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Step 1: Installation

This guide will walk you through installing Smyles Station on your computer.

Before You Begin

Make sure you have:

  • [ ] Verified your hardware meets requirements
  • [ ] Internet connection
  • [ ] Administrator access to the computer
  • [ ] About 15-30 minutes for installation

Installation Methods

Choose the installation method appropriate for your operating system:

Windows Installation

Step 1: Download Smyles Station

  1. Visit the Smyles Station releases page: GitHub Releases

  2. Download the latest Windows installer:

  3. Look for Smyles-Station-Setup-X.X.X.exe

  4. Click to download

  5. Wait for the download to complete

Step 2: Run the Installer

  1. Locate the downloaded file (usually in your Downloads folder)

  2. Right-click the installer and select Run as administrator

  3. If prompted by Windows Security, click Yes to allow

  4. The Smyles Station Setup Wizard will open

Step 3: Follow the Installation Wizard

  1. Welcome Screen:

  2. Click Next

  3. Choose Installation Location:

  4. Default location is recommended: C:\Program Files\Smyles Station

  5. Click Next

  6. Select Start Menu Folder:

  7. Use the default or choose a custom folder

  8. Click Next

  9. Create Desktop Shortcut:

  10. Check the box if you want a desktop icon

  11. Click Next

  12. Ready to Install:

  13. Review your choices

  14. Click Install

  15. Installing:

  16. Wait for the installation to complete (1-2 minutes)

  17. Completing Setup:

  18. Uncheck "Launch Smyles Station" for now
  19. Click Finish

Step 4: Verify Installation

  1. Press the Windows key and type "Smyles Station"

  2. You should see the Smyles Station app

  3. Don't launch it yet - we'll configure it first

Linux Installation

Ubuntu/Debian-based Systems

Step 1: Download Smyles Station

  1. Visit the Smyles Station releases page: GitHub Releases

  2. Download the latest Linux package:

  3. For Debian/Ubuntu: Smyles-Station_X.X.X_amd64.deb
  4. For other distros: Smyles-Station-X.X.X.AppImage

Step 2: Install the Package

For .deb package:

# Navigate to Downloads folder
cd ~/Downloads

# Install using dpkg
sudo dpkg -i Smyles-Station_*.deb

# Fix any dependency issues
sudo apt-get install -f

For AppImage:

# Navigate to Downloads folder
cd ~/Downloads

# Make AppImage executable
chmod +x Smyles-Station-*.AppImage

# Move to /opt for system-wide access
sudo mv Smyles-Station-*.AppImage /opt/smyles-station

# Create a desktop entry
cat > ~/.local/share/applications/smyles-station.desktop <<EOF
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Smyles Station
Exec=/opt/smyles-station
Type=Application
Categories=Education;
EOF

Step 3: Verify Installation

# Check if installed
which smyles-station

# Or search in application menu
# Look for "Smyles Station" in your application launcher

Fedora/RHEL-based Systems

Step 1: Download and Install

  1. Download the .rpm package from releases

  2. Install using dnf:

cd ~/Downloads
sudo dnf install Smyles-Station-*.rpm

Or use rpm directly:

sudo rpm -ivh Smyles-Station-*.rpm

First Launch Setup

Now that Smyles Station is installed, let's configure it:

Step 1: Launch Smyles Station

Windows: - Press Windows key - Type "Smyles Station" - Click the app

Linux: - Open application menu - Find "Smyles Station" - Click to launch

Step 2: Initial Configuration

On first launch, you'll see the welcome screen:

  1. Set Admin Password:
  2. Create a strong password (you'll need this to access admin settings)
  3. Confirm the password
  4. Write this password down in a safe place!

  5. Click Continue

  6. Add Your First Game/Website:

  7. Enter a website URL (e.g., https://pbskids.org)
  8. The app will automatically fetch the site's name and icon
  9. Click Add Site

  10. Add a few more sites to get started

  11. Set Default Session Time:

  12. Choose how long each session should last (e.g., 30 minutes)
  13. You can change this later for individual sessions

  14. Click Save

  15. Finish Setup:

  16. Click Done
  17. You'll see the main screen with your added sites

Step 3: Test a Session

Let's make sure everything works:

  1. Click on one of your added sites

  2. Choose a session duration (or use default)

  3. Click Start Session

  4. The game/website should load in fullscreen

  5. You should see a timer in the corner showing remaining time

  6. Press Ctrl+Shift+Q to exit the session (you'll need to enter the admin password)

If everything works, you're ready to proceed!

