[TriLUG] Linux Careers in the Triangle

[Greg Pubill via TriLUG]

Hi Mauricio,

Thank for this detail, I think is going to help with my planning.

The bullets #2 deploy #1 maintain and #5 secure sound like a direction I 
would want to go initially. So that leaves me wondering how to narrow 
the career choices and what skills to learn, I'm thinking this may put 
me in the Sys Admin path. Then in the long term once everything is up 
and running in this hypothetical scenario I could focus else where.

You mentioned scripting (bash, perl, python) what are good places to 
help get proficient at it? I don't mind sitting in a class or workshops 
but I don't want it to take semesters either. I'm just not sure that the 
typical google how-to's or youtube videos are the way to go. How about 
site like curious.com? are there some geared towards Linux?

Thanks.

Greg







On 07/23/2015 10:42 AM, Mauricio Tavares wrote:
>         I am going to reply below some of your questions. Be prepared
> that my replies are mine; nothing I say is remotely close to the
> opinions of the club and/or more knowledgeable members.
>
> On Thu, Jul 23, 2015 at 10:10 AM, Greg Pubill via TriLUG
> <trilug at trilug.org> wrote:
>> Hi TriLUG,
>>
>> As a recent arrival to the group I would like to ask for any
>> suggestions/comments/advice from senior members which may help focus my
>> Linux career path.
>>
>> I'm at a stage where I have recently completed my degree, which took me a
>> while, my daughter is in college herself. I have worked with several Linux
>> distros but I don't feel I've gotten so much experience out of if because my
>> responsibilities were install, edit config files and ship it out. So this
>> was a little repetitive.
>>
>> If you were on my shoes; where would you go next?
>>
>> For example, would I want to learn programming (C, C++) or; would I want to
>> focus on cloud computing (Hadoop, OpenStack...) or maybe web development?
>>
>       I see all our monkeying with computers divided into carefully
> separated groups which tend to merge at random times:
>
> 1) Maintaining the system and services, which includes config files,
> patches, and so on. Most of the time that can be a drag, so I like to
> think on how to make it more automagic so a lazy guy like me can be
> doing something else. That can be done with things such as
> puppet/salt/chef/ansible and git/svn on the back. But, you also need
> to know what those machines and services are up to, so you need some
> monitoring like Nagios on the loose.
>
> Scripting, be it bash/ ash/ bourne, perl, or python (to name a few) required.
>
> 2) Designing and deploying new systems. Someone tells you they need a
> new website or dev box. Or you decided on your own (initiative) the
> mail server really should be separate from the web server. Or decided
> network storage is a neat idea after all. How do you go about doing
> that? Do you have or can create some guidelines?
>
> Once again I am a lazy ass and don't want to build the machine from
> scratch and configure it by hand. So, I would want to grab some juju,
> packer, kickstart, or preseed and let them get the machine up and
> running enough so I can feed to puppet/salt/chef/ansible. Or maybe a
> cloud solution makes more sense for the job.
>
> Scripting, be it bash/ ash/ bourne, perl, or python (to name a few) required.
>
> 3) Dealing with customers: to some degree, you will always have to
> deal with customers, be them the secretary or who signs your paycheck.
> And you have to make them feel they are not idiots and figure out what
> they really want when they do not know. And then show how amazing you
> are. So you need ticketing systems, metrics, and good presentation and
> people skills.
>
> 4) Programming is done in many levels. On the low end is people like
> me writing stuff in Python/Bash or having to know enough php/whatever
> to figure out why a program is not working. On the high end you have
> those who develop drivers, interfaces, and serious applications and
> databases. They -- the serious developers -- tend to make more money
> than the others, but you have to like doing it.
>
> 5) Securing the playground. People keep trying to break in or just are
> careless. So you need to make sure people can get to where they need
> seamlessly while keeping the undesirables out. And that means testing
> and breaking and learning from that.
>
> A lot of jobs require some of the above, so what of the above do you
> like the most? Also, do you want to be the guy who keeps things
> running or the guy who creates new things?
>
> Now, the trilug has one/more servers; you might want to get involved
> in that to log some hours and learn/teach something in the process. Or
> volunteer to do a presentation. Or go to an event. And network a bit,
> get others to know you.
>
>> I have more time these days, my contract recently ended. I could use this
>> time to prepare for a cert, or audit a class, or follow some online training
>> course to sharpen my skills.
>>
>> Any thoughts you can share would really help me personally, and who knows it
>> might even serve to help others thinking about careers in Linux and open
>> source.
>>
>> Greg
>> --
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