DaDesktop Participant How-To

Objective

This guide is for participants (students) looking to attend a course on DaDesktop.

 

Overview of DaDesktop

DaDesktop is a cloud-based platform built for IT training, offering virtual desktops powered by the innovative DaDesktop® technology to instructors and students in Germany. During sessions, each learner receives their own complete online desktop to practice tasks while the trainer oversees their progress.

It consists of three core components:

1. Management Console – a web interface for system management, such as starting or stopping cloud desktops.
2. Training Room – a collaborative area for remote desktop sharing, voice communication, chat, and session recording.
3. Remote Desktop – a personal virtual machine (Windows or Linux) assigned to each participant.
    

Requirements

To participate from your office or home, you’ll need the following:

• A computer (PC or laptop) with a stable internet connection (at least 10 Mbit/s download and 1 Mbit/s upload). Works with Windows, Mac, or Linux machines.
• Chrome or Firefox web browser
• High-quality microphone or headset (a telephone is an option but not recommended)
• A quiet environment, free from distractions and noise (a coffee shop is unsuitable)
   

Recommended:

• Webcam
• Dual monitors – use one to follow the trainer, and the other for your DaDesktop virtual machine during labs.
• Turn off any VPN before the course
• Where possible, disable security software that might interfere with network connectivity
• Prefer an Ethernet connection; if using Wi-Fi, test your speed beforehand (e.g., speedtest.net)

You can try accessing your course and exploring the DaDesktop virtual classroom before the start date. Note, however, that on non-course days you’ll only be able to connect to the Desktop for 15 minutes at a time.

 

Course Access

Outside of course days, access to your course is limited to 15-minute sessions.

On the actual course day, however, you have all-day access. (Previously, this was only available about an hour before the course began.)

 

Keeping Your Desktop After the Course

A standout benefit of DaDesktop is that participants can keep using their virtual machine after the course ends. 

Follow the link above for full instructions.

Joining a Course

Click the link provided by your course coordinator (for example, dd4t.dadesktop.com/da/join/xxxxx).

 

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First-time users should fill in their details under "Account" and click “Sign Up”. You can register via the form or using your Google or LinkedIn account.

If you already hold an account, just log in.

This opens the Management Console for your course.

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Using the Management Console

Switch to the "TRAINING ROOM" tab.

Then click the "Join Training Room" button.

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The Virtual Training Room opens in a new tab. A dialog will ask for permission to copy items to the clipboard – select "Allow".

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Navigating the Training Room as a Participant

The Training Room displays a top tab with links that take you back to the course.

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Controls at the bottom of the screen

• You can detach the screen to another monitor if needed, and the browser window can be expanded to full screen.
• At the bottom right, a small blue toggle gives you access to the DaDesktop support chat.

 

Using the New Clipboard Feature

To transfer text—such as web links, commands, etc.—from your local computer to the virtual machine, we use the Clipboard.
 

When you log into your online course or standalone desktop, a dialog like this will appear. Click Allow. Currently, images cannot be copied via the clipboard.

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Click the small clipboard icon in the address bar to adjust the clipboard permissions for this site.

Usage

• On Windows and Linux virtual desktops, use standard clipboard shortcuts (Ctrl‑C to copy, Ctrl‑V to paste) from your PC.
• On a Mac, copy as usual, and press Shift + Ctrl + V or click the mouse middle button to paste.

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If you need extra assistance with this feature, please contact us.
 

Original Clipboard (for incompatible browsers or as a fallback, e.g., Internet Explorer)

• To copy text from your computer to the DaDesktop VM, type or paste it into the clipboard area at the bottom left of the screen.
• On the virtual machine, press the middle mouse button (or mouse wheel) to paste the clipboard contents. This works in any text input field on DaDesktop, assuming you are using the standard Linux virtual machine.
  Mac users: use Command‑C (⌘C) to copy and Command‑V (⌘V) to paste. After placing text into the dd4t clipboard, cut, copy, and paste within the desktop become Control‑X, Control‑C, and Control‑V respectively.
• On Windows virtual machines, right‑click to paste from the clipboard.

To resize the clipboard area, click the green‑and‑white arrow icon at the bottom left.
 

 

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Mouse Use in a Multi-User Environment

A new feature displays the username of the person currently controlling the mouse floating next to the cursor when multiple users share the same desktop. This is particularly helpful for collaborative work and during training sessions where control of the mouse passes between different learners.

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Whenever more than one user is connected, their usernames appear at the bottom centre of the screen.

 

 

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You can toggle this feature on or off by clicking the green Info button at the bottom of the screen.