my friend Christopher is trying to learn linux and coding of various kinds, but
he doesn't have a computer that he can install software onto, so i'm
recommending that he get a VPS somewhere, install linux on it, and play with
web stuff and use it as his computer until he can get his own hardware back.

is linode a good choice?  i'm not sure if he has funds to pay subscription fees
or whether he would need to find a free one, or maybe he can get started with a
digitalocean free giftcard if someone has one.