Configure server port and timeout in settings.py

Also updated documentation.

4 files changed, 23 insertions, 12 deletions

diff --git a/README.txt b/README.txt
index 5b576fc..f86e1fd 100644
--- a/README.txt
+++ b/README.txt
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ To install/deploy this app follow the steps below:
  3. Add questions by editing the sample_questions.xml or any other xml
     file in the same format and then run the following::
 
-      $ python manage.py load_questions sample_questions.xml
+      $ python manage.py load_questions_xml sample_questions.xml
 
     Note that you can supply multiple xml files as arguments and all of
     those will be added to the database.
@@ -23,16 +23,22 @@ To install/deploy this app follow the steps below:
     
       $ sudo python python_server.py
       
-    Using sudo is necessary since the server is run as the user "nobody".
+    Using sudo is necessary since the server is run as the user "nobody".  This
+    runs on port 8001 by default and may be changed in the settings in the 
+    variable SERVER_PORT.  The SERVER_TIMEOUT also can be changed there.  This
+    is the maximum time allowed to execute the submitted code.
 
  5. Now, run::
  
     $ python manage.py runserver <desired_ip>:<desired_port>
+    
+    For deployment use Apache or a real webserver, see below for more 
+    information.
 
- 6. Go to http://server_ip:server_port/admin
+ 6. Go to http://deserved_host_or_ip:desired_port/admin
 
  7. Login with your credentials and look at the questions and modify if
-    needed.
+    needed.  Create a new Quiz, set the date and duration.
 
  8. Now ask users to login at:
     http://server_ip:server_port/exam
diff --git a/exam/xmlrpc_clients.py b/exam/xmlrpc_clients.py
index 1bc5513..be2f8b1 100644
--- a/exam/xmlrpc_clients.py
+++ b/exam/xmlrpc_clients.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 from xmlrpclib import ServerProxy
+from ..settings import SERVER_PORT
 
 # Connect to the python server.
-python_server = ServerProxy('http://localhost:8001')
-    
\ No newline at end of file
+python_server = ServerProxy('http://localhost:%d'%(SERVER_PORT))
diff --git a/python_server.py b/python_server.py
index dee5631..20d7440 100755
--- a/python_server.py
+++ b/python_server.py
@@ -10,9 +10,8 @@ import pwd
 import os
 from os.path import isdir
 import signal
+from settings import SERVER_PORT, SERVER_TIMEOUT
 
-# Timeout for the code to run in seconds.
-TIMEOUT = 2
 
 def run_as_nobody():
     # Set the effective uid
@@ -34,7 +33,7 @@ def run_code(answer, test_code, in_dir=None):
     If the optional `in_dir` keyword argument is supplied it changes the 
     directory to that directory (it does not change it back to the original when
     done).  This function also timesout when the function takes more than 
-    TIMEOUT seconds to run to prevent runaway code.
+    SERVER_TIMEOUT seconds to run to prevent runaway code.
 
     Returns
     -------
@@ -47,7 +46,7 @@ def run_code(answer, test_code, in_dir=None):
         
     # Add a new signal handler for the execution of this code.
     old_handler = signal.signal(signal.SIGALRM, timeout_handler)
-    signal.alarm(TIMEOUT)
+    signal.alarm(SERVER_TIMEOUT)
      
     success = False
     tb = None
@@ -58,7 +57,7 @@ def run_code(answer, test_code, in_dir=None):
         _tests = compile(test_code, '<string>', mode='exec')
         exec _tests in g
     except TimeoutException:
-        err = 'Code took more than %s seconds to run.'%TIMEOUT
+        err = 'Code took more than %s seconds to run.'%SERVER_TIMEOUT
     except AssertionError:
         type, value, tb = sys.exc_info()
         info = traceback.extract_tb(tb)
@@ -84,7 +83,7 @@ def run_code(answer, test_code, in_dir=None):
 
 def main():
     run_as_nobody()
-    server = SimpleXMLRPCServer(("localhost", 8001))
+    server = SimpleXMLRPCServer(("localhost", SERVER_PORT))
     server.register_function(run_code)
     server.serve_forever()
     
diff --git a/settings.py b/settings.py
index f540c1b..11a44a2 100644
--- a/settings.py
+++ b/settings.py
@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@ from os.path import dirname, join, basename, abspath
 DEBUG = True
 TEMPLATE_DEBUG = DEBUG
 
+# The port the Python server should run on.
+SERVER_PORT = 8001
+
+# Timeout for the code to run in seconds.
+SERVER_TIMEOUT = 2.0
+
 ADMINS = (
     # ('Your Name', 'your_email@example.com'),
 )