Quickstart guide

This guide will get you productive with Time Capsule in 5 minutes. You’ll learn the essential interface elements, launch your first applications, and discover the most useful keyboard shortcuts.

Before starting, visit https://debian.com.mx to access Time Capsule. Wait for the boot sequence to complete.

Understanding the interface

When Time Capsule finishes booting, you’ll see four main interface elements:

The desktop

Your main workspace area where windows and desktop icons appear. You can have multiple windows open simultaneously and arrange them however you like.

The front panel

The iconic bottom bar containing quick-launch icons for all major applications:

Clock - Current time display
Calendar - Date and appointments
File Manager - Browse your virtual filesystem
XEmacs - Text editor with authentic Emacs keybindings
Terminal Lab - Interactive Unix command learning
Netscape - 1990s web browser
Style Manager - Customize colors and appearance
App Manager - Access all applications
Process Monitor - View running processes

The workspace switcher

Four buttons representing virtual workspaces. Each workspace is a separate desktop where you can organize different tasks. Think of them as four independent work areas.

The top bar

Displays system information including the hostname, current workspace name, and system clock.

Your first 5 minutes

Customize your theme (1 minute)

Let’s start by making Time Capsule your own:

Click the Style Manager icon in the front panel (the palette icon)
Browse through the 76 color palettes
Click any palette to see it applied instantly
Try clicking Backdrop to browse 168 original XPM patterns
Click different backdrops to see your desktop transform

Popular combinations to try:

Platinum palette with BrokenIce backdrop (classic look)
Midnight palette with CircuitBoards backdrop (dark theme)
Broica palette with Afternoon backdrop (warm tones)

Found a theme you love? You can export it as a shareable link from Style Manager!

Write your first file (1 minute)

Time Capsule includes a full-featured text editor with real Emacs keybindings:

Click the XEmacs icon in the front panel
Type some text in the editor window
Press Ctrl+X then Ctrl+S to save
Enter a filename like hello.txt
Press Enter

Your file is now saved in the virtual filesystem!

Welcome to Time Capsule!
This file is stored in IndexedDB and persists across sessions.

All Emacs shortcuts work: C-x C-s (save), C-k (kill line), C-y (yank/paste), C-s (search), and more.

Learn Unix commands (2 minutes)

Terminal Lab teaches Unix through 22 interactive lessons:

Click the Terminal Lab icon
Read the first lesson instructions
Type the command shown (or press Tab to autocomplete)
Press Enter to execute
Watch as you automatically advance to the next lesson

Try these commands in the tutorial:

# Lesson 1: Basic navigation
pwd
ls
whoami
date

Type free at any time to exit tutorial mode and experiment with any Unix command. Type tutorial to return to guided lessons.

Explore virtual workspaces (30 seconds)

CDE’s killer feature is four independent workspaces:

Look at the workspace switcher (four buttons labeled 1-4)
Click workspace 2
Open an application like XEmacs
Click workspace 1 to go back
Notice your first workspace is unchanged!

Use workspaces to organize tasks:

Workspace 1 - Main work
Workspace 2 - Documentation and reference
Workspace 3 - Communication
Workspace 4 - Testing and experiments

Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Alt+1 through Ctrl+Alt+4 to switch workspaces instantly.

Browse the filesystem (30 seconds)

Time Capsule has a complete virtual filesystem:

Click the File Manager icon
Double-click folders to navigate
Right-click for context menus
Find the hello.txt file you created earlier
Double-click to open it in XEmacs

The filesystem includes:

/home/user - Your home directory
/usr/share/doc - Documentation and man pages
/etc - System configuration files
/tmp - Temporary storage

Essential keyboard shortcuts

Learn these five shortcuts first - they’ll make you dramatically more productive:

1. Switch workspaces

Ctrl+Alt+1  Switch to workspace 1
Ctrl+Alt+2  Switch to workspace 2
Ctrl+Alt+3  Switch to workspace 3
Ctrl+Alt+4  Switch to workspace 4

2. Manage windows

Alt+F4      Close active window
Alt+F9      Minimize window
Alt+F10     Maximize/restore window
Alt+Tab     Switch between windows

3. Launch applications

Ctrl+Alt+E  Open XEmacs text editor
Ctrl+Alt+T  Open Terminal Lab
Ctrl+Alt+F  Open File Manager
Ctrl+Alt+S  Open Style Manager

4. XEmacs editing

Ctrl+X Ctrl+S  Save file
Ctrl+X Ctrl+F  Open file
Ctrl+K         Kill (cut) line
Ctrl+Y         Yank (paste)
Ctrl+S         Search forward

5. Terminal shortcuts

Ctrl+L  Clear screen
Ctrl+C  Cancel current command
Ctrl+A  Move to line start
Ctrl+E  Move to line end
Tab     Auto-complete command

Some shortcuts may conflict with your browser. For the best experience, install Time Capsule as a PWA to run it in standalone mode.

