Re: OpenKiosk (was MozillaKiosk)
On 12/29/2004 10:11 AM, mvol...@fruitlands.org wrote: Thanks Matt. Its nice to see OpenKiosk on mozdev.org. My pleasure! For comparasin, here is a link to a kiosk chrome I developed for our kiosks. We've used this on both linux and wondows platforms. http://wiki.mozdev.org:8080/cgi-bin/mozdev-wiki.pl?KioskProject/VolmarSetup How cool. We did know about that effort, but I had no idea it came from another museum. Good work! I think developing kiosk applications using mozilla XULs is a good way to go. Once the basic kiosk interface is set up, the rest of the development is largely standard web programming technologies. I dont remember exactly but I think Matt uses a client-server model. Right. There are a few benefits for us, relative to a kiosk with a local http server: in short, they are a) centralized management; b) the clients are all nearly identical and thus easier to replace/swap; c) we can take advantage of external online resources (which we can manage using blacklisting/whitelisting in OpenKiosk). Our smaller museum is not networked in all exhibit halls. We're not either! We have switch cabinets and a backbone throughout the building, though, so we pay only about $200 for an ethernet cable--which does not add much to the cost of a kiosk. That's easily worth it, considering the benefits, especially the labor-savings. If we had not had the luxury of installing a modern network backbone a few years ago, this would be harder. But wireless is an option. The beauty of using mozilla as a program platform is that you can enable server side scripting and database functionality - even on stand alone machines. On linux this is a little easier since you can automatically install an apache webserver with php and mySQL. Using php triad or easy php on windows can achieve the same result. I also recommend xampp.org (apache, MySQL, php, perl, plus great config tools), which is similar and runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Each OS has its own keyboard issues. It would be great to hear about your non-stnadard keyboard vendors Matt. Here's a list of links from some places we've tried. They all sell tamper-proof, spill-proof, panel-mountable (so you can build them into a desk) keyboards. Not all of their models are shown on these pages; you may have to call to ask about keyboards lacking problem keys. http://www.stealthcomputer.com/peripherals_oem.htm http://www.input-tech.com/ http://www.ikey.com/ There is some overlap between them because, we think, Stealth is a vendor while iKey and Input-Tech are manufacturers. Thanks, Matt --- You are currently subscribed to mcn_mcn-l as: rlancefi...@mail.wesleyan.edu To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-mcn_mcn-l-12800...@listserver.americaneagle.com
Re: OpenKiosk (was MozillaKiosk)
Thanks Matt. Its nice to see OpenKiosk on mozdev.org. For comparasin, here is a link to a kiosk chrome I developed for our kiosks. We've used this on both linux and wondows platforms. http://wiki.mozdev.org:8080/cgi-bin/mozdev-wiki.pl?KioskProject/VolmarSetup I think developing kiosk applications using mozilla XULs is a good way to go. Once the basic kiosk interface is set up, the rest of the development is largely standard web programming technologies. I dont remember exactly but I think Matt uses a client-server model. Our smaller museum is not networked in all exhibit halls. The beauty of using mozilla as a program platform is that you can enable server side scripting and database functionality - even on stand alone machines. On linux this is a little easier since you can automatically install an apache webserver with php and mySQL. Using php triad or easy php on windows can achieve the same result. Each OS has its own keyboard issues. It would be great to hear about your non-stnadard keyboard vendors Matt. Thanks again, Mike Volmar > > From: Matt Morgan > Date: 2004/12/23 Thu PM 06:21:22 GMT > To: mcn-l@mcn.edu > Subject: OpenKiosk (was MozillaKiosk) > > The MozillaKiosk that I announced last month has been renamed OpenKiosk > and is now an official Mozilla Extension! So this is a good time to do a > little bit more of a write-up for the people who a) had trouble getting > it working, or b) had more general questions, or c) didn't even try it :-(. > > This message is, first, an announcement of the official release of > OpenKiosk under the Mozilla Public License (MPL), and second, a short > intro to the installation and configuration of OpenKiosk. Part two follows. > > > INSTALLATION > > First, install Mozilla itself > (http://www.mozilla.org/products/mozilla1.x/). You only need the browser > component, but it won't hurt to install the mail/news components as > well. OpenKiosk doesn't work on Firefox. > > Next, install the official Mozilla extension jslib > (http://mozdevgroup.com/products/), an API for Mozilla-based application > development with javascript that you can get at > > https://addons.update.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?application=mozilla&id=257&vid=1351 > > > > Finally, install the OpenKiosk extension: > > https://addons.update.