Learn to secure Linux servers — free, in your browser, on a real VM
No installation, no hours of setup, no expensive course. You get your own Ubuntu VM in the browser, with a terminal and an editor (VS Code), and practise task by task. After every step an automatic test, the validator, checks whether the setting really works on the server.
Free · 180 minutes of practice time per day
How it works
1.Sign up
Email address, password, year of birth. Learners under 16 need parental consent (GDPR Art. 8).
2.Start a module
Click a module and your own VM in the Hetzner Cloud is ready in about a minute. You land directly in the terminal in your browser; you edit files in the “Editor (VS Code)” tab, also in the browser.
3.Solve tasks
Every task has a “Check” button: the validator looks at your server to see whether the setting really took effect. If you get stuck, there are three levels of hints, and only the last one gives away the solution.
22 modules
View all courses →Every module starts its own Linux VM and checks your work automatically. You can read the theory and tasks beforehand without an account.
- SSH HardeningYou protect remote access to your server from password guessers.60 min
- Hello WorldYou learn how the lab checks your solutions on a real server.10 min
- Deploy a live website with HTTPSYou put your own website online, safely encrypted with HTTPS.30 min
- UFW + fail2banYou build a firewall that only lets allowed connections reach your server.55 min
- nginx TLS HardeningYou set up a web server so it only sends securely encrypted data.60 min
- Linux Users and PermissionsYou decide who may read and change which files on your server.60 min
- Linux ConsoleYou create folders and files and write text into them, keyboard only.20 min
- nginx as a reverse proxyYou put a web server in front of a program so people can reach it online.40 min
- HTML BasicsYou build your first web page with a heading, text, a link and an image.25 min
Also:Pentest Basics: SSH Brute ForceLinux Firewall with nftablesLog Analysis: spot SSH attacks in auth.logSecure Docker ContainersDocker Basics: your first containerIncident Response with journaldMarkdown + Data FormatsPython BasicsGit BasicsWeb Security for StudentsSQL BasicsWorking with CSV dataFix the server
Further reading:Learn Linux onlineLearn Linux basics & practise right awayLearn to write Bash scripts (with exercises)SSH explained – understand and practise in the terminalLinux file permissions: practise chmod & chownLearn server hardening – step by step
Free. Period.
No credit card, no trial that quietly turns into a subscription.
- 180 minutes of practice time per day, up to 60 minutes per start, renewed every night
- All 22 modules, with new ones added regularly
- No tracking without consent
Built to be safe
Schools get a data processing agreement (DPA).
- Servers in Germany, GDPR-compliant
- Every VM isolated, with its own firewall
- Parental consent under 16
- Abuse is detected and stopped automatically
- Delete your account with one click
In your own terminal
Start modules and read lessons with the Techlogia CLI. The tool is open source.
npm install -g techlogiaNode 18+ · macOS, Linux, Windows
Guide on npm →On your phone
The Techlogia Lab app for iPhone and iPad: continue a running VM, check tasks, read lessons. Android is in the works.
View on the App Store →Server security in under 60 seconds, on TikTok.
For schools
You create classes, and your students sign in with a class code, without their own email address and without passwords. Privacy-compliant through a data processing agreement (DPA) with your school.
Listed as an open educational resource (OER, CC BY) on the German Education Server. View entry → (opens in a new tab)
What learners and teachers ask most
What does the Techlogia Lab cost?
Nothing. The free tier covers 180 minutes of practice time a day on your own Linux VM, up to 60 minutes per start — no credit card, no trial that quietly turns into a subscription, no mandatory newsletter.
Do I need my own virtual machine or extra software?
No. A browser is enough. When you start a lesson, your own Ubuntu 24.04 VM is provisioned in the Hetzner Cloud and the terminal and the editor (VS Code) run right in the browser window. Nothing to install, nothing to configure.
Is this a simulation or a real server?
A real server. The terminal in your browser is a genuine SSH connection to a machine of your own. After each task the validator inspects the actual state of the system — it reads the effective sshd configuration, for instance, instead of comparing a clicked answer against a model solution.
Which topics can I learn in the Lab?
Linux fundamentals and file permissions, SSH hardening, firewalls (ufw, fail2ban, nftables), nginx and TLS, Docker, log analysis and incident response. There are also beginner modules on HTML, Python, Git and SQL, plus “Fix the server” for troubleshooting. Every module can be read in full beforehand, without an account.
Do I need prior knowledge?
No. Modules are graded by level and start at the beginner tier. If you get stuck, hints come in three stages — only the last one gives the solution away; the earlier ones just nudge your next thought.
Can I use the Lab in class?
Yes. Teachers create classes and hand out a class code; students sign in with it and a login name, without an email address of their own and without password management. Operation is covered by a data processing agreement with the school; sign-in via Eduplaces is also possible.
Where is the data processed?
Exclusively in Germany, on servers operated by Hetzner Online GmbH — no transfer to third countries. Every practice VM is isolated behind its own firewall and has no access to the Techlogia network. Learners under 16 require parental consent under Art. 8 GDPR. The account can be deleted at any time from the profile; all starts, logs and progress are removed immediately (Art. 17 GDPR).
Ready?
Your own VM for every lesson, no setup. All you need is a browser.