DSL Web Kiosk

Forum: Other Help Topics
Topic: DSL Web Kiosk
started by: nipun_jain

Posted by nipun_jain on June 27 2007,05:30

Hi all.

I want to make a web kiosk and DSL due to it's small size and low requirements makes it a perfect choice. However I need some tips and guidance on how to proceed.

1. I downloaded the latest release candidate and it has firefox 1.06 in it. The website that I wish to access using the (hopefully) new kiosk doesn't run fine with FF1, it needs FF 1.5 or higher. Is there a way to replace the FF in the DSL iso?

2. I need to install flash, java and an extension (r-kiosk) to firefox, I guess this would happen at every boot? How to go about it? Adding some code to xinitrc would help? (I am thinking /usr/bin/firefox -install-global-extension). Am clueless about how to add the java and flash plugins to. Are they (libflashplayer.so and the libjava.so or whatever the java module is) to be added to /etc/skel or /etc/knoppix or /etc/skel/.mozilla or /usr/lib/modules/firefox/plugins

3. Need to start firefox (and not the windowmanager) at boot time. Hopefully r-kiosk will make it fullscreen. What changes need to be made to r-kiosk

4. Bootsplash!

5. Any way that I can have the internet configuration menu that appears on DSL right click in System, available somewhere during boot time or as a webpage inside the browser so that the user can configure his internet access?

I plan to fork out a new version of DSL (by the name of DSL-Kiosk maybe) for this purpose. Is that fine with the developers? I know there are a lot of kiosks out there but most of them don't seem to be small is size or low on requirements. Making a DSL based kiosk makes perfect sense.

Hope to get some ideas, suggestions and of course lots of help!

Posted by Anshik on June 27 2007,08:38

DSL Kiosk on usb flash.

Posted by curaga on June 27 2007,09:33

Read the thread about remastering (yes, the one with 70+ pages)

By remastering you can put everything "into the core" so they do not have to be loaded at boot time.. Also you can then remove stuff not needed..

1 and partly 2) Read the starting page in Dillo.. MyDSL has many versions of Firefox, java is there..
3) Search the forum for "kiosk" there is a nice solution for keeping FF running
4) You need your own kernel for that
5) Edit the scripts.. Is that needed to start always? DSL should autodetect many cards and use dchp by default..

Posted by nipun_jain on June 27 2007,14:40

Quote (curaga @ June 27 2007,05:33)

I thought that thread was too old, seeing it was started way back. I will try to read the last 10-15 pages to get a better idea about how to proceed.

I hate being such a moron, but I didn't find anything about firefox or java in the starting page of dillo. I am reading it on the latest release candidate version.

I know I need my own kernel for that. Could anyone tell me if the DSL kernel can be compiled from within some other distro (I am on ubuntu 7.04) or do I have to boot into dsl to do that? And how difficult / easy is it to accomplish. Before this I have tried to compile slax kernel around 5-7 times, unsuccessfully. Is there a DSL specific guide somewhere?

About network, many of the users wont have an always on internet connection. I want to give them the ability to configure their network, so if I could somehow have the internet configuration menu only, while keeping the live cd locked inside firefox (maybe prior to firefox launches there could be a dialog box?)

I know I am being a jerk asking so many questions, but I am pretty new to DSL so please bear with me.

I have been trying to have some headstart with this kiosk thingy for quite a while now with no success. Finally I am contemplating paying someone to do the work. Any takers?

Posted by curaga on June 27 2007,15:04

Nah, you aren't a jerk at all.

The Linux kernel is generic, you can compile it on anything and it will run on anything.. What trouble did you have in Slax? (I recommend Knoppix. Ubuntu and DSL as live cd's do not have compilers, libs and headers ready on the cd, but Knoppix does)

About that start page, I meant the part of "extending DSL via MyDSL"
In mydsl there are many programs.. Click on the icon "mydsl" and select network/unc and look for Firefox..

Basically nearly anyone here could take your offer, opensource people tend to like money for work ;)
*hand up* but I don't have a paypal account..

