https://github.com/suhlig/kiosk
Turns a Raspberry Pi into a simple browser kiosk
https://github.com/suhlig/kiosk
academic kiosk raspberry-pi spike
Last synced: 3 months ago
JSON representation
Turns a Raspberry Pi into a simple browser kiosk
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/suhlig/kiosk
- Owner: suhlig
- Created: 2018-01-02T20:28:23.000Z (almost 8 years ago)
- Default Branch: master
- Last Pushed: 2024-11-10T12:25:14.000Z (11 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-06-20T12:36:59.150Z (4 months ago)
- Topics: academic, kiosk, raspberry-pi, spike
- Language: Go
- Size: 125 KB
- Stars: 1
- Watchers: 3
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.markdown
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# Kiosk
Turns a Raspberry Pi into a simple browser kiosk. A Go program controls a full-screen Chromium browser.
# Preparation
1. Configure the OS image using the [Raspberry Pi Imager](https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/):
- Set hostname
- Enable SSH
- Configure a non-default user
- Configure WLAN
- Set the locale
1. After first boot, use `raspi-config` to:
- Auto-boot into the graphical environment without asking for login credentials
- Disable screen blanking
# Kiosk Controller
The official touch screen makes a great secondary display for the `kiosk-controller`. Add or change the following lines in `/boot/config.txt`:
* Rotate the touchscreen by 180°:
```
lcd_rotate=2
```
* Switch to FKMS mode:
```
dtoverlay=vc4-fkms-v3d
```
Make sure it's `fkms`, and not `kms`.
# Config File
The URL of the browser is described in a YAML file that is passed as argument or via `STDIN` to the `kiosk` binary. If multiple entries are present, they will be opened as browser tabs and switched between every `--interval`; e.g. `10s`.
Example:
```yaml
- name: org
script:
- go: https://example.org
- click: //p/a
- name: com
script:
- go: https://example.com
- name: net
script:
- go: https://example.net
```
# TODO
- Deal with default values of controller.StatusUpdate - we don't want to send `IsTabSwitching = false` just because we did not know the current value
* pointers (and skip nil pointers)
* always query everything (maybe not ideal)
- At page load, set initial status of display power
- If displays are powered off, power-up the controller if touched (catching a click in any part of the page)
- Update the status of the power checkbox if changed on the server side
- stream image updates (no need to reload images)
- keep updating screenshots while switching is paused (may be impossible)
- make the current page the one shown when loading the controller
- add another service to run the kiosk controller on the touch screen:
```command
$ chromium-browser --kiosk http://localhost:8011
```
- re-configure tab switching time in the controller
- deploy using pipeline
- test pages for presence of some element, otherwise close tab and restart (e.g. when authenticated session expires)
- refresh pages that are not self-refreshing (e.g. [reload](https://github.com/chromedp/chromedp/blob/a3b306adf4a8348197a7927cacf3e77077121dd5/nav.go#L89))
- also useful as HTTP command
- configure `lcd_rotate=2` and `dtoverlay=vc4-fkms-v3d` via Ansible
- `unclutter -idle 0.5 -root &` if needed
- [splash screen at boot](https://github.com/guysoft/FullPageOS/blob/master/src/modules/fullpageos/filesystem/root_init/etc/systemd/system/splashscreen.service)
- Turn displays on and off via HTTP or cron:
```command
# Touch Screen (primary monitor)
$ vcgencmd display_power 0 0
$ vcgencmd display_power 1 0
# HDMI
$ vcgencmd display_power 0 2
$ vcgencmd display_power 1 2
```
Alternatively:
* Touchscreen
```command
$ sudo zsh -c "echo 1 > /sys/class/backlight/rpi_backlight/bl_power" # off
$ sudo zsh -c "echo 0 > /sys/class/backlight/rpi_backlight/bl_power" # on
```
* HDMI (`2` is the HDMI port; use `tvservice --list` to list)
```command
$ tvservice -o -v 2
$ tvservice -p -v 0
```
# Deployment
## Build the `kiosk` binary
For the Raspberry Pi 4, this is
```command
$ GOARM=7 GOARCH=arm GOOS=linux go build
```
## Prerequisites on the Deployer's Workstation
* Make sure you have a recent [Ansible installation](http://docs.ansible.com/ansible/intro_installation.html):
```bash
$ brew install ansible
```
Replace `brew` with `yum` or `apt-get`, depending on your OS.
* Install the required Ansible roles:
```bash
$ ansible-galaxy install -r roles.yml
```
* Update `inventory.yml` with the host(s) to deploy to
## Deploy
Run the playbook:
```bash
$ ansible-playbook playbook.yml
```