About tmpfs.tech — practice Linux on real, throwaway machines

What is tmpfs.tech?

It's hands-on practice for Linux and open-source infrastructure skills. Instead of watching videos or picking A/B/C/D, you get your own throwaway Linux VM and a real task — a broken service to repair, a firewall to author, a server to deploy, a breach to investigate. Solve it in a real terminal, and we verify your work against the live machine.

736

hands-on challenges

skill tracks

difficulty tiers

to start playing

Why practice here

Reading about systemctl isn't the same as fixing a unit that won't start. tmpfs.tech is built around doing the real thing.

🖥️

Real machines, real state

Every session is a genuine disposable Linux VM. Your solution is graded against the actual system — if it works here, it works in production.

⚡

Zero setup

Starts in your browser in seconds. No VM to download, no toolchain to install, nothing to break on your own machine.

✅

Instant, honest grading

Deterministic checks tell you immediately whether you actually solved it — no hand-waving, no "close enough".

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Job-shaped tasks

Troubleshoot broken systems, deploy services, harden a box, work an incident. The skills transfer straight to the real world.

🔌

Your terminal, your way

Use the in-browser terminal or SSH in from your own setup. Sessions survive drops, so a flaky connection won't lose your work.

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Progress that sticks

Skill rating, streaks, badges, a daily challenge and public leaderboards keep you coming back and leveling up.

A closer look

Real terminal

A genuine root shell, not a sandboxed toy

Each challenge boots a clean Linux box you fully control. Read the brief, get to work in a real terminal, and break things freely — it's yours and it's disposable.

Browser terminal or native SSH
Real tools: systemd, nftables, openssl, and more
Reconnects survive deploys & dropped Wi-Fi

A live Linux terminal on tmpfs.tech showing a real challenge brief and a player@linux-lab shell prompt

736 challenges · 18 tracks

From first steps to serious depth

A huge, organized catalog across General Linux, Networking, Firewall, systemd, Security & TLS, Web & Deploy, Bash, Text Processing, Storage, Kubernetes — plus offensive and defensive security wargames.

Easy → Medium → Pro difficulty tiers
Guided learning paths and tracks
A new daily challenge every day

The tmpfs.tech challenge library with learning paths and 16 tracks each holding 45 challenges

Auto-graded

Know the moment it works

Hit "Check" and tmpfs.tech inspects the real machine state to confirm your fix. Clear pass/fail, helpful messages when you're close, and tiered hints when you're stuck.

Deterministic checks against live state
Optional tiered hints (vague → specific)
Watch & share a replay of your solve

A solved tmpfs.tech challenge showing the COMPLETE confirmation screen

Compete & track

Turn practice into a habit

Earn a Glicko skill rating, build day streaks, unlock badges, and climb global, speed and per-track leaderboards. The daily challenge gives everyone the same puzzle and a shareable result.

Skill rating + per-track standings
Streaks, badges and personal stats
A daily puzzle with a shareable score

tmpfs.tech leaderboards: all-time leaders by solves and top players by skill rating

How it works

Four steps from curious to solved.

Pick a challenge

Browse 736 tasks by track and difficulty, or jump into today's daily.

Get your box

A fresh Linux VM (or an instant in-browser editor) spins up just for you.

Solve it for real

Work the task in a real terminal — browser or SSH — using real tools.

Get graded

Click Check; we verify against the live system and credit your progress.

FAQ

Is it really free?

Yes — you can play as a guest with no signup and start solving immediately. Sign in (Google or GitHub) if you want your progress, rating and streaks saved across devices.

Do I need to install anything?

No. Everything runs in your browser. If you prefer your own terminal you can also SSH directly into your session — but it's optional.

Are these real machines or a simulation?

Real. Most challenges boot a genuine disposable Linux VM that you fully control; a subset are graded in an instant in-browser editor. Either way, grading checks real state, not a canned answer.

What can I learn here?

Practical Linux administration, networking, firewalls (nftables), systemd, security & TLS, web deployment, Bash, text processing, storage, Kubernetes manifests, and hands-on offensive/defensive security.

What happens to my machine when I'm done?

It's ephemeral — the box is destroyed when you finish or your session ends. Nothing persists, so you can experiment fearlessly.

Learn Linux on a real box,
not a multiple-choice quiz.