Windows testing machine
We have a remotely accessible Windows machine, winqa or "little winky", to use for testing CGIs, bug fixes, new features, etc, on the Windows 7 operating system.
Basic Usage Info
- The machine name/location is: winqa.soe.ucsc.edu
- The machine is administered by SoE admins, so if there are problems you should file a regular IT ticket.
- The first time you use this machine, you will need to be added to the list of approved users who are allowed to login. You can do this by submitting an IT ticket. At this point James Mustain (jmustain@soe.ucsc.edu) is the person in SoE who administers the machine.
- One important thing to remember is that only one person can be logged in at a time. So, if you don't log out (even if you haven't used it for several days), nobody else will be able to log in.
- If you have trouble logging in, then go to this page and "reset" your password (you don't have to change it but just give it a kickstart by retyping your old password in the new password text box): https://support.soe.ucsc.edu/change-password
- The machine is physically located elsewhere, and in theory we never need to touch it. In case the power goes out, it is set up to turn itself back on automatically.
- If you are unable to connect to the machine and getting an error like "The connection timed out." You may need to use OpenVPN to hurdle firewall rules.
Installed Software
This is not a complete list, but this machine has at least the below applications installed.
Web Browsers:
- IE 11
- FF 37.0.2
Testing software:
- Selenium server
Other software:
- OpenSSH
- Cygwin
- Oracle VM Virtual Box
Off-campus/Wireless login with Virtual Private Network (VPN)
If you are off-campus or on-campus using wireless (except for edu-roam) and want to log in to the Windows machine, you first need to establish a VPN connection to SOE. For details see SOE's VPN Account Management page, where there are links to download and install OpenVPN VPN Client.
VPN access requires your blue @ucsc.edu password. Once VPN'd to UCSC's network, you can do the step of accessing winqa, where you log in with your SOE @soe.ucsc.edu password.
Once you are VPN'ed in, you can use the directions for your OS below to connect to the Windows machine.
Logging in from Mac OS X
Using Microsoft's Remote Desktop Connection Client
Note above VPN step. If you have a newer version of Microsoft Office installed, you should already have this application in your Applications folder. If you do not have it installed, you can download the client from Microsoft: Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac Download.
To log in:
- Open the "Remote Desktop Connection" application
- Enter Computer: 'winqa.soe.ucsc.edu' and click Connect.
- For username enter "soe\username"
- Use your regular SoE password
- Say "yes" to the warning: The server name on the certificate is incorrect
- Be patient while it sets up your desktop for the first time.
Hint: to save your log in info and use it as the default when you open the app, go RDC > Preferences > Login and use the above information.
To log out, just quit the RDC program; there may be a more graceful way to exit.
If you have trouble logging in try resetting your SOE password. Also if you are using a wireless connection other than edu-roam, you will need to use the OpenVPN VPN client first before being able to connect, you can install it here. Once installed, an icon on the top bar will appear, click it and connect to openvpn.soe.ucsc.edu.
Using CoRD
You can also use CoRD, an open source Remote Desktop Client for Mac OS X: http://cord.sourceforge.net/
Logging in from Windows
For instructions on using Remote Desktop Connection from Windows, click on the version of Windows you are running (well, sorta):
- Windows 7
- Windows Vista - use the Windows 7 tutorial above, but access RDC by clicking Start > Applications > Accessories > Remote Desktop Connection
NOTE: You can also just use IE11 on Win 7 or 8 to emulate IE versions all the way back to IE5. Press F12 for debugger mode, then ctrl-8 to bring up the emulator tab, then select the "document" version of IE desired.
Logging in from Linux
- Ask admins to install rdesktop
- At the prompt type: rdesktop winqa.soe.ucsc.edu, or:
- for full screen: rdesktop -f winqa.soe.ucsc.edu
- for a size that's 80% of your current screen: rdesktop -g 80% winqa.soe.ucsc.edu
- to specify WxH: rdesktop -g 1440x900 winqa.soe.ucsc.edu
- Click "other user"
- For user type soe\username (it must be include the "soe\") and use your soe pwd
- Click enter
To logout go to the bottom left windows icon, click "logoff" then disconnect. (Alternatively if you aren't in full screen mode you can just ctrl-c from the terminal where you ran rdesktop)
Troubleshooting
This machine is administered by the SoE Admins. If you have problems with the machine, file an IT Request: http://itrequest.ucsc.edu/ As of June 2013 wireless access requires OpenVPN VPN client for access.
Steps to create a Virtual Machine to test IE on Mac
How to create a Virtual Machine with IE on a Mac:
- 1. Download and install VirtualBox, OSX for a mac: https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads
- 2. Download the Windows/IE combo VM you need: https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/tools/vms/
- Click "Mac" tab then select the VM you would like, "IE11 on Win7" and then "Virtual Box" from the Select Platform and then Download .zip.
- Example:
- 1.You can right-click the "Download .zip" link for IE11 win7 and use curl/wget to grab it in a directory of your choice. Ex:
wget https://az792536.vo.msecnd.net/vms/VMBuild_20180102/VirtualBox/IE11/IE11.Win7.VirtualBox.zip
- 2. Use FINDER to unzip.
- 3. Use FINDER to locate new virtualbox folder and file.
- 4. Should open VirtualBox and load VM (prompt about importing files).
- 5. Open IE on new VM machine, you can click "Help" and "About Internet Explorer" to verify version.
Note: You can use IE's developer tools to test older versions of IE.
1. Open IE, click Tools, and select F12 Developer Tools
2. Click the "Browser Mode: IE10" tab (for example), you can then choose IE9 or IE8 or IE7
3. Continue Testing as normal, but you will be using the older IE version
Note: If you are accessing your VM on the UCSC network there may be a need to adjust your settings.
Use the sprocket gear (top right in IE) to click to see the settings dropdown menu and click the "Compatibility View Settings" and then be sure to uncheck the "Display intranet sites in Compatibility View". What happens is that IE assumes since you are on the same network you probably should be using an earlier IE and things start to display crazy.
