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The contest

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Bruno Ribas edited this page Aug 5, 2026 · 6 revisions

The contest is a crucial and decisive moment for the teams.

Unified start time

In a multi-site contest, all sites (without exception) start the contest simultaneously. For example, during the first phase of the Brazilian competition in September, it often starts at 14:00 BRT, with all teams accessing the same computational environment.

Pre-contest room access

  • 30 minutes before the contest:
    • Teams are allowed to enter the contest rooms.
    • They are not permitted to interact with the computers until further notice, nor to read the problem statements.
    • The screens are locked at this point — they were locked by the Pre-contest button right after the warmup (see What to do after the warmup?), and each machine shows the team's name on its lock screen.

Room setup and rules

  • Access control:

    • Only team members and authorized personnel from the organization are allowed in the contest room.

  • No electronic devices:

    • Team members may not bring any electronic equipment, including but not limited to:
      • Mobile phones
      • Watches
      • Calculators
      • Music players
    • The machines themselves watch for USB devices: connecting a flash drive or a phone raises an immediate, audible alert on the hotconfig panel, with the machine and the team identified — and the alert stays until a staff member dismisses it.

Computer access before the contest

  • 10 minutes before the contest:
    • Select all machines on the hotconfig page and click Unlock screen:

hotconfig — lock and unlock buttons

  • Teams may log in to the submission system's browser but must not write code or use the computers beyond this point.

Official start of the contest

  • When the contest starts, teams are allowed to use the computers fully.
    • Teams cannot reboot the computer into another operating system — the machine only boots Maratona Linux while the contest image is active.
  • Teams may then read the problem booklets and begin coding.

During the contest

  • The hotconfig page shows every machine live: online state, memory use, locked screens, and USB alerts. Keep it open in the staff room.

hotconfig — machines panel

Additional guidelines

  • Problem booklets:
    • Distribute the booklets near the computers.
    • Ensure they remain untouched until the official start time.

By following these steps and guidelines, you help ensure a fair and well-organized competition environment for all participants.

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