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Forge Display

Version Node License Platform Status

Forge Display is a self‑hosted digital signage platform designed for schools, churches, gyms, coffee shops, and small businesses.

It allows you to control multiple screens from a central web dashboard and display dynamic content such as:

  • Weather
  • Announcements
  • Menus
  • Calendars
  • Videos
  • RSS feeds
  • Sports scores
  • Emergency alerts

Forge Display is built to be simple to deploy, easy to manage, and affordable to run.

Features

Central CMS

Manage all screens from a single web interface.

Multi‑Screen Support

Control TVs, browsers, or Raspberry Pi displays across your building or campus.

Supported display devices:

  • Smart TVs
  • Raspberry Pi kiosks
  • Mini PCs
  • Web browsers
  • Digital signage displays

Live Screen Preview

See a live thumbnail preview of every screen from the admin dashboard.

This makes it easy to verify:

  • correct playlists
  • working screens
  • screen health

Scheduled Playlists

Automatically switch playlists based on time of day.

Example schedule:

Mon-Fri | 06:00 | 09:30 | Breakfast Menu
Mon-Fri | 09:30 | 15:30 | Campus Announcements
Mon-Fri | 15:30 | 18:00 | Sports & Events

Media Uploads

Upload and display media directly from the CMS.

Supported media:

  • Images
  • Videos
  • PDFs
  • Logos

Built‑In Widgets

Forge Display includes several widgets out of the box:

  • Weather (Fahrenheit)
  • Announcements
  • RSS feeds
  • School calendars
  • Sports scores
  • Breakfast menu
  • Lunch menu
  • PDF menu display

Crawlers with Speed Control

Scrolling crawlers support adjustable speed settings.

Example use cases:

  • RSS headlines
  • campus announcements
  • event reminders
  • emergency notices

Branding Controls

Customize displays with:

  • organization logo
  • organization name
  • slogan
  • background colors
  • theme colors

Perfect for school or business branding.

Emergency Override

Push emergency alerts to every screen instantly.

Example uses:

  • lockdown alerts
  • weather alerts
  • emergency notifications

Appliance‑Style Install

Forge Display installs as a system service and automatically starts on boot.

No container orchestration required.

Screenshots

(Add screenshots to /docs/screenshots and they will appear here.)

Admin Dashboard

Dashboard

Playlist Editor

Playlist

Weather Widget

Weather

Menu Display

Menu

Animated Demo

Example signage screen:

Display Demo

Installation

Forge Display installs in minutes.

Recommended Installation

git clone https://github.com/kmce2019/forge-display.git
cd forge-display
sudo bash install.sh

The installer will automatically:

  • install Node.js if needed
  • install required dependencies
  • configure SQLite
  • install the Forge Display service
  • start the application

Access the Admin Panel

After installation:

http://SERVER-IP:3010/admin

Example:

http://192.168.1.50:3010/admin

Display Screens

Each display connects using a simple URL.

Example:

http://SERVER-IP:3010/display/front-office

This URL can be opened on:

  • Smart TVs
  • Browsers
  • Raspberry Pi kiosks
  • Mini PCs

Running as a Service

Forge Display installs a system service named:

idlescreens-pro

Useful commands:

sudo systemctl status idlescreens-pro
sudo systemctl restart idlescreens-pro
sudo journalctl -u idlescreens-pro -f

Updating Forge Display

To update the application:

cd forge-display
git pull
npm install
sudo systemctl restart idlescreens-pro

Roadmap

Planned improvements:

  • drag‑and‑drop layout builder
  • screen grouping
  • ad rotation / sponsorship slides
  • user accounts and permissions
  • analytics and screen uptime
  • Raspberry Pi auto‑provisioning
  • remote updates
  • cloud sync option

Use Cases

Forge Display works well for:

Schools

  • announcements
  • lunch menus
  • weather
  • bell schedule
  • sports scores

Churches

  • service countdowns
  • announcements
  • events

Gyms

  • class schedules
  • announcements
  • promotions

Coffee Shops / Restaurants

  • menu boards
  • specials
  • social feeds

License

MIT License

Contributing

Pull requests and ideas are welcome.

If you find a bug or want a feature added, open an issue.

Author

Kevin Gardner
IT Director
East Texas

Future Product Direction

Forge Display is being developed as a self‑hosted alternative to expensive digital signage platforms, focused on simplicity and real‑world deployments.