Troubleshooting Installation

Windows Issues

"Windows protected your PC" warning: - This appears because the app isn't digitally signed - Click More info - Click Run anyway - This is safe - it's just because we're not a big company with a signing certificate

Installer won't run: - Make sure you're running as administrator - Disable antivirus temporarily during installation - Check that you downloaded the correct version (64-bit Windows)

App won't launch: - Restart your computer - Check Windows Event Viewer for errors - Ensure all Windows updates are installed

Linux Issues

"Permission denied" when running AppImage: 

chmod +x Smyles-Station-*.AppImage

Missing dependencies: 

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install -f

# Fedora
sudo dnf install missing-package-name

AppImage won't run: - Install FUSE: 

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install libfuse2

# Fedora
sudo dnf install fuse

Blank screen on launch: - Try disabling GPU acceleration: 

smyles-station --disable-gpu

General Issues

Sites won't load: - Check internet connection - Verify firewall isn't blocking the app - Check proxy settings if applicable

Can't set admin password: - Ensure you have write permissions - Try running the app as administrator (Windows) or with sudo (Linux)

App crashes immediately: - Check system requirements - Update graphics drivers - Look for error logs: - Windows: %APPDATA%\smyles-station\logs\ - Linux: ~/.config/smyles-station/logs/

Post-Installation

  1. Set Up Kiosk Mode
  2. Lock down the operating system
  3. Prevent kids from exiting the app

  4. Disable system shortcuts

  5. Customize Configuration

  6. Add all your game sites
  7. Configure session defaults

  8. Set up shutdown schedule

  9. Learn Daily Operations

  10. How to start sessions
  11. Managing time limits
  12. Viewing usage statistics

Optional: Auto-Start on Boot

Windows:

  1. Press Win + R
  2. Type shell:startup and press Enter
  3. Right-click in the folder -> New -> Shortcut
  4. Browse to: C:\Program Files\Smyles Station\Smyles Station.exe
  5. Click OK and name it "Smyles Station"

Linux (systemd):

# Create systemd service
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/smyles-station.service

# Add this content:
[Unit]
Description=Smyles Station Kiosk
After=graphical.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=YOUR_USERNAME
Environment=DISPLAY=:0
ExecStart=/usr/bin/smyles-station
Restart=always

[Install]
WantedBy=graphical.target

# Enable and start
sudo systemctl enable smyles-station
sudo systemctl start smyles-station

Optional: Create Limited User Account

For extra security, run Smyles Station under a limited user account:

Windows: 1. Settings -> Accounts -> Family & other users 2. Add someone else to this PC 3. Create account without Microsoft account 4. Set as Standard user (not Administrator) 5. Configure auto-login for this account

Linux: 

# Create kiosk user
sudo adduser kiosk-user

# Set to auto-login (varies by distribution)
# Ubuntu with GDM: Edit /etc/gdm3/custom.conf

Update Policy

Smyles Station does NOT include automatic updates by default for security.

To update:

  1. Visit the releases page
  2. Download the latest version
  3. Install over existing installation (settings are preserved)

Uninstallation

If you need to remove Smyles Station:

Windows: 1. Settings -> Apps -> Apps & features 2. Find "Smyles Station" 3. Click -> Uninstall

Linux (Debian/Ubuntu): 

sudo apt remove smyles-station

Linux (Fedora): 

sudo dnf remove smyles-station

AppImage: 

rm /opt/smyles-station
rm ~/.local/share/applications/smyles-station.desktop

Remove all data and settings:

  • Windows: Delete %APPDATA%\smyles-station\
  • Linux: Delete ~/.config/smyles-station/

Next Steps

Now that Smyles Station is installed:

  1. Set Up Kiosk Mode - Essential for public use
  2. Customize Configuration - Add games and configure settings
  3. Daily Operations - Learn how to use Smyles Station

Need Help?

  • Check the FAQ for common questions
  • Open an issue on GitHub
  • Contact support: smyles-station-safety@proton.me