Linux
Open. Auditable. Infinitely configurable. The OS for teams who want full stack visibility and zero black-box constraints.
Why it works.
Linux gives you total control over every layer of the signage stack. The OS, the browser, the startup sequence, the file system, the network configuration — every decision is yours. There are no proprietary drivers to navigate, no licensing costs to manage, and no platform restrictions to work around.
Chromium in kiosk mode on Ubuntu or Debian delivers the complete Hangar.Media web player. A single shell script handles auto-login, screen blanking prevention, and Chromium startup. Ansible, SSH, or Fleet.dm give you remote management across a fleet of Linux signage players — all with the transparency and auditability that open source uniquely provides.
Configured with four commands.
Chromium kiosk on Linux is the cleanest signage setup on any OS.
Install Chromium
Run: sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y chromium-browser (Ubuntu/Debian). For Fedora/RHEL: sudo dnf install chromium. Takes about two minutes.
Disable screen blanking
Add to your startup script: xset s off && xset -dpms && xset s noblank. This prevents the display from sleeping during content playback.
Launch in kiosk mode
Add to your .xinitrc or autostart: chromium-browser --kiosk --noerrdialogs --disable-infobars --no-first-run https://YOUR-DISPLAY-URL. The browser launches fullscreen to your content on every boot.
Enable auto-login
Configure your display manager (LightDM, GDM) to auto-login to your signage user account. Combine with your .xinitrc startup script and the device boots directly into Hangar.Media — no interaction required.
Full control. Full capability.
Linux gives Hangar.Media complete platform access with no OS-imposed restrictions.
Real-time Content Updates
Full SupportChromium on Linux maintains a persistent WebSocket connection. Content updates arrive in seconds across every device in the fleet.
Offline Playback
Full SupportChromium service workers cache content locally. Linux devices keep playing during network outages and resync when connectivity returns.
4K Video
Full SupportChromium on Linux supports 4K hardware-accelerated playback on most modern x86-64 and ARM hardware with GPU support.
Touch / Kiosk Mode
PartialStandard USB HID touch devices work on most Linux distros. Multi-touch gesture support requires libinput configuration. X11 touch is generally reliable; Wayland touch varies by compositor.
Multi-zone Layouts
Full SupportChromium on Linux handles multi-zone CSS Grid layouts with full GPU compositing on all modern hardware.
Scheduled Playlists
Full SupportFull scheduling capabilities: dayparting, weekly rules, calendar overrides — all managed via the Hangar.Media dashboard.
Remote Management
Full SupportContent managed via Hangar.Media dashboard. Full OS-level access via SSH. Fleet management via Ansible or Fleet.dm.
MDM Enrollment
PartialNo enterprise MDM out of the box. Fleet management via Ansible, Fleet.dm, or custom SSH-based scripts. Works for tech teams comfortable with Linux tooling.
Analytics & Proof of Play
Full SupportFull analytics, impression tracking, and proof-of-play reports available for all Linux deployments.
Runs on anything with a CPU.
Requirements
Configuration
For teams who run the stack.
Developers
Engineering teams building custom signage installations with GPIO triggers, data integrations, or bespoke hardware configurations.
Government & Public
Public sector organisations requiring open-source, auditable infrastructure for FOIA compliance and procurement policy.
Corporate IT
IT departments managing large Linux server estates extending their infrastructure knowledge to signage deployments.
Education
Universities and research institutions running open-source infrastructure extending it to campus-wide signage networks.
More compatible hardware
One price. The whole platform.
Content editor, screen management, and 200+ app integrations — all included from day one. No per-screen upgrades, no feature tiers, no surprises.