Web Info Screen

A web-based alternative to https://github.com/entropia/entropia-info-beamer

Motivation & Context

For as long as I can remember, the Entropia club has had monitors with a very old version of info-beamer. Over time, some modules like the tram departure display stopped working due to no longer existing data sources. Other modules like the event list would need a general overhaul to look pretty again. The entire setup and the displayed content are also adapted to the 1280x1024 resolution of the monitors, making it hard to replace them by larger screens.

Various plans for further development and improvement of the old setup have not yet led to any visible results. The initiator of this code repository has therefore started a completely new development of an exemplary, web-based infoscreen as it could be implemented nowadays.

The creation of this repository does not imply that the existing info-beamer setup should be replaced, nor does it imply that the initiator should be given permission to install or even maintain a new infoscreen setup in the club.

This repository is nothing more and nothing less than a collection of alternatives to various modules that were previously functional in the club's info-beamer setup, and some new ideas from a web developer using tools and programming languages he is familiar with.

If someone feels motivated and able to migrate parts of this code into the club's existing info-beamer setup or start a whole new project inspired by it, this repository would already have a reason to exist.

Requirements/Dependencies

• A web server like nginx or Apache
• PHP >= 8.1 (older versions may also work but have not been tested)

Server Setup

1. Clone this repository to any web server fulfilling the requirements listed above
2. Set the public folder as your web root directory

With Docker

1. Build the container

docker build -t entropia-web-info-screen:latest .

2. Run the container

docker run -p 8080:80 entropia-web-info-screen

If you want to directly mount the files into the container add the following to the run command: -v ./modules:/var/www/modules/ -v ./public:/var/www/html/

3. Open any browser and go to http://localhost:8080

Client Setup

1. Start your web browser and navigate to the URL where you made this web application available
2. Enter full screen to hide any controls or different content on your screen

Or even better: Automate these steps, for example with a script that is executed when your device has started, or with solutions such as the kiosk mode of Chromium or Firefox.

Features & Modules

Data	Source
Current time and date	Local computer
Social media posts including the #entropialeaks hashtag	Mastodon
Upcoming events	Entropia Wiki table
Weather forecast for the next couple of hours	OpenMeteo
Tram departure from multiple relevant stops close to the club	KVV EFA

Live Demo

A live demo on a public web server will be available soon.