Struggling to unleash the power of Chrome kiosk apps -

Struggling to unleash the power of Chrome kiosk apps -

our company designs museum , visitor center exhibitory, , main job designing touch screen kiosk applications. enamored vidya's introduction kiosk apps using chrome boxes, had boss procure 1 testing. have since gained firm grasp of chrome app construction going though google's tutorials (manifest files, mvc, etc) , have found performance of our little hp chromebox plus html5 development pretty impressive. i'm developing on macbook using chrome canary run , test apps.

i'm adding in background info can improve understand goals. of coarse need these apps launch total screen upon powerfulness up. no login or user installation desired. prepare boxes in office, install them @ exhibit, end. we don't want our multimedia apps sitting on chrome web store others download , install.

so, i've gotten point want install simple kiosk app on our hp chromebox. unfortunately vidya did not go detail on part. page her article touches upon adding kiosk_enabled" : true manifest file.

so here's i've tried far: i've moved app folder onto sd card , moved there onto our hp chromebox "downloads" folder (apparently folder). sign chrome browser on box company business relationship (do have this?) , load chrome:extensions. click "load unpacked extension..." , select app folder. app installs , able manually launch clicking "launch". next, click "manage kiosk applications..." button , come in app id field. stuck. clicking "add" produces "invalid application" error.

looking around web have found lots of confusing information:

i must "wipe" chromebox in order utilize ctrl+alt+k key command enable kiosk mode. (google's instructions on how stops samsung , asus 'boxes, have hp, not mention "manage kiosk applications" button visible me). i must upload app webstore either public or unlisted, , download , install onto chromebox. really? don't want sell app or create available anyone. meant run in our exhibit. our apps gigs of info hd videos! i must create chromebox "managed" or "enterprise" or "enroll" work , education administration. in cases, we'll installing 1 or 2 of 'boxes allow users navigate though static html pages. don't have need manage fleet remotely (at to the lowest degree not yet). so, aforementioned complications seem unnecessary, , expensive if understand things correctly.

can point me definitive process achieving goal of auto starting, total screen kiosk application on chromebox?

thank you. -dan

i'm not expert on kiosk apps defined "kiosk_enabled": true in manifest.json. what's of import know, though, i've seen can work in 3 different modes:

if installed unpacked extension (for example, in development) available apps in logged in environment , run total screen mode. they're "normal" apps except total screen. if installed using "manage kiosk applications..." button available without logging in. on log in screen @ bottom you'll able see app , click start without logging in. won't start automatically. afaik can't load unpacked extension in way. if enable "kiosk mode" chrome os can create kiosk apps auto start. @ to the lowest degree on asus cb have ctrl-alt-k keystroke before log in first time. unmanaged device. now, when load app using "manage kiosk applications..." in chrome://extensions , hover mouse on in dialog should seen "enable auto-start" or similar button. need select this. now, when restart scheme app should automatically start. if want cancel app loading can press ctrl-alt-s. message indicates on screen, too.

hope helps, simon

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