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How to Launch Conferfly Automatically in Kiosk Mode When Linux Starts Up

Conferfly Team

Conferfly Team

— 3 min read
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How to Launch Conferfly Automatically in Kiosk Mode When Linux Starts Up

Introduction: Set up your Linux conference room computer so Conferfly opens full screen in Kiosk Mode every time it starts, with no one needing to touch it after a reboot.

There are two ways to do this. We recommend the Conferfly app: it has kiosk mode and launch at startup built in, and it comes with its own Chromium browser for joining meetings, so there are no scripts or services to maintain.

Step 1: Install the App

  1. Go to download.conferfly.com and download Conferfly for Linux.
  2. Install it using your distribution's package manager.

Step 2: Sign In and Lock the Room

  1. Open Conferfly and sign in with your Conferfly account.
  2. Open the room this computer belongs to.
  3. Lock the room, so Conferfly always opens straight to it.

Step 3: Turn On Kiosk Mode and Start on Login

  1. In Conferfly, go to Settings > App Settings.
  2. Turn on Start on Login (launches Conferfly when the computer starts).
  3. Turn on Kiosk Mode (launches Conferfly full screen in kiosk mode).
  4. Recommended: turn on Keep PC Awake, and set a Daily Auto-Reset time so meetings are closed and the room is refreshed every night.

Step 4: Test

Reboot the computer. Conferfly should open on its own, full screen, in the locked room.

That's it. No scripts, systemd services or browser flags needed, and meetings open inside the app's built-in browser.

Option 2: Chrome with a Startup Script

Prefer to run Conferfly in Chrome or Chromium? This still works; you just set up the startup behavior yourself.

This guide explains how to set up Conferfly to auto-launch in kiosk mode on Google Chrome on a Linux machine and prevent users from exiting the kiosk. Before following the steps below, ensure that the Conferfly extension is installed in Google Chrome.

Step 1: Create the conferfly_kiosk Script

  • Open a terminal and run the following command to create a new script:
sudo nano /var/local/conferfly_kiosk.sh
  • Add the following content:
#!/bin/bash

# Disable screen blanking and screen savers
xset s noblank     # Prevent screen blanking
xset s off         # Disable screensaver


# Disable keys (F1, F7, F11, F12, Ctrl, Win) that could exit kiosk
xmodmap -e "keycode 67 = NoSymbol"  # Disable F1 key
xmodmap -e "keycode 71 = NoSymbol"  # Disable F7 key
xmodmap -e "keycode 95 = NoSymbol"  # Disable F11 key
xmodmap -e "keycode 96 = NoSymbol"  # Disable F12 key
xmodmap -e "keycode 37 = NoSymbol"  # Disable Left Ctrl
xmodmap -e "keycode 105 = NoSymbol" # Disable Right Ctrl
xmodmap -e "keycode 133 = NoSymbol" # Disable Super (Windows) key


# Launch Chrome in Kiosk Mode with Conferfly
/usr/bin/google-chrome --no-sandbox --autoplay-policy=no-user-gesture-required --disable-background-timer-throttling --disable-popup-blocking --kiosk --kiosk-printing https://conferfly.com

conferfly_kiosk.sh

replace /usr/bin/google-chrome with /usr/bin/chromium if you are using chromium.
  • Save and close the script by pressing CTRL + X then Y, and Enter.
  • Make the script executable by running:
sudo chmod +x /var/local/conferfly_kiosk.sh

Step 2: Configure the Script to Run on Boot

To ensure kiosk mode starts when the system boots, create a systemd service.

  • Create a new systemd service file by running:
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/conferfly_kiosk.service

then add the following content:

[Unit]
Description=Launch Conferfly in Kiosk Mode
After=graphical.target

[Service]
Type=simple
ExecStart=/var/local/conferfly_kiosk.sh
User=root
Environment=DISPLAY=:0
Restart=always

[Install]
WantedBy=default.target

conferfly_kiosk.service

  • Save and close the script by pressing CTRL + X then Y, and Enter.
  • Reload systemd to recognize the new service:
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
  • Enable the service to start on boot:
sudo systemctl enable conferfly_kiosk
  • To start the service manually to test (close the browser before testing):
sudo systemctl start conferfly_kiosk
  • To manually disable the service and prevent it from auto-starting:
sudo systemctl disable conferfly_kiosk

Step 3: Reboot and Test

After rebooting your Linux machine, Conferfly should automatically start in full-screen kiosk mode, with the F1, F7, F11, F12, Ctrl, and Win keys disabled to prevent users from exiting kiosk mode. The only way to exit kiosk mode is by unlocking the room if it's locked. Then, tap the Kiosk button in the header and select "Exit Kiosk."

If you want to reload the app in kiosk mode, hold the refresh button for 3 seconds.

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