I've been seeing it pop up more in embedded/PC based devices. Seems to be replacing Windows XP and the other embedded Windows versions. Guess Microsoft wants too much for those licenses.
this post was submitted on 16 Mar 2025
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I was really surprised seeing KDE on the kiosk at our local unemployment office which is notorious for bad IT. That was 7 or 8 years ago.
Even bad IT people can still run Linux, though.
Signed,
A bad IT guy.
Edit: I run Arch BTW
kwik trip's self-serve 'fresh blends' smoothie machines use it. see one crashed every now and then here.
I used to run 8.1 embedded as my desktop and honestly if my exoerience with it was anything to go by windows embedded has been only requiring more resources while losing features that make having a separate embedded edition make sense.
"Please just put the fries in the bag. I don't care about open source or that GNU is the operating system and Linux is the kernel or whatever you're yappin about!"
Beats the hell out of paying Microsoft so you can keep running your business.
Instead they're probably paying Canonical
That or competent in house staff, but either are better options.
Can you clarify why they would need to keep paying Microsoft?
Commercial Windows licenses aren't typically covered by the equipment installers (or if they are, the cost is passed on to you instead of subsidizing it), have expiration dates, and you'll want security updates.
I think the comment had the implication that the system would be running on Windows if not Ubuntu.
Licenses
That's not an explanation
Licensing and also more licensing!
Oh that's why I was confused, here I thought the license was permanent.
It can vary, but there are multiple licenses at the enterprise level with varying agreements and costs. Not just the OS for your server, but software, services, end user devices, and other random things that most folks never think about because they don't have to.
In some cases FOSS can take a big chunk out of those costs or even eliminate them entirely if you have good staff that knows their stuff and your business doesn't need or can make it's own niche software/systems. If you build it in-house, you have to support and maintain it but it's still often cheaper than many paid solutions.
If you're as big as Wendy's you probably use volume licensing. While perpetual licenses are available via volume licensing, many businesses choose a subscription model instead. There's advantages to both depending on your use case. Wendys corporate policies may also require a support contract from vendors, which can get pricy.
TIL one Wendy's uses Ubuntu
Seems a bit heavy to use full Ubuntu for a single application appliance, but I guess it’s still probably better than Windows.
smart. 1000% less problems than windows and 5000% more secure
...given the picture this is a bold claim
Might just be the disk being at the end of its lifespan
Might just be Lemmy bias
-900% problems..... Not sure you thought that through.
I got -900% problems but a snap ain't one
I don't know man
u got anofg erhghs
Linux is so robust it can absorb ≤ 9 problems created elsewhere.
I wonder if Wendy's donates back to the project. Ive seen so many companies use Foss software and not pay anything and it pisses me off every time.
Tbf it's just a kiosk so I doubt there's anything special other than a kiosk software and Ubuntu core image
Yeah but they should still pay Ubuntu for using their os to make profit off.
Thanks for sharing, always nice to see!
But nowadays I'd be surprised if one of these display devices ran Windows or some similar crap that is NOT Linux.
Ubuntu/Canonical did, imho, the right thing to offer paid support for what is otherwise a free OS. That's what companies care for, that cannot afford a full IT employee or even department. Of course Redhat et. al. also offer that but Ubuntu seems more suitable for smaller solutions?
That’s what companies care for, that cannot afford a full IT employee or even department.
I doubt those companies can afford paid support from the likes of Cannonical and Red Hat - their licenses are solely for other at-scale companies to write off expenses and shift blame if something hits the fan.
Gross. Dont buy from evil corporations
Wdym?
Yikes, thanks. Now I've got the beef... With Wendy's
It's a socialism for me not thee business model.
dave knows
So does Panda E
Wow! I can't believe a company would use an OS.
I had a frosty once
Ubuntu for a kiosk is really dumb though. I guess it's still better than windows.
i mean linux is linux if its only booting up to display video or a simple interaction panel
It's probably irrelevant for the 1-executable no WAN use case, but the sheer price they are paying for even a dirt cheap board that can run the full gnome environment vs...like, a raspberry pi...blows the mind.
I'm running a full version of Ubuntu on my Orange Pi 5 Plus, which is roughly the same as a Raspberry Pi 5 and it runs fine, so that thing could easilly be hardware in same class of power as a Raspberry Pi 5 or entry level intel Mini-PC and run Ubuntu.
That said, it would still be an SBC that costs about $120.
In my experience, a $40 SBC can't run more than Armbian and would be better off with a lightweight distro running a lighter window manager.
They ship a kiosk specific build if I remember correctly