Creating a kiosk mode system can be useful for public access terminals, digital signage, or any setup where you want a locked-down browsing experience. Here’s a quick guide to setting up a lightweight Linux-based kiosk system using Chromium and Openbox.
Prerequisites
This guide assumes you are using a Debian-based Linux distribution (e.g., Ubuntu) and have sudo privileges.
Step 1: Update the System and Create a Kiosk User
Update the package list:
sudo apt update
Create a new user for the kiosk:
sudo useradd -m kiosk-user
Step 2: Install Required Packages
Install the necessary packages for a minimal graphical environment:
sudo apt install sudo xorg chromium openbox lightdm
Step 3: Configure LightDM for Auto-login
Edit the LightDM configuration file to enable automatic login for the kiosk user:
sudo vim /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf
Replace the file’s content with:
[SeatDefaults]
autologin-user=kiosk-user
user-session=openbox
Save the file and reboot to verify that the system automatically logs in as the kiosk-user.
Step 4: Set Up Openbox Configuration
Create the Openbox configuration directory for the kiosk-user:
sudo mkdir -p /home/kiosk-user/.config/openbox
sudo chown -R kiosk-user:kiosk-user /home/kiosk-user/.config
Create an autostart script:
sudo vim /home/kiosk-user/.config/openbox/autostart
Add the following content to launch Chromium in kiosk mode:
chromium \
--no-first-run \
--disable \
--disable-translate \
--disable-infobars \
--disable-suggestions-service \
--disable-save-password-bubble \
--start-maximized \
--kiosk "http://www.google.com" &
Ensure each command in the script ends with & to run in the background.
Make the script executable:
sudo chmod +x /home/kiosk-user/.config/openbox/autostart
Step 5: Test the Setup
Reboot the system. Upon boot, it should:
- Automatically log in as kiosk-user.
- Launch Chromium in full-screen kiosk mode, pointing to the specified URL.
