Turning Dell Laptops into simple bootable web browsers

[Sonic007]

Hi all,

 

Does anyone know if there is a way I could turn some basic Dell 3190 laptops that arent very powerful into quick boot web browsing machines.

 

At the moment these machines are slow and Windows is always crashing on them.

 

I was thinking if there was an OS that basically just gives a web browser so they can access Google Drive, Docs, basically Gsuite, then things would be great.

 

I just need it to boot to a web browser that can let students use Google Docs, websites.

 

Anyone got any ideas?

 

 

Many thanks.

[ultima170387]

Windows 10 in kiosk mode?

[DavR]

You could always try using Neverwhere Cloudready to turn them into Chromebooks.

[Norphy]

Neverwhere?

 

Turns them into Chromebooks, pretty much the definition of what you want I think.

 

edit - Ninja'd

[SpaceInvader83]

Neverware Cloudready ?

[dhicks]

I just need it to boot to a web browser that can let students use Google Docs, websites.

 

If you want users to have to log in before they can use the machine, which you quite probably do in a school context, then the free home version of CloudReady should do nicely. We've been putting it on some older laptops for people to use at home, it works on our 10-year-old laptops quite well. If you want a managed device that you can have auto-login to a guest session I think you'll need the paid-for version of CloudReady.

 

Alternativly, I've used Raspbian (Debian, as used on the Raspberry Pi, but also available for Intel platforms) configured to load a web browser and nothing else, not even a desktop manager. I had a configuration script somewhere, but it's been a little while since I updated it and it's probably out-of-date by now.

[Sonic007]

Thanks all. I will have a look at CloudReady.

 

At the moment Students just login using an account called "Student" (Not on domain) and then load up Chrome and login with their Google account.

As long as they can get to a web browser and login to Google that would be fine.

[TechMonkey]

Intune Kiosk?

[DavR]

Thanks all. I will have a look at CloudReady.

 

At the moment Students just login using an account called "Student" (Not on domain) and then load up Chrome and login with their Google account.

As long as they can get to a web browser and login to Google that would be fine.

 

CloudReady really sounds ideal for your usage case. They can login with their Google account at the first screen, then they're ready to go.

[jmak]

It sounds like Cloudready should be fine on those devices, but if you're still struggling for performance you could try Puppy Linux. I've used it in the past to boot into a kiosk mode which only allowed access to Office 365 or Google for education. It looks like there's been quite a lot of development since then with different flavours for different purposes, but still gets good reviews and is very lightweight.

 

I was using it to "upgrade" netbooks and running the whole OS from a USB drive (much faster than the spinning rust that was installed and much cheaper than upgrading to SSDs.

[e-class]

Just looking at doing something very similar for some old laptops we have.

Is there any licencing issue with running the 'home' version of Cloudready Neverware on these devices for a school?

Is that ok to do?

Thanks.

[DavR]

I think if we're being super legit, education are expected to pay for CloudReady. It's cheap, in OS terms, but it's not free.

[jmak]

Just looking at doing something very similar for some old laptops we have.

Is there any licencing issue with running the 'home' version of Cloudready Neverware on these devices for a school?

Is that ok to do?

Thanks.

I've found it pretty difficult to find a definitive answer really available on their website, but there is this from their blog from last year:

 

The problem with COVID-19 and distance learning, of course, is money. We know that many schools and many families can’t afford to purchase enough computers to get one in every student’s hands.

 

That’s why we’re urging anyone who needs a high-performing device - or knows someone who might - to use our free CloudReady Home Edition to turn any old desktops and laptops you might have at school or at home into Chrome devices, and get them back in use ASAP.

[/Quote]

 

https://www.neverware.com/blogcontent/2020/3/12/12-essential-distance-learning-resources-for-schools-affected-by-covid-19

 

The other stuff I've found like like it pre-dates their takeover by Google.

