I have created a virtual machine (VM) that runs Arch Linux, the same Linux distribution installed in the Linux Lab. The VM is configured to be almost identical to the lab machines, with most of the same software (GNOME, Eclipse, Java, GCC, Emacs, Python, CLISP, JFLAP, Chromium, etc.). You can download the VM HERE. Ensure you save the file as "ArchVm.ova", with an "ova" extension. The file is over 4 GB and will take a while to download.
To run the VM you will need VirtualBox virtualization software. Download the VirtualBox platform package for your platform (Windows or OS X) and install it. Then run VirtualBox and select File -> Import Appliance. Browse to the directory where you downloaded "ArchVm.ova" and click Continue, followed by Import. It will take a while to import. Once it completes you can start the VM by clicking the Start icon.
If the VM doesn't start you may need to enable virtualization technology (VT-x) for your processor. Your BIOS settings should allow you to enable VT-x.
The VM has one user named "arch". The password is "hi". The password for the root user is "hi".