Require password to install software in Wine?

[bill-in-cville]

Hey, folks. First time posting here. I was wondering if it's possible to configure Wine so that someone logged into a non-administrator account can run programs installed with Wine, but wouldn't be able to install programs with Wine, either by requiring a password when running the Wine installer or simply making it inaccessible to non-administrator accounts in the first place.

The reason I ask is because I volunteer at a mentoring program that aims at introducing kids to various aspects of technology and helping them to explore it. I'd like to start exposing the kids to Linux, using Zorin-OS, and eventually hope to talk the permanent staff into installing Linux on their old hardware as an alternative the kids can use. Ideally I'd like these installs to have Wine on them just in case a Windows program is needed for some reason, but also have it so that the kids can't just download and install any old software they want. Security concerns aside, if they even exist, I'm assuming the staff want to have final say over what does and doesn't get installed on their computers.

Thanks in advance for any help,

Bill

[dimesio]

Short answer: no. Some discussions of why:
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=20620
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=20104
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=14467
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=10176

[bill-in-cville]

Thanks a lot. I'll take a look at the links you posted. I guess this means just stick with FOSS programs and let the staff know about Wine if they want to use it - otherwise, just go with the <sarcasm>incredibly narrow</sarcasm> choices the Linuxverse has to offer. In fact, that might even make the case for using Linux that much stronger.