Documentation

Everything you need to know about TENTROPY — how challenges work, what you'll learn, and the technology behind it.

How Challenges Work

Each challenge presents you with broken production code — the kind of bugs that crash real systems at 3 AM. Your job is to identify the flaw and implement the fix.

Execution Flow

  1. 1You write your fix in the Monaco editor (the same editor used in VS Code)
  2. 2Your code is sent to an isolated Firecracker micro-VM (via E2B)
  3. 3Pytest runs your solution against the test suite in real-time
  4. 4Output is streamed live to your console — you see exactly what the system sees

After solving a challenge, the Debrief unlocks with a deep-dive explanation of why the bug happened and how production systems prevent it.

Challenge Architecture

Every challenge is built from 5 core components that work together to create a realistic debugging experience:

1. Briefing(description)

The scenario that sets up the problem. Explains what system is broken, what incident occurred, and what you need to fix. Written in Markdown with production-realistic context.

2. Broken Code(brokenCode)

Python code with an intentional bug. This is what you see in the editor — your job is to fix it. The bugs are based on real production issues.

3. Test Code(testCode)

A hidden pytest file that validates your fix. You never see this code — you only see the test output. The tests use assertions, mocks, and timeouts to verify correctness.

4. Solution(solutionCode)

The correct implementation. Available if you choose to reveal it (counts as "giving up"), or automatically shown after you solve the challenge.

5. Debrief(debrief)

Educational content that unlocks after completion. Explains the mechanics behind the bug, real-world impact, and production-grade best practices.

How Success is Determined

When you click DEPLOY PATCH, your code is saved as solution.py in the sandbox. The test file imports your functions and runs assertions. If all tests pass (pytest exits with code 0), you succeed. If any assertion fails or the code times out, you'll see the error in the console.

Tracks

Systems Resilience

5 challenges

Master the failure modes of high-throughput distributed systems. Debug the logic that crashes production.

ReDoS PreventionToken BucketRetry JitterConnection PoolingN+1 Queries

The AI Architect

9 challenges

Build the robust infrastructure that wraps LLMs. Master Semantic Caching, Context Windows, and Streaming stability.

FinOps & CostSemantic CachingMemory SystemsReasoning ModelsHybrid SearchSelf-HealingAgent Deadlocks

Observability & Debugging

3 challenges

Learn the essential tools to debug distributed AI systems. Practice Tracing, Metrics, and Structured Logging.

Distributed TracingMetric AlertingStructured Logging

Complete all challenges in a track to earn a digital certificate with a unique verification ID.

Tech Stack

Frontend

  • • Next.js 15 (App Router)
  • • React 19
  • • Monaco Editor
  • • Tailwind CSS

Backend

  • • Supabase (PostgreSQL + Auth)
  • • Upstash Redis (Rate Limiting)
  • • E2B (Sandboxed Execution)
  • • PostHog (Analytics)

Open Source: The platform core is available on GitHub. You can run your own instance with custom challenges.

FAQ

What are the rate limits?

You can submit up to 5 solutions every 20 minutes. This applies to both anonymous and authenticated users. The limit resets on a sliding window.

Is my code safe?

Yes. Your code runs in an isolated Firecracker micro-VM that is destroyed after execution. Each sandbox has a 60-second timeout and limited resources. We never store your submitted code beyond the session.

Can I use this without an account?

Yes! You can solve challenges as a guest. However, your progress is stored locally and may be lost if you clear your browser data. Sign in to sync your progress across devices and earn certificates.

What language are challenges in?

All challenges are currently in Python. We chose Python because it's the dominant language for AI/ML infrastructure.

How do I contribute?

We welcome contributions! Check out our Contributing Guide for details on adding new challenges or improving the platform.