me about this one). SoaS is available in 25 languages and comes as a x32 or x64 bit live CD image which can also be installed if users so wish. According to the stats, Sugar is used every day by over one and a half million students in classrooms throughout the world.
A final option is Edubuntu which focuses mainly on the older age groups. This is also available as a live CD or can be installed as a complete system. Additionally, Edubuntu can be previewed as a two hour live web session on a range of platforms or downloaded as a series of application bundles. The latter comes in four groups from aged 5 and under up to university level, but requires an existing Ubuntu installation.
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Related Products and Links
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You might want to check out these articles too: 10 Websites That Help Kids Spell Words Right |
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Editor
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This category is maintained by volunteer editor MidnightCowboy. Registered members can contact the editor with any comments or suggestions they might have by clicking here. |
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Tags
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Kids, operating system for kids, free operating system. |
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Comments
I have just installed Qimo Linux (http://www.qimo4kids.com) for a three year old. He loves it.
It comes with gCompris, Childs Play and a few other "standard" kids programs. It's simple to add more using the Ubuntu repositories.
It's Ubuntu with the Xfce desktop, so it runs well on older comps (fine on an Athlon 1.1mhz with 512k mem.) I upgraded to Ubuntu 10.10 to fix a few bugs/older software versions.
I also tried Qimo and a slew of others... In the end, I setup a ubuntu release, removed all unwanted programs, installed all the child's programs. Then I setup a nice AWN dock and customized the taskbar panel and chose to auto-hide it. After creating a simple and clean desktop, i used remastersys to remaster it. I installed the new master onto an old laptop which my 2 year old girl can power up and play and surprisingly navigate really well. I only wish i could auto-kill multiple launches. This machine is offline, so i don't worry about internet protection. And best of all, since it's linux, usually we just unplug it to power down.
I just want to comment on the last part. Even if its Linux, it still requires a proper shutdown. And in Linux, it takes only a few seconds to shut down, so why not do it the proper way. If you just unplug your system, there are chances of inconsistencies to crop in somehow. Also, its not good for the hard disk. If you keep doing it, the hard disk might develop bad sectors. Proper shutdown is the best way to go. It will also develop good habit in your daughter.
DOS was good enough for me as a kid, and Win7 is good enough for my sons. :)
I will give DoudouLinux a try, I've a 8 months boy who seems very interested in using my computer =), I let him use it but would like to see how he reacts to this DoudouLinux.
Thanks MidnightCowboy
You're welcome. He'll need the technology for real soon enough so I hope this helps :)
Such oses are incompetant and are extremely basic.
All fine and dandy, but.... I learned the computer when I was little and DOS was still around. I'd have all sorts of fun with Apogee and ID Software games. If I could learn DOS, my kids could easily learn Win7 or something more real than this OS. I'm only 20 though... so Windows 10 will be out by then, I'm sure ;).
Big up linux.My small brother likes it and it makes me happy.thank you
You're welcome :)
Development release now available for anyone so interested:
http://www.doudoulinux.org/spip/english/breve/new-development-release-20...
Expect the next full release around the middle of 2012.
But Linux is better. http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net/
This is a simple face on a very modern complex operating system, and you can edit movies, run Matlab, or write college papers on it. Just has big buttons and silly games. Oh, and it's safer.
Sugar on a Stick is a Fedora-based operating system featuring the award-winning Sugar Learning Platform and designed to fit on an ordinary USB thumbdrive ("stick"). Originally developed for the One Laptop Per Child Project and designed specifically as a 1-to-1 computing environment for K-8 students to collaborate with others in exploring the world around them, Sugar is used every day by over one and a half million students in classrooms throughout the world.
The heart of the Sugar Learning Platform is its Activities for children - fun and engaging programs for reading e-books, writing, drawing, browsing the Internet, programming, and so on. Each Activity is designed to achieve specific pedagogical goals.
http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Sugar_on_a_Stick
Thanks Panzer - now included :)
openSUSE:Education-Li-f-e:
http://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Education-Li-f-e
" ...This release includes carefully selected software for students, educators as well as parents ..."
Thanks! :)
Knosciences (geometry, chemistry or algebra):
http://knosciences.tuxfamily.org/doku.php?id=knosciences:welcome
" ... The target audience of this operating system is mainly educational institutions or parents that want to create an environment for students to learn from different fields of knowledge in an interactive way ..."
LinuxKidX is a educational livecd based on Slackware Linux. LinuxKidX has a gigantic list of educational softwares to children from 2 to 10 years old:
http://linuxkidx.blogspot.com/
Foresight Kids:
http://www.foresightlinux.org/foresight-kids/
You can find other useful Edu Linux Distros here:
http://distrowatch.com/search.php?category=Education#distrosearch
USU Desktop:
http://learnfree.eu/desktop/features
"... USU can be your perfect learning tool, no matter whether you are a child, a student or a teacher. There are a few dozens of preinstalled quality educational applications, grouped by field of knowledge and covering the whole educational process. Many more applications are just one click away ..."
Thanks again Panzer :)
Zorin OS Educational Lite:
http://distro.ibiblio.org/zorin/6/
"Zorin OS Educational Lite includes dozens of educational programs for primary, secondary and tertiary education students."
"Real"? Well, use Debian, then. Or Slackware. DouDou etc. are "real" operating systems with lots of kiddieware installed. They can easily be uninstalled when they outgrow them, and you can install LibreOffice so they can do college term papers and presentations.
Or, if they want to learn frustration, Windows....
There are around 30 educational programs included in Knoppix 7.02 DVD version:
http://www.knoppix.com/
Thanks for posting these additional resources, Panzer. :)
I know, I know, this is a only a game, but there are games which make you smarter if you use them. Here is one of them:
Gbrainy is a brain teaser game and trainer to have fun and to keep your brain trained.
It provides the following types of games:
Logic puzzles. Games designed to challenge your reasoning and thinking skills.
Mental calculation. Games based on arithmetical operations designed to prove your mental calculation skills.
Memory trainers. Games designed to challenge your short term memory.
Verbal analogies. Games that challenge your verbal aptitude.
Gbrainy provides different difficulty levels making gbrainy enjoyable for kids, adults or senior citizens.
Download:
https://live.gnome.org/gbrainy
DoudouLinux 1.2 is out:
http://www.doudoulinux.org/web/english/documentation-7/article/what-s-ne...
Good idea these OS'
I prefer to whack on Bluecoat's K9 protection on a Steady State XP machine and policy the hell out of it. Then I can white-list sites using K9 (UK readers will no doubt know how good the Cbeebies website is).
As I use it in a youth club as well I know all the tricks for nailing it down. Yet to see anyone bypass it.
However I accept it's a lot more technical to do than just whacking on a custom Linux distro.
Hanthana Linux has 33 educational software included:
http://www.hanthana.org/
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