01 / SetupCLI
A prepared, verifiable starter
Configure the language, guide language, and system on the web. shipcode init downloads a pinned starter, verifies its SHA-256, and never overwrites a non-empty directory.
Stop following tutorials. Start building.
Build a JSON parser on your own computer. Shipcode gives you the guide, prepares the project, and verifies every stage; you write the code.
Open content · Verified CLI · Saved progress
build-your-own-shell / guide 03Foundation, not solution
Chapter 03 — Launching a process
A shell doesn't run programs.
It asks the kernelOS core running in privileged mode. Manages processes, memory, devices, and system calls.man intro(2) → to clone the current process with fork()Clones the current process. Returns 0 to the child and the child's PID to the parent.man fork(2) → and replace its image with the command via exec()Replaces the process image with the new program. Does not return on success.man exec(3) →. The parent waits with waitpid()Suspends the parent until the child exits. Collects the PID and exit code.man waitpid(2) → and collects the exit code. Understanding this dance is understanding what your terminal does every time you press Enter.
No example code on this page.→ you write it
Build in your favorite language
JavaScript
The language behind almost everything you see on the web.
Also powers apps, servers, and everyday tools you rely on.
TypeScript
JavaScript with extra checks to catch mistakes early.
Popular on large teams where many people share the same codebase.
Python
Known for being easy to read — a great place to start.
Great for automating tasks, exploring data, or trying out an idea quickly.
Rust
Built for programs that need to be fast and hard to break.
Used in browsers, operating systems, and modern developer tools.
C
A classic that's been around for decades and still runs the world.
Operating systems, device drivers, and much of the software you use depend on it.
C++
An expanded version of C for bigger, faster projects.
You'll find it in video games, browsers, and performance-heavy apps.
Go
Designed to stay simple and get things done.
Widely used for web services and apps that handle many tasks at once.
Learn the fundamentals. You write the code.
No copy-paste. Each project is a guide that explains the why — and lets you build the how.
01
Pick a project
From a shell to a database or interpreter. Choose by language, difficulty, or the concept you want to truly master.
02
Read the guide, not the solution
We explain syscalls, memory, parsing, and protocols in clear prose. No code blocks to copy — just the mental model you need.
03
Build it and prove it
Initialize the starter with the CLI, work in your editor, and run tests in a private cloud sandbox. A verified result opens the next stage.
One platform, your environment
From browser to terminal, without losing the thread.
Shipcode organizes learning around a real project: you keep the code, while the platform connects the guide, tests, and your progress.
02 / TestsPro
Secure cloud tests
shipcode test runs the current stage in a private sandbox. shipcode submit records the verified result and opens the next required step.
03 / MentorPro
Help that knows where you are
The Pro mentor uses the guide, test contract, your language, system, and progress to give concrete hints without writing the solution.
04 / ProgressAccount
Every attempt keeps its own history
Build the same project in Python, Go, or Rust without mixing progress. Every combination of language and guide language is saved separately.
05 / LanguagesEN / ES
Interface and guides stay independent
Use the platform in English and read a guide in Spanish, or the other way around. The catalog keeps projects visible even before they are translated.
06 / PortfolioPro
Share your progress, not your code
With Pro, you can publish a profile showing projects in progress and completed. Your repository URL is never shown on it.
Projects that teach how things work under the hood.
Start with the JSON parser today and explore what we are building next.
P-01Beta
Build a Coding Agent
Learn the core foundations of AI coding assistants from scratch: model basics, API key security, why use OpenRouter as a universal model router, tool schemas, and the autonomous ReAct loop.
PythonTypeScript
P-02Beta
Build an MCP server
Build a Model Context Protocol server from scratch with JSON-RPC, tools, and resources.
TypeScriptPythonGo
P-03Ready to build
A Neural Network from Scratch
Build and train a neural network from first principles: forward pass, loss functions, and gradient descent optimization.
PythonTypeScript
P-04Beta
Build a vector search engine
Build a vector index with exact search, filters, and a simplified HNSW graph.
TypeScriptPythonGo
P-05Beta
A mini compiler to bytecode
From source code to runnable bytecode. Lexing, AST, semantic analysis, code generation and a VM that runs it.
RustC++TypeScript
P-06Beta
Build your own container
namespaces, cgroups and chroot. Isolate a process by hand and understand what Docker does when it starts an image.
GoCRust
The tutorial gives you a fish. Shipcode teaches you why the fish swims — and lets you catch it yourself.
Three principles that guide every project and guide on Shipcode.
i.
Zero copy-paste
We never give you the complete solution. We give you the mental model to build it yourself.
ii.
Validated with tests
Your code is checked against real cases, not against a sample answer.
iii.
Your language, your editor
You code on your computer with the tools you already use; Shipcode verifies the result in a private sandbox.
22
projects ready
201
published stages
22
projects in the catalog
2
guide languages
Everything you need to build. A mentor when you need one.
Guides, starters, and saved progress are free. Tests run exclusively in Pro's private sandbox, which also includes the contextual mentor and your public profile.
Free
$0USD/mo
- —All published content, with no paywall
- —Official starters prepared with the CLI
- —Reading and progress through stages without tests
- —Progress separated by language and guide language
- —Catalog and guides available in English and Spanish
Mentor included
Pro
$8USD/mo
- —Everything in the free plan
- —Verified tests in a private cloud sandbox
- —A contextual mentor inside every active stage
- —Hints grounded in the guide, tests, and your attempt
- —Included allowance that resets with your billing period
- —Optional extra credits after the allowance runs out
- —A public profile for your projects and progress
No card for Free · Secure Stripe payment · Cancel anytime
What you usually want to know.
Correct. The guides explain the fundamentals, data structures, and algorithms you need — but you write the implementation. That's exactly where learning happens.
Build what you use every day.
Configure the project on the web, build it in your editor, and let the CLI guide you from stage to stage.