Linux in Your Browser

Boot real Debian or Ubuntu systems inside the browser - a terminal, or a full graphical desktop, with nothing installed.

These are not simulations of Linux command output: they boot real disk images in the browser using v86, a WebAssembly x86 emulator, with the disk streamed in chunks and cached in IndexedDB so a second visit does not re-download it. That makes them useful for the specific case where you cannot install anything - a locked-down work laptop, a tablet, a machine you do not administer - but need a real shell to check a command, a file layout or a package behaviour.

The terminal images boot fastest and are the right choice for checking syntax, permissions, systemd units and package names. The graphical image takes longer to boot and is for when you need to see a desktop, not just a shell. The standalone browser terminal is a lighter option when all you need is a shell.

Expect the first load to take a while: it is fetching a disk image over HTTP range requests. After that, the image is cached locally. Nothing you type leaves the page, and anything you create inside the VM disappears when you close the tab unless you save it to a mounted share.

4 tools in this category

• Linux in Browser (Debian 12) — Boot a real Debian 12 system in your browser with a working terminal.
• Linux in Browser (Ubuntu) — Run an Ubuntu command-line environment entirely inside your browser.
• Linux in Browser (Ubuntu GUI) — Run Ubuntu with a graphical desktop in your browser, no install needed.
• Browser Terminal — A real shell in the browser tab - no install, no account, nothing uploaded.

Other tool categories

← All tools A–Z · Tech tips & guides