What OS do you like for digital signage/kiosk/dashboard only?
from chazwhiz@lemmy.world to selfhosted@lemmy.world on 03 Nov 15:13
https://lemmy.world/post/38272373

For instance an RPI that just boots straight to a full screen browser with nothing else. I’ve used Magic Mirror but I want to switch to a web based dashboard instead.

Edit to clarify: Specifically talking about a cheap computer and monitor setup, not a tablet and touch controls won’t matter.

#selfhosted

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owenfromcanada@lemmy.ca on 03 Nov 15:29 next collapse

I’ve used Armbian and DietPi. Currently running a magic mirror on a Rock64 and a NAS on an ODROID HC4. Of the two OSes, I think I’d recommend Armbian. Skip installing a DE and just get a basic X session with a simple web browser.

Note that MagicMirror is web based, so the setup steps for putting up a web browser would be similar.

null@piefed.nullspace.lol on 03 Nov 17:41 collapse

I do exactly this with Armbian and an Orange Pi Zero 3 for a little Home Assistant display.

Autostart a browser in kiosk-mode on boot. Nice and simple.

I also made an image of that SD card if I ever need to set up another.

jrgd@lemmy.zip on 03 Nov 15:32 next collapse

Realistically, any LTS distro from a netinstaller or minimal image that can use a kiosk compositor like cage. So, the usual suspects of Debian, OpenSUSE, AlmaLinux, RockyLinux (or a derivative of one if the native distro doesn’t support Raspberry Pi). Then you just have cage open the browser of choice on startup (e.g. chromium --kiosk <url>) and you have a lightweight and relatively secure web kiosk.

bluGill@fedia.io on 03 Nov 15:56 collapse

Cage is not what I want from a kiosk. I want window management, I just want a few fixed windows in fixed positions. Sometimes I want to rotate between a few windows. I'm running Magicmirror now which gives what I want, but it is too slow and too locked into the everything is a web app model.

bluGill@fedia.io on 03 Nov 15:42 next collapse

I have a pi3 with a 20" touchscreen that I'm using. Raspbian booting to magic mirror. It works, but Magic Mirror is slow bloated/slow that I'm not happy with it. I'm about ready to make my own QT based signage - I suspect it will be much more performant as well as more flexible. Still it is a lot of work and so I hesitate to bother (even if version one could be done in a day - I have enough other projects).

rtxn@lemmy.world on 03 Nov 15:48 next collapse

At work, we use PiSignage for a large overhead screen. It’s based on Debian and uses a fullscreen Firefox running in the labwc compositor. The developer advertises a management server (cloud or self-hosted) to manage multiple connected devices, but it’s completely optional (superfluous in my opinion) and the standalone web UI is perfectly usable.

retro@infosec.pub on 03 Nov 21:45 next collapse

If you can get your head around it, NixOS is perfect for this. It’s what we use at work. You configure chromium to open full screen on a certain webpage, instant dashboard with next to no overhead.

tux7350@lemmy.world on 04 Nov 01:17 collapse

Ooo I do love me some Nix modules. Any particular options to look out for in order to configure something like that?

Edit:

It’s programs.chromium.extraOpts isnt it? Lol

Cyber@feddit.uk on 03 Nov 23:19 next collapse

Microsoft Windows surely?

/s

lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com on 04 Nov 01:21 next collapse

Windows 7

ikidd@lemmy.world on 04 Nov 19:39 collapse

The number of kiosks that are stll Windows NT would make you shudder.

metaStatic@kbin.earth on 05 Nov 08:58 collapse

hey, I didn't memorize my NT key for nothing

ikidd@lemmy.world on 04 Nov 19:41 next collapse

I like Fully_Kiosk on android, but it’s paid.

Eh, I just saw you weren’t meaning a tablet. That’s what most people kiosk on.

zorflieg@lemmy.world on 04 Nov 20:23 next collapse

RPi Digital Signage is really good. Binaryemotions.com. it’s built thoughtfully for a bunch of different situations. The kiosk mode paired with some sort of start page would work.

Kaes3kuch3n@lemmy.world on 04 Nov 21:26 collapse

I’ve been using chilipie-kiosk for a few projects. It‘s easy to set up and I‘ve never encountered any problems with it.

It‘s basically just a lightweight Debian installation which launches Chrome in fullscreen mode on startup, opening either the preconfigured URL or the one that was open at the end of the last session.