User Guide

Accessing Infinity's VM on Windows

In a Windows operating system, you can use the Remote Desktop Connection (RDC), which is included within the Windows operating system.

  1. Open up RDC in the Windows menu.

  2. Select Remote Desktop Connection.

  3. In the 'Computer' text box, enter the VM's public IP Address.

  4. Select Show Options and in the 'User name' text box, enter the user name provided by your IT department.

  5. Click Connect.

  6. After being prompted for the password, enter the password provided by your IT department.

You may get promoted with an certificate error. Press Yes and you should successfully be able to connect to the VM!

Accessing Infinity's VM on Mac OS

In macOS, you can use the Microsoft Remote Desktop to connect to the Windows instance.

  1. Install Microsoft Remote Desktop from the App Store.

  2. At the top right, press the + sign and choose Add PC

  3. In the 'PC name' text box, paste the public IP address provided by your IT department.

  4. Click Add.

  5. Right Click the instance you created and click Connect.

  6. Enter the Username and Password provided by your IT department and click continue

  7. You have now successfully connected to the VM!

Using the software

Infinity's VM comes out of the box, ready for coding! The tools that it provides are: VSCode, MinGW, Eclipse IDE, Libre Office, and Adobe Acrobat Reader



VSCode

code editor


Purpose: A lightweight and powerful code editor with support for various programming languages and tools.


How to Use: Open VSCode to start coding. You can install extensions to add support for different languages and features. Use the integrated terminal, debugger, and Git integration for a streamlined development process.



MinGW (Minimalist GNU for Windows)

compiler


Purpose: A toolset that provides a minimalist development environment for native Microsoft Windows applications.


How to Use: Use MinGW to compile C, C++, and other language programs. Access it through the terminal or VSCode. Compile your code with commands like gcc for C programs or g++ for C++ programs.



Eclipse IDE

IDE


Purpose: An integrated development environment (IDE) for building applications across multiple platforms, including web, desktop, and mobile.


How to Use: Launch Eclipse IDE to create, edit, and manage projects. Use the editor for coding, run the project with the green "Run" button, and take advantage of tools like auto-completion and debugging for efficient development.



LibreOffice

document editor


Purpose: A free and open-source office suite that includes word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and other productivity tools.


How to Use: Use LibreOffice Writer for document editing, Calc for spreadsheets, and Impress for presentations. It’s compatible with Microsoft Office formats, so you can easily open, edit, and save documents.



Adobe Acrobat Reader

pdf reader


Purpose: A tool for viewing, printing, and annotating PDFs.


Open Adobe Acrobat Reader to read PDFs. Use the toolbar to navigate pages, add comments, highlight text, and fill out forms. You can also print or save copies of PDFs for your records.



IT Guide

Creating the VM on AWS Lightsail

  1. Log in to your AWS Lightsail account.

  2. Click on "Create Instance."

  3. Select "Microsoft Windows" as the operating system.

  4. Choose a Windows version (ex., Windows Server 2022).

  5. Select a plan that meets the project requirements (ex., $3.50/month for basic needs).

  6. Name your instance and click "Create Instance."

  7. Once the instance is created, note the public IP address for future use.

Connecting to the VM via Remote Desktop

  1. Open Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) on your local machine.

  2. Enter the public IP address of your Lightsail instance in the "Computer" field."

  3. Log in using the username and password provided during instance creation.

  4. Click "Connect" to establish the connection.

For more information, click here

Installing Required Software

Configuring VM

  • Disable unnecessary services

  • Set up the VM for Offline use

Creating a Snapshot of the VM

  1. Go to the AWS Lightsail console.

  2. Select your instance and navigate to the "Snapshot" tab.

  3. Click "Create Snapshot" and wait for the process to complete.

  4. You are now able to use the snapshot you've created!