Safe Exam Browser MacOSX |
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Release Notes
Release notes for Safe Exam Browser version 1.5.1:
- Completed french translation of new GUI elements.
- Fixed bug preferences window not set to modal.
- Fixed graphical flaw in app icon.
Release notes for Safe Exam Browser version 1.5:
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SEB can now open webpages in additional browser windows.
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New browser preferences pane where separate policies can be set for opening hyperlinks requesting to be opened in a new browser window and links in JavaScript/plug-ins: Block those links generally, open in same window or open in new window.
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In addition SEB can optionally ignore links requesting to open in a new window which direct to a different host than the one of the current page.
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Improved integrity of the SEB environment by elevating all windows (including the background covering windows) on a higher windows level and improving suppression of other applications opening alert windows, requesting to become active and switch to foreground.
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SEB now blocks the systems screen shot function (in OS X 10.7 Lion), preventing users to save pictures of the browser windows.
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New option to enable or disable browsing back/forward (with cmd + cursor right/left keys). This can prevent users to browse back out of an exam to an unprotected start page.
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New options to enable/disable plug-ins, Java, JavaScript and pop-up windows.
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The clipboard is now cleared when SEB starts and before it quits. But the content of the clipboard (if it's a text string) is saved before SEB clears it, and by pressing a new link button in general preferences pane you can paste that saved string to the Start URL field.
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Added elaborate suppression for links from Flash video player when it is in full screen mode (context menu link "About Flash player" and other links to external, unprotected webpages).
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Added option to prevent full screen invoked by Flash (usually used in Flash video players) when third party applications are allowed. When switching to third party applications is disabled, Flash fullscreen mode is deactivated generally now for security reasons.
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Added option to advanced preferences pane to download a PDF file and open it in a third party application instead of viewing it inline.
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Added an option to choose the name and path of a file to be uploaded automatically: If users download a file, edit it in a third party application and save it with the same name at the same path, pressing the "chose file" button in the browser window doesn't present a file requester, instead the file is automatically chosen.
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Now application name ("Safe Exam Browser" or "SEB", according to available space in window bar), version number and title of web page are displayed in each browser window.
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Fixed bug when running on OS X 10.7 Lion for "open files after downloading".
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Fixed Lion Problem with terminated applications (windows still visible) and problem with notification windows (like iCal alerts) being visible in front of SEB windows by using different window level for all SEB windows (but only if third party applications are not allowed).
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Reload start URL/restart SEB now only after closing preferences and if start URL or setting for allow "switching to third party apps" changed.
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Fixed saving preferences bug, works now regardless which pane first opens.
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Fixed switching on presentation options (kiosk mode) again when user tried to put Flash to fullscreen: Browser window becomes fullscreen again.
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Fixed wrong path preselected in file requester when choosing upload directory in Lion. Fixed some UI strings.
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Removed embedded WebKit framework. Experiences didn't show any real advantage of using a private WebKit instead of the system's in practice, besides that recent WebKit builds were not working on Mac OS X 10.6.8 anymore.
Release notes for Safe Exam Browser version 1.4.1:
- Fixed bug when running on OS X 10.7.2 Lion browser window didn't come in front.
- Fixed bug crashing when starting third party application by downloading document.
Release notes for Safe Exam Browser version 1.4:
- It is now possible to generate a pre-configured copy of SEB by writing the settings into the application bundle. Then this copy of SEB can be copied to all exam computers without having to distribute a separate preferences file.
- Fixed bug saving changed passwords when switching panes in preferences.
Release notes for Safe Exam Browser version 1.3.1:
- Completed French translation of new GUI elements.
Release notes for Safe Exam Browser version 1.3:
- VM Detector refuses to start up SEB in a virtual environment.
- Improved compatibility with OS X 10.7 Lion.
- Updated embedded WebKit framework.
Release notes for Safe Exam Browser version 1.2.1:
- Fixed a bug of SEB 1.2 crashing when there was no preferences file saved yet.
- Completed French translation of new GUI elements.
Release notes for Safe Exam Browser version 1.2:
- In advanced preferences it can now be chosen if SEB should allow down- and uploading files and if downloaded files should be opened automatically. This is useful when running additional applications during an exam in an account managed by OS X parental controls.
- SEB can be quit now also with the close button of the browser window (if quitting is allowed in preferences, quitting needs to be confirmed in the same way as before).
- A Retry button was added to the error dialog which displays network and server errors.
- Changed passwords are saved before the help web page gets displayed by clicking the help button in preferences window.
- Fixed a bug of version 1.1 when password preferences were not correctly saved or loaded in rare cases.
- Updated embedded WebKit framework.
Release notes for Safe Exam Browser version 1.1:
- New preferences window with panes offers additional settings.
- SEB MacOSX now allows to run additional applications during an exam in an account managed by OS X parental controls.
