Feature request

New features which should be implemented in Porteus Kiosk Edition and the kiosk wizard.
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Bjarke
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Feature request

Post#1 by Bjarke » 19 Jul 2016, 11:48

Possibility to enable user added favorites.
Possibility to change search engine for user of the auto update service.
Feature to enable volume control slider/button.

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fanthom
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Re: Feature request

Post#2 by fanthom » 19 Jul 2016, 12:56

Hello Bjarke,

"Possibility to enable user added favorites."
Must consider this carefully. Will probably do for case when private mode is disabled or maybe allow for Kiosk Cloud variant only.
EDIT:\\
Just checked and this is already possible. You must select Chrome and disable private mode. User can add bookmarks through Chrome menu -> Bookmarks -> Bookmark this page.
If user is signed into any Google account then bookmarks will be synced automatically. Next kiosk version will have Ctrl+d shortcut unblocked if Chrome is selected and private mode is disabled.

"Possibility to change search engine for user of the auto update service."
In next kiosk version it will be possible to select default search engine in the wizard (google and duckduckgo at the moment)

"Feature to enable volume control slider/button."
Wont make to default Kiosk ISO but will be available in the "Cloud" variant i'm currently working on:
http://porteus-kiosk.org/public/files/P ... kCloud.png

Thank you.
Please add [Solved] to your thread title if the solution was found.

Bjarke
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Re: Feature request

Post#3 by Bjarke » 21 Jul 2016, 11:12

Hi fanthom
"Possibility to enable user added favorites."
Must consider this carefully. Will probably do for case when private mode is disabled or maybe allow for Kiosk Cloud variant only.
EDIT:\\
Just checked and this is already possible. You must select Chrome and disable private mode. User can add bookmarks through Chrome menu -> Bookmarks -> Bookmark this page.
If user is signed into any Google account then bookmarks will be synced automatically. Next kiosk version will have Ctrl+d shortcut unblocked if Chrome is selected and private mode is disabled.
Thanks for info on this, i just did a reinstall and this works out nicely.
"Possibility to change search engine for user of the auto update service."
In next kiosk version it will be possible to select default search engine in the wizard (google and duckduckgo at the moment)
Thanks that will work for me, as most of my users would like to use the google search as that is what they are used to.
"Feature to enable volume control slider/button."
Wont make to default Kiosk ISO but will be available in the "Cloud" variant i'm currently working on:
http://porteus-kiosk.org/public/files/P ... kCloud.png
I am asking for this as our main use for the kiosk PC is to let people browse the internet when they are on their break in our canteen, but more and more sites have overlay advertisement with sound in them, usually at much higher level sound than YouTube or similar video sites do, so it would be nice for the user to be able to control the volume on sites that do not have a dedicated volume control button on them.

Is there perhaps a more detailed explanation of what the PorteusKioskCloud version would be able to do, i found some really old treads on the forum about it but nothing exact on what/how it would work.
Basically i like the PorteusKiosk as it is now, with only a few missing items to make it perfect for me, and i will also be needing the automatic update, that is why i would like it to be integrated into the default branch as an option, just like the way you can already specify default volume level, it would be nice with at enable/disable volume control.

Best regards
Bjarke

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fanthom
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Re: Feature request

Post#4 by fanthom » 21 Jul 2016, 14:18

Hello Bjarke,

Purpose:
Cloud variant of Porteus Kiosk will focus on offering an easy access to Google services: Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs. Its designed mainly for educational environments - but with few tweaks could be used anywhere else. ChromeOS works only with specific hardware (Chromebooks, Chromeboxes) while Porteus Kiosk should cover all Intel compatible hardware.

