[bmwbiker]

Hi guys

I got an issue with Eventghost as Windows shell and its Task Create/Switch Events plugin.

I've been using Kodi for a while now. And I'm adding functions one after another...
So recently I tried to have e.g. start Chrome browser showing the rain map. I would like to open Chrome in kiosk mode from a Kodi menu so that it seems it belongs to Kodi.
Starting Chrome in kiosk mode is no issue. But how to leave it afterwards. Kiosk only allows Alt-F4. But this shortcut I disabled in while running Kodi because I don't want to shut don't Kodi accidently.

So I started playing with Eventghost.
Everything goes fine: Add Task... plugin. Add macros with e.g. Task.Activated / Deactivated.Chrome to enable a close shortcut only for Chrome. "Esc" is my favorite. Add Window.Close as command.
This really works perfect when I'm playing around while having Windows desktop, Eventghost and Kodi running. The shortcut only will have effect on Chrome.

But in my real Kodi setup I don't want to have the Windows deskop running. So I put Eventghost as Windows shell as stated on the Kodi page Make Windows boot directly to Kodi.
The result is that Eventghost will not show any Task events anymore (e.g. key event it shows, but no task events).
So enabling / disabling the shortcut won't work anymore.

If I just manually start Windows explorer.exe from the Taskmanager then all works fine again.
So it seems that for the Eventghost Task... plugin we need the explorer running. Side effect: the desktop shows up.

But again - I don't want to have the desktop in backround of Kodi. E.g. it everytime shows up if starting Chrome.

Does anybody have an idea ?
E.g. is a shell out there which you can switch dark completely and which will forward Task events ?
Or another method to only enable a shortcut if a certain window is in foreground ?
Or a browser with kiosk mode where you can configure the exit key ?
Or a good browser plugin for Kodi which can show flash or e.g. rain radar which you can close e.g. by key "ESC".
Any ideas welcome...

Best regards

[ashlar]

bmwbiker, you should spend time learning Eventghost and abandon the idea of using an alternative shell. Eventghost can handle perfectly Chrome in kiosk, closing only Chrome and not using alt-f4 (although I find even this perplexing).

Hint:
Find window
Chrome
taskkill

[bmwbiker]

Thanks for the hint ashlar ! You're right.
I tried EventGhost have react on event key Escape then find Chrome and close Chrome with command taskkill. That works fine.
Two issues left:
1. As event I used a key. A nice one seemed to be Escape. Now once EventGhost handles Escape this key ONLY will close Chrome. It e.g. won't work in Kodi anymore. So as workaround I fire an additional keypress Escape.
2. Unfortunately taskkill itself cannot be run totally silent. I would have to do e.g. a "start taskkill ...". I didn't manage to run this one from within EG. So I ended up with another workaround: Chrome close shift+ctrl+Q does what I want for now.

So in total in EG I have a macro with event key Escape which sends to keypresses shift+ctrl+Q and Escape.
Currently I'm happy with that one but I'll search for better way and I'm open for other hints.

[ashlar]

bmwbiker, you need to use Context Folders to avoid what you are experiencing.

Context Folders allow for a set of commands to be used only when a certain condition is met (in your case the presence of Chrome, the launching of Chrome). Once you exit Chrome you need to activate a Kodi Context Folder.

I hope this hint will help you. Eventghost is an incredibly powerful program. As such it can be complex. But I've been using it for almost ten years and I have to say I am still learning new cool things it can do for me.

[bmwbiker]

Thanks ashlar,
yes I tried activating context folders on entering and leaving e.g. Chrome. This really works perfect when Windows explorer / desktop is running in the background - so if you have explorer as shell.
But as I wrote in the first step I don't like to have the desktop in the background - it bothers on startup and everytime e.g. Kodi switches to Chrome and back.
So I set EG as shell. As result the task events won't come up anymore. And I haven't found another good way to get notified e.g. when Chrome starts and leaves. I read about explorer being responsible for task events at some places. But I didn't find an alternative that also fires task events and which doesn't bother in the background.
One option that also doesn't work are process events. Yes they do come properly without explorer. But especially Chrome starts a number of processes. Even worse: after short time running one process automatically is being killed - while Chrome window still being active.

[ashlar]

I personally find that running alternative shells is never worth the hassle, but I guess it's subjective.

On the other hand, having the normal explorer shell, I have a Chrome YouTube TV button on my remote and it's never given any problem with Kodi.

[[email protected]]

Guys there is a bug with kodi 17.
In all other kodi builds i have been able to press a button on the remote and bring up chrome from KODI using eventghost. even using other buttons to bring up hmy cameras or anything from kodi as well.
But with the new build i have not been able to. Its as if EG will not register that buttons have been pressed. Its as if KODI does not give any other program a chance.
I use the eventghost exclusive and have always been successful with other builds.
Please help as i have had no problems so far with Krypton