https://github.com/alanvww/jumpstart-electron
A simple cross-platform Electron wrapper lets you open any URL in a dedicated window with options for kiosk mode, full screen mode, and system startup, useful for setting up creative coding projects.
https://github.com/alanvww/jumpstart-electron
creative-coding electron p5js physical-computing utility
Last synced: 3 months ago
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A simple cross-platform Electron wrapper lets you open any URL in a dedicated window with options for kiosk mode, full screen mode, and system startup, useful for setting up creative coding projects.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/alanvww/jumpstart-electron
- Owner: alanvww
- Created: 2025-02-21T03:43:04.000Z (3 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2025-02-25T05:18:51.000Z (3 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-02-25T05:28:27.526Z (3 months ago)
- Topics: creative-coding, electron, p5js, physical-computing, utility
- Language: JavaScript
- Homepage:
- Size: 41 KB
- Stars: 1
- Watchers: 1
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
Jumpstart
A simple cross-platform Electron wrapper lets you open any URL in a dedicated window with options for kiosk mode, full screen mode, and system startup, useful for setting up creative coding projects.
## Features
- **Settings Page**: Configure how the browser will run
- Enter any URL to open in the browser window
- Toggle kiosk mode (fullscreen without window controls)
- Toggle regular fullscreen mode (disabled when kiosk mode is on)
- Choose whether the app starts automatically with the system
- Set auto-refresh interval in minutes
- Enable automatic refresh when network reconnects
- **Browser Page**: Display the specified URL
- Automatic camera and microphone permissions
- Exit button to return to settings
- Keyboard shortcut `Ctrl+Shift+Q` or `Cmd+Shift+Q` to exit kiosk mode
- Automatic page refresh on network reconnection
- Timed auto-refresh based on user settings
- **Cross-Platform Support**: Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux (including Raspberry Pi)
## Installation
1. Go to the [Releases](https://github.com/alanvww/jumpstart-electron/releases/latest) page of this repository
2. Download the appropriate version for your operating system:
- **Windows**: Download portable version (.exe)
- **macOS**: Download the DMG file (.dmg)
- **Linux**: Select the AppImage (.AppImage), Debian package (.deb), or RPM package (.rpm) - coming soon!
3. Install the application:
- **Windows**: Extract the portable version and run the executable
- **macOS**: Open the DMG file and drag the application to your Applications folder
- **Linux**: Make the AppImage executable (`chmod +x *.AppImage`) or install the deb/rpm package using your package manager
## Usage
1. Launch the Jumpstart application from your applications menu or desktop
2. On the settings page:
- Enter the URL you want to open (e.g., `https://example.com`)
- Select your desired options:
- **Kiosk Mode**: Fullscreen without window controls (useful for kiosks or presentations)
- **Fullscreen**: Regular fullscreen mode with window controls (disabled when kiosk mode is on)
- **Start with System**: Application will start automatically when your computer boots
3. Click "Launch Browser" to open the specified URL
4. To exit kiosk mode and return to settings:
- Click the "Exit" button in the top-right corner
- Press the keyboard shortcut `Ctrl+Shift+Q`(Windows), `Cmd+Shift+Q`(Mac OS)
## Technical Details
- Built with Electron for cross-platform compatibility
- Uses plain JavaScript, HTML, and CSS (no additional frameworks)
- Implements secure practices with contextIsolation and preload scripts
- Uses Electron's IPC for communication between main and renderer processes
- Automatically grants camera and microphone permissions for the browser page
- Implements reliable network connectivity monitoring
## Project Structure
```
├── src
│ ├── main.js # Electron main process
│ ├── preload.js # Preload script for IPC communication
│ ├── index.html # Settings page
│ ├── browser.html # Browser page
│ └── style.css # Styling for both pages
├── package.json # Dependencies and scripts
└── README.md # This file
```
## Cross-Platform Features
### Auto-Start with System
The application supports starting automatically with the system on all major platforms:
- **Windows**: Uses the Windows Registry to configure auto-start
- **macOS**: Creates a Launch Agent in the user's Library folder
- **Linux**: Creates a .desktop file in the autostart directory
### Building for Production
The application can be built for Windows, macOS, and Linux using electron-builder, which is included as a development dependency.
#### Build Commands
Build for all platforms (requires appropriate environment):
```
npm run build:all
```
Build for specific platforms:
```
npm run build:win # Windows
npm run build:mac # macOS
npm run build:linux # Linux
```
Or just build for the current platform:
```
npm run build
```
#### Build Outputs
The built applications will be available in the `dist` directory:
- **Windows**:
- NSIS Installer (.exe)
- Portable version (.exe)
- **macOS**:
- DMG disk image (.dmg)
- ZIP archive (.zip)
- **Linux**:
- AppImage (.AppImage)
- Debian package (.deb)
- RPM package (.rpm)
#### Customizing Builds
You can customize the build configuration in the `build` section of `package.json`. See the [electron-builder documentation](https://www.electron.build/) for more options.
## Development
If you want to contribute to Jumpstart or build it from source, follow these steps:
1. Make sure you have [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/) installed (version 14 or higher recommended)
2. Clone this repository:
```
git clone https://github.com/alanvww/jumpstart-electron.git
cd jumpstart-electron
```
3. Install dependencies:
```
npm install
```
4. Start the application in development mode:
```
npm start
```
5. Make your changes and test them
6. Build the application using one of the build commands mentioned in the "Building for Production" section
## License
MIT License
Copyright (c) 2025 Alan Ren