Kids & Kiosk Mode, coming back [testers needed!]

EctoOne

I have a question after reading this thread and a little bit on github. Is it hardcoded what can be hidden or is it possible to choose what can be hidden by the users with a config file or something like that?
It sounds like it's hardcoded but since the unlock code is stored in a text file, I wondered if the hidden elements are also stored in one.

Zigurana

@ectoone the ES menu items that are hidden are indeed hard coded.

Personally, I do not see it as worthwhile to make this fully configurable via a resource file (when weighed against the extra complexity). If a good use-case arises, we could decide on another UI mode to support that.

Case in point: the Kids-mode, which is in the works.

akafox

To answer my own question. I took my time this time and was able to get it to work and changed it to the main startup version. Guess i didn't fully understand what i was doing at first :P

Last question..was this finally merged into the main ES code base..I remember reading that somewhere...

and if so..then it does NOT need to be installed via the menu it will comedown with the new version of ES on and updated correct?

paffley

@Zigurana great work! Do you have any idea when this will be merged? one more thing..what file do we edit to change the konami code?

Love the idea of kiosk mode!

pjft

Just to confirm, I've been using this since the development build, as my main build. Runs perfect, no problems.

Zigurana

@paffley
Hi!
The unlock passphrase is stored as a string (series of letters) in the EmulationStation settings file (I think: /home/pi/.emulationstation/es_settings.cfg).
Look for the item called 'UI_passphrase' or something like that.

The default value is 'uuddlrlrba', but you change that to any string you want. Note that you can only unlock with u (up), d (down), l (left), r (right), a, b, x, and y. So if you put a 'w' in there, you will not be able to unlock it at all.

But in any case, you will always have access to the settings file itself, to retain the possibility to change the value for 'UI_mode' to 'full' manually.

paffley

@Zigurana Thanks mate, spot on!

Zigurana

@akafox @R2dTOO @dunginhawk @Cjax08 @Capeman @EctoOne @paffley :
I've submitted a second Pull Request to introduce the Kid-UI functionality.
This will allow you to set two new metadata tags 'kidgame' and 'hidden' to either 'true' or 'false'. This value is then used to show or hide items based on the current UI-mode. For more info, see the PR.

If you want to contribute to the test-phase of this functionality, you can use the test-tool.

Repo: https://github.com/zigurana/EmulationStation
Branch: KidMode

Any and all feedback would be most appreciated!

Capeman

@zigurana said in Kiosk Mode, coming back [testers needed!]:

Personally, I do not see it as worthwhile to make this fully configurable via a resource file (when weighed against the extra complexity). If a good use-case arises, we could decide on another UI mode to support that.

I think having variables in the settings file where you edit your input code would be a great way to please everybody. I understand you don't want to disable adding/deleting favorites in kiosk mode by default (or at all), but a few of us really want that function without having to use a full on kids mode. Making text based variables for extra hidden content wouldn't add any complexity to the end user who would just use the defaults, but alot of us experienced users would appreciate the extra customizability.

But I may also be acting selfish, because I really, REALLY don't want my family to be able to edit my favorites, hahahahaha!

Regardless, great work and a fantastic addition to ES!

EctoOne

@zigurana Just to make this clear, i have two questions.
The UI Mode can be changed in the ES menu?
And if i want to hide the entire Retropie System, i have to add the hidden tag to all entries of that gamelist?

Zigurana

@ectoone said in Kids & Kiosk Mode, coming back [testers needed!]:

@zigurana Just to make this clear, i have two questions.
The UI Mode can be changed in the ES menu?

That is correct, under the UI settings, you will find a setting called UI mode, with possible values Full, Kiosk, Kid. Full is the default, normal ES interface with all menu's and options available. Choosing Kiosk will result in (most) ES menus being hidden, as well as GameListItems (games) that are explicitly hidden using the metadata Hidden=true. When Selecting Kid you get the same ES menu shielding as in Kiosk mode, but now only those menu items that are explicitly allowed via metadata tag kidgame=true are listed.

