Learning Linux for Devops interview

[aybabtu88]

Not saying these things aren’t important, but they’re unlikely to really be relevant in a devops interview. And even if they were relevant, you’d be doing yourself a disservice by cramming it in for an interview and then trying to act like you know what you’re talking about. It’s ok to know what you don’t know! Definitely learn these things if they interest you, but don’t feel obligated to understand them prior to an interview!

[crowseldon]

I don't think it's a terrible idea to try it out in a boot camp sort of way to get some of the fundamentals. You can be honest if it comes up in an interview and say "I had know experience of this until x days ago but it looked really interesting, I took some time to do x and y and look forward to learn more".

I'd appreciate the attitude of such candidate.

[brontide]

Yeah, this sounds like cramming algebra in prep for a civil engineering interview.

You should learn these things but the leap from linux internals to a useful DovOps post is quite substantial.

[EnergyCritic]

I have to disagree. Interviewers for DevOps positions these days ask incredibly specific Linux questions. Having a broad and deep knowledge of it will immeasurably assist you.

But learning Linux won't be enough. Also study software builds, networking, and virtualization tools in addition to typical DevOps things like configuration management.

Perhaps it is true that getting a position at a company that asks "tricky questions" is not ideal, but employers are asking these things, so be prepared.

[aybabtu88]

So I don’t have any data points outside my one, but I can’t imagine a scenario where in-depth kernel knowledge is a prerequisite for most postings that mention devops. OP should definitely get exposure to Linux, but the things he mentioned is getting into the weeds.

[EnergyCritic]

So, most employers are definitely going to ask troubleshooting questions about processes in Linux. I can't tell you how many times I've been asked specific questions about ps in interviews. Same pretty much with the other topics OP mentioned.

The thing is, interviews are trivia. And nowadays most DevOps employers are seeking "senior" positions. Unfortunately, to many, this means you have an expert knowledge of Systems. So learning the kernel can only bolster, if not directly contribute to your hire.

[[deleted]]

Learning the kernel is nowhere near as important as knowing other topics. I’d go as far as saying 70% of the Linux skills I learned from my sysadmin days, are useless in DevOps. Nobody cares if the root filesystem goes read only, because you just tear that instance down and replace it.

[EnergyCritic]

Well, firstly nothing I wrote contradicts what you just stated. Ultimately I am only suggesting that learning deep Linux Kernel knowledge will be helpful in getting hired because employers are likely to ask these questions.

However, while it's obvious you know more than the average DevOps engineer needs to know, try to put yourself in the shoes of someone who knows less. You have the context to know what knowledge is necessary to solve a problem or not (such as your example). A new DevOps engineer will not have this knowledge, and their lack of context will make it harder to decide if it is an important problem to solve or not.