[e-class]

Thanks,

Been doing a bit of research and seen this thread:

https://neverware.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/115005683807-May-I-Use-CloudReady-Home-Edition-in-an-Organization-

 

Which suggests:

You're welcome to use the Home Edition in your school or business. Please keep in mind that managing the devices will not be possible on this version, removing your ability to restrict who can log in, distribute printer access to the devices, or control the update process on them. Neverware will also be unable to support the use of the Home Edition in any capacity.

 

With that, said, there is no restriction against using it, though you may not resell The Home Edition for any amount.

[Sonic007]

I'm planning on trialing it on the Dell 3190 laptops we got during the pandemic. They were just about fine for home learning but are so slow and crash often.

Hopefully turning them into web machines will help.

[GriffTech]

Has anyone got this to work on the Dells? I can't seem to get the system to recognise the USB drive and I'm not sure what BIOS settings should be enabled/disabled for it for work

[Sonic007]

Not had a go yet. Will look at it during half term.

[GriffTech]

Not had a go yet. Will look at it during half term.

 

Have managed to get it working, have converted 10 of my 157 (!!!).

 

They work brilliantly its a really viable use for them.

[Sonic007]

I'm currently testing this on a laptop right now.

 

Is there a quick way so that whoever boots up a laptop can quickly login with their gsuite details? To make it primary age friendly?

[DavR]

Are you enrolling them into your Google Admin console with an Enterprise license? Using the controls in there, you can get it to pre-populate your G Suite domain, so the child just needs to add their name and password.

 

If you're running them standalone, I think it will just remember the last user logged on. I'm not sure how much control you get of the logon experience with a standalone device.

[Sonic007]

We were hoping to test out the standalone version first.

Ideally I just want children to boot up the chromebook and then bring up Google Chrome and be able to login to their gsuite accounts.

Then they can pass it to their friend and they can do the same with their gsuite account.

[DavR]

I don't think there's a great deal you can modify with the login process on these tbh.

 

The child is going to have to login with their Google Account to access Drive etc either way, you might as well do it properly by having them login at the Chrome OS login screen at start up.

 

Guest mode is always an option if you wanted to bypass the Chome OS login screen and go straight to a browser, but, then they're just going to need to login to their Google Account in the browser in Guest mode, so you've not made it any quicker.

[GriffTech]

We've gone for the standalone system with a generic login, not the most ideal solution but they do still have the option on the bottom left of the login screen to login as someone else.

 

The issue with individual accounts is that on CloudReady you can't install a certificate across the machine. We use Smoothwall filtering so it causes a massive issue if we needed multiple pupils signing in.

 

My SLT is fine with the generic account so I'll roll with it until Ofsted kick my office door down.

[dhicks]

We use Smoothwall filtering so it causes a massive issue if we needed multiple pupils signing in.

 

We had a similar issue: we have a bunch (170-odd) of managed ChromeOS devices used accross our Year 1 to 3 classrooms. Those are set to log in with a guest session, so as soon as you open the device up it's ready to use - pupils can then log in via the browser if they want. A lot of filtering is done at the network gateway side (using Untangle), but there's a few sites we wanted to be able to allow for some users in the school (mostly social media sites for the marketing department) but stop pupils getting to. We have client-side filtering in place with Securly (I think Smoothwall produce something similar now, too), but that doesn't get loaded up in a ChromeOS guest session. The solution turned out to be to add the list of sites to block to the OU with the managed devices in, in the guest session settings section. This seems to work quite well, although it might get a bit fiddly to maintain if the list of sites gets longer.

[Sonic007]

Thought I'd update this thread with what I've done with my Dell 3190 laptops.

 

Didnt want to pay to get them onto a Chrome managed system and as we just wanted them to be web browser machines then I have used Proteus Kiosk. Porteus Kiosk - free and open source kiosk software for web terminals.

 

This has let me lock it down as a sort of kiosk so nothing gets saved and can customise it well. Boots straight to Chrome web browser and that is all they get access too.

 

Students can then use the web to access their homework platforms etc.

Edited November 30, 2021 by Sonic007