Posted by nipun_jain on June 27 2007,15:36

I was compiling the slax kernel on slax itself, that is while running the live cd. It was really slow. The how to's i was going by were very conflicting in nature, some suggested one module for the kernel, some the other. I tried many of them, but one way or the other, the kernel wouldn't compile, and I grew wary of the term *kernel compile*

I will try to do a DSL kernel compile, but first I will see if I can actually get firefox 2 to run in kiosk (locked down) mode with flash and java. Only then the graphical boot would make sense.

Posted by lucky13 on June 27 2007,15:38

Quote

4. Bootsplash!

Why in the world would a kiosk need bootsplash?

Putting random quotes in some context:

Quote

I plan to fork out a new version of DSL (by the name of DSL-Kiosk maybe) for this purpose.... how difficult / easy is it to accomplish. Before this I have tried to compile slax kernel around 5-7 times, unsuccessfully.... I am pretty new to DSL.... I am contemplating paying someone to do the work.

Crawl before you try to walk. It doesn't sound like you have the knowledge or experience to fork anything yet, not if you need this much hand-holding through the process. A lot of what you say you want to do has already been done, such as in projects like in the link below.
< http://www.eng.uwaterloo.ca/twiki/bin/view/Linux/LinuxKiosk >

Posted by nipun_jain on June 27 2007,15:59

Quote

Why in the world would a kiosk need bootsplash?

Because it's a kiosk live cd that I want to distribute to users, and not a an actual kiosk computer that I plan to put up for public use.

Quote

Crawl before you try to walk. It doesn't sound like you have the knowledge or experience to fork anything yet, not if you need this much hand-holding through the process.

You're absolutely right my friend. That's why I said I plan, not that I am doing it. That meant I am hoping to figure out how to do this and then do it. Would be pointless to do it before I know, wouldn't it?

And yes, it might seem like hand holding to you, because what may seem obvious to you (like walking), is a big step for someone inexperienced like me (like a baby taking his first step). But that doesn't mean that I can't try, can I? Who knows the baby learning to walk might become an olympic runner in the future?

Quote

A lot of what you say you want to do has already been done, such as in projects like in the link below.

Thanks for the link, but I have already found tested their Boothbox CD and it doesn't work. And the last release was an year and a half ago. I am sure DSL must have a changed a bit by now. That's why the need and my [I]plan[I] to work on a new DSL kiosk. It would a great learning experience for me, and if I plan to release my work back to the community by forking it out as a project, then nothing wrong with it, is there?

Posted by curaga on June 27 2007,16:08

As Firefox 2 is better with Gtk2 and Flash 9 (which btw has much better performance than Flash 7) needs gtk2, you should use DSL-N as the base (it has gtk2 already in)

Posted by lucky13 on June 27 2007,16:09

Quote

if I plan to release my work back to the community

"Releasing it back" isn't optional, it's required under GPLv2.

Posted by nipun_jain on June 27 2007,16:12

Quote (lucky13 @ June 27 2007,12:09)

Quote

if I plan to release my work back to the community

"Releasing it back" isn't optional, it's required under GPLv2.

So where's the problem? It's required, and I am myself willing to do it. I don't see any conflict of interest, apart from the fact that someone considers someone as too immature / inexperienced to try something. I accept that I am, but that doesn't mean I can't learn? And first step in learning is to ask someone who knows what you're trying to do. And that's what I am doing. If you can't help me out, could I request you to not try to demoralize me? Thanks.

Posted by curaga on June 27 2007,16:26

It actually isn't. You can keep the changes you do with you, but you can't change the license for something else without everyone's acceptance.

Posted by lucky13 on June 27 2007,16:41

Quote

So where's the problem?

I'm not trying to demoralize you, I'm trying to get you to be realistic. Per your baby-cum-Olympian analogy, it's like the baby taking one clumsy step and its parents deciding it's time to enter it into a marathon. You haven't compiled a kernel yet, you're asking questions about level of difficulty, and offering to pay someone to do the work for you. With what and why I don't understand because you're unlikely to gain revenue from it since DSL is freely available and can rather easily be remastered; indeed, many people who've set up kiosks have done just that. Take the time to learn and you may realize there's no need for "forking" anything, much less paying someone to help you do it.

