e-Exam System v5 General Demo

Updated Release: 7 September 2014

Important! This is a demo version, don't use this for production systems! You ha
ve been warned! A production ready version will be realised along with all sourc
e in due course.
Get started:
1. Download the ISO.
2. Check the MD5 hash to ensure the file was downloaded intact
3. Burn it to a USB stick.
4. Boot your computer with it.
More detailed instructions are available from http://transformingexams.com on ho
w to:
a. Check the MD5 hash
b. Turn the ISO download into a working, bootable e-Exam USB stick using Windows
, Mac OSX and Linux.
c. Boot a computer using the newly minted USB stick.
d. Configure the e-Exam system to work in different exam modes - demo (all-in-on
e), paper (word doc style exams), moodle (on-board moodle LMS exams) and remote
(restricted connection to an online LMS).
---------------Change log:
Changes new to release: 7 September 2014
This is a demo to show some improvements. Do NOT!!!! use this date release for r
eal exams - see point three for an important limitation.
1. A single pre-configured version for 'paper' mode exam. This can be configured
for 'moodle' mode exams too via the .config file. It is configured as a demo in
that it will provide a choice upon shutdown to keep or wipe user data. This can
be disabled via the .config file. This is a 'no network' version. Thus is ISO f
ilename is appended 'pp_doc_mode_nonet'. A network enabled version will be re-re
lased shortly.
2. Updated Libre Office version to 4.3.1.2.
3. The one minute autosave interval now works in Libre Office Writer. The exact
timing may vary due to activity in the document in that the autosave attempts no
t to interrupt someone typing. The autosave also triggers a save to both the 're
covery temp file' and a 'full save' of the document. In the event of a crash, up
on re-boot the 'continue existing exam' dialog will appear. Following acceptance
of the dialog, the Libre Office recovery process will be triggered.
4: Warning: Note the following limitation (and it is big one!). The tmp director
y will fill with tmp files over time. This is especially when a lot of typing oc
curs over a given period of time. In a typical exam the Answers drive will fill
up in about an hour. Your milage may vary. When this happens the system will fai
l and the document will probably be corrupted. Do NOT use this date release for
real exams.
5. The save menu is now always active (it is no longer disabled where there are
no unsaved changes in the document).
6. Default paths for 'backups', 'temporary files', and 'My Documents' are all se
t to '/media/answers' pointing to the e-Exam USB.
7. Language, spelling, units, currency and regional settings to 'Australian'. Ru
lers and grids in metric units mm or cm.

8. The demonstration exam format has been updated to show examples of different
response spaces (invisible/visible height set table cells with a single carriage
return - these help to minimise format disruption as students type into the doc
ument).
Changes new to release: 18 May 2014
This is a demo to show some improvements. It is not advisable to use this system
for production.
1. Same as 13 May release except that network connectivity has been disabled on
these two pre-configured versions: 'moodle_mode' and 'pp_doc_mode'.
2. Warning: the automatic 'recovery' saving function only works each 15 minutes.
Changes to Libre Office options will have no affect on this setting. This issue
affects the previous releases as well. We are working on a fix. Users should re
member to save their documents often! 'Ctrl S' is the short cut to do so.
Changes new to release: 13 May 2014
Four preconfigured versions are presented for convenience. Each are identical ex
cept for configuration settings; see configuration notes in 'Demo set-up guide'
available from http://transformingexams.com/guides.html).
1. Size of the ISO is 2.62GB (increase due updates to all onboard applications a
nd to the kernel)
2. Four pre-configured versions are presented:
2.1 moodle_mode = on-board Moodle exams. After boot, the 'e-Exam Starter' dialog
requests student id and name. Student types in details and clicks 'start exam'.
The system then creates a Moodle account on-the-fly. Then opens browser to loca
l host Moodle system, logged in with user account. Student needs to click throug
h to the Moodle quiz (exam).
2.2 pp_doc_mode = on-board post-paper word processor based exams (with multimedi
a and 3rd party application integration). After boot, the 'e-Exam Starter' dialo
g requests student id and name. Student types in details and clicks 'start exam'
. The system then copies the question file to the answers drive and renames it b
y prefixing the student id to the file name. Then the word processor is opened t
o the file ready for the student to start typing responses.
2.3 remote_lms_mode = demo of restricted connection to an online LMS (in this ca
se UQ Blackboard server). A network connection is needed - i.e The user may need
to manually connect to wireless) then proceed to click the 'start exam' button.
The browser will be opened to the online LMS login page (actual UQ credentials
will be required to proceed any further).
2.4 demo_mode = a general all-at-once demonstration mode. Buttons for each of th
e above modes are visible. Each exam type will need to be manually started witho
ut the aid of the e-Exam Starter dialog.
3. This release has restricted internet connectivity (only to UQ Blackboard serv
er).
4. Updated Linux kernel, updated to Firefox 29.
5. Sound turned on by default.
6. All other features as per 11 April.
Changes new to release: 11 April 2014
Two preconfigured versions are presented for convenience. Both are identical exc
ept for configuration settings; see configuration notes in 'Demo set-up guide' a
vailable from http://transformingexams.com/guides.html). This release is a merge
back from UTAS & UQ branches.
1. Reduced the size of the ISO to 1.9GB
2. Two pre-configured versions are presented:

