Specifications
| Format | Learning |
|---|---|
| Level | Beginner, Intermediate |
| Price | Free |
| Access | No registration |
| Activity | Active |
| Language | EN |
| Category | Systems |
A game of 35 levels where every answer is a command typed into the terminal of a remote machine. You connect over SSH and work through Linux itself, from plain file commands to privileges and SSH tunnels. Nothing to install, no account.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Runs entirely over SSH, no VM and no install
- Difficulty grows in order, with no topic jumps
- Free, and no registration at any point
Cons
- English only, and the instructions are extremely terse
- It is barely about security: half the levels are plain Linux work
- Once you know the tricks, the later levels stop teaching anything
Who it fits
Suits someone opening a terminal for the first time, or moving from a desktop to server administration. The first ten levels are an evening, and the habits matter more than the flags.
Getting started
- Connect with the SSH command printed on the level page and resist looking up answers
- Work in order, since later levels reuse the tricks earlier ones taught
- Write down what each command actually did; it pays off many levels later
History
The oldest of the OverTheWire games and long unchanged: 35 levels and a short page of instructions each. It needs no registration and still works, which is the main argument for keeping it around. Levels are numbered from zero, which is why the last one carries the number 34.
