⚠ THE WARNING, IN BIG LETTERS

KIDDOS TAKES OVER THE WHOLE SCREEN AND IS DESIGNED TO BE HARD TO LEAVE.

THERE IS NO CLOSE BUTTON, NO MENU BAR, AND CMD-Q / ALT-F4 DO NOTHING.

LEARN THE WAY OUT (BELOW) BEFORE YOU START IT, AND SET THE PARENT PASSWORD YOURSELF ON THE FIRST RUN.

IT IS NOT A LOCK. A DETERMINED CHILD CAN STILL FORCE-QUIT IT (SEE “IF ALL ELSE FAILS”). IT IS MEANT TO BE HARD TO LEAVE BY ACCIDENT, NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO LEAVE ON PURPOSE.

What it does not do: it never touches your files (the child’s whole world is one file inside KidDOS’s own folder), it has no internet at all, and it runs no program outside its own sandbox. It does use your computer’s voice (the speak command) and speaker.

HOW TO START IT

macOS

Download KidDOS-macos.zip (one app for Apple silicon and Intel), unzip, you get KidDOS.app. Drag it to Applications if you like.
Double-click it. The app is signed and notarized with Apple, so there is nothing to bypass. (If a dialog still appears, right-click the app and choose Open.)
It opens full screen. Type hi and press Enter.

Windows

Download KidDOS-windows-x86_64.zip, unzip, run kiddos.exe.
Windows SmartScreen will complain because the file is unsigned: click More info, then Run anyway.

Linux

Download KidDOS-linux-x86_64.tar.gz (or -aarch64 for a Raspberry Pi 4/5 with a 64-bit OS), unpack, chmod +x kiddos, run it.
It needs ALSA, and X11 or Wayland: on Debian/Ubuntu sudo apt install libasound2 libxkbcommon0.

To try it without full screen

Run it from a terminal with KIDDOS_WINDOWED=1 in the environment. Good for a first look. Do not give a child the windowed version: they can click out of it.

SET THE PARENT PASSWORD (FIRST RUN, YOU, NOT THE CHILD)

Start KidDOS. At the prompt type parent and press Enter.
It says No parent password yet. Choose one: — type a password (it is not shown), Enter, then the same again, Enter.
You are now in parent mode: the prompt ends with #. Type exit to go back to the child’s prompt.

Do this before the child ever sits down. Whoever types parent first picks the password. The password is stored hashed in KidDOS’s folder on your computer, never inside the child’s drive.

Forgot it? Delete the file parent.hash in the KidDOS folder (paths below); the next parent asks for a new one.

HOW TO EXIT

Parent mode is the way out, and it works even when a program is running.

Press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + P (on a Mac, Cmd + Alt + Shift + P also works). This interrupts whatever is running and types parent for you. Or, at a prompt, just type parent.
Enter your password.
Now type one of:
- shutdown — saves everything and quits KidDOS.
- exit-fullscreen — turns it into a normal window you can close or move aside (fullscreen puts it back).
- exit — leaves parent mode and gives the machine back to the child.

Five wrong passwords lock parent for five minutes. Every entry into parent mode is written to the log (log shows it).

If all else fails

macOS: Cmd + Option + Esc opens Force Quit; pick KidDOS.
Windows: Ctrl + Alt + Del, Task Manager, end kiddos.exe.
Linux: Ctrl + Alt + F3 for a text console, or your desktop’s force-quit.

Nothing is lost: the child’s drive is saved every half second and on every clean shutdown.

USEFUL PARENT COMMANDS

command	does
`set-name Sam`	the name the machine greets (or the child types `hi` and is asked)
`reset-drive`	wipes the child’s drive back to new (asks for `yes`)
`log`	what happened: lessons done, games played, parent-mode entries
`carts`, `install`, `uninstall`, `share`	game cartridges in and out (see docs/cartridges)
`packs`, `install-pack`	compilers for C and Go (see docs/PACKS.md)
`passwd`	change the parent password
`crt off`	flat screen instead of the curved-TV look (the child can type this too)

WHERE THINGS LIVE ON YOUR COMPUTER

OS	folder
macOS	`~/Library/Application Support/KidDOS/`
Windows	`%APPDATA%\KidDOS\`
Linux	`~/.local/share/kiddos/`

Inside: drive.kdd (the child’s whole world, one file; copy it to back it up), config.toml, parent.hash, log.txt, and the carts/ and packs/ folders. That is everything KidDOS ever writes.