DevOps is one of the most in-demand tech skills right now. But what exactly is it, and how to learn DevOps as a beginner?
This guide will explain the complete roadmap to learn DevOps in simple steps and give you a step-by-step learning roadmap. You don’t need to be an expert in coding or systems, just a willingness to learn and an interest.
1. What is DevOps?
DevOps is a combination of Development (Dev) and Operations (Ops). It’s all about making the software development and deployment process faster, smoother, and more reliable. It makes sure your code doesn’t fail during production.
In simple words: DevOps helps developers and IT teams work together to build, test, and release software quickly and safely.
DevOps is not just a tool or a language, it’s a set of practices or customs that improve workflow and automate manual tasks that can cause some messy things in codes.
2. Prerequisites to Learn DevOps
As a beginner, before jumping into DevOps tools, you should learn some basics & scripting.
a) Basic Linux
Most DevOps work happens on Linux servers. Learn:
- Basic Linux commands
- File system structure
- User permissions
You can use free resources like LinuxCommand.org or practice on Ubuntu via VirtualBox.
b) Scripting
Start with Bash (for automation on Linux) and maybe Python later.
Once you’re comfortable, move to Python scripting, which offers more power and flexibility for automation, data processing, and working with APIs.
- Learn to write basic scripts
- Automate repetitive or manual tasks
- Save time and reduce human errors through automation
3. Learn Version Control (Git)
Version control is key in DevOps. Git lets you track changes in your code and work with others smoothly. Learn how to: Create repositories, push/pull code, and work with branches and all.
Also, get familiar with GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket – platforms used to host your code.
Resources: Learn everything about Git from here.
4. Understand Continuous Integration (CI)
CI (Continuous Integration) means automatically testing and integrating code changes as they happen during time to time.
In CI, learn tooics like:
- What CI is and why it’s important
- Tools like Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or CircleCI
- How to set up basic CI pipelines
These tools test code automatically and help avoid bugs before deployment.
5. Learn Configuration Management
This means managing your servers with code instead of doing it manually.
Popular tools: Ansible (easiest for beginners), Chef, and Puppet.
Start with Ansible, learn some of the main functionalities like:
- Install packages
- Configure servers
- Automate tasks with YAML files
6. Understand Containers (Docker)
Containers allow you to run apps anywhere, without worrying about environments.
Start with Docker:
- What is Docker?
- How to build and run containers
- Docker commands
- Dockerfiles
Resources to learn Docker for free: [here]
Then explore Docker Compose to run multi-container apps.
7. Learn About Container Orchestration (Kubernetes)
Once you know Docker, learn Kubernetes (K8s) to manage many containers across multiple machines.
You’ll learn:
- Basic architecture of Kubernetes
- Pods, nodes, and clusters
- Deploying apps using
kubectl
Kubernetes is a must-know in modern DevOps roles.
8. Explore Continuous Deployment (CD)
Continuous Delivery (CD) automates the release of tested code to production, ensuring faster and safer deployments.
Tools you can explore to learn CD include Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, and Spinnaker.
To practice, try setting up CI/CD pipelines that automatically fetch code from GitHub, run tests, and deploy the application to a live server or cloud platform.
9. Learn Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
IaC lets you manage servers and cloud infrastructure with code.
A popular tool for starting IaC is Terraform. With Terraform, you can:
- Launch servers
- Set up cloud networks
- Manage resources in AWS, Azure, or GCP
It saves time and reduces errors compared to manual setup.
10. Get Familiar with Cloud Platforms
Most companies host their apps on the cloud.
Learn at least one: AWS (most popular), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud (GCP)
Start with: Launching a server (EC2), Storing files (S3) and using free tier to practice.
11. Learn Monitoring & Logging
DevOps is not just about building and deploying, it’s also about watching systems.
Tools to learn monitoring & logging are:
- Prometheus (for monitoring)
- Grafana (for dashboards)
- ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana)
These tools help you catch issues before users do.
12. Practice with Real Projects
Now it’s time to apply what you’ve learned. Without building you won’t learn anything.
Some of the real projects you can build are:
- A CI/CD pipeline for a simple website
- Docker + Kubernetes setup for a Node.js app
- A Terraform script to launch AWS EC2 with Ansible setup
Use GitHub to share your work and improve your profile.
13. Join DevOps Communities
Talk to others, ask questions, and learn faster by joining:
- Reddit DevOps forums
- Discord/Slack communities
- GitHub projects
- YouTube/LinkedIn groups
Being in the loop helps you stay updated.
Final Tips
- Don’t try to learn all tools at once.
- Pick one tool in each category and master it.
- Practice daily — even 1 hour helps.
- Build and break things. That’s how real learning happens.