Your Raspberry Pi as a kiosk screen: flash it, set a URL, done.
RDS Pi Kiosk is a free, open-source image for Raspberry Pi. It shows a web page full screen, with no desktop or browser bars, is designed to recover by itself after a power cut and, whenever you like, pairs with RDS in one tap.
Download RDS Pi Kiosk 0.1.1 (beta)
- Size
- 878 MiB (920,614,752 bytes); 4.2 GiB once written. You need an 8 GB or larger microSD card.
- Boards
- Built for Raspberry Pi 5, 4, 400, CM4 and CM5 (64-bit only; not Pi 3 or Zero), with an HDMI or touch screen, over Ethernet or Wi-Fi.
- SHA-256
a3f1ac10abc7956238d90940363a8bc408cd4fbf50e99f3ae5ddafaad40e86c4- Signature
- Pending. We will publish this release’s minisign signature as soon as it is ready; until then, check the SHA-256 sum.
Want the guide by email?
We email you the installation and RDS pairing steps, with the download links, so you have them at hand when you are in front of the Raspberry Pi.
How to install it
Download and check
Download the image and check that its SHA-256 sum matches the one on this page.
Write it with Raspberry Pi Imager
Choose your device, then “Choose OS” › “Use custom” and pick the .img.xz file. The optional customisation lets you set Wi-Fi, a user and SSH.
Set your URL (optional)
On the card, open kiosk.txt and enter the page you want to show: URL=https://…
Boot it
With no URL, the screen shows a setup address, a QR code and a code: open it on a phone on the same network.
Pair with RDS if you want
Press “Pair with RDS” on the screen or on the setup page (or put MODE=rds in kiosk.txt) and scan the QR code to link the screen.
Pair with RDS
If you want to manage the screen from RDS (content, schedules, many screens at once), the image does it for you: it downloads the published RDS agent, installs it and shows a QR code to link it to your account.
- Create your RDS account (or sign in to yours).
- On the Raspberry Pi, press “Pair with RDS”.
- Scan the QR code on the screen and choose the account it belongs to.
The RDS agent is downloaded only if you choose “Pair with RDS”. The image never updates it on its own: you decide updates from RDS.
Why use it
Free, no sign-up
Download it and use it without an account. Open source under the MIT licence.
Just your page
Full screen, with no desktop or browser bars.
Built to recover
Designed to restart by itself after a crash or a power cut (hardware watchdog).
Typo-proof
A mistake in kiosk.txt keeps the last good value, so the screen stays up.
Automatic updates
Debian security updates and, until you pair it with RDS, Chromium and the other Raspberry Pi packages too. Never a reboot, never the RDS agent. You can switch them off.
Ready for RDS
One tap on “Pair with RDS” and the screen is managed from RDS.
What data it uses
- The image connects to no server of ours until you press “Pair with RDS”. The setup page only answers on your local network and asks for a code that only appears on the screen.
- The download comes from GitHub; this page does not record it.
- If you ask for the guide by email, we keep your email only to send it to you and, during the following week, two tips about the tool. RDS news only if you ask for it.
- The image’s own interface is in English in version 0.1.x.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free?
Yes. The image and its source code are free and open source (MIT). Made by the team behind RDS.
Why is it beta?
Because it is a pre-release (beta) version, 0.1.1. When we publish a stable release you will find it on this page; to move to a new image version, you write the card again.
Which boards is it for?
It is built for Raspberry Pi 5, 4, 400, CM4 and CM5, in 64-bit. It is not made for a Pi 3 or Pi Zero.
Does it update itself?
Yes, automatically and without ever rebooting. Until you pair it with RDS (free mode), it installs Debian security updates plus updates from the Raspberry Pi package archive, Chromium included; once paired with RDS, Debian security updates only. It never touches the kernel, the boot firmware or bootloader, and never updates the RDS agent: you decide that from RDS. Wi-Fi/Bluetooth firmware may update like any other package. Set AUTO_SECURITY_UPDATES=no in kiosk.txt to turn automatic updates off. For a new image version, you write the card again.
How do I check the download?
Compare its SHA-256 sum with the one on this page or with the .sha256 file on GitHub. The minisign signature is pending and we will publish it here.
Is it an official Raspberry Pi product?
No. RDS Pi Kiosk is not affiliated with Raspberry Pi Ltd. It is built with Raspberry Pi OS’s open tools (pi-gen).
Several screens? Manage them all with RDS
With RDS you schedule content, timetables and notices on all your screens at once, from your phone, on Raspberry Pi, Android TV, Linux and Windows too. 30-day free trial, no card.
Not affiliated with Raspberry Pi Ltd. Raspberry Pi is a trademark of Raspberry Pi Ltd.
RDS Pi Kiosk · Powered by RDS · More free tools →