DevOps is a software development approach that encompasses a set of unique practices. As the name suggests, it’s a mash-up of the words, “development” and “operations”, two teams that serve as pillars of any IT project. However, the term more than just combines practices from these distinct groups, it optimizes and refines traditional agile approaches. DevOps is a more sophisticated philosophy that enables organizations to create flexible, agile, and more importantly scalable development teams.

Since DevOps considers collaboration to be the driving force behind its philosophy, the supporting systems need to be flexible and highly customizable.

Enter, Linux! The powerhouse of operating systems, Linux is the most popular open-source OS in the world. Its customizability has made it the best choice for complex enterprise solutions. Linux is so ubiquitous that hardly anyone would dare question its usefulness. Here are a few stats that will help drive this point home.

• 100% of the top 500 supercomputers in the world run on Linux (filter the linked sub-list by OS)
• 23 of the world’s Top 25 websites run on Linux
• 96% of the top 1 million servers run on Linux
• Every YouTube, Google, and Facebook request is completed via Linux

Although knowledge of Linux will help you become a better DevOps engineer, rest assured you don’t have to be an expert and know all the ins and outs. Beginners, as well as DevOps experts, can go for a basic online Linux DevOps Certification to level up their skillset. These courses focus on the technical as well as the cultural aspects of DevOps and also highlight how this ties in with Linux.

Exploring the Link Between Linux and DevOps

A majority of enterprises run development projects on Linux-based environments. It is expected that larger enterprises in the future will shift focus on developing their own customized Linux distributions in order to speed up deployments and avoid configuration errors. The giants of the tech world, IBM, Facebook, Google, have Linux supporting their IT ecosystems. As such Linux has become an essential component of the skillset required to succeed as a DevOps team.

Why DevOps Teams Choose Linux

Linux has become ubiquitous

Since its introduction in 1991, Linux has risen rapidly in popularity. Today, most of the powerful consumer technologies run on Linux-powered systems. From mobile devices, cloud computing servers, social media networks, even advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) systems rely on Linux. DevOps meets its goal of fast deployment cycles by leveraging existing infrastructure, a majority of which is built on Linux.

Linux is Part and Parcel of a DevOps Team

Linux is an important component of enterprise IT systems. Knowing how to configure the Linux environment itself and associated networking connectivity will minimize obstacles during the software development process. An engineer can easily meet the efficiency demands of DevOps if they are familiar with Linux.

Linux is Highly Customizable

Linux can be installed on any device and configured to fit any workflow. This flexibility makes it perfect for the high-dynamicity demands of the DevOps approach. Software deployment pipelines are often based on Linux these days, so its easier to test applications if your native machine is also running Linux.

Linux Scales Well

Software solutions that scale up (or down) without needing any changes in underlying infrastructure are the Holy Grail for solution architects and clients. The Linux kernel is able to process large amounts of data and can easily be configured to add processing power, storage capacity, etc. As a result, it is being used to power smaller IoT devices as well as large supercomputers.

Popular Linux Distros for DevOps

A Linux distribution or distro is simply a pre-configured version of the operating system. Using the non-configured, original version of Linux requires setting up all the operating system components and compiling methods from scratch. This requires a ton of effort, so Linux distros have gained a lot of popularity. DevOps teams can use these distros to save precious time and effort when installing and configuring systems. Some of the most popular Linux distros preferred by enterprise DevOps teams include the following.

• Cloud Linux OS
• Amazon Linux
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Desktop
• CentOS
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop

A Continuous Learning Experience

Working as a professional in the ever-evolving world of IT development requires one to continuously learn and adapt to new paradigms. A DevOps engineer, in particular, must walk on the path of continuous improvement. Even if you are a veritable code ninja who churns out error-free code at a moment’s notice, you can still benefit from knowing the context of the project. If your team uses Linux, a basic knowledge of the operating system will make a huge difference in the way you design, build and deploy IT solutions.

Look up Linux DevOps training online to learn about how different roles contribute to the development process. Also, updating your knowledge about the latest security threats, automation options, and deployment management methods will always put you ahead of the crowd.

Must-Have Skills for DevOps Engineers

A DevOps engineer must have a firm grasp of the cultural and technical aspects of the DevOps philosophy. The following list of technical skills is considered as the foundation of DevOps knowledge.

• A firm grasp on popular coding languages such as Node.JS, Python, Go and Ruby.
• Knowing how Linux development, deployment, production, and testing environments are set up.
• Level up by adding the knowledge of microservices and serverless architecture to your repertoire of skills.
• Learn how network protocols work
• Master the art of vulnerability detection and testing

To Summarize

A DevOps team thrives if the software development process is dynamic and responds quickly to change. Linux meets this need because of its high scalability, customization options, and flexibility. Your team can set up a fully customized system without worrying about being bogged down by any operating system restrictions. Linux is fully configurable and doesn’t dictate how the environment works. This degree of freedom of configuration makes the Linux operating system the perfect asset for a DevOps team. Your processes can be fully customized and will scale with time, speed, and system load requirements.

Learn more about why Linux and the DevOps approach go hand in hand. Get in touch with our experts today!