Free DevOps Engineer Roadmap: From Zero to Junior in 8–10 Months
DevOps engineers automate CI/CD pipelines, manage infrastructure as code, and ensure system fault tolerance. This free program is compiled from open resources and covers the path from basic knowledge to junior level. Expected time — 8–10 months with regular study sessions of 10–15 hours per week.
Stage 1: Basics of the Profession
Start by understanding the role. Watch these YouTube videos:
- "Who is a DevOps Engineer".
- "DevOps Path: Is It Worth Starting from Scratch?".
- "10 Questions for a DevOps Engineer".
Supplement with the article "What is DevOps: Why It's Needed, Where It's Used, and Its Pros and Cons". This provides context: DevOps combines development (Dev) and operations (Ops), focusing on automation, monitoring, and collaboration.
Stage 2: Fundamental Computer Science Knowledge
Without a CS foundation, you can't scale infrastructure. Complete the "Computer Science Basics" course. It covers:
- Computer architecture (CPU, memory, I/O).
- Operating systems (processes, threads, virtualization).
- Networks (TCP/IP, OSI, routing).
- Algorithms and data structures.
This stage is critical for understanding why Docker containerizes processes or Kubernetes orchestrates pods.
Stage 3: Core DevOps Stack
Now move to practical tools. Study this sequence of courses:
- "Introduction to DevOps" from the DevOps Lifestyle channel.
- "Introduction to DevOps", "Linux from Zero to DevOps", "Python Programming Basics from Zero to DevOps" from Cisco Ne Slabo / Sedicomm TV.
Keep in mind: free materials can become outdated, so check software versions (e.g., Python 3.10+). Linux is the foundation: master bash scripting, systemd, and networking. Python is essential for Ansible, Terraform, and custom scripts.
Stage 4: Key Technologies for Junior
Dive into production-grade tools:
- Git: Version control system. "Git for Beginners" course — branching, merge, rebase, GitHub workflows.
- Docker: Containerization. Study Dockerfile, docker-compose, multi-stage builds.
- Kubernetes: Orchestration. Lessons on pods, services, deployments, Helm.
- Ansible: IaC for configuration. Playbooks, roles, inventory.
Practice on your local machine: deploy nginx in Docker, spin up a K8s cluster in Minikube, automate deployment with Ansible.
Additional Development
Subscribe to these channels for daily reading:
- DevOps Portal | Linux.
- Bash Days | Linux | DevOps.
- Adminim with Bukvoy.
They publish case studies on troubleshooting, security hardening, and best practices.
After the program, prepare for interviews: repositories with DevOps questions. Build a portfolio — GitHub repos with pipeline examples and Terraform modules.
What’s Important
- CS fundamentals are mandatory: without them, CI/CD is a black box.
- 70% practice: theory without hands-on is useless.
- Account for obsolescence: check docs (docker.io, kubernetes.io).
- Juniors are expected to know Git/Docker/K8s/Ansible + Linux/Python basics.
- Time: 8–10 months with consistency.
— Editorial Team
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