Kiosk with linux

Step 1:

Create your kiosk application. Example would be say web app running on the kiosk itself in php/python/nodejs etc.

Step 2:

Use some small distro, preferably with sysVinit(easy to edit /etc/inittab than writing upstart entries)

Example changes in /etc/inittab, comment out one of the tty logins:-

#1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty 115200 tty1 

Autologin:-

1:2345:respawn:/bin/login -f user_name tty1 </dev/tty1 >/dev/tty1 2>&1

Edit your /etc/rc.local to startx:-

su -l user_name -c 'startx -e /usr/bin/browser http://localhost:9001 2>&1' 

(or you may use ~/.xinitrc)

Or, install nodm, edit /etc/nodm to enable it and set user, and edit user’s ~/.xinitrc to launch your app.

This way you are not launching any window manager, so no login and your application is started automatically

Step 3:

Profit

This can be used with low powered linux running computers like imx233-olinuxino with TV-out, or raspPi to make a really cheap kiosk.

Or this can be setup with an old desktop which will still be cheap. Other possibilities are using a touchscreen interface, or giving only mouse as user interface etc.

(Note: All this assumes you have drivers, configurations working for your display device, input devices and working Xorg.conf for display/input etc)