FAQ

People who build and run software. If servers, pipelines, Kubernetes or a cloud console are part of your work, or you'd like them to be, you'll be at home.

Find the entry flag first. It's on this server and looks like DevopsDowntime{…}. Then paste it into the registration form. No flag, no seat.

There's one hint. Give it a proper try before you open it. It's the same kind of hunting you'll be doing on the day.

Not on its own. Seats are limited, and every flag is screened to check you're ready for the challenge. Seats go to eligible participants only.

No. It's solo: one person, one laptop, one scoreboard entry.

21 November at Leapfrog Connect, Kathmandu (Google Maps). Check-in opens at noon at the registration desk on the rooftop, and everything wraps up by 4 PM. The full timings are in the schedule.

Your own laptop, with your applications and tools already installed. The venue Wi-Fi is for playing, not for big downloads.

Mostly clients. Whatever you use day to day is fine, as long as you have something for each of these:

• SSH client OpenSSH or PuTTY
• PostgreSQL client psql
• MySQL client mysql
• Docker client docker
• Git git
• Kubernetes client kubectl
• AWS CLI aws
• HTTP client curl and a web browser
• A text editor Whichever one you like

Check that each one runs before you arrive.

At the welcome at 1:00. That's where you get the Wi-Fi details, your scoreboard login and the LLM policy, just before the game starts at 1:15.

Snacks and networking after the winners are announced, from 3:45.

Hunting for flags. You get servers, pipelines and a cloud account that were all set up in a hurry, and every mistake in them is hiding a flag. Find the mistake, use it, take the flag. There are 10 hurdles and two hours, from 1:15 to 3:15.

No. Leave them as you find them. Points come from the flags, not from tidying up.

Yes. Docs, man pages, search engines and LLMs are all fair game. The one thing you can't do is ask the person next to you. Ask the organizers instead.

They cost points. A nudge costs 10% of a challenge's points, and a bigger hint costs 25%.

Anything outside your own environment.

Highest score when the scoreboard freezes at 3:15. A tie goes to whoever reached the score first, and the organizers' call is final. The top 3 get prizes.