natboxLearn Linux on a cheap VPS
Tutorials only take you so far. You learn Linux by running a real server: logging in over SSH, installing packages, setting up a firewall, reading logs when something fails. A natbox server gives you exactly that, from $1.00 a month, or free for your first month. If you break it, reinstall it from the client area and start again.
Start with the free trial · Order Nano
Why a VPS beats a virtual machine at home
- It is on the internet. You deal with real SSH logins, DNS, domains, HTTPS and firewalls, the skills jobs ask for.
- It is always on. Leave a project running and come back to it from any computer.
- Mistakes are cheap. Take a snapshot before a risky change, roll back from the Snapshots tab, or reinstall in under a minute.
- Four distributions. Debian, Ubuntu, Alpine and AlmaLinux, so you can learn apt, apk and dnf.
A learning path, with our guides
- Log in and find your way around: getting started guide.
- Replace passwords with keys: SSH keys.
- Lock it down: secure your server, fail2ban, IPv6 firewall.
- Serve something: host a website, then automatic HTTPS with Caddy.
- Automate: scheduled tasks and backups.
- Build: a Python API, a PostgreSQL database, your own Git server.
- Network: your own WireGuard VPN and IPv6 with a routed /80.
Which plan for learning
| Plan | RAM | SSD | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free trial | 256 MB | 3 GB | Free for 1 month |
| Nano | 512 MB | 5 GB | $1.00 a month |
| Box | 1 GB | 10 GB | $1.25 a month |
Nano covers the whole learning path above. Box gives more room for databases and several services at once.
What is different from a full VPS
- Your server is a Linux container, so you cannot load your own kernel modules, change the kernel or run Docker. Everything in the learning path works.
- IPv4 is shared, with your own block of ports, while IPv6 is yours alone. That is a good lesson in itself: what is a NAT VPS?
Learning Linux questions
Which Linux distribution should a beginner pick?
Ubuntu or Debian. Most tutorials are written for them, and our guides use them too.
What if I lock myself out?
Use the Console tab in the client area, a terminal in your browser that works even when SSH does not, or its Repair access button. Reinstalling is the last resort.
Is a VPS good for students?
Yes. At $1.00 a month it costs less than most course materials, and a server you run yourself is a good thing to show on a CV.
Can I host my projects to show employers?
Yes. Link your own domain and serve your portfolio or demo apps with HTTPS.
Also useful: What can you run on a small VPS?, cheap VPS plans.