Comments on: The Search for the Perfect Linux Kiosk Distribution http://www.internetling.com/2008/04/19/the-search-for-the-perfect-linux-kiosk-distribution/ Linux, open source and delicious cake Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:33:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: jvivier http://www.internetling.com/2008/04/19/the-search-for-the-perfect-linux-kiosk-distribution/comment-page-1/#comment-7999 jvivier Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:26:33 +0000 http://www.internetling.com/2008/04/19/the-search-for-the-perfect-linux-kiosk-distribution/#comment-7999 A couple options exist Ken, debootstrap an ubuntu system, install the apps you want. if you want it to autologin you will need to create a user account (in chroot), install mingetty and configure the auologin for the user account. After that if you have ubuntu-standard installed you can have it start firefox in kiosk mode using startup scripts (runlevel - single user gui mode) and a loop, so that if they close firefox it will restart. or... You can install ubuntu, create a user account, modify that users desktop using gnome lockdown or something similar. Clone that system to another cheap computer and change the hostname. or... You can change the startup script from the first example so that instead of running firefox it will run rdesktop on a loop and connect to a remote OS through Hyper-V as a restricted user (if you are comfortable with using windows server) Another option, (just came to me) buy some old Neoware (overly unsupported) terminals and set them up in Kiosk mode. A couple options exist Ken,

debootstrap an ubuntu system, install the apps you want.
if you want it to autologin you will need to create a user account (in chroot), install mingetty and configure the auologin for the user account.
After that if you have ubuntu-standard installed you can have it start firefox in kiosk mode using startup scripts (runlevel – single user gui mode) and a loop, so that if they close firefox it will restart.

or…

You can install ubuntu, create a user account, modify that users desktop using gnome lockdown or something similar. Clone that system to another cheap computer and change the hostname.

or…

You can change the startup script from the first example so that instead of running firefox it will run rdesktop on a loop and connect to a remote OS through Hyper-V as a restricted user (if you are comfortable with using windows server)

Another option, (just came to me)

buy some old Neoware (overly unsupported) terminals and set them up in Kiosk mode.

]]> By: Ken http://www.internetling.com/2008/04/19/the-search-for-the-perfect-linux-kiosk-distribution/comment-page-1/#comment-7998 Ken Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:11:13 +0000 http://www.internetling.com/2008/04/19/the-search-for-the-perfect-linux-kiosk-distribution/#comment-7998 We currently have two HP Thin Clients (which are terribly built) that we use for applications. I am looking to get replacements for them, and we can buy refurbished PCs for much cheaper than new Thin Clients, then most of the parts are user-replaceable. Anyhow, I am looking into a kiosk mode/distro for these said replacement PCs. Opera has a kiosk mode, but it is impossible to quit it (even killing the pid in a terminal). I have tinkered with Thin Client OSes before (ThinStation and PXES) and they are very limited on what you can customize run-time, because the image is built to your specifications beforehand. I have meddled with Puppy and DSL before, but I was hoping for something even more minimal, like absolutely no applications installed, just an xterm and a network manager. When I was in college, our student center had two or three kiosks that ran on Ubuntu, and the only options it gave was to open Firefox, or logoff/restart. I will give TinyMe a shot via LiveCD and see what damage I can do. Thanks for the article! We currently have two HP Thin Clients (which are terribly built) that we use for applications. I am looking to get replacements for them, and we can buy refurbished PCs for much cheaper than new Thin Clients, then most of the parts are user-replaceable. Anyhow, I am looking into a kiosk mode/distro for these said replacement PCs. Opera has a kiosk mode, but it is impossible to quit it (even killing the pid in a terminal). I have tinkered with Thin Client OSes before (ThinStation and PXES) and they are very limited on what you can customize run-time, because the image is built to your specifications beforehand. I have meddled with Puppy and DSL before, but I was hoping for something even more minimal, like absolutely no applications installed, just an xterm and a network manager. When I was in college, our student center had two or three kiosks that ran on Ubuntu, and the only options it gave was to open Firefox, or logoff/restart. I will give TinyMe a shot via LiveCD and see what damage I can do. Thanks for the article!

]]> By: Kevin http://www.internetling.com/2008/04/19/the-search-for-the-perfect-linux-kiosk-distribution/comment-page-1/#comment-7877 Kevin Fri, 11 Feb 2011 03:25:52 +0000 http://www.internetling.com/2008/04/19/the-search-for-the-perfect-linux-kiosk-distribution/#comment-7877 xpud.org is pretty awesome, fast, may work on your machines http://www.thinkdigit.com/Features/xPUD--Firefox-powered-Operating-System-Review_4052.html xpud.org is pretty awesome, fast, may work on your machines

http://www.thinkdigit.com/Features/xPUD–Firefox-powered-Operating-System-Review_4052.html

]]> By: Kai Hendry http://www.internetling.com/2008/04/19/the-search-for-the-perfect-linux-kiosk-distribution/comment-page-1/#comment-7418 Kai Hendry Sun, 21 Feb 2010 14:56:58 +0000 http://www.internetling.com/2008/04/19/the-search-for-the-perfect-linux-kiosk-distribution/#comment-7418 Do you ever try http://webconverger.com ? Your machines' specs are very close to what Firefox minimum requirements. http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/system-requirements.html You can also image Webconverger to your disks, that should help. Do you ever try http://webconverger.com ?

Your machines’ specs are very close to what Firefox minimum requirements.
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/system-requirements.html

You can also image Webconverger to your disks, that should help.

