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Opening PDF files without using Soti Surf

SS
Sander Sinkeldam

Hello,

We want to use a tablet in our stores. We do this by using Mobicontrol and the lockdown function.
Previously we had a problem opening PDF files downloaded from the default website we set.
To solve this, we used Soti Surf and set it up completely to your liking so that the PDF files could simply be opened in the browser.
Because administrative actions have to be done on the tablet and a physical keyboard was required, we switched from a Samsung to a Lenovo P11 PRO tablet.
This is the moment when our big problems started.
However, the linked keyboard from Lenovo starts a 'Productivity mode' where Soti Surf is started in a small window and can no longer be used fullscreen.
Unfortunately, this mode cannot be disabled, which is also confirmed by Lenovo.
Soti Surf can therefore no longer be used and with that we have to rely on the 'https: //' function to be able to start a browser fullscreen in a kiosk mode.
Here we only run into the PDF problem for which we previously switched to Soti Surf.
As soon as you try to open a PDF file in the browser, you will see that the screen flashes white for a moment and then nothing opens. Like if it is blocked some how.
We can confirm that the PDF is being downloaded, but it will not be opened.
We've tried a lot but we just can't figure out how to fix this. Hence the call for help here!
Does anyone have any idea how we can fix this?
If we cannot solve this, we will have to switch to another tablet that is also considerably more expensive.
Surely there must be a solution for this?

Thanks in advance.

Greeting,

Sander Sinkeldam
Nelson Schoenen BV

Mobicontrol version: 15.2.3.1033

Android Agent: 14.4.6.1001

mobicontrol soti-surf pdf
4 years ago
Android
ANSWERS
RC
Raymond Chan Diamond Contributor
4 years ago

Please provide more details:

1. Do you need your tablet to have keyboard hardware connected (wirelessly or via USB port) 7/24 in the store? or just need keyboard only when performing administrative function?

2. On either Samsung or Lenovo tablet, if lockdown menu is not enabled, do you have prolem opening any downloaded pdf file from Soti Surf or from other web browser?  If not, what is the bundle-ID of the pdf viewer app/module used to display the pdf file?

3. How many items are there in your lockdown menu?   Is there any lockdown menu item specifying viewing of a local pdf fille? Is there any problem displaying such pdf file on either tablet?

SS
Sander Sinkeldam
4 years ago

Hello Raymond,

The keyboard will remain connected at all times.
Most operations can be done without a keyboard, but the Surf browser immediately becomes unusable when connecting the keyboard.
Below you can see in the print screen that the browser goes into a window mode and unfortunately it cannot be made larger than that.


As soon as I start a chrome browser outside of the lockdown function, the PDF files can be opened in the Google PDF viewer that is installed.
The PDF viewer bundle ID is com.google.android.apps.pdfviewer.


We have two items in the lockdown menu that each point to a different page. There is no separate reference to a PDF viewer.
Outside of the lockdown, the PDF files can be opened as usual.
Since it concerns a different file each time (per location and two different files per week) it is unfortunately not an option to refer directly to a file with the 'file: //' option.

RC
Raymond Chan Diamond Contributor
4 years ago (edited 4 years ago)

As a test for you to further debug your problem on your specfic device/firmware, please try to whitelist your pdf viewer by temporaily adding a third kiosk item

      launch://com.google.android.apps.pdfviewer

   in the kiosk payload of your Android profile, but without adding a corresponding entry in the html template.

Is there any problem opening any downloaded pdf file?

SS
Sander Sinkeldam
4 years ago

Hello Raymond,

Creating an extra button to open the PDF viewer below it did not have the desired effect.
This meant that we had to open the app and separately find the downloaded PDF file to open it.
Since this was not very user-friendly and the PDF viewer could not be opened fullscreen, just like the Surf browser, we decided to move away from the Lenovo tablet and go for a different one.
That way we can still use the Surf browser with which our problems have been solved.
In any case, thank you for thinking along. At this point, further research into this problem is no longer necessary!

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