Rasepberry Pi dashboard set-up list

raspberry-pi-dashboard.md

READY RASPBERRY PI DASHBOARD

You will need

• Monitor with DVI (or use a diff cable with outher connections) and ability to rotate 90deg. A 24" 16:10 Dell widescreen is perfect. A Dell 16:9 27" is even better.
• *Raspberry Pi starter kit
  • Raspberry Pi 3b+ (a Pi 4 of 2GB or more is even better).
  • EU/UK power supply (just a 5W microUSB - but a Pi4 needs higher wattage USB-C power)
  • Raspberry Pi case (clear plastic so far)
  • Rasbarry Pi NooB Linux microSD card
• Amazon Basics 0.9m/3ft HDMI to DVI adapter Cable (for a Pi4, you'll need a much rarer micro-HDMI to DVI)

Set-up:

• set up password for the pi default account (passwords are in 1password in the COM vault)
• appearence settings: desktop background to flat colour similar to dashboard
• appearence settings: taskbar icon size 16
• appearence settings: font size 10px
• Raspberry Pi Configuration: Performance: change GPU to 64 (128 if a single page, 64 if multiple otherwise the cache buffer runs out and the tabs reload too often)
• sudo apt-get install unclutter (hides mouse cursor when idle)
• sudo nano /home/pi/.config/lxsession/LXDE-pi/autostart
  • @unclutter -idle 0.1 -root
  • @xset s off (screensaver off)
  • @xset -dpms (dsiable energystar screensaver)
  • @chromium-browser --start-fullscreen --disable-infobars —app=https://DASHBOARD1URL (change --start-fullscreen for --kiosk if more security needed)
• sudo nano /boot/config.txt
  • display_rotate=3 (sets screen as portrait)
  • dtoverlay=pi3-disable-bt (disable bluetooth - step 1)
• disable bluetooth (part 2)
  • sudo systemctl disable hciuart.service
  • sudo systemctl disable bluealsa.service
  • sudo systemctl disable bluetooth.service
• https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/configuration/security.md
  • Change root pass
  • add user dashboard
  • make sudo required
  • sudo apt install ufw
• remove unused s/w
  • sudo apt purge libreoffice*
  • sudo apt purge wolfram-engine
  • sudo apt purge sonic-pi
  • sudo apt purge minecraft-pi
  • sudo apt clean
  • sudo apt autoremove

If running a slideshow of several tabs

Only do this if the dashboards are not crazy memory heavy, otherwise the cache will run low and you'll get blank screens on the Pi as it reloads tabs every so often.

• Download and install "tab carousel" chrome extension, set options to 20000ms, autostart by default
• Raspberry Pi Configuration: Performance: change GPU to 64
• in autostart file, use @chromium-browser --start-fullscreen --disable-infobars https://DASHBOARD1URL https://DASHBOARD2URL instead of the other line (not yet sure how we get rid of "restore pages" dialog on reboot)

if started-up in kiosk mode - to exit it:

• apple/windows key to bring up menu
• accessories - terminal
• killall chromium-browser