To the first question about Python packages: 
The pandas package doesn't come pre-installed. You are correct that the Python shell is functional in a basic IRIS instance, but some packages need to be installed (latest docs for installing python packages in containers). Other packages like math and iris are pre-installed.

To the second question:
I'm not sure what you're looking for here.
It looks like you have the VS Code explorer configured for server-side editing of the USER and US-S namespaces on your instance. You can create and add class files here, to be compiled within those namespaces. Those would be your user-defined files, including Python classes and scripts. They'll have access to the python libraries in IRIS. Here's some more documentation on running Python.

Install Docker Engine on Ubuntu: https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/ubuntu/ 

I've found Docker's documentation to be the most reliable. There are also instructions for Debian, RHEL, Fedora, etc.
 

The intersystems-iris-native module for node.js can be found within the Intersystems installation directory. Specifically, it is in: isc-install-dir\dev\nodejs\intersystems-iris-native\
Basically, you can copy the module from the InterSystems installation directory into your node_modules directory for your project, or install it globally.

Source: https://docs.intersystems.com/components/csp/docbook/DocBook.UI.Page.cls... 

Failing that, you can also locate the node.js driver and other drivers from: https://github.com/intersystems-community/iris-driver-distribution 

Thank you for the review of this online learning program! As a course developer for InterSystems, I am glad you found it engaging.

I am looking into the issues you described in your "More Comments" sections, and I will let you know when they are resolved.

UPDATE: Both broken VMs have been repaired. In the VM for the exercise Building a Server-Side Application with InterSystems IRIS, the IRIS user's password had expired. In the VM for the assessment, a change in the VS Code configuration had made the file read-only. It is edit-able again now. I am also updating the quizzes, to improve the accuracy of the questions and answers. I will not post those updates here, to avoid giving away the answers to future users. Thank you again for your comments! In the future you can email onlinetraining@intersystems.com if you find broken VMs or inaccurate quizzes.

You can create X.509 Credential Sets in an intersystems IRIS namespace, then access the credential set in a production.

Several pre-built adaptors like the HTTP Inbound Adapter use this approach.

Here is documentation on creating InterSystems IRIS Credential Sets

I installed telnet in an IRIS container using:

docker exec -u root -it <container-name> apt-get install telnet

Then tested it using:

docker exec -u root -it <container-name> telnet <target-ip> <target-port>

This requires your container to be networked with the target. So a full example:

    docker network create networkECP
    docker network connect networkECP iris-data-server
    docker network connect networkECP iris-app-1
    docker network inspect networkECP
    docker exec -u root -it iris-app-1 ping iris-data-server
    docker exec -u root -it iris-app-1 apt-get update && apt-get install telnet
    docker exec -u root -it iris-app-1 telnet iris-data-server 1972

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How did it go?

The InterSystems learning team thanks you for your honest review. I agree; overall, the training is a good introduction, but the fifth and final step is more difficult.

Self-determination theory is a decent research-backed framework for discussing motivation. It would say that sharing your own interest is to help newcomers but ultimately it's up to them whether they internalize that interest.

more writing on it:

https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/2017_Deci...

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0747563210000130

Good point. In the example I gave, the request is forwarded to a business process which has a job ID.

In VS Code, you can create a debugger launch configuration for your API endpoint. Set the "request" attribute to "attach" and the "processID" attribute to the job ID of the production component that services your API. Set breakpoints and run this configuration. Then when a request arrives, you can debug the service and endpoints while viewing the REST request contents.

Here is a reference video; example starts at 4:00.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diLHwA0rlGM

As Ben promised, here is the Learning Services link for Tim's presentation: https://learning.intersystems.com/course/view.php?id=1928

And here is the InterSystems Developers YouTube link for Tim's presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elVQEU9MitE

Ikara, No problem!

I have already contacted documentation about this. I agree; the current language is ambiguous.