Running display and desk on one computer

Display + desk on one computer

You can run the queue display and desk app on a single operator computer. Each app opens as a normal window that you can place on a different monitor:

• The desk app is a standard decorated window — normal window controls, no fullscreen lock, no PIN gate. Position it on whichever screen the staff member faces.
• The display app ships as a native desktop client too — install the desktop display client and point it at your queue. It checks for updates, and an operator must confirm each update before it installs. On macOS and Windows it starts automatically and keeps the screen awake. On Linux it asks GNOME and KDE Plasma to keep the screen awake. On other desktops, or if the screen still blanks, see Keep the display awake. A browser tab remains a valid alternative: run it in kiosk mode or as a borderless window, pointed at https://display.jonot.io, on the customer- facing monitor.

Both apps connect to the same queue in real time. Staff and customers see the same queue state.

A public kiosk requires a dedicated device

Do not run a public kiosk on a shared computer

The native kiosk app and the desk app cannot safely coexist on the same machine when the kiosk is in a public-facing deployment. OS-level escape-prevention — which is mandatory for an unattended public kiosk — locks down the entire machine. That lockdown is incompatible with the desk app (or any other app) being normally usable on the same computer.

This separation is required because a public kiosk uses an operating system profile that disables Force Quit (⌘+⌥+Esc), Mission Control, Spaces switching, and app switching at the system level. Those restrictions apply to the whole computer. A desk operator on the same computer could not switch apps or use standard system gestures. Weakening the restrictions for staff would also weaken the kiosk lockdown.

What to use instead:

Surface	Device
Public kiosk	Dedicated machine — locked-down per the lock-down guide
Staff desk	Shared or staff machine — desk app only
Queue display	Any monitor — desktop display client (recommended) or a browser tab

If a location needs a kiosk, display, and desk, use three surfaces. Use a dedicated kiosk device, a desktop display client or browser tab for the display, and the desk app on the staff computer.