diff --git a/desktop_env/controllers/python.py b/desktop_env/controllers/python.py
index 9791f2f..081b76d 100644
--- a/desktop_env/controllers/python.py
+++ b/desktop_env/controllers/python.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ logger = logging.getLogger("desktopenv.pycontroller")
 
 
 class PythonController:
-    def __init__(self, vm_ip: str, pkgs_prefix: str = "python -c \"import pyautogui; {command}\""):
+    def __init__(self, vm_ip: str, pkgs_prefix: str = "import pyautogui; {command}"):
         self.vm_ip = vm_ip
         self.http_server = f"http://{vm_ip}:5000"
         self.pkgs_prefix = pkgs_prefix  # fixme: this is a hacky way to execute python commands. fix it and combine it with installation of packages
@@ -27,6 +27,16 @@ class PythonController:
             logger.error("Failed to get screenshot. Status code: %d", response.status_code)
             return None
 
+    def get_terminal_output(self):
+        """ Gets the terminal output from the server. None -> no terminal output or unexpected error.
+        """
+        response = requests.get(self.http_server + "/terminal")
+        if response.status_code == 200:
+            return response.json()["output"]
+        else:
+            logger.error("Failed to get terminal output. Status code: %d", response.status_code)
+            return None
+
     def get_accessibility_tree(self) -> Optional[str]:
 
         response: requests.Response = requests.get(self.http_server + "/accessibility")
@@ -53,8 +63,8 @@ class PythonController:
         Executes a python command on the server.
         It can be used to execute the pyautogui commands, or... any other python command. who knows?
         """
-        command = self.pkgs_prefix.format(command=command)
-        payload = json.dumps({"command": command, "shell": True})
+        command_list = ["python", "-c", self.pkgs_prefix.format(command=command)]
+        payload = json.dumps({"command": command_list, "shell": False})
         headers = {
             'Content-Type': 'application/json'
         }
@@ -186,7 +196,8 @@ class PythonController:
         elif action_type == "TYPING":
             if "text" not in parameters:
                 raise Exception(f"Unknown parameters: {parameters}")
-            text = parameters["text"]
+            # deal with special ' and \ characters
+            text = parameters["text"].replace("\\", "\\\\").replace("'", "\\'")
             self.execute_python_command(f"pyautogui.typewrite('{text}')")
 
         elif action_type == "PRESS":
diff --git a/desktop_env/envs/desktop_env.py b/desktop_env/envs/desktop_env.py
index ec50683..8d88636 100644
--- a/desktop_env/envs/desktop_env.py
+++ b/desktop_env/envs/desktop_env.py
@@ -83,9 +83,9 @@ class DesktopEnv(gym.Env):
         self.controller = PythonController(vm_ip=self.vm_ip)
         self.setup_controller = SetupController(vm_ip=self.vm_ip, cache_dir=self.cache_dir)
 
-        # Meta info of the VM
-        self.vm_platform = self.controller.get_vm_platform()
-        self.vm_screen_size = self.controller.get_vm_screen_size()
+        # Meta info of the VM, move to the reset() function
+        self.vm_platform: str = "" # self.controller.get_vm_platform()
+        self.vm_screen_size = None # self.controller.get_vm_screen_size()
 
         # mode: human or machine
         assert action_space in ["computer_13", "pyautogui"]
@@ -188,6 +188,9 @@ class DesktopEnv(gym.Env):
         _execute_command(["vmrun", "-T", "ws", "revertToSnapshot", self.path_to_vm, self.snapshot_path])
         time.sleep(5)
 
+        self.vm_platform = self.controller.get_vm_platform()
+        self.vm_screen_size = self.controller.get_vm_screen_size()
+
         logger.info("Starting emulator...")
         self._start_emulator()
         logger.info("Emulator started.")
@@ -217,6 +220,7 @@ class DesktopEnv(gym.Env):
         time.sleep(pause)
         observation = {
             "screenshot": self._get_obs(),
+            "terminal": self.controller.get_terminal_output(),
             "instruction": self.instruction
         }
         reward = 0  # todo: Define reward calculation for each example
diff --git a/desktop_env/server/main.py b/desktop_env/server/main.py
index 11de773..06fc308 100644
--- a/desktop_env/server/main.py
+++ b/desktop_env/server/main.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from pyatspi import Value as ATValue
 from pyatspi import Action as ATAction
 
 from typing import List, Dict
-from typing import Any
+from typing import Any, Optional
 
 import Xlib
 import pyautogui
@@ -114,6 +114,39 @@ def capture_screen_with_cursor():
 
     return send_file(file_path, mimetype='image/png')
 
+
+def _has_active_terminal(desktop: Accessible) -> bool:
+    """ A quick check whether the terminal window is open and active.
+    """
+    for app in desktop:
+        if app.getRoleName() == "application" and app.name == "gnome-terminal-server":
+            for frame in app:
+                if frame.getRoleName() == "frame" and frame.getState().contains(pyatspi.STATE_ACTIVE):
+                    return True
+    return False
+
+
+@app.route('/terminal', methods=['GET'])
+def get_terminal_output():
+    user_platform = platform.system()
+    output: Optional[str] = None
+    try:
+        if user_platform == "Linux":
+            desktop: Accessible = pyatspi.Registry.getDesktop(0)
+            if _has_active_terminal(desktop):
+                desktop_xml: _Element = _create_node(desktop)
+                # 1. the terminal window (frame of application is st:active) is open and active
+                # 2. the terminal tab (terminal status is st:focused) is focused
+                xpath = '//application[@name="gnome-terminal-server"]/frame[@st:active="true"]//terminal[@st:focused="true"]'
+                terminals: List[_Element] = desktop_xml.xpath(xpath, namespaces=_accessibility_ns_map)
+                output = terminals[0].text.rstrip() if len(terminals) == 1 else None
+        else: # windows and macos platform is not implemented currently
+            raise NotImplementedError
+        return jsonify({"output": output, "status": "success"})
+    except:
+        return jsonify({"output": None, "status": "error"})
+
+
 _accessibility_ns_map = { "st": "uri:deskat:state.at-spi.gnome.org"
                         , "attr": "uri:deskat:attributes.at-spi.gnome.org"
                         , "cp": "uri:deskat:component.at-spi.gnome.org"