Although the PC market is in turmoil, it has never been easier to replace its
out-of-date, often unsupported, bloated & infected preinstalled OS with a Linux
alternative.
In this tutorial, I’ll explain how to turn your PC into a Web kiosk. What’s a
Web kiosk? It’s a PC that directs the public to a certain intended Web
application. Imagine public computers found at a library or a cafe, these would
be considered Web kiosks.
You might think configuring your favourite desktop operating system to start a
browser is easy enough, though the devil is in the details.
-
Is the system locked down so the user can only get access to the browser?
-
Does the system have a window manager which can allow a misuse like
hiding and minimising the browser? -
Does the system prevent downloads in order to save bandwidth?
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Is the browser locked down so no malicious addons or configurations
can be set? -
When a user has finished using the kiosk, is that user’s data wiped
clean? Is it security reviewed & validated? -
Does the kiosk stay upto date with latest security and HTML developments?
-
Can the kiosk be setup without a URL bar or restricted so the user
can’t browse sites that have nothing to do with the intended
application?
Webconverger is such a Linux kiosk solution that is focused on all these
details, delivering Web kiosk software in deployments ranging from retail banks
to call centers to community centers.
To try Webconverger out on your PC without touching any existing data, you need
1Gigabyte of RAM and any USB stick you are willing to format.
Download Webconverger and follow the detailed instructions for Windows, Linux
or Mac on how to put Webconverger on it upon on a USB memory stick
Once you have the USB stick ready, you need to choose to boot from it in your
BIOS menu. Next you should see the Webconverger boot menu and the Live default
is just fine.
With any luck, you should now have a Web browser looking back at you. Browse
the Web and once you are finished, close the tab to ensure every trace of your
session is kept private.
If you install Webconverger, Webconverger will stay uptodate with its unique
git upgrade technology. So it’s as
close as you can get to zero maintenance.
So if you have a place that could use more traffic, set up a PC with
Webconverger Web kiosk and turn it into a destination.
