Setting up Bodhi as a kiosk type system

Hi all

For anyone interested, I have just configured Bodhi as a simple kiosk system for my elderly mother.

It just opens the Chrome browser on startup. When she closes the browser window it automatically shuts down.

I was previously using Porteus Kiosk for this purpose but Bodhi boots much faster and gives me more flexibility.

Here is what I did to set it up. Note that the method I used to run Chrome and shutdown automatically may not be best practice - if anyone can suggest a better way to achieve the same result, please let me know.

1. Install Bodhi:

I chose yes to install updates but not proprietary drivers
When setting up a user choose to auto login

2. Apply all updates

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

3. Install required apps

sudo apt install openssh-server
- so I can access the system remotely
sudo apt install gdebi
sudo apt install xinput
- so I can disable the touchpad as I only wanted the mouse active

4. Download and install Chrome

cd ~/Downloads
sudo gdebi ./google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb

5. Disable touchpad

Add the following command to ~/.e/e/applications/startup/startupcommands
xinput | grep 'SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad' | cut -d= -f2 | cut -d[ -f1 | while read line; do xinput --disable $line; done

6. Start Chrome automatically and shutdown automatically when the Chrome window is closed

Add the following commands to end of ~/.e/e/applications/startup/startupcommands
google-chrome --disable-extensions
sleep 1
shutdown now

7. Disable HandlePowerKey

- Note - Can't remember why I had to do this but it was doing something I didn't want when pressing the power button

Uncomment and change HandlePowerKey to ignore in /etc/systemd/logind.conf

8. Remove items on desktop

Clock and Desktop icons - Right click -> Remove
Set wallpaper to black

9. Set up chrome

Log into Chrome
Settings -> Appearance -> Use system title bar and borders -> Untick

10. Other settings

Settings -> Settings Panel:
- Extensions -> Shelves -> Delete shelf
- Look -> Startup -> Untick show splash screen
- Screen > Virtual Desktops -> Set to 1

11. If you just want the screen to go blank after a period of time

Settings -> Settings Panel:
- Screen -> Blanking -> Set timeout to whatever

12. If you want a proper screensaver:

Disable blanking (from step 11)
sudo apt install xscreensaver

Settings -> Settings Panel:
- Apps -> Personal Application Launchers
  - Add "My Screensaver" and set command to "xscreensaver -nosplash"
- Apps -> Startup Applications select "My Screensaver"

13. If you want a photo slideshow screensaver

sudo apt install xscreensaver-gl
Set directory under main screensaver settings (i.e. Application Menu -> Preferences -> Screensaver) -> Advanced
Select and configure GLSlideshow screensaver
Put images in same folder set above

That's it!

Note that I can still get to the application menu if necessary by minimising Chrome and left clicking on the desktop (even though the desktop has nothing on it)

Hope that helps someone. Please feel free to criticise my set up. I'm new to Bodhi so I've probably done some stupid things :-) But it works exactly as I had hoped. And it's super fast too!

Cheers
AJD