Labtest is available for limited use under Windows, but requires consultation with tech. Machines will boot first into Linux labtest mode, and then Windows will run in a VirtualBox session. Students login to what appears to be a Linux system, but after logging in, the VirtualBox session is immediately started, and Windows boots taking over the full screen. With labtest running underneath, we get these benefits:
A web browser is started and will display the labtest start page, much like under Linux.
All firewall limitations on what can/cannot be done automatically restrict the Windows configuration without additional changes.
Students have access to their standard labtest home directory including any special additions for labtest mode (eg. “unsubmit”).
Student files will continue to be synced to our server every 15 minutes.
A few present limitations:
We do not have a specific mechanism for students to “submit” their work from Windows. However, since all student data is copied to /eecs/ltsave anyway, it can be extracted from there.
The software base for Windows labtest is very limited right now. Software includes Java, Eclipse, Firefox, and some other limited applications. If you need a particular application under Labtest for Windows, please consult with tech.
VirtualBox image files are distributed to each of the local machines, but the files are quite large. Since we do not create a large image PER student, the Windows image is “immutable”. That is, when the student logs out, their changes to the local system are lost. Changes to their “home” directory remain.