2.1 moodle_mode = on-board Moodle exams. After boot, the 'e-Exam Starter' dialog
requests student id and name. Student types in details and clicks 'start exam'.
The system then creates a Moodle account on-the-fly. Then opens browser to loca
l host Moodle system, logged in with user account. Student needs to click throug
h to the Moodle quiz (exam).
2.2 pp_doc_mode = on-board post-paper word processor based exams (with multimedi
a and 3rd party application integration). After boot, the 'e-Exam Starter' dialo
g requests student id and name. Student types in details and clicks 'start exam'
. The system then copies the question file to the answers drive and renames it b
y prefixing the student id to the file name. Then the word processor is opened t
o the file ready for the student to start typing responses.
3. Student names can be hidden on the 'e-Exam Starter' via configuration setting
. Note if on Moodle mode exam, "Exam Candidate" is used in place of the student
name.
4. Exams can be resumed after a system restart. If exam responses already exist
for both word processor and Moodle modes then these will be detected. In this ca
se the 'Existing Exam Detected' dialog is presented with a choice to 'continue e
xisting exam' or 'start new exam'.
5. An optional 'clear my data' dialog is presented for demo clean up upon shut d
own. This re-sets the demo back to an 'as new' state ready for the next user. Th
is reset works for both word processed and Moodle exams. Note; this 'clear my da
ta' dialog should be disabled via config file for real exams.
6. Defaults in word processor are set to Australian English.
7. User access to terminal removed.
8. This release has no internet connectivity (to be restored in next general dem
o release for remote LMS connection example).
Changes new to release: 3 Feb 2014.
1. Reduced the size of the ISO to 2.3GB
2. The 'system' partition has been set to 'hidden'. The USB boots normally but t
he partition on the USB is not mounted. Note, the read only system files (as loa
ded to RAM) are still browse-able via Nautilus and this will hopefully be addres
sed in future releases.
Changes new to release: 20 Jan 2014.
1. Persistence is now working for on-board Moodle based exams. Accounts created
using the 'e-Exam Starter' dialog will now remain after reboot. A student accoun
t created via this dialog can be re-accessed using 'eexam' as the password (e.g.
after re-boot). Access the on-board Moodle directly after a reboot by pressing
the 'M e-Exam' button located on the launcher side bar.
2. The 'eexam' partition has been placed first so that this will be visible when
mounting in MS Windows (this is due to windows only mounting the first partitio
n on multi-partition USB devices). This is to enable setting up of word processo
r based exams (i.e. doc and related files) by mounting the USB stick in MS Windo
ws and copying over relevant files. This change does not impact OSX or Linux whi
ch will mount all partitions on multi-partition USB devices.
Note: for this reason, direct copy or removal of the persistence database file b
y admins will need to be done via OSX terminal or Linux command line given this
'db' partition will not appear when mounted in MS Windows.

Changes new to release: 11 Dec 2013.

1. Student accounts to test the on-board Moodle are now created on-the-fly using
the 'e-Exam Starter' dialog that appears after the desktop loads. It requests a

student id, first and last name. These details are used to create the Moodle ac
count. However, on this demo version the database is not persistent so the accou
nt is only good for one go. You will need to re-create the account for each use
- (this will be addressed in future releases).
Use of the other exam types (word processed and remote LMS) dont require the use
of the dialog at this time - (it will be utilised in future releases).