Gibson Virtual Desktops FAQ

What is Gibson?

Gibson Virtual Desktops give students 24/7 remote access to high-end software normally available only in School of Environmental and forest Sciences computing labs. For questions or comments about Gibson, email sefshelp@uw.edu and include "Gibson" in the subject.

Who can access Gibson?

Gibson is currently available to students registered for courses in SEFS. Future plans include access for all SEFS faculty and staff.

How do I connect?

Computer labs within SEFS are already configured to connect you to Gibson. If you use a SEFS computer, contact sefshelp@uw.edu with your computer's name to have the client installed on it.

If you want to connect using your personally owned computer or tablet, download the appropriate client from VMware. Once installed, tell it to connect to "gibson.sefs.uw.edu" and use your UWNetID login. Please note that the Mac OS X client does not currently support redirected USB devices.

If you receive a message stating you are "unentitled" or have any other difficulty connecting, contact sefshelp@uw.edu or call 206-616-7365 for assistance.

What is “Local mode”?

Local mode is the ability to copy a virtual computer to your physical computer and take it with you to a location that has no or limited internet connectivity. This feature is not enabled at this time.

Can I access Gibson from off-campus?

Gibson can be accessed from any supported Internet connected device, both on or off campus. Internet connection speed will affect the user experience but not the performance of Gibson.

If I go away from my computer or disconnect, how long will I stay logged into Gibson?

Once a User's session is disconnected for 48 hours it is logged off and any unsaved work is lost. Remember to save early and save often.

How do I save files on Gibson? What happens to files when I log off?

The "Students" pool allows the storage of 5GBs of user profile data such as preferences, your Desktop, and "My Documents" folder. If you exceed 5GBs you will receive a warning every 15 minutes to move the excess data to another storage location such as a flash drive or network/cloud space. You may continue to work, however to prevent data loss you will not be able to log out until your profile is within the storage limit. Data stored outside of your user profile will NOT be retained!