viewtouch
Table of Contents
About
ViewTouch is a powerful, open-source Point of Sale system designed specifically for the restaurant and hospitality industry. With over four decades of development, it combines the reliability of Linux with the flexibility of the X Window System to deliver a robust, network-transparent POS solution.
Key Features
- Full High Definition Graphical Interface - ViewTouch runs on (requires) displays with 1920 x 1080 resolution
- Lightning-fast performance - Entire transaction history kept in RAM for instant reporting
- Network transparency - Remote display capability via X Window System
- Comprehensive reporting - Real-time drill-down analytics and decision support
- Labor management - Interactive time clock with overtime alerts and cost control
- Cross-platform - Runs on Raspberry Pi 4/5, x86, and ARM architectures
- Mobile integration - Android tableside order entry support
- Multilingual support - Built-in language pack system
- Cross platform solution - Can be used on a wide variaty of linux distros thanks to the universal installer
Note: For build instructions and the latest announcements, visit the Wiki.
Quick Start
Download Pre-built Image
Download the latest ViewTouch image for Raspberry Pi (4 or 5). Write the image to a 32GB or larger microSD card, and boot directly to the ViewTouch desktop with full POS functionality.
Building
See the Wiki for detailed build instructions and development setup. Make sure your display is 1920 x 1080.
Basic Build Instructions:
# Install dependencies (Ubuntu/Debian)
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y build-essential cmake xorg-dev libmotif-dev libfreetype6-dev libcurl4-gnutls-dev
# Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/ViewTouch/viewtouch.git
cd viewtouch
cmake -S . -B build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
cmake --build build -j$(nproc)
cmake --build build --target install
For more detailed instructions and development setup, see the Wiki.
Hardware
Official ViewTouch Point of Sale Computer
ViewTouch offers all-in-one Point of Sale computers featuring:
- 15.8” capacitive touchscreen display (1920×1080 resolution, which is the required resolution for any display running ViewTouch)
- Raspberry Pi 5 Compute Module
- Pre-installed ViewTouch software
- Network-ready for multi-terminal setups
With open-source code and Raspberry Pi hardware, restaurateurs can now fully automate their operations with complete control over their POS system, including source code access.
Mobile Support
Thanks to Pelya (Sergii Pylypenko) and Ariel Brambila Pelayo for ensuring that with Xsdl mobile Android devices as wireless ViewTouch tableside order entry displays.
Screenshots
Screenshots shown in 1280×1024 resolution, however, note that the Default (required) ViewTouch display resolution is 1920×1080 !
Time Clock and Secure Log On
Order Entry - Lightning Fast Interface
Order Breakfast, then Display and/or Print in Kitchen
Labor Management
Time Clock Review and Edit - Control Labor Expense
Back Office, Comprehensive Labor Costing, Overtime Alerts, Interactive Time Clock Review and Editing
Real-time Analytics
Decision Support: Fly-Over, Drill-Down in Real Time
Touch ‘n’ View Any Day or Any Period Updated Every Minute
ViewTouch doesn’t just store your data—it keeps your entire transaction history in RAM for perfect accuracy and lightning speed. Auditors can see compliance across every period. Control non-cash revenue adjustments and labor costs, including non-intuitive details, shift by shift, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly.
History
Origins (1979-1986)
Gene Mosher began writing Point of Sale code on an Apple ][ in 1979. ViewTouch© as we know it today was first created by restaurateur Gene Mosher and C programmer Nick Colley in 1986, making it the ORIGINAL Graphical Touchscreen Restaurant Point of Sale Interface.
First Public Demonstration: ComDex, Las Vegas, November 1986
See historical photo
Early Platform: Atari ST computers (1986-1993/4 under Jack Tramiel)
Initial Funding & Support:
- Ed Ramsay (1986 - code development funding)
- Barbara Mosher (1986 - present, ongoing financial support)
- John King, M.D., Chicago (early funding)
Modern Era (1995-1998)
The current version of ViewTouch was created by Gene Mosher and C programmer Richard Bradley, transitioning to:
- UNIX (AIX) on Motorola PowerPC (1995)
- MIT’s X Window System for network-transparent graphical interface (1995)
- Linux on Intel x86 (1997)
Major Funding: Billy Foster (1995-1998)
Enhancement Period (2000-2004)
- C to C++ transition (2000-present day)
- Extensive code enhancement by Bruce King (2000-2004) Ariel Brambila Pelayo (2025)
- Major Funding: Doug DeLeeuw
Open Source Era (2014-Present)
ViewTouch released under GNU Public License (GPL v3) with code hosted on GitHub. Significant modernization and refinement by the open-source community:
Key Contributors:
- Jack Morrison - Amazing debugging skills
- NeroBurner (Reinhold Gschweicher) - Major refactoring and standardization
- NoOne558 (Ariel Brambila Pelayo) - Upgraded to Xft scalable fonts, mobile integration, AI-empowered refactoring of the entire ViewTouch code base.
- Gene and Barbara Mosher - Lifetime support and funding
- Ariel Brambila Pelayo - awarded co-ownership status of ViewTouch code and documentation at GitHub
Platform Evolution
| Year | Platform | Key Technology |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Apple ][ | Initial POS code |
| 1986 | Atari ST | First GUI touchscreen POS |
| 1995 | AIX/PowerPC | UNIX + X Window System |
| 1997 | Linux/x86 | Intel architecture |
| 2000 | Linux/x86 | C++ transition |
| 2016+ | Raspberry Pi | Default platform (Pi 4/5) |
Current Stack:
- OS: Debian Linux with XFCE desktop, And Ubuntu 24.04 Support
- Display: X Window System (network-transparent)
- Default Hardware: Raspberry Pi family
- Auto-update: Desktop icon compiles and installs latest code from GitHub
Gene Mosher’s passion and vision has overseen the development, management, and maintenance of ViewTouch code across six decades, spanning a wide array of computers and point of sale equipment. Gene owns the ViewTouch copyright and remains active in ViewTouch in 2025. A personal note to everyone from Gene: I am getting on in years and everyone has always wanted me to tell them what will happen to ViewTouch if/when something happens to me. In 2025 I can reassure that I will be participating in the development of ViewTouch until my last breath, which could easily be 2050 (I’ll be 101 then), and with Ariel, who is about half a century younger than I am, being awarded co-ownership of the ViewTouch code and documentation at ViewTouch/GitHub, nothing bad can happen, is going to happen, to ViewTouch. I myself used to wonder about the future of ViewTouch, but I no longer do wonder about the future of ViewTouch. It’s going to be alive, healthy, vibrant and dynamic for a long, long time. A new chapter has been opened for ViewTouch in 2025 and I could not be happier about it. Anyone can be a part of the future of ViewTouch - I welcome all who will join us.
Contact & Support
Commercial Support
ViewTouch Official
- Website: www.viewtouch.com
- Email: gene@viewtouch.com
- Phone: 541-515-5913
Community
- Discord: Join our server
- GitHub Issues: Bug reports and feature requests
- Gitter Chat: Join the conversation
- Wiki: Documentation and guides
The availability of ViewTouch source code and documentation at GitHub benefits clients, customers, and associates of Gene Mosher, facilitating the enhancement and extension of ViewTouch source code.
License
ViewTouch is released under the GNU General Public License, version 3 (GPL v3).
See LICENSE for full details.
Payment Processing
ViewTouch does not manage electronic payment processing. Please make your own decisions with regard to Electronic Funds Transfer functionality.