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Incus Lab is presented as a hands-on environment for learning networking: run a command, inspect the result, change something in the lab, and investigate again. Its author, hardyweb, describes using Linux containers managed by Incus so learners can observe what commands such as ping, nmap and dig do, rather than relying only on diagrams and theory. The project description is not evidence of independently measured learning gains or broad adoption.
What is Incus Lab?
In a DEV Community article dated September 18, 2026, hardyweb introduces Incus Lab as a small environment where students can try networking tasks and see the results directly. The described setup uses Incus-managed Linux containers, with lab-scanner and lab-target named as example containers. The project is intended to make the network state behind a command easier to inspect.
The author frames the motivation through questions that can be hard to answer from theory alone: what happens when you run a ping, why might one port be open and another closed, how does nmap identify services, and where does the information returned by dig come from? Incus Lab is meant to give learners a place to explore those questions through experiments. Read hardyweb’s project introduction.
What can learners explore?
The article describes examples across several basic networking tasks:
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- Connectivity: use
pingto check whether one system can reach another. - Local network state: inspect addresses with
ip addr, routes withip route, and neighbor information withip neigh. - Ports and services: use
nmapto observe ports and services, then explore sockets or connections withss,ncandcurl. - DNS: query name information with
digandnslookup.
These examples connect a command to an observable result: reachability, an address or route, a responding port, or a DNS answer. The article presents them as the project’s learning examples, not as a complete networking curriculum.
How the hands-on approach works
The described interface includes a command log, allowing learners to see the Linux command associated with an interface action. That visibility can help connect a button or other interaction to the operation it triggers. The author’s proposed learning cycle is simple:
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- Try one command or action.
- Inspect the result and the command log.
- Make a small change in the lab.
- Run the command again and consider why the result changed.
This is the project’s stated approach, not the result of a usability study or a measured comparison with other teaching methods. Its practical value for an individual learner will depend on the lab’s actual setup and the questions they explore.
Why use Incus containers?
Incus supports both system containers and virtual machines, but they are distinct types of environments. According to the official Incus explanation of containers and VMs, system containers use Linux kernel features and share the host’s kernel. Virtual machines use hardware features for isolation and have a dedicated kernel. Incus Lab is described as using Linux containers for networking practice; that should not be confused with a claim that its examples run in virtual machines.
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For more on the platform itself, consult the Incus documentation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is planned, and what remains unclear?
The article says routing, packet inspection and troubleshooting were planned as progressive additions. It does not establish whether those features have since been implemented. The project introduction also does not confirm current installation steps, supported host configurations or licensing. Readers should check the Incus Lab repository for current project details before relying on it for a particular system.
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Hardyweb sums up the idea in Malay: “Itulah idea ringkas di sebalik Incus Lab — menyediakan ruang yang selamat untuk belajar network melalui percubaan, pemerhatian dan sedikit rasa ingin tahu.” In English, the author describes it as providing a safe space to learn networking through experimentation, observation and curiosity.
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