Earn an F with Ubuntu!

[kr00lplatinum]

Major Universities such as the University of Minnesota and other MN schools now require students to have a Windows OS. The reason they are requiring this is because more and more classes have online exams. This is especially true when you take an Online course.

For the three years that I've been a MN student I haven't had a problem using Ubuntu until recently. The problems comes when I try to take an online test. My school now requires me to take the test with a new web browser called: "LockDown Browser" by Respondus.

Here is the link to the application:

http://www.respondus.com/products/lockdown.shtml


The LockDown Browser supports Windows and Mac but not Linux! When launched the browser automatically shuts down unnecessary applications that may be running. For instance, Pidgin, FireFox, Word, etc. It does this in order to stop people from cheating.

So, if you only have Ubuntu on your system you're screwed because without the LockDown Browser you can't take your exam. Which means you'll earn an F! for trying to support open source!

This is really troubling because I would love to use Ubuntu exclusively but am unable to do so until I'm done with school.

I've tried to get Wine to run the browser but it doesn't work.

Just thought I would warn all those students out their that love Ubuntu. You'll have to dual boot.

[edm1]

I'm not saying cheat but you could always run windows in a virtual environment and continue to use pidgin/word/whatever in ubuntu.

[robertchahine]

I'm not saying cheat but you could always run windows in a virtual environment and continue to use pidgin/word/whatever in ubuntu.

yep , you're totally right.
virtual box run like a charm.You can install windows xp and your special browser, and use it only when you have online exams

[tamoneya]

a lot of these special browser programs can detect when they are running within a virtual environment and will not install since they know that they cannot shutdown any programs outside the virtual environment.

Your best bet is to dual boot ubuntu and linux.

[Picatta]

When you run the custom browser, do you still have to go to a webpage to take the test? If so, you could try setting the user agent in firefox to the same as the lockdown browser, and then go to the test page yourself.

[tempest]

All one has to do is have a second computer next to them with which to cheat. Not that I condone cheating, but It just sort of makes the lock down browser technology seem silly.

[stinger30au]

All one has to do is have a second computer next to them with which to cheat. Not that I condone cheating, but It just sort of makes the lock down browser technology seem silly.

i was thinking the same thing

[BetweenStates]

Ummm....I use Respondus Lockdown and all of our our exams are open book/open note. Why do they have this then? Heck if I know. Maybe they're trying to tell us the exam is not "open internet" or they just want to look good when the accreditation boards go around to do their auditing for the online MBA.

Everyone else is right that it's not hard to circumvent this with an iPhone or extra computer. Some of my classmates were already talking about that, actually.

[QIII]

Thank you for sharing. Everyone’s questions and answers are valuable.

If a thread has had no activity for about a year or more, it is best to start a new thread of your own. Not only will you be more likely to get a response, but things change so quickly in the software world that an old thread may cause you more trouble than it will help due to outdated information.

Please feel free to add a link to the original thread in your new one if you think it might be helpful.

Best wishes!

Thread closed.

[overdrank]

Back to sleep thread.