Ubuntu Linux is fast becoming the Linux flavor of choice for netbooks. Mobicip offers a high-quality parental control and content filtering solution for Ubuntu and Ubuntu-based Linux flavors. The solution, currently in beta, works not only on netbooks, but on desktops and laptops as well.

The following tutorial is provided based on the Ubuntu Netbook Remix (last tested version is 10.04). But the same or equivalent steps should apply to other flavors where the UI and menus may be slightly different. We welcome users to submit tutorials for other flavors or provide screenshots so we can create the tutorials.

1. To get started installing Mobicip, launch the Synaptic Package Manager. In the Netbook Remix, you can find this in the Administration Menu. (System menu in Ubuntu NRE 10.04)

2. Select Settings > Repositories from the Package Manager menu.

3. Select the Third-Party Software tab.

4. Click Add and enter the following line exactly in the text box exactly as shown below.

deb http://linux.mobicip.com/debian-repo Ubuntu non-free

Note: The screenshots display a repository URL that is different from the above. Please copy-paste the above line to be safe.

5. Click Add Source. The Mobicip.com repository should now be added and selected in your list. Close this dialog and return the Package Manager.

6. Click the search button in the Package Manager toolbar.

Note: Do not use Quick Search. It doesn't seem to work, for some reason. This seems to be fixed in Ubuntu NRE 10.04.

7. Search for mobicip. Right click on mobicip-linux in the search results and select Mark for Installation. Accept any prompts and warnings.

8. On the Package Manager screen, click the Reload button.

9. Mobicip will launch and prompt you to create an account. If you have a Mobicip.com account already, select the choice and proceed. Otherwise, create an account and purchase a Premium subscription.

12. Login using your Mobicip.com username and password.

11. Check the box for Enable Filtering and click Next.

11. Click Advanced Settings button if you need to assign a child as the primary user of this device. By default, the first child in your account is assumed to be the user.

12. You will see that Mobicip has now been enabled. Click Finish to exit the dialog.

13. You should now see the Mobicip icon in the Internet menu.

14. To see if Mobicip is working effectively, you can launch Firefox and try to browse to an inappropriate website. You should see that the site is blocked as shown below.

That is it! Your Ubuntu netbook is now protected and ready for your family to use! Simply login at Mobicip.com to setup your filtering settings and view activity reports.

We will truly appreciate your feedback, testimonials and comments on the Mobicip Online Safety community site. With the support of an active user community, we hope to transform this beta into a clean and user-friendly solution.