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- LittleBrother
On the recordRead 12 Oct 202617 facts
LittleBrother
Plans and prices
LittleBrother
Free
GPL-3.0 licensed open-source application
Read 12 Oct 2026 · github.com
On the record
- Activity reports
- Yesgithub.com · read 22 Sep 2026
- App blocking
- Yesgithub.com · read 22 Sep 2026
- Client communication
- Clients communicate with the master using HTTP and a shared access token; the documentation says this connection is always simple HTTP.github.com · read 12 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The project documents optional LDAP authentication and authorization, SQLite by default, and MySQL, MariaDB, or PostgreSQL for the master database.github.com · read 12 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The project describes itself as a parental-control application for monitoring and limiting children’s play time on Linux computers.github.com · read 12 Oct 2026
- License
- The public repository identifies the software as GPL-3.0 licensed.github.com · read 12 Oct 2026
- Limitations
- The maker notes that processes may occasionally fail to terminate correctly, leaving users recorded as still logged in.github.com · read 12 Oct 2026
- Multi-host monitoring
- It can combine activity from any number of Linux client hosts through a master host, and can also run on one standalone host.github.com · read 12 Oct 2026
- Other-device monitoring
- It can estimate activity on other devices such as smartphones and tablets by pinging them, but cannot terminate activity on those devices.github.com · read 12 Oct 2026
- Platforms and installation
- The software is released as a Debian package, has a client snap, and offers Docker setup; the maker describes basic generic installation support for non-Debian distributions.github.com · read 12 Oct 2026
- Play-time rules
- Rules can set time windows, daily limits, session limits, required breaks, and exceptions based on day of week or vacation schedules; vacation schedules currently support Germany only.github.com · read 12 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- LittleBrother monitors and limits children’s play time on Linux hosts by tracking configured processes.github.com · read 12 Oct 2026
- Screen-time schedules
- Yesgithub.com · read 22 Sep 2026
- Security caveat
- The maker says the web server only responds to HTTP and recommends putting an internet-accessible master behind a reverse proxy that handles HTTPS termination.github.com · read 12 Oct 2026
- Taskbar helper
- The LittleBrotherTaskbar helper shows remaining play time and can speak notifications before a forced logout.github.com · read 12 Oct 2026
- Tested distributions
- The README lists tested distributions including Ubuntu, Debian, Mint, Arch Linux, and Alpine, with test dates and versions varying by distribution.github.com · read 12 Oct 2026
- Web administration
- The master provides a web interface for activity history and administration, and can be placed behind a reverse proxy for remote administration.github.com · read 12 Oct 2026
