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We have public computers in our library, where we have installed Linux exclusively. It has come to our notice that some geeks are installing Windows on our machines. Those Windows are pirated versions. In due time they crash and repairing a PC becomes headache for us. If there can be a way - so we can set these computers in such a way that they do not accept any new OS installation except for what we have installed (only we, the admins should have the control on what we choose to install) - this shall remain a great help.

Thanks & Regards.

SarwatFiroz
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  • What version of Ubuntu? What are the methods that they are using to install Windows? – user535733 Nov 23 '19 at 15:32
  • @user535733 We have this Kubuntu 19.04 with us - which we feels is remarkable. – SarwatFiroz Nov 23 '19 at 15:35
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    well if they are using virtualbox you can blacklist it so they can't install virtualbox https://askubuntu.com/questions/24609/blacklisting-packages-from-installing or if they are going through the bios then I would see if the bios has a passowrd protection and enable it or if thats not an option I suppose you could encrypt the hdds so they can't be used without a password – wraith3690 001 Nov 23 '19 at 15:52
  • @wraith3690 001 Can there be a way of doing it without the use of password? Just that your settings sit at a place silently and do their work. – SarwatFiroz Nov 23 '19 at 17:35
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    well you will need to set a password for the bios at least because if they can't get into the bios to change the boot order then they can't boot from a usb/dvd to install an os this is separate from the os so the users should not be in there! now setting a blacklist will be in the os and i suggest making sure it's somewhere that non admin/sudo users can't get to it because they will try. if those two things don't work then and only then would i encrypt the drives because that is alot more work – wraith3690 001 Nov 23 '19 at 23:33
  • Would reducing the size of available hard disk space be viable? I know for a fact it is hard to install Windows if there is not enough space. – C.S.Cameron Nov 24 '19 at 03:50
  • @C.S.Cameron no not unless you encrypt the drives as the installer has the ability to format the disk and thus free up space – wraith3690 001 Nov 24 '19 at 19:38

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