What you get
Live Sandbox is a separate $5/month add-on for active paid Pro learners. It includes five hours of disposable Rocky Linux 10-compatible VM time per billing period. Hours reset at renewal and do not roll over.
Starting and waiting
Usage starts only when the VM launches. A session can run for up to 90 minutes and ends after 20 idle minutes. If both machines are busy, you enter a first-in, first-out queue. The page shows your position and checks again automatically. Queue time never uses your allowance.
If launch fails before a VM exists, no allowance is charged. If the page reports reconciliation, wait a few minutes before trying another start so the cleanup system can resolve the original request.
Your work is not saved
Ending, resetting, automatic cleanup, or a system failure destroys the machine and practice disk. Copy any notes you need somewhere else before ending. There is no backup or recovery.
Hours exhausted
When your five hours are used, launching stays disabled until the next billing period. Billing shows the period end. Additional usage cannot be purchased during the current period.
Canceling or requesting a refund
Use Billing → Manage add-on to cancel renewal. Access normally continues through the paid period. Your first Live Sandbox payment has the same 7-day guarantee described in the Refund Policy. For a verified service failure that consumed usable time, email AustinNicely@certforged.com with the approximate date and time so we can restore allowance or issue an appropriate credit or refund.
Slow or disconnected terminal
Reconnect from the sandbox page. A disconnect does not stop the VM or its timers. If it remains unavailable, end the session only if you are comfortable destroying its data, then contact support. Include your browser, approximate time, and whether the machine reached “Ready.”
Safe use
Use the VM only for Linux study. Network scanning, attacks, mining, public hosting, bypassing controls, secrets, regulated data, and shared access are prohibited. Read the Live Sandbox Acceptable Use Policy before launching.