The lab workspace
Every Klastro lab opens in the same full-screen workspace, whether you are following a tutorial, practising a challenge, exploring a playground or sitting an assessment. This page explains how that screen is laid out and what each part does. The pages that follow go into each part in detail.
The layout at a glance
Section titled “The layout at a glance”The workspace is a single card split into two panes, with a thin bar above it and another below it.
| Area | Where | What it holds |
|---|---|---|
| Top bar | Above the workspace | The Klastro logo, the scenario name, the assessment timer, Report a problem, language and theme toggles, and the way out of the lab |
| Left pane | Left side of the card | The Instructions tab (tasks, hints, checks) and, where available, the Notes tab |
| Right pane | Right side of the card | Terminal tabs, plus the Code tab and app view tabs when the scenario provides them |
| Status bar | Below the workspace | Connected or Waiting to start session…, and the scenario name |
A playground has no instructions: the left pane is removed and the terminal takes the whole card.
The left pane
Section titled “The left pane”Instructions
Section titled “Instructions”The Instructions tab is where the scenario tells you what to do. From top to bottom it shows:
- A header with the list toggle (Show tasks / Hide tasks, or Show steps / Hide steps in a tutorial), your progress as done of total (for example 2 of 8), and, on a challenge, the scenario’s total points.
- About this scenario, a collapsed section with the scenario description.
- Connect to the machines, a collapsed section that only appears when your lab has machines you reach over ssh. See Use the lab terminal.
- The task list down the side, numbered. A tick replaces the number once a step has passed its check.
- The current task: its position (for example 3 of 8), title, instructions, the check control in a tutorial, and hints.
- Previous and Next buttons at the bottom. On the last task they become Finish & submit (challenge) or Finish (tutorial).
Commands in the instructions are copy buttons: click any inline command or the Copy button on a code block, then paste it in the terminal.
While your environment is still being built, the Instructions tab shows Preparing your environment with a progress bar and the setup steps instead of the tasks. Tasks only appear once there is a working environment to run them against.
How tasks, hints and checks work is covered in Tasks, checks and hints.
The Notes tab is a plain-text scratchpad that saves itself as you type. It is available in tutorials, challenges and assessments. In an assessment, the recruiter can read it in your report. See Take notes during a lab.
The right pane
Section titled “The right pane”The right pane is a strip of tabs over one large surface.
- Shell tabs (Shell 1, Shell 2…) are terminals in your lab. Use the + button to open more, up to five.
- Node tabs (Node, or Node 1, Node 2…) appear when your lab has machines. Each one opens a terminal directly on that machine.
- Code opens an in-browser VS Code editor, when the scenario includes one.
- App view tabs, named after the application (for example a GitOps or monitoring console), embed web tools running inside your lab.
A small dot on each terminal tab shows its connection: green when connected, red on an error, grey when closed, and pulsing while connecting. A pulsing dot on an app view tab means the application is still starting.
See Use the lab terminal and Use the editor and app views.
Resize the two panes
Section titled “Resize the two panes”Drag the grip between the left and right panes to give more room to the instructions or to the terminal. The left pane can take between roughly a fifth and a little over half of the width.
To resize from the keyboard, press Tab until the grip (labelled Resize panels) is focused, then use ← and →.
The top bar
Section titled “The top bar”The top bar changes with the kind of lab.
In every lab
- The Klastro logo takes you back to the dashboard.
- The scenario name appears next to it on wide screens.
- Report a problem opens a support form with this lab attached. See Report a problem with a lab.
- The language and theme toggles. The terminal always stays dark, whatever the theme.
In a tutorial, challenge or playground
- Back to dashboard (the dashboard icon) leaves the lab and keeps it running.
- Leave lab (the exit icon) asks whether to Pause & resume later or End session. See What persists below.
- If you opened the lab from a certification path, a button takes you back to that path.
- If the lab belongs to an instructor-led class, an ask-for-help button lets you raise your hand without leaving the lab.
In an assessment
- The countdown timer sits in the middle.
- Complete Assessment ends the whole assessment.
- Exit lab leaves the lab. The countdown keeps running while you are away.
See Take an assessment.
What persists
Section titled “What persists”| You do this | What happens to your work |
|---|---|
| Reload the page, or lose your connection briefly | Your shells keep running in the lab. After a drop, click Reconnect (or reload the page): you get the same shell back. |
| Click Back to dashboard | Nothing stops. The lab keeps running (and, on a subscription, keeps using credits). Open it again from My Sessions. |
| Leave lab → Pause & resume later | The environment is kept and stops running. Opening the lab again resumes it. |
| Leave lab → End session | The environment is destroyed for good. This cannot be undone. |
| Notes | Saved automatically to your account, about a second after you stop typing. |
| Hints you have revealed | Recorded. They stay revealed after a reload, on any device. |
| Checks you have run | Recorded. Passed steps stay ticked after a reload. |
A lab can also end without you: when an instructor ends a class, the screen shows This environment has ended, and checks you already passed are kept. When an instructor moves you to another step of a class, the screen shows This environment is paused and your work is kept until they bring you back.