LabEx VM Desktop Interface

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Desktop Preview

The Desktop environment is particularly useful for:

1. Labs requiring a graphical interface, such as Linux GUI applications, code editors, and text editors, Python tools, and more.
2. Tasks that need a web browser.
3. Beginners who are not yet comfortable with command-line operations and prefer a graphical interface.

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Access the Desktop

1. If the instructor recommends using the desktop environment by default for the Lab, you’ll see the desktop environment when you start it.
2. If you need to complete the Lab in a non-default desktop environment, you can switch to the desktop environment using the tabs at the top.

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Desktop Icons

On the left side of the desktop, you’ll find several icons:

1. Home: Quick access to your home directory
2. Xfce Terminal: A terminal emulator for command-line operations
3. Gvim: A graphical version of the Vim text editor
4. Text Editor: A simple text editing application
5. Visual Studio Code: A popular code editor for development tasks

You can access more applications by clicking the “Applications” menu in the bottom left corner.

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Using the Terminal

To access the command line interface within the Desktop environment:

1. Look for the terminal icon on the desktop
2. Click to open a new terminal window
3. The terminal provides a command prompt where you can enter Linux commands
4. By default, the terminal uses the zsh shell

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Frequently Asked Questions