In our tutorial, we demonstrated how to set up the browser with modified menubar, toobar and statusbar. However, you could disable all three of those items and simply run the browser in a frame without access to any of those toolbars. The easiest way to do this is to untoggle the toolbars from the interface. Then disable the menubar in the XUL code. When Firebird runs, it will only display the frame that allows the browser to be minimized or closed. This is compatible with the kiosk mode in Netscape 4.
As you can see, it is relatively easy to create a secure and stable kiosk browser from Firebird. By editing one file, you can leverage the power and web-standard capabilities of Mozilla or Netscape without all of the security and privacy concerns that might come with those browsers. You'll have to decide whether Firebird is the best solution. Alternatives like K-Meleon and Public Web Browser still have a number of advantages over Firebird including using less system resources and ease of configuration. But if you have to support kiosk browsers across multiple platforms, Firebird might be the choice for you. Let me know what you thought of the tutorial and of any clarifications, corrections or questions that you might have.
Last updated: December 31, 2003
Created: November 30, 2002
If you are reading this, your browser probably doesn't support current HTML and CSS standards. While the site looks much better in a browser that supports web standards, you can still access all of the information that is here with any browser or Internet device.