Child Safe Sailfish OS Configuration? No Browser Access

General
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Is there a way to block all browser usage? I’m looking to have calls, texts, camera and that’s about it. Or at least password protect everything else if not completely remove. Is this possible?

Edit: I now see that this OS is not really practical for the USA due to xperia phones not being well supported via bands and only tmobile as a carrier. And… I know how the Sony phone will perform because I have one. It works great for text, but voice is hit or miss (usually miss). I wouldn’t have my kids use an xperia (even though I really like mine despite the limitations).

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There is a profile manager. You could create an user and from the admin account (though the terminal) remove the icon to access to the browser.

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Or, you can rename /usr/bin/sailfish-browser to /usr/bin/sailfish-browser.old
This, after
-activating Developper tools in the Settings
-setting a root password there
-run a newly appeared terminal icon
-type devel-su (and answer with the password jou just set before)

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nah don’t do it, just remove .desktop file

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Yeah, why not too. But keep it somewhere in case you want to reverse.

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or just reinstall the browser

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All great ideas! Thank you!! I wonder if there would be a way to password protect the browser app, vs removing it or breaking it?

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Editing (or removing) the .desktop file basically means that the app is password protected, since returning the icon to app grid requires root rights (=root password).

For example, adding NoDisplay=true in the desktop file after the line Type=Application does the trick.

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If you chmod the browser binary to strip execution bits, there is not need for setting a password.

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Ah but (with some .desktop changes) the browser still will be available via opening links.

I wonder if simply removing the Internet permission from the Sailjail config would meet OPs needs.

Browser still available, but not capable of going online.

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11

To apply any (most) of these solutions easily, you could use qCommnd.
It allows you to execute command lines (or scripts, iirc) simply by clicking on an icon.
If it’s a root command, the root password will be asked.
So, it’s not exactly the answer to your demand, but it’s closer.

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It’s amazing how much more helpful this group is vs those on the GrapheneOS forum.

Thank you! All great ideas.

I have a Sony XZ1 compact which has held up better than any other brand I’ve owned thus far. Due to bands in the US, it does not work well for talk in most places… but I will likely keep using it and will reflash it with Sailfish, assuming it will work. Seems like a great option.

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Is SfOS available for this device? If so, where can I find it? :slight_smile:

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Indeed, this and other suggestions to fiddle with the .desktop file are fine and working, making the browser disappears from the application grid.

But, I would like to warn nonetheless, that a smart kid may copy (or create) this same desktop file in its own home directory, under ~/.local/share/applications and then enjoy using the browser. It depends of course to which tools (non jailed file browser, non jailed text editor…) are available to the kid ; -) Most likely if he / she only has access to jailed applications, I don’t think that this countermeasure can be applied. But I may not be as smart as the kid here !

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