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Puppy as a stand alone informational Kiosk (solved)

Posted: Fri 22 Jul 2016, 11:43
by F.Takeda
Greetings,

First time poster, long time reader and puppy user.

Need to get answers but can't seem to find everything I need.

So I thought I would throw this out to the community and see what became of it.

Basically I'm building a isolated kiosk, meaning no network, static web pages that will fit on a single CD and boot in just about any modern computer. All it needs is to boot the system to a desktop and open a browser to load the static website.

I'm thinking just a stripped down puppy with all the html files of the website and then re-master the CD with that setup. I found the excellent re-mastering tutorial that goes step by step that is here that I can follow to build the CD, but can't seem to find one for stripping puppy of all the unnecessary programs. I have only barely been under the hood of puppy let alone try a task like this, but I'm willing to get my hands dirty with a little help.

Any and all help would be greatly welcomed.

Posted: Fri 22 Jul 2016, 12:58
by bigpup
Several things/ideas listed in this search.

https://www.google.com/#q=Kiosk&sitesea ... gws_rd=ssl

Used this seach site:
http://puppylinux.us/psearch.html

Your request to remove PUPPY packages

Posted: Fri 22 Jul 2016, 18:04
by gcmartin
In some mainline PUPs, you have the option provide everyone to remove installed packages that come built-in to your PUP distro.

I using a PUP where its utility is in Menu>Setup>Remove builtin packages

Take a look at your PUP, you might find it or a similarly worded utility.

Hope this is helpful.

Posted: Fri 22 Jul 2016, 18:15
by gcmartin
2 items of your opening post.
  • You make mention of a "non-communicating" use for your Kiosk. If I can offer a suggestion for your consideration: Just turn off Wifi or dont plug a ethernet cable in. Most every desktop, excepting All-In-Ones, do not have Wifi anyhow. But, your kiosk may be a laptop.
  • If your objective is to merely have a system that displays a web-page; then many/most PUPs come with a web-server, I think. Merely start it indexing your pages.
Questions
Is your kiosk to be used by the public? Or just a home bulletin board?

I am not an authority, but, I have seen several open-source solutions over the years of a distro/OS where it "locks" the display to a mere single application. Is this what you want?

Curious to the PUP's CD intent.

Posted: Fri 22 Jul 2016, 19:03
by F.Takeda
bigpup wrote:Several things/ideas listed in this search.

https://www.google.com/#q=Kiosk&sitesea ... gws_rd=ssl

Used this seach site:
http://puppylinux.us/psearch.html
Thanks
This is what I was looking for lots of good information.

Posted: Tue 26 Jul 2016, 21:44
by F.Takeda
Ok, 20 tries later I still can't produce a remastered puppy that will retain my settings.

I do a fresh frugal install remove most of the unwanted programs copy the 650mb webpage folder to the drive, then follow the directions to the T of the remaster directions listed in this forum and the new iso doesn't contain any of the files that I need and none of the settings.

Guess puppy doesn't want to be a electronic book.

So here is the project for those that want to know:

There are 10 matching P4 Dell desktops each has a CD-rom 512mb ram everything about them is the same.
I have a 120GB hd in one of them which I install puppy to. I want to make a bootable image of that drive, once the image is burnt to a cd the drive will be removed.

Then I want to make 9 copies of that CD to use in the other machines. The webpages are instruction manuals for putting together PCB kits.

Yes I know I could just setup these 10 systems as a network but that would incur having to purchase a router, network cabling, and the time for installing it all. And I need to do this project as inexpensively as possibly.

Oh well guess I'll go try the 21st time.

Posted: Wed 27 Jul 2016, 00:00
by ally

Posted: Wed 27 Jul 2016, 21:33
by muggins
Ok, 20 tries later I still can't produce a remastered puppy that will retain my settings.
What sort of settings are you trying to save? Often these will be in /etc or /root directories &, when doing a remaster, you need to copy these over to /tmp/root, or /tmp/etc, before the remaster script deletes the /tmp directories.

Posted: Thu 28 Jul 2016, 13:53
by anikin
From my personal experience, "kiosk" isn't just about "kiosk".
In the first place, it is more about understanding the basics of remastering.
I'd recommend, that you first search for "remaster" ... it might take some time though before you get there. User shadower_rc has published some serious stuff, but there were others too, I just can't find the links to their posts right now. http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=81701
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 0b7c83899b

However, if you are really serious about your goal, search beyond Puppy.
Porteus, for example has a professionally built kiosk variant: http://porteus-kiosk.org/

Posted: Wed 03 Aug 2016, 02:11
by F.Takeda
Thought I better update my progress and to say that I solved it.

Needless to say most of my problem was me lol I have a very bad habit about skimming instruction. Once I sat my laptop next to the unit I was working on and following each step correctly the remaster went like a well oiled machine.

I now have 10 CD's that boot identically on the 10 machines with the website all working correctly.

I do want to say thanks for all the great links to the info that was provided.

Thanks!

Posted: Wed 03 Aug 2016, 10:49
by cthisbear
Thanks for posting back F.Takeda.

Great that you have had success.

If you could just edit your TITLE post as....

Puppy as a stand alone informational Kiosk Solved

that helps the next bloke.

Cheers mate ....Chris.

Puppy as a stand alone informational Kiosk (solved)

Posted: Wed 03 Aug 2016, 12:10
by F.Takeda
Well hope I did this right if not please enlighten me on how to edit the subject.

thanks