Differences with default Kiosk:
- private mode is forcibly disabled so users can sign into Google account and sync their data from the network
- its not possible to change browser UI (disable/hide navigation bar, disable address bar) as these are not needed
- all other kiosk parameters are available as normal: http://porteus-kiosk.org/parameters.html so its possible to lock the browser/system as you like
- new parameters designed just with Cloud variant in mind: set default search engine, enable password manager, full persistence, session idle replaces browser idle
- bottom panel is present by default with access to launchers, task manager, volume control, battery applet, clock/calendar, exit session button
- windows can be minimized/maximized and moved on the screen

I may add more features to Cloud (depends on user requests):
- write access for removable devices
- unlock downloads
- allow users to place files on Desktop
- integrate Google Talk plugin
- other ...

The idea is to have the Cloud variant less restrictive than kiosk (Cloud rather wont be exposed publicly, although this is still possible as persistence is optional).
I'm hoping to upload beta ISO sometime next week for early testers.

Thank you.
Please add [Solved] to your thread title if the solution was found.

Bjarke
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Re: Feature request

Post#5 by Bjarke » 28 Jul 2016, 09:26

Ok, thanks for the info, i might be up for testing the beta to see if that will work for my needs.

I have an additional feature request, when selecting primary keyboard layout to something else, like Danish, also set the chrome default language to Danish.
The reason for this is that google asks to translate every page, even google.dk as the browser is set to English but the start page is the danish google page.

If not possible perhaps have an additional parameter where it is possible to specify this when installing, like the keyboard layout.

I looked in parameters to see if there was a way to set it there, but it seems like there is not.

Also would it be possible to allow users to change the time for DPMS settings, as i find 10 min to short to power off the screen.

I like to be able to specify screensaver to turn on after 5 min and screen power off after 20 min.

Best regards
Bjarke


PS. Thanks for the good work your doing here.

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fanthom
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Re: Feature request

Post#6 by fanthom » 01 Aug 2016, 20:43

"when selecting primary keyboard layout to something else, like Danish, also set the chrome default language to Danish.
The reason for this is that google asks to translate every page, even google.dk as the browser is set to English but the start page is the danish google page."
It would be probably easy to implement but harder to maintain (automatic updates).

Perhaps you could disable translation feature through browser_preferences and GPO?
http://porteus-kiosk.org/parameters.htm ... references
http://www.chromium.org/administrators/ ... ateEnabled

"would it be possible to allow users to change the time for DPMS settings, as i find 10 min to short to power off the screen.
I like to be able to specify screensaver to turn on after 5 min and screen power off after 20 min."
Yes - will implement that.

Thank you.
Please add [Solved] to your thread title if the solution was found.

thecomputermaster
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Feature request

Post#7 by thecomputermaster » 18 Feb 2018, 04:05

Hi,
Could you please add an option to modify/add custom icons to the dock in the porteus kiosk cloud variant? I would like to add icons for other web based programs, whilst removing the icons for gmail, google docs and google drive. Otherwise, if you dont plan on implementing this feature, could you please outline a procedure on doing this manually? The ideal option would be using a similar procedure to adding bookmarks (so that the custom web "apps" just use the favicon).

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/R8joC ... w1920-h966
Image

Thanks in advance,
regards, thecomputermaster

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fanthom
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Feature request

Post#8 by fanthom » 18 Feb 2018, 07:22

@thecomputermaster
Please remaster the ISO and modify default launchers in /etc/xdg/tint2/tint2rc

Thanks
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thecomputermaster
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Feature request

Post#9 by thecomputermaster » 11 Mar 2018, 08:12

Hello Again,
Thank you very much for your support, i have managed to customize the icons in the kiosk cloud variant. However, i would like to take this a step further. Is it possible to add WPS office to the kiosk iso? If so, do i just add it to the xzm folder? also, what modifications would the desktop entry file require?

Here is a copy of the google chrome desktop entry if that helps explain what i am trying to do.
[Desktop Entry]
Exec=/opt/scripts/launcher URL
Icon=/usr/share/icons/hicolor/32x32/apps/chrome.png
Type=Application
Categories=Network;
Name=Google Chrome
MimeType=text/html;

(Maybe it is easier just replacing the cirtrix reciever in the thin client variant of the kiosk?)
thanks in advance.

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