About
Us

Kiddix Platform - System Requirements

Q: I heard the Kiddix Platform is an operating system, what does that mean?
A: The Kiddix Platform is built on the Linux operating system.  For the end user this means that our platform is installed alongside other operating systems (ie. Microsoft Windows) on your PC, creating a completely separate environment for your children.

This separation is a distinct advantage of our software, as it creates a brickwall between your children's computing environment, and your data that is stored elsewhere on the computer.  It also allows us to build deeper layers of security that are difficult to bypass.



Q: I heard the Kiddix Platform was built on Linux.  What is Linux?
A: The Kiddix Platform is built on the Linux, a open source operating system that has been growing in popularity since the early 90's.  We chose to build the Kiddix Platform on Linux and open source software due to their superior security track record.

The typical Windows-based PC is constantly bombarded with hundreds of thousands of viruses and malware each time the computer connects to the internet, and the problem only grows when inexperienced users, like children, use the computer.

Linux, since it's inception has had only 14 unique pieces of malware, most of which have been contained to a laboratory setting, and none that have spread successfully.  Since 2004 there have been no new pieces of Linux malware.  During this time, the Linux user-base has grown exponentially, and now has tens of millions of desktop users and is gaining major in-roads at many of the worlds top software companies.



Q: What distribution of Linux is the Kiddix Platform based on?
A: We chose to build our platform on Gentoo Linux.  We chose Gentoo due to its high configurability and portage package management system.

Q: Is Kiddix CIPA compliant?
A: Our web filtering software is built on the open source software package Dansguardian.  CIPA is more than a technology standard, as mentioned on the Dansguardian homepage: "Becoming CIPA compliant is a multi-step procedure that involves creating written policies, having open meetings for public input, technology planning and applying a technology protection measure. DansGuardian meets all of the requirements necessary for implementing a technology protection measure."  Additional information can be found on the Dansguardian website faq.

Q: What is your return policy?
A: We offer different return policies for our different products.

For Kiddix PC customers, refer to the instructions and terms on this form.

For Kiddix Platform software CD-ROM customers, refer to the instructions and terms on this form.

Please note:
If you are returning do to a technical issue it is essential to contact Kiddix Support for help before submitting a refund request or we will be unable to honor your request.

Q: Installation - Option 1 or 2: Which is right for me?
A: Plese refer to this page.

Q: How do I "boot off the Kiddix CD-ROM" to begin installation? 
A: Plese refer to this page.


Q: Where is the Kiddix PC Quickstart Guide located?
A: Click here to download the instructions.


Q: Can I install the Kiddix Platform next to Windows Vista?
A: Yes.  As of February 14, 2008 we began shipping the Kiddix Platform version 1.0.19 that has full support for Windows Vista.

Customers who have ordered before this time should follow the Windows Vista Installation Guide found on our support site.


Q: How do I uninstall the Kiddix Platform?
A: Several options are available:

• If you installed Kiddix using Install Option 1 (ver. 1.0.19 or greater) you can simply uninstall Kiddix using kiddix-uninstall.exe found in C:\kiddix.  This program will remove Kiddix from your harddrive and restore the Windows bootloader to it's previous state.
  
• If you installed Kiddix natively using Install Option 2, the easiest way to remove Kiddix from your hard drive is to use the uninstaller found on the Kiddix Platform install CD-ROM.  The uninstaller will restore your boot process to how it was before the installation of the Kiddix Platform.
  
  After the boot process has been restored you can safely delete and reallocate the space taken by Kiddix.  Windows users should use the Disk Management utility found in the Control Panel (under Administrative Tools).  Linux users should use QTParted or a similar application to reallocate partitions.

Q: I have used Install Option 1 - Windows Install and when I  try to start Kiddix it freezes at "Preparing system for boot..." 
     
A: When Kiddix is installed using the Windows Installer it is essential that Windows is properly shutdown (using Start->Shutdown or Start->Restart) each time you want to boot into Kiddix.  To fix this problem simply restart Windows and shutdown.  If this does not remedy the issue, you need to run the CHKDSK utility found in Windows.

This is necessary so we can safely access the Kiddix installation that is stored inside Windows.

The following instructions will help your run CHKDSK on Windows XP:

"The disk check could not be performed because the disk check utility needs exclusive access to some Windows files on the disk.  These files can be accessed only by restarting Windows.  Do you want to schedule this disk check to occur next time you restart the computer?"
 
Press the "Yes" button here as we want to run these on the next boot.

Q: When booting off the Kiddix Platform CD-ROM it freezes on "Initializing the Kernel"
     
A: This usually occurs when there is a hardware incompatibility on bootup. Booting the cd with the nosplash option will remove the graphical splash and show what the error exactly says.  Kiddix Support should be contacted for further help.

Q: When booting into Kiddix I see the error message "Error 17: File not found.  Press any key to continue..."
     
A: This error will typically occur when you have opted to use our Windows-based install option, and you have not completed installation of Kiddix on your computer.  Continue to follow the directions in the Kiddix Quickstart guide to complete installation.

If you have had a working version of Kiddix on your computer, and it stopped working and displays this error message, it likely means that the files stored in C:\kiddix have been damaged or deleted.  If this occurs, you may need to uninstall Kiddix and begin installation again.

For reference, the full error message may look like this:

Q: Why is the display on the monitor slow?
     Why do application windows take a long time to repaint?
     Why do 3D games run slowly?
A: Have you run the configure monitor utility found in the Parent View (under the "Customize System Settings" icon?  The generic Kiddix Platform setup uses a video driver named 'vesa' that works on almost all PC's, but may be slow to respond.  It is important to run the configure monitor utility to take advantage of your computer's video hardware.



