BabyKiosk

A full-screen keyboard-mashing game that toddlers can’t escape.

Highlights

• Cross-platform: Linux, macOS, Windows
• True full-screen, pointer + keyboard grabs (strongest on X11)
• Big, scalable letters/numbers + confetti
• Emojis from local Twemoji PNGs in ./assets/72x72/
• Video background from any file in ./assets/background/ (auto-discovery), with OpenCV/imageio fallback
• Adult exit: hold both Shift → press F12 → type secret (default GROWNUP) → Enter
• Nuclear mode ON by default (temporarily blanks most GNOME shortcuts on X11)

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Demo

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Features

• Kid-proof full-screen: borderless, always-on-top, periodic re-grabs to avoid accidental minimize.
• Escape-resistant input handling:
  • Linux/X11: server-side keyboard & pointer grabs; GNOME shortcut unbinding; optional --nuclear sweep.
  • macOS: full-screen + Twemoji images for reliable color emoji rendering.
  • Windows: low-level keyboard hook to swallow Win, Alt+Tab, Ctrl+Esc, PrintScreen, etc. (OS limits apply).
• Fun visuals: confetti bursts; large letters/numbers; auto-scales to display resolution.
• Emoji on smash: non-alphanumeric keys show random emoji Twemoji.
• Moving background: The app now auto-discovers any video in assets/background/ (e.g., .mp4, .mov, .m4v, .avi, .mkv, .webm, .gif). Use --bg to pick a specific file.
• Hold-to-repeat: Holding an alphanumeric key continuously shows that glyph. Holding a non-alphanumeric key continuously shows emojis. Rate-limited + global caps prevent overload.
• Resting-hand blanking: If ≥ 4 non-modifier keys are held for ~0.12s, the screen clears until fewer keys are down.

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Project layout (assets)

babykiosk/
  baby_kiosk.py            
  assets/
    72x72/                 # Twemoji PNGs (e.g., 1f389.png for 🎉)
    background/            # Put one or more videos here (the app picks one automatically)
  scripts/
    setup_linux.sh
    setup_macos.sh
    setup_windows.ps1

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Quick start

1) Get the code and assets

git clone https://github.com/AlexanderGatesV2/babykiosk.git
cd babykiosk

# Create the emoji assets folder (add Twemoji PNGs later)
mkdir -p assets/72x72

2) One-command setup per OS

OS	Command
Linux	bash scripts/setup_linux.sh
macOS	bash scripts/setup_macos.sh
Windows	powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts\setup_windows.ps1

The scripts create a virtualenv, install deps, and add a launcher:

• Linux → ./run_baby_kiosk.sh
• macOS → ./run_baby_kiosk.command (double-clickable)
• Windows → desktop shortcut “Baby Kiosk” (runs run_baby_kiosk.ps1)

If your file isn’t named baby_kiosk.py, pass it as an argument:
bash scripts/setup_linux.sh baby_kiosk_v11.py (similarly for macOS/Windows scripts)

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Running

Basic:

python3 baby_kiosk.py

Useful flags:

python3 baby_kiosk.py   --escape-code=MYSECRET   --no-sound   --windowed   --allow-alt   --allow-super   --no-gnome-keyblock   --no-nuclear   --no-win-keyblock   --bg /path/to/video.ext   --no-bg

• --escape-code Set the adult exit code (default: GROWNUP).
• --no-sound Mute sounds.
• --windowed Debug in a window (no system grabs).
• --allow-alt Don’t block Alt-based combos.
• --allow-super Don’t block Super/Win combos.
• --no-gnome-keyblock Skip GNOME shortcut changes (Linux/X11).
• --no-nuclear Disable the GNOME “nuclear” sweep (default is on).
• --no-win-keyblock Skip the Windows keyboard hook.
• --bg PATH Use a specific background video; otherwise the app scans assets/background/ and picks the first supported file.
• --no-bg Disable background animation/video entirely.

Adult-only exit sequence

Hold Left Shift + Right Shift, press F12, type your secret (default GROWNUP), press Enter.

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Assets (Emoji)

Place Twemoji PNGs under ./assets/72x72/ (relative to the Python file):

babykiosk/
  baby_kiosk.py
  assets/
    72x72/
      1f389.png   # 🎉
      2728.png    # ✨
      ...

If the folder is missing/empty, the app falls back to system fonts (color emoji support may vary, especially on macOS with SDL_ttf).

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Platform notes

Linux

• Best on X11. Uses:
  • X server keyboard & pointer grabs
  • X-level grabs on Alt (Mod1) and Super (Mod4)
  • GNOME: temporarily unbinds Alt+Tab, Alt+`, Alt+Space, Super overlay, Win+1..9
  • --nuclear option sweeps common schemas and blanks most shortcuts while running (RECOMMENDED)
• Wayland: the compositor owns global shortcuts; apps can’t fully block them. For kiosk-like behavior, run inside a kiosk compositor:

  cage -s -- python3 baby_kiosk.py

• Known un-blockable: VT switch (e.g., Ctrl+Alt+F3) unless you harden the session/TTY.

macOS

• Full-screen works. SDL_ttf may not render Apple Color Emoji; Twemoji images provide consistent full-color emoji.

Windows 10/11

• Installs a low-level keyboard hook on a dedicated message-loop thread. Swallows:
  • Win key (and anything while Win is held)
  • Alt+Tab, Alt+Esc, Alt+F4
  • Ctrl+Esc (Start) (I ihad to disable it manually)
  • PrintScreen (also disables Win11 “PrintScreen opens Snipping Tool” mapping during the session) (Disable in Settings if it doesn't work)
• Known un-blockables: Ctrl+Alt+Del, Win+L, UAC secure desktop prompts.

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Autostart (optional)

• GNOME: the Linux setup can write ~/.config/autostart/baby-kiosk.desktop (uses --nuclear).
• macOS: the macOS setup can create a LaunchAgent (~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.babykiosk.plist).
• Windows: the setup creates a desktop shortcut; add run_baby_kiosk.ps1 to Task Scheduler (At logon) for auto-start.

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Troubleshooting

• macOS emojis blank/monochrome: ensure Twemoji PNGs exist under assets/72x72/.
• Win11 Snipping Tool still opens: launch via the provided runner/shortcut so the app can toggle the PrintScreen mapping and install the hook.
• Alt/Super combos leak on Linux: confirm you’re on X11 (not Wayland). On GNOME, try --nuclear.
• Can’t exit: verify the sequence (both Shift → F12 → type secret → Enter). For testing, try --windowed.

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Development

python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -U pip wheel
pip install pygame python-xlib
python3 baby_kiosk.py --windowed

PRs welcome for:

• KDE/Plasma & non-GNOME keybinding sweeps
• Wayland kiosk helpers (Sway/Cage configs)
• macOS CoreText emoji path (optional true-color rendering)

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Security & limits

Desktop OSs reserve secure shortcuts by design. This app follows best-effort kiosk strategies but cannot block everything (e.g., Ctrl+Alt+Del, Win+L). For bullet-proof setups, combine with OS policies (Assigned Access, MDM, kiosk sessions).