I have been using Linux for a long time now but recently I am up against a new challenge I haven't faced before. I am looking to boot Debian 6 or some other distro but instead of ending up on a GUI like Gnome, I want to instead always boot to software I write. The end users won't need a keyboard, just the software. I want to be able to tweak stuff after the fact as root but the general user doesn't even know they are running Linux. Unless they are clever enough to know what Linux looks like when it boots.

Do you folks have any advice? Any direction will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Caleb.

Sounds like you're trying to set up a linux kiosk. Here's a link to a good article to get one going:

alandmoore.com/blog/2011/11/05/creating-a-kiosk-with-linux-and-x11-2011-edition/

You can google around and find distros especially for setting up kiosks as well. Might save you a ton of config and heartache.

Hope that helps.

2 members found this post helpful.

Caleb, do you need a graphical interface for your software? awcolli's link will be helpful if you do, but if your software is usable from a terminal, then that will make a big difference in what you need. It'll also be easier to set up.

Hey folks thanks for the quick responses. The interface with the user will be graphical. Possibly touch screen but not decided yet. I will go check out the link that was posted.

Happy Thursday.

Yep, you're describing a kiosk scenario perfectly.