Posted by nipun_jain on June 27 2007,16:46

I have compiled a kernel, it's just that I was not successful.

Well I did compile a kernel for slax, but there are so many conflicting guides about how to go about it, and I tried all, but compiling the kernel from within the slax live cd was very slow and didnt work for any of the how to guide.

That's why i wanted to know if there is a how to for dsl or is it a generic process (patching the kernel for bootsplash and compiling it).

Posted by curaga on June 27 2007,16:53

Unpack kernel
Unpack patch
cd kernel-directory
patch -Np1 -i ../patch
make menuconfig
make dep
make bzimage modules
make modules_install
cp arch/i386/boot/bzImage whereever needed

2.4 Kernel compilation in a nutshell

Posted by nipun_jain on June 27 2007,16:55

Thanks curaga, that's more like it. I am finally taking the plunge reading the 77 page thread and hoping to get the hang of it.

Posted by ^thehatsrule^ on June 27 2007,17:00

Not to rain in on the discussion here, but #1-5 can be all found by simple searches - although for #5: having it as a webpage might be a bit different (javascript I suppose)

Quote

I know there are a lot of kiosks out there but most of them don't seem to be small is size or low on requirements. Making a DSL based kiosk makes perfect sense.

There are DSL-based kiosks like yours, as probably pointed out already.

Posted by lucky13 on June 27 2007,17:01

curaga

Quote

It actually isn't. You can keep the changes you do with you

Note: "it's a kiosk live cd that I want to distribute to users..."

GPLv2 requires source code be made available since it's intended for redistribution.

nipun_jain

Quote

I have compiled a kernel, it's just that I was not successful.

Then you didn't compile it.

Quote

there are so many conflicting guides

That's why you need to focus on learning before doing. I'm not trying to bring you down -- I admire your enthusiasm. I just think you'd have a lot more to both learn from and offer to an existing community (this one) than trying to start a new one on the back of this one.

Posted by nipun_jain on June 27 2007,17:07

Okay, I get your point. Now finally, is there any kernel recompile guide particular to dsl? I hope there is, I am searching the forums to find out.

Oh, by the way, I checked mydsl, it doesn't seem to have firefox 2, or even 1.5 for that matter.

Posted by lucky13 on June 27 2007,17:11

Congratulations, you made my blog.

< http://lucky13.blogsavy.com/2007/06/27/quote-of-the-day/ >

Posted by nipun_jain on June 27 2007,17:13

Thanks! I am honored.

Posted by curaga on June 27 2007,17:19

check the uci section

To compile a kernel on DSL get these extensions: gnu-utils.unc, gcc1-with-libs.unc

The config that created the current kernel is available in dsl-kernelsources.dsl if you want to use that as a base

Posted by nipun_jain on June 27 2007,17:22

Thanks!

Posted by 304 on July 08 2007,09:05

nipun_jain: Stick with it. You may not have the skills to do everything you want right now, but everyone had to start somewhere.

Focus on small milestones. Actually compile the kernel with no changes and then add some small changes and keep going until you get what you want. If you run into problems with the compile, post the details and see if anyone can help you out.

A lot of projects take much longer than you will anticipate and probably longer than you'd really like. But anything worthwhile generally takes time.

There are some very friendly people here on the forum who will help you out, but in retun they expect you to put in some work as well. No one is going to do it all for you.

Lucky13: Still being a condescending asshole to new users? It's good to see some things never change.

Posted by nipun_jain on July 08 2007,09:11

Thanks a lot for your reply. It's people like you who push people like me to strive for things which people like lucky13 think are impossible for us to do.

Posted by lucky13 on July 08 2007,16:05

Okay, 304, you answer questions here. I'm gone.

Posted by 304 on July 09 2007,07:19

Quote (lucky13 @ July 08 2007,12:05)

Okay, 304, you answer questions here. I'm gone.

lol. Which of the original questions did you answer?