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At my 9-5 we make kiosks based on a custom Linux system. Everything is run within Docker containers, so even if you somehow kill the UI it'll just restart the container. VT on the host OS are disabled.

I can see why most companies prefer Windows though for these type of devices. Driver issues with graphics and third party hardware are a constant pain point for us.

Unless you control the whole ecosystem and write your own drivers (e.g. smart TVs), Linux based systems are tricky. I'd imagine Windows has the same issue to some extend, but it's the default target for manufacturers, so their Windows drivers are usually better.

I feel there could be a market for a custom Linux OS aimed for these use cases. Windows licensing is not cheap when you have tens of thousands of devices, and they aren't running the 'Home' version.




Isn't the iot version of windows free?


IoT as in LTSC IoT? No, you still have to pay for a license




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