Release notes for Safe Exam Browser version 1.0.2:
- Added French localization (thanks to Nicolas Dunand).
- Updated embedded WebKit framework.
Release notes for Safe Exam Browser version 1.0.1:
- Added German localization.
- Copyright and version displayed in about box are now read from the corresponding fields in the applications' info.plist file.
Release notes for Safe Exam Browser version 1.0:
- Improved security of SEB kiosk mode by preventing other applications to unhide, to steal user focus and to change presentation options.
- SEB is now MacOSX code signed, so changes of the binary are prevented and the identity of its publisher can be verified.
- Hyperlinks embedded in Javascript, in Flash and other plugins are now ignored when they link to another host than the one of the current page.
- Context menu (activated by right mouse click) is now also disabled in plugin web content.
- Switching to fullscreen video in plugins doesn't disengage the kiosk mode anymore.
- Display and system idle sleep is now switched off while SEB is running.
- Normal shutdown and restart invoked by keyboard or other applications is canceled.
- Sleep mode invoked by keyboard is delayed (by 30 seconds, that's the maximum the system allows in forced sleep situations) to hinder possible tricking with fast user switching.
- When first starting SEB, a notice is shown about with which keys to quit SEB and how to access its preferences. When SEB is running in 32-bit mode, there is also a note about the restriction mentioned below.
- SEB now also runs on 32-bit-only Mac's (although for security reasons web plugins are disabled on this architecture).
- Network and server errors are now displayed.
- Added reload button (cmd + R).
- Browser cache is now cleared when exiting SEB.
- Updated to latest WebKit framework build.
- Fixed a bug of RC1.0 where other applications could become active.
Release notes for Safe Exam Browser version RC1.0:
- Administrator and quit passwords are no longer saved in plaintext but as a SHA256 hash, input and checking of passwords in preferences and sheets was changed accordingly.
- Added a "confirm quit password" field in preferences. Fixed a bug occurring rarely when comparing password and confirm password fields.
- Due to changing the executable name from "SEB" to "Safe Exam Browser", the file name of the preferences file in the user's Library/Preferences/ directory changed to "org.safeexambrowser.Safe-Exam-Browser.plist". If you have been using SEB MacOSX Beta 1, you will have to enter your settings in preferences over again. It's recommended to delete the old preferences file "org.safeexambrowser.SEB.plist", because it contains the old passwords in plaintext.
- When SEB quits, applications which were visible before starting it are unhidden now.
- Added a "About" panel with information about SEB and its release version. The panel is displayed briefly while starting SEB and by clicking the "About" button in preferences.
- Added a help button ("?") in preferences, which displays this online manual in the SEB browser window. Same time the preferences window is set to non-modal, so the browser window gets accessible.
- Reordered the buttons in preferences and confirm quit dialog according to Apple Human Interface Guidelines.
- Improved code structure in encapsulation and modularity, preparing open source code release including developer documentation. Improved "Cocoa Bindings" implementation in preferences.
Known Limitations
Please report bugs and feature requests.
Please always mention, which SEB version and which operating system you are using (Mac OS X 10.7, 10.6) and possibly other details about your system!
- This version of SEB doesn't disengage Fast User Switching from the systems panel asking for the user's password after waking up from sleep mode or the screen saver. You should switch off Fast User Switching if users have access to other accounts on the machine. To hinder possible tricking with fast user switching, SEB delays forced sleep mode induced by keyboard for the system maximum of 30 seconds. Like this the computers' display is blacked out for more than half a minute before the fast user switching dialog can be reached. In supervised exams this might make it harder to cheat for someone having access to other user accounts.
- The "rich text editor" used in former versions of Moodle isn't compatible with the WebKit browser engine, so a simple editor will be used with SEB MacOSX. Use a recent version of Moodle which contains a compatible rich text editor.
- SEB doesn't prevent remote connections to the computer. You should switch off all relevant Apple and third-party remote access/control services when using SEB for exams or protect everything with proper passwords and don't give users administrator rights on the machine. You could also use an external firewall with very restrictive settings.
- SEB doesn't restrict other applications from playing audio. So you probably should switch off all VOIP and audio messenger systems like iChat and Skype while using SEB for example in an exam where audio is played in the quiz and students are allowed to use headphones.
- In case your exam uses the https protocol or Java-Applets which connect to secure Servers, you should make sure their certificates are trusted on the client computers you're using. If that's not yet the case, you can either add the certificates to the OS X keychain manualy or use the check mark for Always trust ... (displayed after pressing the Show Certificate button) when the accept certificate dialog is displayed.
- This version of SEB doesn't have any URL filter or whitelist for allowed domains. You should make sure that your LMS quiz doesn't provide links to other sites. You could also use the OS X parental controls in a separate user account.
These limitations will be addressed in future versions of SEB MacOSX.