]]> By: Sean Wilson http://www.internetling.com/2008/04/19/the-search-for-the-perfect-linux-kiosk-distribution/comment-page-1/#comment-4856 Sean Wilson Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:20:43 +0000 http://www.internetling.com/2008/04/19/the-search-for-the-perfect-linux-kiosk-distribution/#comment-4856 Use SparkleXp for running XP on older computers. If you install Sparkle it'll run on 64MB of RAM. Use SparkleXp for running XP on older computers. If you install Sparkle it’ll run on 64MB of RAM.

]]> By: lietk12 http://www.internetling.com/2008/04/19/the-search-for-the-perfect-linux-kiosk-distribution/comment-page-1/#comment-4657 lietk12 Wed, 11 Feb 2009 03:22:34 +0000 http://www.internetling.com/2008/04/19/the-search-for-the-perfect-linux-kiosk-distribution/#comment-4657 I distinctly recall running Xubuntu on an 8-year-old Dell Latitude CP with 256 MB of RAM (However, this was version 5.04), and it worked fine. If you can dig up an old version of Ubuntu, it may work. I found that an old version of Slax running on KDE 3.5 on that same laptop was very responsive. However, I don't know about the capabilities of Slax/Slackware as a kiosk. I distinctly recall running Xubuntu on an 8-year-old Dell Latitude CP with 256 MB of RAM (However, this was version 5.04), and it worked fine.
If you can dig up an old version of Ubuntu, it may work.

I found that an old version of Slax running on KDE 3.5 on that same laptop was very responsive. However, I don’t know about the capabilities of Slax/Slackware as a kiosk.

]]> By: kookimebux http://www.internetling.com/2008/04/19/the-search-for-the-perfect-linux-kiosk-distribution/comment-page-1/#comment-4564 kookimebux Sun, 01 Feb 2009 19:58:22 +0000 http://www.internetling.com/2008/04/19/the-search-for-the-perfect-linux-kiosk-distribution/#comment-4564 Hello. And Bye. :) Hello. And Bye. :)

]]> By: Greg http://www.internetling.com/2008/04/19/the-search-for-the-perfect-linux-kiosk-distribution/comment-page-1/#comment-1553 Greg Mon, 15 Dec 2008 19:42:22 +0000 http://www.internetling.com/2008/04/19/the-search-for-the-perfect-linux-kiosk-distribution/#comment-1553 TinyME? The problem was you cannot set some stuff up to work smoothly. I dug up some old DIMM RAM sticks in the school IT storage room, so now we have one computer with 795 RAM (3 sticks with 265), one with 265 and one with 512. The two slower ones run Debian-Xfce very well, but the 795 mb one is quite slow even with all that RAM (We have Intrepid on it). I don't know if it's Ubuntu's fault or is it the processor (though it's a 1,4 GHz which should be more than enough). TinyME? The problem was you cannot set some stuff up to work smoothly.

I dug up some old DIMM RAM sticks in the school IT storage room, so now we have one computer with 795 RAM (3 sticks with 265), one with 265 and one with 512.

The two slower ones run Debian-Xfce very well, but the 795 mb one is quite slow even with all that RAM (We have Intrepid on it). I don’t know if it’s Ubuntu’s fault or is it the processor (though it’s a 1,4 GHz which should be more than enough).

]]> By: tempt http://www.internetling.com/2008/04/19/the-search-for-the-perfect-linux-kiosk-distribution/comment-page-1/#comment-1550 tempt Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:11:08 +0000 http://www.internetling.com/2008/04/19/the-search-for-the-perfect-linux-kiosk-distribution/#comment-1550 hey, i think tinyme is perfect. my compuer is running on 800mhz athhlon, 30gig hdd and a28 ram, and it works perfect.graphic is ok, and user friendliuness is quite high. hey, i think tinyme is perfect.
my compuer is running on 800mhz athhlon, 30gig hdd and a28 ram, and it works perfect.graphic is ok, and user friendliuness is quite high.

]]> By: Echo http://www.internetling.com/2008/04/19/the-search-for-the-perfect-linux-kiosk-distribution/comment-page-1/#comment-1542 Echo Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:01:08 +0000 http://www.internetling.com/2008/04/19/the-search-for-the-perfect-linux-kiosk-distribution/#comment-1542 There is more to it though. I also install gdm flashplugin-nonfree, and have to still modify it to auto-log-on because all of my users can use the same account. Also I have to include the ability over right the the system image the user is log into so that after they log out everything they use is over written with a default image. Most of this information I found available at this website: http://www.dnalounge.com/backstage/src/kiosk/ However they are using Redhat 9 and I most familier with Ubuntu. (Maybe I should be more open to new things?) Other Resources include http://users.telenet.be/mydotcom/howto/linuxkiosk/ubuntu01.htm http://tldp.org/HOWTO/From-PowerUp-To-Bash-Prompt-HOWTO.html http://kernelnewbies.org/FAQ There is more to it though. I also install gdm flashplugin-nonfree, and have to still modify it to auto-log-on because all of my users can use the same account. Also I have to include the ability over right the the system image the user is log into so that after they log out everything they use is over written with a default image. Most of this information I found available at this website: http://www.dnalounge.com/backstage/src/kiosk/ However they are using Redhat 9 and I most familier with Ubuntu. (Maybe I should be more
open to new things?)

Other Resources include

http://users.telenet.be/mydotcom/howto/linuxkiosk/ubuntu01.htm
http://tldp.org/HOWTO/From-PowerUp-To-Bash-Prompt-HOWTO.html
http://kernelnewbies.org/FAQ

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