Using AMC on a "live" USB key

Added by Jean-Marc Gervais over 10 years ago

AMC can be installed on a "live" USB key. Then, it is possible to use it without Linux installation on your PC.
See Wiki , but keep in mind the image file is a French version even if it is possible to add your langage package on the key.


Replies (7)

RE: Using AMC on a "live" USB key - Added by Jean-Marc Gervais over 10 years ago

Downloading image file could have been impossible with the first link proposed (Sorry, my DropBox was not strong enough for such a traffic and then have been blocked).
It should be repared with the new link (file hosted on AMC's site)...

RE: Using AMC on a "live" USB key - Added by Nikola Z. Guscic over 10 years ago

How well does this work with a large number of scanned pages? I have tried making a live USB image before with educational programs pre-installed, including AMC.
AMC worked, but not all the features were fully functional. Did you test this with many exams?

RE: Using AMC on a "live" USB key - Added by Jean-Marc Gervais about 9 years ago

Sorry, I've not seen your message before. I think it is certainly too late, but if it could be useful for you or someone else...

I don't use large MCQs, so I don't know if it is possible with this USB key solution. But within this (french) article there was an answer: RE: AMC sur clé USB

=> Abstract :
A test with a USB3 key solution to recognize 31% of 640 exams shows that it could take about 39 minutes for all theses 640 exams. With the standard installation, it took 5 minutes 10 seconds for the same job.

The problem is certainly the USB rate limitation. So the autor think live USB is OK for less than 100 pages, but too slow for more.

PS: an alternative solution is to virtualize a Gnu/Linux distrubution within Virtualbox for example, and then use it with Windows. A ready-to-use image is proposed (Lubuntu14.10 with AMC 1.2.1) and explanation in the Wiki should be soon available...
[[http://files.auto-multiple-choice.net/17/AMCbuntu_en/]]

RE: Using AMC on a "live" USB key - Added by Nikola Z. Guscic about 9 years ago

Thank you for the info, it is certainly useful.

RE: Using AMC on a "live" USB key - Added by Benoit PIERRET about 9 years ago

I performed more test on the 640 answers.

Tests on core i3-2100 (4 cores)
5min10s : Fedora 18-64 bits
39 min : Live usb with files on the usb
17 min : Live usb with files on hard disk (this is not a SSD)

Tests on anoyher unknown processor (2 cores)
8 min 56s : Fedora 18-64 bits
41 min: Virtual machine Fedora in W7

For the last test, the processor is 100% in the virtual machine and only 50% in windows (one core is working only)

I would recomand to you:
- Native linux if possible
- Live usb with files on a hard disk

It was not possible for me to use lunbutu.
Here is another very kick way to proceed with windows:
- Download and install linux live usb creator: [[http://www.linuxliveusb.com/]]
- install unbutu gnome with 4Go persistent on the USB key (tested OK with 16Go)
- start on USB key
- Go in software center and install "auto-multiple-choice" (warning, do not use AMC or auto multiple choice). This step is as simple as play store for android.
AMC is ready to use...

RE: Using AMC on a "live" USB key - Added by Nikola Z. Guscic about 9 years ago

Thanks for the interesting info. In our school we ended up installing a remastered version of Lubuntu with AMC pre-installed on twelve desktops in a computer lab in a dual boot set-up with Windows. During exam weeks there are always one or two technical minded teachers on duty to help with scanning and post-processing. Some teachers have become independent after one semester, but many still need the initial guidance if the software hasn't been used in a while.

The whole school is on AMC during midterms and finals! The whole of resulting Excel output is integrated with our own gradebooks. Teachers and administrators consider it a great help. We use it only for scoring MCQ portions of exams made in MS Word, but several teachers (Math and Physics) have started learning how to make their own exams using AMC text.

RE: Using AMC on a "live" USB key - Added by Jean-Marc Gervais about 9 years ago

To add information about idea of durations for virtualized solution, hoping it could be usefull to make a choice:

On the same computer (Dell E6400, P8400 2 cores @ 2,26Ghz, Mint 17 64bits / Mate, 4Go) :
(I don't have any large test, so this example is quite short)

  • Native installation of AMC :
    -> data capture 15"
    -> data capture + marking 21"
  • Inside virtualbox with [[this ready-to-use image]] (Lubuntu) :
    -> data capture 65" (4.3 times more)
    -> data capture + marking 74" (3.5 times more)

I've used a shared folder to get images (scans), not a USB key directly. And I've checked option to copy images in project folder, I don't know if it is important or not.

So here it seems to be about 4 times longer for the whole process in virtualized installation... Not an ideal solution, be it permits windowers to test or even to occasionaly use AMC, with a very simple installation. That was my goal when I've built it for my colleagues...

In addition, maybe permitting Virtuabox using more cores for the virtual machine could improve performance (?)

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