Common tasks

Create a new file

Open XEmacs

Click the XEmacs icon or press Ctrl+Alt+E

Type your content

Start typing immediately - XEmacs is ready

Save the file

Press Ctrl+X then Ctrl+S, enter a filename, press Enter

Organize with folders

Open File Manager

Click the File Manager icon or press Ctrl+Alt+F

Create a folder

Right-click in the file list and select “New Folder”

Name your folder

Type a name and press Enter

Move files

Drag files into your new folder to organize

Change your theme

Open Style Manager

Click the Style Manager icon or press Ctrl+Alt+S

Browse palettes

Click through the 76 color options to find your favorite

Select a backdrop

Click the Backdrop section and choose from 168 patterns

Apply your changes

Changes apply instantly - no save button needed

Install as PWA

Look for the icon

After boot completes, find the “Install PWA” icon on the desktop

Double-click to install

Your browser will show an installation prompt

Confirm installation

Click “Install” in your browser’s dialog

Launch from apps

Time Capsule now appears in your app launcher as a native application

See the complete PWA installation guide for platform-specific instructions and troubleshooting.

Tips for new users

Take your time exploring

Don’t try to learn everything at once. Spend 10 minutes with each application before moving to the next. The Terminal Lab’s 22 lessons are designed to be completed gradually.

Use the mouse first

If you’re new to CDE, start with mouse interactions. Learn keyboard shortcuts after you’re comfortable with the interface. Add 2-3 new shortcuts per week.

You can't break anything

The virtual filesystem is isolated from your computer. Experiment freely! Delete files, try commands, customize themes - everything is safe.

Right-click for context menus

Context menus are everywhere in CDE. Right-click on files, folders, the desktop, window title bars - explore what’s available.

Save your work regularly

While the filesystem persists in IndexedDB, it’s good practice to save often. Use Ctrl+X Ctrl+S in XEmacs frequently.

Next steps

Now that you know the basics, here’s how to continue your Time Capsule journey:

Complete Terminal Lab

Work through all 22 Unix/Linux lessons to build command line proficiency

Master XEmacs

Learn advanced Emacs keybindings and editing techniques

Install as PWA

Get the native app experience with offline support

Customize everything

Try all 76 palettes and 168 backdrops to create your perfect theme

Getting help

If you get stuck:

Press F1 for contextual help
Check application-specific guides in the documentation
Visit the GitHub repository for issues and discussions
Explore the Man Page Viewer for Unix command reference

Your Time Capsule settings, files, and theme preferences are automatically saved in your browser’s IndexedDB. They’ll be there when you return!

Ready for the full experience? Install Time Capsule as a PWA to run it like a native desktop application.

Get Started

User Guide

Applications

Quickstart

Quickstart guide

Understanding the interface

The desktop

The front panel

The workspace switcher

The top bar

Your first 5 minutes

Essential keyboard shortcuts

1. Switch workspaces

2. Manage windows

3. Launch applications

4. XEmacs editing

5. Terminal shortcuts

Common tasks

Create a new file

Organize with folders

Change your theme

Install as PWA

Tips for new users

Next steps

Complete Terminal Lab

Master XEmacs

Install as PWA

Customize everything

Getting help

​Quickstart guide

​Understanding the interface

​The desktop

​The front panel

​The workspace switcher

​The top bar

​Your first 5 minutes

​Essential keyboard shortcuts

​1. Switch workspaces

​2. Manage windows

​3. Launch applications

​4. XEmacs editing

​5. Terminal shortcuts

​Common tasks

​Create a new file

​Organize with folders

​Change your theme

​Install as PWA

​Tips for new users

​Next steps

Complete Terminal Lab

Master XEmacs

Install as PWA

Customize everything

​Getting help

Quickstart guide

Understanding the interface

The desktop

The front panel

The workspace switcher

The top bar

Your first 5 minutes

Essential keyboard shortcuts

1. Switch workspaces

2. Manage windows

3. Launch applications

4. XEmacs editing

5. Terminal shortcuts

Common tasks

Create a new file

Organize with folders

Change your theme

Install as PWA

Tips for new users

Next steps

Getting help