And if i want to hide the entire Retropie System, i have to add the hidden tag to all entries of that gamelist?

After reload, systems that no longer have visible entries, are not shown on the SystemListView at all. So to hide the Retropie system, you can simply 'hide' all entries (when running in kiosk or not set them to kidgame=true (=default) when running kid .
Note I just fixed a bug related to this: If none of the systems have anything to show (because you switched to Kid before setting any game to Kidgame=true), there will now be a popup after loading telling you that the system will revert to UImode = Full.

Please update before testing (run the test script again).

Rion

@zigurana Will the kiosk and kids mode have the ability to hide shutdown and only show reboot?

paffley

Maybe in a future update, we could have a .cfg file with some true/false values to choose what menu/game items are displayed. Just a thought, that would prolly please everyone as it looks like different people are requiring different options to be displayed/hidden.

Keep up the great work @Zigurana ....everything's looking fab!

pjft

@rion I'm not going to answer for @Zigurana , but what's the use case here? An always on set up? Just curious.

Also, if you don't have a shutdown option, how will you shut down RetroPie? An external button or something?

Currently Kiosk mode already only shows Reboot and Shutdown.

@Zigurana a note, actually. Unsure if relevant or not, but I recall that "F4" on the keyboard will exit ES. Do you want to keep that in Kiosk mode, since you're no longer allowing the ability to exit from ES?

It doesn't affect me as I don't have a keyboard plugged in, but thought I'd raise it.

Thanks! :)

Rion

@pjft This is just so my kid don't accidentally shutdown the Pi when im not home.

It's always on behind the Tv and my Wife is not so tech savvy.

But i can see how this is not useful for everyone but useful for some.

If i wanted to shut it down i just input the code and I'm back to full for shutdown, F4 from wireless mini keyboard or SSH.

Zigurana

@paffley , @Rion ,
While I agree that working with a separate resource file (the settings.cfg or otherwise) is the most flexible way to go, it is not something I am considering for this PR.

I am somewhat debating to removing the start-menu altogether for Kid-mode, and let users define a custom system with an item for shutdown or reboot, if they want to. Not sure about that yet, as it would require many ( most?) of them to dig into how the systems work, and how to define a custom entry. Not a bad thing in and of itself (more ppl tinkering is more better ;-)), but a hassle nonetheless. I'd like some feedback on that.

One thing I want to prevent is to overload ES with a myriad of options / functions that are only used by a very select group, but complicate things for all. So a set of menu options just for further defining kid-mode behavior is not my preferred solution here. Expanding the settings.cfg file is (slightly) better.

Rion

@zigurana A settings.cfg is probably the best option. As you said these settings are for a selected few and not everyone.

It wouldn't be a problem at all if i have to define a few extra setting in an cfg file.

EctoOne

@zigurana I believe that i already asked if it would be possible to choose what can be hidden with a cfg file. Even tho i don't really use the ES menu anymore, it would be great if i could hide options that i (probably) never change again.

paffley

Thanks @Zigurana I totally agree. Good explanation. Keep up the super work! Maybe the defaults could be stored in a settings.cfg file as you say in a future update and more advanced users can edit as appropriate to there build. But for now I think its great as-is.

It was just a thought and I'm not expecting anything from you as you have done amazing already with all your work and we appreciate it al highly. Thanks again.

pjft

@zigurana said in Kids & Kiosk Mode, coming back [testers needed!]:

let users define a custom system with an item for shutdown or reboot, if they want to

Well... if you know that's a valid use case, I'm not sure this is the most reasonable approach. For that purpose, you might as well just have a setting in the settings file (and potentially not on the menu) to enable or disable the start menu altogether from the Kids menu. It's slightly more user friendly to just change a flag in the settings file (even better if it's on the menu, though I understand the "clutter" angle) than to have them create a custom system and entry to do something that's already natively supported by ES. Not to mention that that entry would then show up in all other views.

Just a thought. :)