Free Software for Cybercafe Management? 30
SantiagoRoza asks: "Hello, Slashdot. I am asking for your collaboration because someone I know needs a software to manage his (small) Internet cafe. Ideally, we're looking for software that is free/libre and multilingual (with a Spanish version), but I'd gladly take free/gratis and English-only. Additionally, the software has to work on Windows. After searching the 'net, I've only been able to find CafeTimer, which doesn't impress me. Nothing else out there looks like it will support more than 2-3 computers. Might you all have other suggestions?"
SCO licensing (Score:3, Funny)
That leaves out Windows (copyright of Microsoft), Linux (copyright of SCO) and MacOS (copyright of Apple).
You might want to get your friends to write a new completely free operating system from scratch, that's really your only choice at the moment.
Re:SCO licensing (Score:4, Funny)
Re:SCO licensing (Score:3, Funny)
Thats what I was holding out for before I switch.
Re:SCO licensing (Score:3, Informative)
Me, I like the golf theme for it.
Re:SCO licensing (Score:1)
That's a better idea than you might think: If we didn't have basically two operating systems running several hundred million computers, we wouldn't see worms like Sasser zap around the world unchecked in twenty minutes. I've been working on a new special-purpose OS (for hotspot management) full-time for the past fifteen months, for just that reason. We can't afford to make it gratis/libris, but it won't catc
Windows??? and Linux too... :) (Score:5, Informative)
I don't have a clue... (Score:2, Interesting)
You gotta be kidding... (Score:3, Informative)
One search alone generates quite a few apps that fit into your stated requirements. I'm sure if I tried I could find you a lot more.
http://freshmeat.net/search/?q=cafe§ion=proje
"has to?" (Score:4, Insightful)
Ok, most of the time I see this as a requirement there is an obvious reason. Sometimes there is an existing system component that is in windows already. Sometimes the target is all platforms and windows can't be left out. Usually you can hold all the linux zealots back with a very good reason why running on windows is a valid requirement.
In this case, I do not see such a reason. Why can't your friend's cybercafe run on linux? If you did run on linux not only would this problem of cybercafe software be relatively trivial, but the other advantages including security, would be numerous obvious and unecessary to enumerate. I'm not saying that there isn't a reason the cybercafe must run windows, I'm just wondering what it is. And saying the customers want it or need it in some fashion is not a good reason. Neither is lack or knowledge on the proprietor's part.
Oh, and to answer the question, there really isn't free cybercafe software for windows. Even the pay software is easilly cracked. The best bet is hardware control. you can get dongles with timers that cut off the mice/keyboards/monitors and allow them to switch on for set amounts of time. Some are coin operated also.
Also, with vnc you can make a hacky solution. Just set a passwords on all the boxen. Then to unlock them vnc into them and do the deed. Set a timer and lock them again when time is up.
Re:"has to?" (Score:4, Insightful)
Er, games?
Re:"has to?" (Score:2)
Cedega runs Steam (and many many many other games). With better fps's than Windows. So I don't think this argument holds water!
Re:"has to?" (Score:1)
This is for a CyberCafe... i.e. everyone there is using the internet. All of this traffic is (hopefully) going through a router which you control.
Set it up so that it masqs/routes traffic on a per-IP basis, instead of per-subnet (very easy to do with IPTables/IPChains). When the time is up, simply remove that IP from the list.
Bam, the luser'
Re:"has to?" (Score:1)
Maybe his friends have no Linux/Unix experience?
WTF does that have to do with it? (Score:4, Informative)
He added GRASS-on-Linux to his resume and got a job the next day (with a firm that, oddly enough, doesn't use Linux).
Re:WTF does that have to do with it? (Score:1)
It will start to now (Score:2)
Re:WTF does that have to do with it? (Score:1)
Ditto for any OS... (Score:2)
It's kind of moving the install side of the administration from the site to the support company rather than waiving it entirely, but from a customer's perspective the difference is moot. I routinely manage Lin
Openkiosk works w/both Lin and Win. (Score:5, Informative)
April 1st? (Score:2)
Make it. (Score:3, Interesting)
Another thing, decorate the hell out of the place. Gameworks is really cool and I bet you can get some really great looking stuff if your creative about it.
Chicks serving drinks in elf suits is important too, I only bring this up last because I assume you already planned for that. But in case you didn't...
Just my opinion.. (Score:2)
Almost every system I've seen that keeps track and/or limits the the amount of time you have on a computer is cumbersome, makes it difficult to use the computer, crashes once in awhile and in general just causes headaches...
The best cafes are the ones that mark the time down when you start and when you finish on some paper. No hassles, no problems, much simpler.
vpn + shopping cart (Score:2)
This can all be reasonably web-based, and what's more, can work with whatever
Am I the only one... (Score:1, Funny)
Am I the only one who started reading this and thinking that somehow one of those Nigerian scams made it onto /.?
-"Zow"