One of the problems with becoming a Linux expert is the definition is constantly changing. When I started in the Linux world, to be considered a Linux professional, you had to be able to compile your own kernel. Heck, if you wanted to use Linux on a laptop, you had to compile a custom kernel to even be a user. These days, compiling your own kernel is usually a waste of time. That’s not to say it isn’t important, but in the open source world we build on the successes of others, and Linux distributions provide us with kernels that work well. Although not always that drastic, the demands on IT professionals change every year.
Here are four vital skills for the Linux pro in 2017:
1. Security
I’m not talking about security experts or security consultants. Those positions and services are certainly important, but with connected devices infiltrating every aspect of our lives, we need to be security conscious in every decision we make. This year, my wife and I purchased a washing machine and a refrigerator, and both of them came equipped with Bluetooth. The idea of hackers breaking into my rinse cycle might seem silly, but any foothold is a potential attack vector.
When we activate any system at work, home, or in our pockets, we should consider the security issues they might represent. And because items like Internet-enabled toasters aren’t likely to get timely firmware upgrades, we need to design the rest of our systems around the idea of mundane devices getting compromised. More than ever before, we need to think about attacks coming from inside our firewalls. Don’t let your fileserver get hacked by your blender!
2. DevOps
DevOps is no longer a new concept. For the past two or three years, we’ve been encouraging folks to learn about DevOps so they can succeed in the workforce. That was good advice, but it doesn’t mean we should rely completely on automation tools to do our jobs. Chef, Puppet, Ansible, Salt Stack, and similar tools are wonderful, but we need to understand what’s happening behind the scenes so when something inevitably goes wrong, we know how to fix it.
With DevOps’ programmatic approach to computing, we still need people who can maintain, fix, and understand the systems functioning beneath the layer of code. Without Linux experts, cloud computing is a scary place to live, even if that cloud is in your own server room.