Login to Chrome OS Flex as guest by default

[Sonic007]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm trying to use some old laptops to create simple web browsing machines that have Chrome.

I used to usePorteus Kiosk.

 

I can install Chrome OS Flex but you need to then set these up using a Google account.

 

I'd like it so guests can just login by default without an account needing to be setup.

 

Does anyone know if this is possible?

 

 

Thankyou.

[dhicks]

5 minutes ago, Sonic007 said:

I'd like it so guests can just login by default without an account needing to be setup.

In ChromeOS / Google Workspace terms, you need to set the device up as a kiosk device. You'll need a Google Workspace domain set up, join the device to the domain, then place the device in an OU that sets it up as a kiosk device. We use devices like this for our lower school (turn device on, it loads up a basic menu page) and display screens (you can set kiosk applications to start full-screen if you want). Works well and is nice and easy to manage if you have Google Workspace set up (and it does cost a £30-ish one-off license per managed device). Otherwise, I've found the Raspbian varient of Debian pretty easy to set up as a kiosk device - you can have it just laod a web browser instead of a standard desktop.

[Sonic007]

Thankyou.

We do have a set of Chromebooks with licenes that are managed and it does indeed work well.

 

I was hoping by using Flex on these old laptops I could set things up so it just booted to Chrome and not have to get paid licenses. Just need a web browser basically that resets when the machine is turned off for th enext user.

[dhicks]

13 minutes ago, Sonic007 said:

I was hoping by using Flex on these old laptops I could set things up so it just booted to Chrome and not have to get paid licenses.

You can add ChromeOS Flex devices to your Google Workspace domain just like any other ChromeOS device - we use cheap £200 mini PCs for a couple of lobby display screens, they came with Windows installed but we installed ChromeOS Flex, joined them to our Workspace domain and use them as managed kiosk devices.

 

13 minutes ago, Sonic007 said:

Just need a web browser basically that resets when the machine is turned off for th enext user.

 

If the £30-a-time Workspace management license is too much, then I've found the Raspbian varient of Debian pretty easy to set up as a kiosk device - you can have it just load a web browser instead of a standard desktop. I put a script together a while ago to help sort that:

 

https://github.com/dhicks6345789/device-config

 

The "configKiosk.py" script probably needs updating a bit, I haven't tested / used it on an installed device recently.