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I don't want my kids to play games, so I am supervising their Google accounts with Google Family Link - it works very well to block access to unwanted websites when they try to access them via their Chromebooks. Now, I also want them to be able practice Python on their Chromebooks, but I am having trouble granting them access to proper Python coding environment without encountering major trade offs. So far I have tried to get them to:

  1. Use https://www.pythonanywhere.com/ (or for that matter pretty much any other online IDE). While it works for most things and is fast, it does not support native GUI windows. Hence they can't make use of a Python book that I bought to them that uses turtle python module extensively (as it needs access to native GUI).
  2. Use remotedesktop.google.com with an Ubuntu VM installed in the cloud. While this somewhat works, it is very slow and unreliable as they sometimes lose connection to the VM or simply can't connect to the VM at all as there are still quite a lot of bugs in Google remote desktop service.
  3. Use Linux (beta) feature on Chromebook. I can install Linux (Beta) with Python and IDLE on Chromebook when I log in from Parent/Administrator account. However, when I log in from the Child/Supervised account there is no option to install Linux (beta) at all.

Any other suggestions on how to enable access to Python, but still be able to enforce parental control on Chromebooks?

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    Could downvoters clarify what is wrong with the way this question is asked? I am open to improve it
    – user2138912
    Commented Oct 6, 2019 at 21:37
  • Can you make due with anaconda? What chromebooks are we talking about?
    – Edgard Knive
    Commented Oct 7, 2019 at 1:46
  • @elmo Anaconda seems to require to enter chromebook into dev mode [wsvincent.com/install-python3-chromebook/] and I was reading that dev mode had some issue with Family link. Will give a try through. It is Acer 14 Inch with Intel Celeron N3160 Quad-core 1.60 GHz CPU.
    – user2138912
    Commented Oct 7, 2019 at 23:58
  • I think you only need to enter dev mode during installation. Should be good afterwords if you disable dev mode when you've installed. It might be that you need to grant access to the binaries for each of the family linked users. I don't have a chromebook readily available now so I cannot try on my end.
    – Edgard Knive
    Commented Oct 8, 2019 at 0:33

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You have to recreate child account with the Family Link for Parents application and then you will be able to install Linux (Beta). I believe your previous account was created long time ago.

The reason behind this is that While the legacy child accounts still work, Google deprecated them. The correct way as of now is to create them through Family Link application directly opposed to enrolling them as Child account.

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