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?application=firefox&id=417&vid=1353 > > > > CONFIGURATION/USAGE > > Once OpenKiosk is installed, you can run it with > > mozilla -kiosk > > at whatever kind of prompt (CMD on Windows, terminal session on Mac or > Linux) your computer uses. That will give you the basic idea. Our actual > kiosks work by forcing this command to run at startup. > > Then, log in under an account with administrative privileges (like root > in Linux or OS X, or any local or domain admin user under Windows) and run > > mozilla -kiosk admin > > (the default password is 'admin'; you can change it in the admin > options) and that will get you the admin configuration window. Paging > through here and trying a few different settings will really explain things. > > A FEW IMPORTANT NOTES > > 1) OpenKiosk makes several assumptions about the physical nature of the > kiosk computer and hardware--for example, the keyboard can't have an Alt > key (or you could Alt-Tab, Ctrl-Alt-Backspace, or Ctrl-Alt-Del and get > out of the kiosk session). Ctrl is also problematic, independent of Alt. > You can disable key combinations in the OS, but it's platform-dependent, > confusing for users when keys don't work, and generally a big hassle. If > you're having trouble finding keyboards that will work for you, email > me. There are a few manufacturers that we like. > > 2) OpenKiosk disables right-clicking, since the Save As option or other > items that open dialogs, for example, would confuse everything (and give > access to the filesystem and potentially, to the OS). Use touch-screen > monitors and/or a keyboard with a built-in one-button trackball. > > 3) The next feature we're working on is a way to set some pages to be > full-screen with NO buttons or widgets, while other pages show some > buttons and widgets (Home, Back, etc.). This will accommodate attract > screens, which shouldn't have home and back buttons, for example, even > when the following pages might need them. This seems really obvious, now > ... oops. > > 4) This is open source software. If there's something you don't like > about OpenKiosk, or that you think is missing, please email me, and/or > write a comment for the extension page. Better yet, please consider > doing it yoursel
OpenKiosk (was MozillaKiosk)
The MozillaKiosk that I announced last month has been renamed OpenKiosk and is now an official Mozilla Extension! So this is a good time to do a little bit more of a write-up for the people who a) had trouble getting it working, or b) had more general questions, or c) didn't even try it :-(. This message is, first, an announcement of the official release of OpenKiosk under the Mozilla Public License (MPL), and second, a short intro to the installation and configuration of OpenKiosk. Part two follows. INSTALLATION First, install Mozilla itself (http://www.mozilla.org/products/mozilla1.x/). You only need the browser component, but it won't hurt to install the mail/news components as well. OpenKiosk doesn't work on Firefox. Next, install the official Mozilla extension jslib (http://mozdevgroup.com/products/), an API for Mozilla-based application development with javascript that you can get at https://addons.update.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?application=mozilla&id=257&vid=1351 Finally, install the OpenKiosk extension: https://addons.update.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?application=firefox&id=417&vid=1353 CONFIGURATION/USAGE Once OpenKiosk is installed, you can run it with mozilla -kiosk at whatever kind of prompt (CMD on Windows, terminal session on Mac or Linux) your computer uses. That will give you the basic idea. Our actual kiosks work by forcing this command to run at startup. Then, log in under an account with administrative privileges (like root in Linux or OS X, or any local or domain admin user under Windows) and run mozilla -kiosk admin (the default password is 'admin'; you can change it in the admin options) and that will get you the admin configuration window. Paging through here and trying a few different settings will really explain things. A FEW IMPORTANT NOTES 1) OpenKiosk makes several assumptions about the physical nature of the kiosk computer and hardware--for example, the keyboard can't have an Alt key (or you could Alt-Tab, Ctrl-Alt-Backspace, or Ctrl-Alt-Del and get out of the kiosk session). Ctrl is also problematic, independent of Alt. You can disable key combinations in the OS, but it's platform-dependent, confusing for users when keys don't work, and generally a big hassle. If you're having trouble finding keyboards that will work for you, email me. There are a few manufacturers that we like. 2) OpenKiosk disables right-clicking, since the Save As option or other items that open dialogs, for example, would confuse everything (and give access to the filesystem and potentially, to the OS). Use touch-screen monitors and/or a keyboard with a built-in one-button trackball. 3) The next feature we're working on is a way to set some pages to be full-screen with NO buttons or widgets, while other pages show some buttons and widgets (Home, Back, etc.). This will accommodate attract screens, which shouldn't have home and back buttons, for example, even when the following pages might need them. This seems really obvious, now ... oops. 4) This is open source software. If there's something you don't like about OpenKiosk, or that you think is missing, please email me, and/or write a comment for the extension page. Better yet, please consider doing it yourself, or paying someone to do it! We worked with MozDevGroup (http://www.mozdevgroup.com) and they have been fantastic. 5) For more on the story of the development of OpenKiosk, and a few more details about usage, see http://mozdevgroup.com/clients/bm/ . - So give it a try, and happy holidays! Thanks a lot, Matt --- You are currently subscribed to mcn_mcn-l as: rlancefi...@mail.wesleyan.edu To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-mcn_mcn-l-12800...@listserver.americaneagle.com
