Step 17: Kiosk & Location Displays
Deploy dedicated displays with automatic login and location-specific dashboards.
Full reference
For complete details, field tables, and limitations, see the Kiosk & Location Displays reference.
In the previous steps, you learned to build dashboards and create visual assets with the builders. Now you'll learn how to deploy those displays to dedicated kiosks that automatically show the right content for their location, with no manual login required.
The Kiosk Challenge
Imagine deploying ControlBird displays in different locations:
Smart Home
Wall-mounted tablets in each room showing controls relevant to that space: kitchen shows appliances and timers, bedroom shows lighting and climate.
Transit Information
Platform displays at a train station showing arrivals relevant to that platform: Platform 1 shows northbound trains, Platform 2 shows southbound.
Factory Stations
Operator workstations on the factory floor, each showing controls and status for the equipment at that station.
Each display needs to show different content based on its location, and nobody wants to manually log in every time the display restarts. This is where Sessions with client certificates and auto-login come in.
Understanding Sessions
A Session in ControlBird is a pre-allocated login slot. Think of it like numbered seats in a theater: each seat (session) can be occupied by one person (user) at a time.
The key fields on each Session are:
How Auto-Login Works
When a kiosk display connects to ControlBird, here's what happens:
The tablet's browser is configured with a client certificate installed in its keychain
Searches sessions for one with matching ClientCertificate that's not in use
The configured user is logged in automatically, with no credentials needed
Each user has a Layout field, so the location-specific dashboard appears
Certificate Required for Auto-Login
Auto-login only works when a client certificate is configured. This ensures that only authorized devices can automatically access the system, so no one can open a browser and bypass authentication.
Setting Up a Kiosk Display
Walk through setting up a kitchen display that auto-logs in and shows a kitchen dashboard. You'll need:
Step 1: Create a Dedicated User
Open Permissions Manager and create a new user for the display:
- Name:
kitchen-display - Assign the Operator role (or a custom role with appropriate permissions)
- Set the Layout field to your kitchen dashboard
The Layout field is the key: when this user logs in, they'll see the "Kitchen Control" dashboard instead of the default layout.
Step 2: Create a Client Certificate
Open Certificate Manager to create a client certificate:
- Click + New Certificate
- Select type: Client
- Enter a common name:
kitchen-tablet.local - Generate or upload the certificate
- Download the certificate bundle (includes private key)
Secure Your Certificates
Client certificates with private keys should be treated like passwords. Only install them on the intended device, and use a passphrase to protect the private key.
Step 3: Configure the Session
In Permissions Manager, go to the Sessions tab:
- Find an idle session slot (or create a new one)
- Click to configure the session
- Set ClientCertificate to your kitchen tablet certificate
- Set AutoLoginUser to
kitchen-display - Save the configuration
Step 4: Install Certificate on Device
On your tablet or kiosk device:
- Transfer the certificate bundle to the device
- Import it into the system keychain or browser certificate store
- Configure the browser to use this certificate for your ControlBird domain
- Set the browser to open ControlBird on startup (kiosk mode)
When the device connects, it will automatically log in as kitchen-display and show the kitchen dashboard.
Multi-Location Example: Train Station
Here's how a train station might configure platform displays:
Each display shows exactly the information relevant to its location. If a display reboots, it automatically returns to the correct view.
Advanced: User Switching
Kiosk displays can still support manual login when needed. If a technician needs elevated access, they can:
- Click the user menu and select Switch User
- Log in with their personal credentials
- Perform maintenance tasks with their own permissions
- Log out to return to the auto-login user
The session remembers both CurrentUser (who's logged in now) and the AutoLoginUser (who to auto-login next time).
Troubleshooting
Auto-login isn't working
- Check certificate installation: Verify the client cert is installed and the browser prompts to use it
- Check session configuration: Ensure both ClientCertificate and AutoLoginUser are set
- Check session availability: The session slot must not already be in use by another device
- Check certificate type: Must be a "Client" type certificate, not Server or CA
Wrong dashboard is showing
- Check user's Layout field: Verify it points to the correct dashboard
- Check dashboard is published: Unpublished dashboards aren't visible to users
- Check user permissions: User needs permission to view the dashboard
Can I use one certificate for multiple displays?
Not recommended. Each session slot can only be used by one device at a time. If multiple devices share a certificate, only one can be logged in; the others will fail to find an available session slot.
For scalable deployments, generate a unique certificate for each device.
What happens if the session expires?
Sessions have a configurable expiration time. When a session expires, the browser will automatically re-authenticate using the client certificate and auto-login will happen again.