Everyone says ‘learn Linux before DevOps’ - but what exactly do you study ?
Linux truly is truly a magnificient vast reservoir, and without a map, it’s easy to drown.
Here’s a focused roadmap of Linux essentials you really need before diving into your DevOps journey -
Core Linux Skills for DevOps Prep
Process Management
Master using ps, top, strace, journalctl and kill to monitor and control processes. Use pstree to understand the parent–child relationships which are vital when your app spawns multiple services.
Networking
Learn ip/ifconfig for interface checks, iptables/firewall for firewall rules, ss/netstat for open ports, and ping/traceroute/dig for connectivity and DNS diagnostics as your DevOps daily tools.
File System & Permissions
Practice mkdir, cp, mv, cd, pwd, and understand absolute vs relative paths. Then dive into permissions with chmod, chown, chgrp, and numeric/symbolic modes. That gapless u+x knowledge matters.
Disk Usage
Use df and du (and maybe sar) to monitor disk health and space ,especially before deploying large Docker images.
Search & Filter
Combine find, grep, sed, awk, cut, and sort to locate files, parse logs, and manipulate text which is your toolkit for automation and troubleshooting.
Package Management
Understand your distro’s package manager (apt, yum, dnf), install, update, remove, because deployments often hinge on correct dependencies.
Service & System Control
Learn systemctl commands (start/stop/restart/status) and legacy service tools that are core for managing modern system services.
SSH & Remote Access
Set up SSH keys, edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config, and ensure secure, seamless access across servers because DevOps is inherently remote.
Shell Scripting
Automate tasks with Bash :- variables, loops, conditionals, and functions. Simple scripts to monitor logs, or deploy apps.
System Monitoring
Check system load (uptime, vmstat, sar), memory usage (free), and swap .Tools like sar and perf help track performance over time
System Info & Configuration
Use uname, proc files, dmesg, etc.
Good thing is that Red Hat training course for RHCSA - RH124 & RH134 covers almost all of it and gives you a solid strong foundation to dive into this reservoir with a time tested curated learning path.
