Support

Frequently asked questions

If you need help or questions, this page might help you answer some questions about the platform and its features.

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- General questions about Lab.computer
- Getting started with Lab.computer
- Operating Lab.computer
- Lab.computer for instructors
- Lab.computer for students

General questions about Lab.computer

What can I do with Lab.computer?

Lab.computer is a platform for both teachers and students. It offers a cutting-edge environment for programming coursework, practice and assignments. You can maintain programming notebooks with all required packages, data, software and background processes. You can share a version with students where instructors have removed key parts that explain the core concepts. Students can focus on the concepts and not worry about setup. Lab.computer allows instructors to do auto-grading and other grade management tasks through an improved version of NBgrader.

Is Lab.computer FERPA compliant?

Yes, Lab is compliant with Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations.

Getting started with Lab.computer

How can I get started with Lab.computer?

All you have to do is create an account. Go through the Docs for related readings. View our recorded demo or book live demo and we can get you set up! For quick questions, leave us a message for live help.

How do I install packages needed by the notebook?

If your code requires any packages, you can install locally in your directory through apt-get, anaconda, source or any other means as you would in your local Ubuntu OS.

Can I download and save courses on my system and not pay for storage space on Lab.computer?

You can always download the Jupyter notebooks or any other files you need to access locally.

Operating Lab.computer

Can I run background processes like a database server with the assignment?

Of course. And we will start it for you automatically.

Can I upload files?

Yes, you can use the upload feature of notebooks.

Can I share my Lab.computer files with others?

Yes, we have a special feature to import and export a full operating system for students. It will copy the notebook with but strip out the portions that students need to fill in notebooks. Anyone can download these notebooks and get the exact same version of the Operating System.

Can I run jobs on Lab.computer?

It is not currently designed to run jobs. We will log a user out if inactive for a specific period and the job will shut down.

I have a complex piece of code and my code would not go into a Jupyter Notebook. How can I use lab.computer?

Jupyter Notebook is just the top-level assignment. You can abstract more complex parts of your code as a package and then import it from the Jupyter Notebook. These complex pieces of code, if they can run as a Jupyter Notebook kernel, can enable autograding and easy evaluation with lab.computer. Think of Jupyter Notebook as the user interface for the solution, with or without complex code files.

What are the programming languages I can learn/use on the Lab.computer platform?

Python and R are supported by default but you can install any other language kernel from the internet. Jupyter has kernels for more than 50 languages available.

Lab.computer for instructors

What is the maximum class size to teach using the Lab.computer?

There is no limit except they have to be all unique users. Also, there is a limit on the size of submissions (2GB per assignment) which includes only text files.

Who will have the right to an organizational (School, University etc.) account?

All accounts are equal. Instructors can run the assignment system and ask students to join it. We are working on some other roles and RBAC.

Does assignment submission on Lab.computer take care of plagiarism?

Yes, We allow instructors to check plagiarism on a student's assignment. We integrate with the internet version of MOSS.

Lab.computer for students

How does Lab.computer help me?

You can now do programming assignments online. Lab.computer notebooks can be edited and run. You can make notes and get much better practice. You can have backend components as part of the book. For example, everytime you read a SQL book, a mysql server is instantiated with it. If it is part of a class, you can easily submit assignments.

Can I use autograde to evaluate my assignment before submission?

The number of examples available to you for practice vs for assignments is determined by the instructor.The number of examples available to you for practice vs for assignments is determined by the instructor.

Does Lab.computer offer any course?

We are working on building a number of courses/books.