Q: After selecting configure monitor Kiddix doesn't show any graphics, instead I see a lot of text and a prompt at the bottom the the screen that says:


A: A problem occurred while attempting to configure your video and monitor settings.  To restore the Kiddix Platform to the original video settings do the following:

• At the login prompt type your parent username (ie. parent, mom-and-dad, etc...) and press enter when done.
• When prompted for your password please type it and press enter when done (you will not be able to see the text entered).
• You should now see a 'command prompt'.
• Type 'sudo restore-display' without quotes and press enter to restore the video setting to the original default.

Q: My monitor says "Out of Range" or a similar message.
A: Some monitors, especially LCD panels, may not be able to display portions of the startup/shutdown messages.  If you see this message and they disappear it is normal.

If this message is constant or your screen remains black, ensure your monitor and video card are capable of handling either the 1280x1024 or 1024x768 resolution that is required by the Kiddix Platform.  Most monitors on the market today can handle either of these settings.



Q: Sometimes right before the Kiddix login screen an odd image or distorted picture appears on the screen.
A: Most users will never experience this, however in some cases, when your display settings are changing to show the login screen, miscellaneous data is found in memory, and may result in random images appearing on the screen.  Nothing displayed is part of the Kiddix system, and any images shown are artifacts from another operating system that was once on the computer.

Q: The application's 'X' button doesn't work  How do I close it?
A: Certain applications and games override the X button, not allowing you to close it in the traditional manner.  Often the way to quit such an application is the hit the Escape (esc) key, until you back out of the menus that close the application.



Q: I put a cdrom/usb stick in the drive but I can't see the icon?
A: Sometimes the CD-ROM will not appear immediately when placing a CD-ROM in the drive.  Try hitting the reload button on the filemanager toolbar a few times until it appears.



Q: I see the error "Cannot talk to Klauncher." when trying to open the filemanager.
A: A permissions problem is not allowing you to view your files.  This sometimes occurs when another user on the system has mounted a CD-ROM, and has not ejected it before logging out.

Sometimes a simple login and logout of the user will fix the problem.  If another user did mount a CD-ROM, login as that user and eject the CD-ROM.  If none of these options work a simple reboot of the machine often fixes the problem.

Experts may also want to try the following option.  The lock on Klauncher can be removed by deleting the files .DCOPserver* and .ICEauthority in the users home directory.  Delete these, log out, and log back in.



Q: How do I immediately log out of my account?
A: Press ctrl-alt-backspace.  This is helpful if a problem has occurred preventing your from logging out.

Q: I set up a Gmail account for my child, but the Kiddix Email application can't download any messages.
A: Have you enabled POP access for the Gmail account?  More information can be found on the Google homepage.

Q: Does the Kiddix Email application support my child's webmail account?
A: Maybe.  Kiddix Email is a local email client, and therefore requires either a POP or IMAP accessible email account.  Certain webmail services like Gmail offer POP or IMAP access for free.  Check with your email provider for more information.

When your child accesses their email through a webmail client, it bypasses the Kiddix Email client entirely, including the restrictions you have placed on the account.  If you only want your child to access their email though the Kiddix Email client, the best solution is to configure the built in web filter to block access to the webmail homepage.

Q: I don't hear any sound output inside Kiddix.
A: Most Kiddix applications have some type of sound effects.  If you don't hear any sound when inside Kiddix, there are a number of things to check.

• Verify that your speakers are plugged in and the volume adjusted to an audable level.
  
• Verify that your speakers are plugged into the correct sound output connector on the back of your PC.  The sound output jack is typically a light green color.
  
• Verify that the sound volume is raised in the kid desktop.  The volume control is found at the top of the kid desktop, and will typically look like a small speaker.
  
• As part of installation, Kiddix attempts to unmute several audio channels that are needed to hear sound playback.  It could be that a necessary channel was not unmuted for your particular hardware. To correct, log into the Parent View, then:
  
• Left click anywhere on the parent desktop to bring up the Parent View extended options menu.
  
• Select the choice xterm
  
• In the xterm window type the command:  alsamixer   (and press enter)
  
• Alsamixer allows you to raise and lower each audio channel for your hardware.  Use the arrow keys to move volume up and down.  If a particular channel has the letters [MM] under the volume bar, it means the channel is muted.  Press m to unmute the channel.  Press esc to exit alsamixer.

Q: How does my child connect to the wireless internet?
A: After you have set up wireless internet as part of the system configuration settings under the Parent View, your child will be able to connect to the wireless internet by clicking on the wireless icon found on the top bar of their desktop.


Q: Why isn't my wireless connecting?
A: If you can see your wireless access point through the "Wireless Assistant" application found in the Parent View, the machine is properly setup to access your wireless network.

Sometimes you may see a Connection Failed message in Wireless Assistant when attempting to connect to your access point.  If this occurs, double click on your access point to try to connect again.

If you continue to see a connection failed message, the following may be a problem:

• If you use WEP, you may have the incorrect WEP key set in Wireless Assistant
• If you use MAC address filtering, be sure to add the wireless card's MAC address to your routers access list.  Consult your router's documentation on how to do this.
  
• Your wireless card may not be supported by our platform.

To see where the problem may be occurring, one recommended approach is to access your router and turn off WEP, MAC address filtering, and turn on the broadcast of your ESSID (network name).  If you can connect you should try turning these features off/on one by one to see where the problem is occurring.


Q: Can you recommend a wireless adapter for use in Kiddix?
A: Many wireless adapters work out of the box in Kiddix, and still other work after the proper drivers are installed.  However, if you are interested in a new wireless adapter that works out of the box with Kiddix, we suggest the BELKIN USB 2.0 Wireless G Network Adapter - (Model # F5D7050).

For our customers convienience this device can be purchased directly through our online storefront.