Quick Guide to SEB Windows |
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This document is a step by step tutorial that explains how to set up SEB Windows and run secure online-exams in a learning management system (LMS).
Step 1: SEB download
Download the most recent SEB version from the download area as a zip file (e.g. seb_1.8_win.zip). Until Version 1.4.1, the zip file contains the program files SebStarter.exe and MsgHook.dll for manual copying to the hard disk. From Version 1.7, the zip file instead contains an msi file SebWindowsInstall.msi for the Microsoft Installer, which performs a real installation and automatically copies the program files to the right places.
Step 2: SEB configuration
Unpack (in the role of the teacher) the downloaded zip file, e.g. seb_1.8_win.zip, to an arbitrary folder of your hard drive. On a recent Windows version, you can use the Extract All menu option in the context menu (right mouse click on the downloaded zip file). The resulting directory seb_1.8_win/ contains the following files:
Configure SEB by modifying the files MsgHook.ini and SebStarter.ini. From Version 1.8, you can do that comfortably via mouse clicks using the delivered tool SebWindowsConfig.exe. Most important is setting the starting page of your exam (http://...) in the category Online exam in the input field Exam URL, and defining the function keys for quitting SEB in the category Exit sequence. You can find more details about the configuration in the User Manual.
Alternatively (and in older versions), you can load the ini files into an arbitrary ASCII text editor (e.g. Notepad) and modify them there. The starting page of your exam (http://...) is located in the line ExamUrl=...or URL_EXAM=... of the file SebStarter.ini. The function keys for quitting SEB are defined in an encoded manner in the lines B1=..., B2=..., and B3=... of the file MsgHook.ini. You can find the exact encoding scheme in the User Manual. But when using the SebWindowsConfig.exe tool, you can directly check the function keys without having to deal with the encoding; the encoding happens automatically.
In order to admit further programs in SEB, you can additionally edit the file SebStarter.bat and enter the paths to the permitted applications there, for SEB can find these applications. Further options are documented in the User Manual.
Step 3: SEB deployment
As soon as you have adapted the configuration files to your needs, pack together a new zip file. In order to do this, mark the files
MsgHook.ini
SebStarter.ini
SebWindowsInstall.msi
of the directory using Ctrl key and left mouse key, press the right mouse button, select "Send to" > "Compressed (zipped) folder", and input e.g. SebWindowsInstall.zip as file name.
REMARK: If you want to admit additional programs in SEB, you eventually need the file SebStarter.bat. You must then pack this file into the zip file, too.
You can distribute the resulting zip file to your students (e.g. for exams on private notebooks) or by deployment via administrator services into a computer classroom.
From Version 1.7
Alternatively, a distribution via Administrative Install is also possible. You (the teacher) have to call the script SebWindowsAdminInstall.bat by right-click and "Run as administrator". This creates a so-called Source Image, i.e. a new subdirectory called SebWindowsAdminImage, and copies the three modified configuration files into this source image. You can then make this source image available on a network.
Step 4: SEB installation
Until Version 1.4.1 (obsolete)
SEB does not necessarily need to be installed in the program folder (e.g. C:\Program Files). You can install it in an arbitary folder. In any case, you can create a shortcut to SEB on the Windows desktop by right-clicking on the ...\SEB\Seb.exe file and then choosing Send to > Desktop (create shortcut).
If you choose this (simple, but obsolete) SEB variant, you need no installer, but must waive the service SebWindowsService.exe (see below), which can deactivate important security-relevant options like the Task Manager, which is desirable for many online exams.
From Version 1.7
On the exam computers, the distributed SebWindowsInstall.zip file must be unpacked, or the source image must be downloaded, respectively. Afterwards, the actual installation can take place by double-click on the SebWindowsInstall.msi file. During the subsequent installation process, accept the suggested installation location, e.g. the program directory C:\Program Files oder C:\Program Files (x86). Follow the instructions of the installation routine. After successful installation, the two subdirectories SebClient\ and SebWindowsService\ are residing in the installation directory, e.g. in
C:\Program Files (x86)\ETH Zurich\SEB Windows 1.8
During installation, a shortcut to SEB on the Windows desktop is automatically created. Furthermore, the service SebWindowsService.exe is automatically started in the background at the end of the installation.
Step 5: SEB execution
- CAUTION: Before you start SEB, make sure you remember the key combination to exit the browser! The default is F3_F11_ F6.
- Start SEB by double-clicking on SebStarter.exe (residing in the installation directory under ...\SebClient\Release), or by double-clicking on the previously created shortcut to SebStarter.exe on your Windows Desktop. CAUTION: If additional permitted applications have been defined in the SebStarter.bat, SEB must be started by double-clicking on SebStarter.bat rather than SebStarter.exe!
- Finish SEB by pressing the key combination (press the defined keys in the defined order and keep them pressed for a moment).