PiOSK > Your opinion

[SecularSteve]

https://github.com/debloper/piosk

https://youtu.be/CrQjc6P-g1A

Apparently, there's a pretty hefty competitor out there now.
Anything to add onto this?

[guysoft]

1. I really would love an alternate project to come up which I won't need to maintain and gave me the same functionality. In FOSS we all benefit.
2. This is 11 months old, FullpageOS is just under a decade. So it would be interesting to see if and how it grows.
3. I think @debloper (hey if you get this :) ) could really benefit from CustomPiOS to make this a single flash and run install. I came up with FullPageOS to cut the requirement for a guide, just like @debloper says in his video. However, There is still a guide to flash RpiOS and then install the PiOSK script. Which is exactly what @debloper says he is trying to avoid. CustomPiOS could help with minimal effort have a ready to ship image that he could publish on rpi imager, similar to what FullPageOS already has.

Its hard to remember with all the complaints in the issus in the tracker that FullPageOS has been running on over tends of thousands of machines. In shops, factories, tv studious, churches museums. I learn a lot from issues that people post here that this is the case. I had startups saying its in their core hardware. It would take a while to shift even if there are alternatives. Until then, I will try and put some of my free time to maintain it. Just to note no one pays me for this, I even don't really have time to use it anymore myself. If someone wants to take over they are welcome to come and help. I think people that use FullPageOS daily would know better how to improve it if they put the time.

[debloper]

Wow... wot in ternation! I'm flattered but also confused at the premise of this thread.

BTW, hey @guysoft! 👋

PiOSK was made because I had to set up Pi Kiosk one too many times; and decided enough was enough... "I need to automate this". A reasonable person would look for alternative solution (like FullPageOS) and call it a day (and save time and energy doing so). But I operate on a messed up firmware, with a default mode network to make things myself, for myself... (even when it comes to hardware, like my Mic, Camera, Lights etc).

It wasn't meant for public use, it didn't have all the nice-ness & customizability in the right places (in fact, still doesn't). But apparently some people liked it, and they started reporting issues to fix. Which is when I realized I should start taking it more seriously than a functional-toy, cause what I do/did matters to the people using it (similar to as @guysoft mentioned it).

PiOSK's goal wasn't to compete against or to become the best kiosk tool. It was just to scratch my own back.

However, thanks @guysoft for raising an excellent point. If reducing set up steps (rather, eliminating a guide) was the goal, then PiOSK hasn't achieved it yet. A ready-to-go flashable image (hopefully listed in RPi Imager tool) would be a lot better. Point taken... I should make it happen. 🙏

[guysoft]

Hey @debloper thanks for posting a detailed reply :)
Not sure what OP intended. I just took it as an opportunity to snapshot what is going on in the project. And genuinely thought you might want know the ready-made image using CustomPiOS, and submitting to raspberrypi is an options that exists.

[SecularSteve]

Just wanted to get the opinion of the veteran for the newcomer since the context behind both solutions seemed pretty similar:
"A more convenient less time-consuming way to set up a Free Kiosk using a Raspberry Pi."

For all I knew, PiOSK may've been inspired, so I went and mentioned it to see if anything interesting comes out of it.
Not to stir anything up, mind you. Just out of genuine curiosity of what @guysoft thinks about it.

I got my answer in the end. Didn't expect to be an unlikely source of inspiration.