There’s a brand new way to get a free shell account. Their name is Devio.us and their job is simple: They provide a secure and stable box running OpenBSD 4.6 and if you behave well, you’ll get a no-strings attached free shell account to use. It includes 100MB of space, 1 MySQL database, plus a mail account. They even do the rsync ritual nightly. It’s basically all you could ask for from a free shell provider, and you’ll never have to worry about them disappearing either.
For those who know what a shell account is, this is great news. If you are unsure of what you could use it for, here’s a little background. Now look up free shell providers—you’ll see a lot of hackeresque looking websites and links you’ll be unsure about clicking. There is nothing illegal or mysterious about Devio.us.
All commands and activity of account holders are routinely checked since their admin brigade is continuously growing. For the people behind Devio.us, participating in running a shell account provider and keeping things squeaky clean is a fun hobby that simply celebrates nerdery. If you’re interested, you could even become an admin if you’ve held an account in good standing for long enough. Devio.us strives to be an open community to those who sincerely have fun participating in administration.