How to Use DaDesktop as a Participant

Objective

This guide is designed for participants (learners) who wish to join a course hosted on DaDesktop.

 

Overview of DaDesktop

DaDesktop is a cloud-based platform purpose-built for IT training. It caters to both instructors and learners, using the innovative DaDesktop® technology to deliver virtual desktops. During each session, every participant gets their own full online desktop, where they can work through exercises under the trainer's supervision.

Its three main components are:

1. Management Console -- a web-based interface for administering the system, such as starting and stopping cloud desktops and so on.
2. Training Room -- a shared space for remote desktop sharing, audio, chat, lesson recording, and more.
3. Remote Desktop -- a dedicated virtual machine (Windows or Linux) assigned to each user.
    

Requirements

To join from your office or home in Italy, you'll need:

• A computer (PC or laptop) with a reliable internet connection (at least 10Mbit/s download and 1Mbit/s upload). Windows, Mac, and Linux machines are all supported.
• The Chrome or Firefox web browser
• A good quality microphone or headset (using a telephone is a last resort and not recommended)
• A quiet location, free from distractions and background noise typical in Italy—so a coffee shop won't cut it
   

Recommended:

• Webcam
• A second monitor; use one screen to follow the trainer's desktop and the other to interact with your DaDesktop virtual machine for hands-on labs.
• Turn off any VPN before joining the course
• If possible, disable any security software that might interfere with the network connection
• Where possible, use an Ethernet connection; if you're on Wi-Fi, run a speed test beforehand (e.g., at speedtest.net)

You might like to try joining your course and checking out the DaDesktop virtual classroom before the course begins, especially if you're in Italy. Just keep in mind that on days before the course start date, you'll only be able to access the desktop for 15 minutes.

 

Course Access

Please note that outside of the scheduled course days, your access to the course is limited to 15 minutes only.

On the course days, you can access it all day. Previously, this was only allowed for around an hour before the session.

 

Keep Desktop after Course finishes

A great benefit of DaDesktop is that participants can continue using their virtual machine after the course wraps up. 

See the link above for full details on how to do this.

Joining a Course

Open the link provided by your course coordinator (e.g., dd4t.dadesktop.com/da/join/xxxxx).

 

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If you're a first time user, fill in your details under "Account" and click "Sign Up". You can register using the form or alternatively by signing up via your Google or LinkedIn account.

If you already have an account, simply log in.

You'll then be taken to the Management Console for your course.

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Using the Management Console

Click the "TRAINING ROOM" tab.

Then click the "Join Training Room" button.

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The Virtual Training Room will open in a new browser window. A pop-up will appear asking for permission to copy items to the clipboard; click "Allow".

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Navigating the Training Room as a Participant

The Training Room shows a tab at the top of the screen with links to return to the course.

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Controls available at bottom of the screen

• From here you can 'pop out' the display to another monitor, or maximise the browser window to full screen.
• At the bottom right, a small blue toggle appears for accessing the DaDesktop support chat.

 

Using the new Clipboard function

To transfer text—like web links or code—from your own computer to the virtual machine, we use the 'Clipboard'.
 

When you connect to your online course or standalone desktop, a pop-up similar to the one shown will appear. Click 'Allow'. Note that currently images cannot be copied through the clipboard in DaDesktop.

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Clicking the small clipboard icon in the address bar lets you adjust the clipboard settings for this site.

Usage

• On Windows and Linux virtual desktops, use the standard clipboard shortcuts from your PC: Ctrl+C to copy and Ctrl+V to paste.
• On a Mac, copy as usual and paste by pressing Shift+Ctrl+V, or by clicking the middle mouse button.

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Please reach out to us if you need further help with this feature.
 

Original Clipboard (to be used only for incompatible browsers for new Clipboard) ie IE, or as fallback.

• To copy text between your machine and the DaDesktop virtual machine, type or paste it into the clipboard area at the bottom left of the screen.
• On the virtual machine, click the middle mouse button (or the mouse wheel) to paste the contents of the clipboard onto the desktop. This works anywhere you can enter text, assuming you're running the standard Linux DaDesktop virtual machine.
  Mac users: use Command+C (⌘C) to copy and Command+V (⌘V) to paste. Once something is pasted into the dd4t clipboard, inside dd4t you'll use Ctrl+X, Ctrl+C, and Ctrl+V for cut, copy, and paste.
• On a Windows virtual machine, right-click to paste from the clipboard.

To adjust the size of the clipboard area, click the green and white arrow icon at the bottom left of the screen.
 

 

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Using the mouse in a multi-user scenario

This feature shows the name of the person controlling the mouse right beside the cursor when multiple users are connected to the same desktop. It's especially handy in multi-user situations and training exercises where different people take control of the mouse at different moments.

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If more than one user is connected to the desktop, their usernames appear in the bottom centre of the screen.

 

 

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You can enable or disable this feature by clicking the green 'Info' button at the bottom of the screen.