[Edu-sig] Network-safe Python Install for school use?

[Stephen Thorne]

On Thu, 18 Mar 2004 18:30:44 -0800
"BJ MacNevin" <brian at macnevin.net> wrote:

> WHEW. Finally head from my school district's IT dept. regarding the
> possibility of installing Python for kids to learn programming on.
> They are VERY resistant to this. I am amazed.
> 
> Their issues now: Python would allow some "smart studnet" to mess with
> the network (microsoft networking).
> 
> My response: can't I install a Python that has any networking removed?
> 
> Any ideas? I'm frustrated beyond belief at my district's rigidity
> here.

I'm tempted to say that removing the 'socket' library should be enough
to foil the plans of a moderately smart student, but an extremely smart
student could also pull a stunt like using dl.open to access the winsock
dll directly.

That said, I'm not sure 'networking removed' would accomplish anything
substantial, the thing you need to 'protect' the network from are a)
sniffers and b) modification of networking settings. Having a student
able to make arbitary connections on the network isn't nearly as
dangerous as the other two.

Stephen Thorne.