Browser Autoboot Linux Distro

dmbminaret on 30/01/2021 - 09:14

Hi All,

Just looking for any recommendations please.

This is just for a single google sheets page to display on a TV all the time. I currently have a PC on a stick with win10 but keeps losing signal to a white screen so thought I would format it. I tried neverware cloudready chrome OS, but doesn't want to install for some reason.

I saw https://webconverger.com/ but they are not free.

I was just going to put mint or lubuntu on but thought someone may have some ideas on a free purpose built web browser only distro.

Any built in web browser on the smart TV looks garbage and I can't use an extension to auto refresh.

Could do raspberry pi but I'm lazy.

Computing Linux Distro

Comments

  • avoidfullprice on 30/01/2021 - 09:48

    Like chrome OS?

    • dmbminaret on 30/01/2021 - 09:52

      Yea like that or even more basic. I tried it and wouldn't install on stick PC.

      I tried neverware cloudready chrome OS, but doesn't want to install for some reason

      • avoidfullprice on 30/01/2021 - 10:14

        So you tried but didn't tried.

        What about https://porteus-kiosk.org/

        Sorry I'm as lazy as you and cbf check if it is free

        • dmbminaret on 30/01/2021 - 10:19

          This looks good. Seems to be free unless you want updates or customised deployments. I'll have a deeper look.

          Cheers.

  • pegaxs on 30/01/2021 - 10:16

    Chrome and kiosk mode? Use a bare bones version of a linux distro. All of them will boot from a USB stick.

    I have something similar here at work for displaying static screens and just ended up buying a raspberry pie and running chrome browser in kiosk mode to display pages and just SSH into it when I need to change the page.

    • dmbminaret on 30/01/2021 - 10:20

      Chrome didn't install for some reason. It went through the install process multiple times but nothing written to disk.

      • pegaxs on 30/01/2021 - 10:24

        Chrome OS or chrome browser ? I am talking about using a linux distro and running the Chrome browser in kiosk mode. I dont know much about Chrome OS.

    • dmbminaret on 30/01/2021 - 10:23

      Yep. I was trying to avoid the pi as I already have the PC on a stick available. Was just gonna whack mint or lubuntu on it but wondered what else is available that others might know about.

  • o53djz7qTPY4der on 30/01/2021 - 10:38

    Use debian with xfce or lxde and then use xinit

  • scotty on 30/01/2021 - 10:44
    +1

    For CloudReady — did you use the USB drive to install it? Did it boot fine into the Chromium OS desktop? For CloudReady I found the UI for installing the OS quite confusing — you can easily miss the option to install the OS onto your hard drive and boot into the OS on the USB instead. See Step 2 Initiate Installation here — you need to click on the little clock at the bottom right, and click on "Install OS" option in the popup.

    • dmbminaret on 30/01/2021 - 12:01

      Yea I did multiple times but I'm thinking more and more that it actually installed to SD card. I might see if I can boot from that or take it out and try again. If I can boot to sd, I've effectively got dual boot.

  • No Username on 30/01/2021 - 11:58
    +1

    Arch with Startup Script.

  • serpserpserp on 30/01/2021 - 12:33

    2021 - The year of the Linux desktop has finally arrived!

  • bazingaa on 30/01/2021 - 14:14

    In the old days, I would use Damn Small Linux (DSL) with a script. But It hasn't updated for a long time.
    I think you can use Windows PE as well.

  • srhardy on 01/02/2021 - 09:48

    It’s true, now most time is spent in the browser, Linux is a viable alternative to windows and even Mac OS. It’s not spying on you, it’s fast, free and customisable to be both fun and useful.

    On my dual boot windows laptop, I boot Linux 90% and windows 10% and that’s for keeping it updated mostly, then to play a game that won’t run well under Linux and lastly to run cyberlink to edit something like a video.

    But more and more I do more on Linux than windows. Just wish Adobe had apps on it at a fair price!

    • dmbminaret on 02/02/2021 - 08:26

      I did too. I used linux mint almost exclusively for 5 or 6 years up until 2017. Took a good 6 months to learn and not 'yearn' for the known way to do it in windows, but after that it is well worth it.

      I use windows mostly now as I need it for software at work and use my phone for nearly everything else but still maintain a ubuntu server and pfsense router at work.

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