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How to create config-files for BYOD Win & Mac.

2016-07-24
2016-09-28
  • Wolfgang Pfalzgraf

     
  • Wolfgang Pfalzgraf

    I have to use seb on BYOD win and mac.
    I found
    Aus der Anleitung Howto Seb 2.0: If you want to use SEB on Windows and Mac OS X exam clients,
    you can use one .seb file, but have to copy the two different Browser
    Exam Key’s (from each version) into the quiz settings.

    I do not understand that.
    I have to save the file once with application OS OS X and once with OS Win.
    That gives me two different keys.
    If I have two files with the same name and different keys, which one do I have to sent to the students?
    I made confic-mac.seb and config-win.seb.
    Is there an simpler way to get there?

     
    • Daniel Schneider

      Just use one config file, save it in the Windows or Mac version where you created it and copy-paste that Browser Exam Key to your OpenOLAT exam. Then load the same config file in the other SEB version (without doing any changes and without saving the file again) and copy-paste the key from that SEB version also to that OpenOLAT exam (it should accept several keys).

      The SEB config files are generally compatible for both Windows and Mac versions of SEB and both SEB versions allow to configure also the platform specific settings of the other version. There are a few exceptions (exit keys sequence in SEB Windows, we recommend to not use exit keys anymore but only a quit password, URL filter rules currently need to be configured in the Mac version if they should be compatible for both versions). So it shouldn't be a problem to create the config file in one SEB version for both platforms.

       
  • Wolfgang Pfalzgraf

    I do not understand " in the other SEB version " on line 2.
    Does that mean that I need a mac and a win computer and run the seb-config-tool on both maschines with the same file, to get the two keys?
    Or is there a mac-version of the config tool to run on win7, and and a win-version to run on mac?
    I thought I should (on my win7) run the SEB config tool with "OS OS X Executable xulrunner.exe"
    and send that config-mac.seb file to our mac users.

     
  • Daniel Schneider

    It's mentioned also in the SEB manual:

    Please note that if you want to use the same .seb file with Windows and Mac clients, you should not alter the file anymore when you're copying the Browser Exam Key hashes to your exam settings in your quiz module. Re-saving it will change the Browser Exam Key of that file also in the SEB version on the other platform. The keys for the Mac and the Windows version will in any case be different, so you have to load the final .seb file into both versions and copy both keys to your quiz settings.

    Yes, if you want to use the Browser Exam Key security feature with Windows and Mac exam clients, then you have to use a Windows and a Mac computer to generate the key. The technical reason is obvious: The key has to be generated in a secure way, so it's not easy to fake generating the key with a manipulated SEB version or some hack tool. Therefore we cannot generate the key anywhere else than in the original excecutable and therefore cannot offer an option to export the key for both versions from one of them.

    At least when you create a new exam or use new versions of OpenOLAT and SEB, you should anyways do proper testing and that includes testing your exam on all platforms which your students use (so on a Windows PC and a Mac). This sounds like a lot of work, yes, it is a lot of work, but I can assure you, proper testing is always necessary if you want to prevent problems during exams (not only SEB can create problems, the whole system needs to be tested regularly).

    In future SEB versions there will be a new, easier to use but less secure Exam Key, which will be identical on all plattforms and also upwards-compatible with new SEB versions, in addition to a changed Browser Exam Key. This system will be only as secure as the current Browser Exam Key when using new SEB Server functionality.

     
  • Hugo Ribeiro

    Hugo Ribeiro - 2016-09-22

    Thank you Daniel. Very useful.
    Just one quick question: On windows we have a config tool, but on the Mac we have to check "Show menu bar (mac) to get access to the config for mac, right? But afterwards, on the Mac, I cannot uncheck this option, as I will be changing the options, hence the key.
    Is this right, or am I doing something wrong?

    Thanks in advance

     
    • Daniel Schneider

      Please read the manual!

      Invoke it by selecting Preferences… in the SafeExamBrowser menu (if visible), by simultaneously pressing the cmd - , (comma) keys, or the F3 and F6 keys (on modern Mac keyboards you usually also have to hold the fn key).

      So you don't need to display the menu bar to invoke the Preferences window, just use one of the key shortcuts (cmd comma is the standard macOS key shortcut for Preferences btw.).

      You can even generate settings including its Browser Exam Key in SEB for macOS when you uncheck the setting "Allow to open preferences window on client", just save the settings using the Save command and without closing the Preferences window copy-paste the Browser Exam Key into your exam settings (or to some temporary text document). While the Preferences window is open, you can switch to other applications. Afterwards you can again enable "Allow to open preferences window on client" or just discard (do not apply) the edited settings.

       

      Last edit: Daniel Schneider 2016-09-28