[TriLUG] TurboTax for the web and linux

Wed Jan 23 09:26:15 EST 2002

Andrew Perrin [andrew_perrin at unc.edu] wrote:

> I filed a bug with TurboTax; no response yet.  I will see if I can get
> Konqueror up and running and will let you know if it works to change the
> browser ID string.

So, um, how do I know if it's working?  I've no plans to use TurboTax,
but I didn't see anyone mention Opera, so I decided to give it a shot.

If I go to http://www.turbotax.intuit.com/welcome/perm/icomnews/welcome.htm
I get a page that asks me which version of TurboTax I'd like to use.
I can try TurboTax Premium, TurboTax, or TurboTaxEZ.  When I try to use
one of them, I get the "Web browser is not supported" page.  This is
with Opera identifying itself as MSIE 5.0.

They are checking the OS, though.  For those that care, here's
their javascript:
function browserCheck() {
  var ua = navigator.userAgent;
  var an = navigator.appName;
  var av = navigator.appVersion;
  var pf = navigator.platform;
  var pass = false;
  if (ua != null && ua.indexOf("Opera") >= 0) {
    pass = false;
  } else if (pf != null && pf.indexOf("MacPPC") >= 0) {
    pass = ((an == "Microsoft Internet Explorer" && av != null && parseFloat(av) >= 5) ||
            (an == "Netscape" && av != null && parseFloat(av) >= 4.08 && parseFloat(av) < 5));
  } else if (pf != null && pf.indexOf("Win") >= 0) {
    pass = ((an == "Microsoft Internet Explorer" && av != null && parseFloat(av) >= 4) ||
            (an == "Netscape" && av != null && parseFloat(av) >= 4.06 && parseFloat(av) != 4.6) ||
            (av != null && av.indexOf("AOL") >= 0 && parseFloat(av) >= 4));
  }
  if (!pass) {
    this.location = "browser.htm";
  }
  return pass;
}

A quick check with Konquerer to set the useragent to MSIE 5.5 on Windows
or Netscape 4.76 on Windows gets me past the browsercheck to a blank
page with this source:
<html>
<head>
<TITLE>TurboTax</TITLE>
<SCRIPT SRC="browserCheck.js"></SCRIPT>
<SCRIPT SRC="authHelper.js"></SCRIPT>
</head>

<BODY  BGCOLOR=FFFFFF TOPMARGIN=0 LEFTMARGIN=0 RIGHTMARGIN=0 MARGINWIDTH=0 MARGINHEIGHT=0>
<SCRIPT>
    renderForm("welcome"+platform+".htm")
    submitForm()
</SCRIPT>
</body>
</html>

Mike
-- 
"Yeah it is! Cause he's bakin' in the...kitchen of darkness!  A pie of
lost souls...until it's golden brown!" -- Moltar on Space Ghost

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