Real Linux machines for every learner, in the browser

The Linux Camp runs its lab platform for other educators: colleges and universities, training companies and bootcamps, and creators and online educators. Every learner gets a real Linux virtual machine that boots in about one second, their progress is verified from the commands they actually type, and the instructor sees who is stuck before they say so. The first group runs as a free pilot.

Who it is for

• Colleges and universities: intro Linux, shell, and sysadmin courses without the lab-setup week. Learners open a real machine in the browser on any device, and the instructor gets a progress board instead of a pile of screenshots.
• Training companies and bootcamps: instructor-led or self-paced Linux, SRE, and datacenter training with per-learner completion evidence you can show your clients. Priced per class, not per enterprise contract.
• Creators and online educators: a one-click real lab under your name instead of follow-along-on-your-own-machine. We run the machines and the verification; you earn a recurring share on every member you refer.

The lab problem every Linux instructor knows

• The first session goes to installing VirtualBox, to laptops that cannot virtualize, and to Chromebooks that cannot run anything.
• Homework arrives as a screenshot. You cannot tell who typed the commands and who copied the output.
• Simulated terminals teach the simulation. A learner who never ran a real service, broke a real permission, or read a real log has not practiced.
• Hosted lab platforms price for enterprises: five-figure annual minimums and a sales call before you see a number.

How it works

1. Learners open the lab in a browser. Nothing to install, any device, including Chromebooks and locked-down lab machines. They sign in free with email or Google and you attach them to your group.
2. A real Linux VM boots in about one second. Not a container, not a simulation: a full machine they can break and relaunch clean. Bigger labs (networking, GPU, firmware) run on full cloud VMs that take about a minute.
3. They type real commands and tasks verify themselves. The machine watches what they ran and the state they left, and ticks off each task the moment it is done. No flag entry, no check button, no screenshots.
4. You watch progress, and Daemon coaches. A roster with lab-by-lab completion for your group and a detail view per learner. Daemon, our AI tutor, reads the live terminal and nudges toward the answer without handing it over.

Built for instructors

• Verification from real commands: a task counts only when the machine confirms it.
• Progress board per group: roster, lab-by-lab completion grid, and a per-learner detail view.
• 750+ lessons and labs ready to assign: Linux Foundations (133 labs), RHCSA prep, networking, C, syscalls, Salt, GPU operations, and BMC server management.
• Labs built to your syllabus: our team writes the lab and its checks with you when the catalog does not cover a topic.
• No install, any device: browser only, works on Chromebooks, shared lab PCs, and locked-down machines.
• Break it freely: a clean machine is one click and about a second away.
• AI tutor with a hint ladder: Daemon explains the error in front of the learner and nudges rather than solving the lab for them.
• Isolated, disposable machines: each learner has their own VM and it goes away when they are done.

Everything above is live today. LMS sync (LTI 1.3), SSO, and grade passback are on the roadmap and get scoped with Program and Campus customers; until then a pilot runs as a standalone site you link from your LMS.

Pilot first, then simple pricing

Prices below cover the Firecracker labs, which is most of the catalog. Cloud VM labs (multi-machine networking, GPU, firmware) are priced on request.

• Pilot: free. One term for colleges, 30 days for trainers and creators. Up to 30 learners and one instructor, all Firecracker labs across the published tracks, the instructor progress board and Daemon, set up within one business day, no card.
• Classroom: $39 per learner per term (up to 18 weeks) with a 15-learner minimum; training companies pay $9 per active learner per month. Everything in the pilot for as many terms as you teach, cloud VM and GPU labs at call-for-pricing, email support with a named contact, and learners keep their progress between terms.
• Program and Campus: from $7,200 per year for 100 learners, site licenses from $15,000 per year for up to 500 learners. Multiple instructors and groups, labs built to your syllabus by our team, co-branded pages, cloud VM and GPU labs priced on request, purchase orders and invoices accepted.
• Creators and online educators: a co-branded lab hub for your audience and a 12 percent share of subscription revenue for every member you refer, paid monthly for as long as that member stays subscribed. You keep your brand and your audience; we run the machines and the support.

Hiring a Linux or datacenter team? The same machines run as work-sample assessments with every command recorded. Mention it in the inquiry form.

Founding pilot partners

This offer is new, and we would rather say that than show borrowed logos. The platform is not new: the labs, the one-second machines, and the automatic verification have been running for members all year. The first five institutions or programs to pilot get founding terms locked for two years, a named contact, and labs built to their syllabus at no extra cost during the pilot.

Questions educators ask before a pilot

What does a pilot include, how long does it run, and what does it cost?

A pilot is free and needs no card. Colleges get one instructor, one class of up to 30 learners, and one full term (up to 16 weeks). Training companies and creators get 30 days for a group of up to 30. It includes every Firecracker lab across the published tracks, the instructor progress board, and the Daemon AI tutor. Cloud VM and GPU labs are priced separately; ask us. We set it up within one business day, start with a 30-minute onboarding call, and send you a usage report at the end that you can take to whoever holds the budget.

Do my learners need to install anything or create accounts, and how do they join my group?

Nothing to install: the machines run in the browser on any device, including Chromebooks and locked-down lab computers. Each learner creates a free account with an email address or Google sign-in, you send us the list, and we attach them to your group the same day. From then on their progress shows up on your board.

How is progress verified, and can I see where each learner is stuck?

Every lab runs on a real virtual machine with a small check script on it. As the learner types commands, the machine looks at what they ran and the state they left behind and ticks off each task the moment it is actually done. There is no flag to paste and no check button to press, so a screenshot cannot stand in for the work. Your instructor dashboard shows a roster, a lab-by-lab completion grid for the group, and a detail view per learner.

Can I use your labs as they are, and can I add labs for my own course?

Yes to both. The published tracks are ready to assign as they are, from the first terminal session through RHCSA preparation, networking, C, and datacenter topics. If your syllabus needs something we do not have, our team builds the lab and its verification checks with you; that is part of Program and Campus plans and can be scoped into a pilot. Self-serve lab authoring is not available yet.

What does the AI tutor do, and can it be set so it does not give away answers?

Daemon reads the live terminal and the lesson the learner is on, so it can explain the error they just hit or nudge them toward the next step. It is built as a hint ladder: nudge first, concept second, command shape third, and it does not hand over a finished solution by default. Tell us during setup if you want it switched off for graded work.

Does it work with our LMS or SSO, and can I export grades?

Not yet. Today the instructor dashboard lives on thelinuxcamp.com and learners sign in with email or Google; a pilot runs as a standalone site you link from your LMS. LTI 1.3 for Canvas and other LMSs, SSO, and grade passback are on the roadmap, and we scope them with Program and Campus customers. Progress exports are available on request during a pilot.

Is it safe, what can learners break, and what data do you collect?

Each learner gets an isolated, disposable machine, so they can delete the wrong file, kill the wrong process, or reboot it, and relaunch clean in about a second. We store the account email, lab progress, and the commands run inside labs, because that is what verification needs. No advertising, no selling of data, deletion on request. For college pilots we prepare an accessibility conformance report in VPAT format and a data privacy addendum as part of setup.

How many learners can run labs at the same time, and what happens if a machine fails mid-session?

Firecracker labs boot in about one second, so a class of 30 can start together at the top of the hour. Completed labs are recorded on our side as soon as they verify; if a machine ever fails, the learner relaunches and gets a fresh one in about a second.

Request a pilot

Use the inquiry form on this page or email [email protected]. A person replies within two business days with a pilot proposal and a time to walk through the platform on a live machine. Want to try a lab first? The first track is free on the training tracks page.