I Passed AZ-900 and Built a Quiz App with React, TypeScript and Supabase to Prepare

Ashfall — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 13:57:30 +0000

I'm officially Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals! ☁️

I'm a self-taught developer focused on backend engineering. I took the AZ-900 exam to understand the cloud platform behind so many modern systems: compute, networking, storage, identity, security, and how cloud services are priced and governed.

To prepare, I joined the Power Learn Project Vibe Coding Hackathon (AZ-900 Exam Prep Edition) and used it to build something I could study with.

What I built

Smart Quiz Builder is an unofficial AZ-900 practice app. You answer exam-style questions and get an explanation for each answer, so you learn why an answer is right or wrong instead of memorising it.

🔗 Live demo: https://az900-smart-quiz.vercel.app
💻 Code: https://github.com/cyn4sh/az900-smart-quiz

The stack

React + TypeScript (Vite): the quiz flow, results screen and history view.
Supabase: anonymous auth, so anyone can use the app without signing up, plus storage for quiz attempts.
Vercel: deployment.
Cursor: my AI coding tool for the hackathon.

How I approached it

Questions live in a typed file, not the database. The question set sits in a typed TypeScript file, and Supabase only stores attempts. That keeps the data model simple and the questions easy to review and edit.
I reviewed everything the AI generated. I built the app in chunks with Cursor and checked each chunk before moving on, making sure the build and lint passed. Vibe coding is fast, but you still own the code.
I designed before I built. I settled the look and architecture before opening the editor: a calm dark "late-night study" theme, mobile-first, with a teal accent for correct answers and coral for wrong ones.

What I learned

Building a study tool while studying for the exam made the concepts stick. Writing questions and explanations forced me to understand each topic well enough to explain it.

What's next

AZ-900 is a fundamentals cert, so I see it as a foundation, not a finish line. Next, I'm going deeper into backend development and infrastructure, building projects that put these cloud concepts into practice.

Credential

Verify my certification here: https://learn.microsoft.com/api/credentials/share/en-gb/Ashfall-1799/BEC3B0858B5CEEA1?sharingId=CAF4767643DF5F26

If you're preparing for AZ-900, try the quiz app and tell me what you think. 🙌

My Weekly Tech Digest: What I Learned in Linux Essentials with Akwannya Hub

Ashfall — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 12:55:35 +0000

This week, I dove deep into the core concepts of the Linux Essentials course organized by Akwannya Hub. Here is a quick breakdown of everything I covered, from low-level kernel concepts to cloud infrastructure!

Fundamentals & System Architecture
- Open Source & Licensing: I explored how Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) guarantees the freedom to inspect and modify code, comparing copyleft licenses like GNU GPL with permissive ones like MIT and BSD.
- File System Hierarchy (FHS): I learned how Linux organizes everything under a single root (/), managing configuration files in /etc, dynamic data in /var, essential tools in /bin, and personal files in /home.
Networking, Services & Core Utilities
- Mail & File Sharing Services: I looked into how MTAs (Postfix, Sendmail) and MDAs route and store local mail, while NFS and Samba handle cross-platform file sharing across Linux and Windows networks.
- Directory Services & Configuration: I learned how DNS resolves hostnames, LDAP manages centralized user permissions, and DHCP automates IP address assignment.
- Shells & Editors: I practiced navigating the default Bash shell environment and using text editors—comparing low-friction tools like Nano with terminal-heavy editors like Vim.
- Package Management: I explored distribution workflows, comparing .deb packages using apt on Debian-based systems against .rpm packages managed via dnf or yum on Red Hat distributions.
Development & Execution Models
- Compiled Languages: I studied how C powers the Linux kernel for maximum speed, how C++ adds object-oriented structure, and how Java uses intermediate bytecode executed within a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) for cross-platform portability.
- Interpreted & Scripting Languages: I reviewed scripting tools built for quick development iterations, including Python (for web apps via Django and statistical analysis), JavaScript (web runtimes), PHP (dynamic platforms like WordPress), Ruby (automation with Puppet/Chef), and Perl (text manipulation).
Security, Privacy & Cloud Infrastructure
- Identity & Privacy Control: I covered best practices for restricting the root account, enforcing Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), using password managers, and safeguarding web privacy via HTTPS, VPNs, Tor, and cookie management.
- Cloud & Virtualization: I analyzed cloud deployment models (Public, Private, Community, Hybrid) and why Linux powers ~90% of public cloud workloads. Finally, I looked at the shift from full hardware virtualization via Hypervisors (VMware, VirtualBox) to lightweight Docker containers orchestrated at scale using Kubernetes. Huge thanks to Akwannya Hub for organizing such a structured learning experience.

DEV Community: Ashfall