What would you think of a lightweight desktop app to manage your VPS (Apache, Nginx, Docker, Cron...) easily?

Hey everyone,
I’m currently building (solo) a small desktop app called **Server Explorer**, and I’d love your feedback.

The idea is simple:
**Manage your remote servers** (VPS or dedicated, running Unix/Linux) through a clean desktop interface, without needing to open SSH or type commands manually.

With Server Explorer, you can:

* Start, stop, restart services like Apache, Nginx and list site
* Manager your Docker container (start, stop, view log)
* Manage your cron tab
* Manage files (edit, compress, delete, move)
* Stay in control without using the terminal for basic tasks

It's **not trying to replace full devops panels** like cPanel or Docker solutions.
Think of it as a **lightweight assistant** for developers who already manage VPS servers manually and just want to make their daily workflow faster and smoother.

**Would that be useful for you?**
If yes, what would you expect first from a tool like this?

Thanks for reading — feel free to drop thoughts, questions, or feedback 🚀

P.S. There’s a basic version already available, but I’m improving it step by step based on real user feedback 👀

https://redd.it/1k9fxgq
@r_devops

Will I be employable after completing Mumshad Mannambeth's CKA course on Udemy? Does it teach enough Kubernetes to make me job-ready? I got laid off recently and am searching for DevOps roles. Will I be able to crack Kubernetes-related questions after finishing that course?

.I have very limited time

https://redd.it/1k9h01i
@r_devops

Offering to do mock DevOps interviews

Hey folks,

I recently hit a weird personal milestone: I’ve now done over 1,000 interviews just for fun.

I started this 9 years ago as a hobby — applying to jobs I wasn’t necessarily interested in, just to see how far I could get and how many interviews I could pass. It became a personal challenge and honestly, a bit of an addiction.

Now, I want to give back a little.

If you’re preparing for DevOps roles and want to practice with someone who’s been on both sides of the table, I’d be happy to run a mock interview with you. I can simulate real interview scenarios or focus on specific areas you’re trying to improve (tech questions, system design, behavioral stuff, etc.).

Totally free — I’m just doing this because I genuinely enjoy it and want to help folks feel more confident going into interviews.

DM me or drop a comment if you're interested.

https://redd.it/1k9pvrw
@r_devops

What are the biggest red flags in a DevOps job interview?

I’ve been applying for DevOps roles and have a few interviews lined up. I wanted to ask—what are some major red flags you’ve noticed in DevOps job interviews?

For example, do certain vague job descriptions or interview questions signal that a company doesn’t really “get” DevOps? Or are there any warning signs that the role might be more of a traditional sysadmin gig disguised as DevOps?

https://redd.it/1k9pz2r
@r_devops

What’s your go-to tool for validating SAML flows in automated deployments?

While working on a multi-cloud SaaS deployment recently, we ran into some frustrating issues around SAML authentication during staging rollouts:

* X.509 certificate mismatches (formatting, fingerprint issues)
* XML signature validation errors
* Metadata incompatibility between service providers and IdPs
* Problems securely handling encrypted SAML responses

We realized debugging these manually was too fragile for CI/CD pipelines — especially when cert rotation and metadata updates were frequent.

To make it more reliable, I started building an internal toolkit that could validate and test SAML flows more easily — certificates, metadata, assertions, encryption — without needing a full stack deployment.

It eventually turned into a small free toolset that includes:

* Certificate generation, formatting, and fingerprinting utilities
* AuthNRequest and Response signing/validation
* XML encryption/decryption
* Metadata builders for SPs and IdPs
* Attribute extractors from SAML assertions

Curious — what tooling (free or otherwise) do you use to validate and debug SAML flows during deployments or auth integrations?

Happy to share the toolkit link too if anyone's interested — no signup needed.

https://redd.it/1k9sucd
@r_devops

Now that DevOps has become a buzzword, how long do you think before it becomes saturated?

Title

https://redd.it/1k9u7q5
@r_devops

I just want to practice my craft

Sometimes I joke that my ultimate goal is to make enough money as a software engineer to never touch a computer again. I daydream about traveling through Oklahoma and Texas, shoeing horses and running the largest alfalfa operation in the Midwest. Even the creator of Neofetch archived all his GitHub repos and left a simple note: he’s farming now. So I’m not alone.

But the impulse runs deeper. It’s about the need to practice a craft. Whether it’s farming or software, many of us crave the rhythm of doing real work—building, refining, improving. Instead, we often get buried in meetings, shifting priorities, and deadlines. The time to sit down, design, and build thoughtfully feels rare. And technical debt isn’t just messy code—it’s every shortcut we’re forced to take when the pressure to deliver outweighs the desire to build something solid.

How do we keep our edge while still serving the business? Over the last month, I’ve been carving out time each day to study best practices, sharpen my skills, and contribute back to the community in small but meaningful ways.

In 2025, my goal is simple: scratch the itch of craftsmanship and build better software. Will I succeed? We’ll see.

https://redd.it/1k9usei
@r_devops

Requesting Feedback on My Personal Portfolio Website

I recently build and published my personal portfolio website: https://zyrogx.github.io

I would really appreciate any feedback from you guys.

I am still early in my career (Ai Student), so any constructive criticism would be super helpful to improve before applying for internships.
Thank you




https://redd.it/1k9ujyn
@r_devops

What does DevOps looks for testing custom / embedded on-prem Hardware setups?

Since hardware is improving, many custom hardware / embedded devices are now able to use benefits of CI/CD pipelining / Containerization / Cloud-Native style infrastructure to perform testing and deployments.

I have seen cases where the infrastructure to test specific hardware is often times accomodated with a "control" device with linux on it to "trigger" test workloads on the device-under-tests. Sometimes custom embedded linux distros with containerization enabled are also used to test workloads.

Does someone work in "hardware" specific DevOps tools? If you can you shed some tools that may be worth looking into?

I do think similarities to clustering logic e.g. categorization based on peripherals (GPIO, PCIe, etc.) or Chips / SoCs feel similar to k8s nodes labels etc. Is this something people do daily or is it far-fetched?

https://redd.it/1k9xtbe
@r_devops

Requesting resume review and comments on my trajectory

I have not beein getting calls, but besides that lol
just judge the work i've done. It is trimmed so an outside perspective might help me know if its impressive or just words flying around even for techies.

https://imgur.com/a/bJdStTX



https://redd.it/1k9xov8
@r_devops

firecracker vm production question: How to not "boot into root shell"

I've been playing around with firecracker vms and have studied (and somewhat understood) their docs at [github\](https://github.com/firecracker-microvm/firecracker/tree/main/docs)

But one question remains: I am using their default ubuntu rootfs and it boots into a root shell. But my linux expertise fails on me, on how to proceed from here.

I have no issues preparing an ext4 filesystem based on the original ubuntu.squashfs from the AWS team. I can add my application into it, I can create a permission-less user, I can manually run the app inside the jailed firecracker instance, do the complicated network-namespaced setup, etc.

But what I don't get is:

How do I actually modify the file system to start with my specific task(like my.sh) on boot and also not tty as root?

I mean I could patch the tty override.conf:

$CHROOT/etc/systemd/system/[email protected]/override.conf

This is the file that autolog root. But I am pretty sure I am missing something important here.

So any advice on how to run a task as non-root on firecracker vm's boot would be much appreciated. 👍

To be clear: After I firecracker is up, I do not want to use the API or SSH to send commands to this machine. The goal is that the boot process results in my application being loaded and running as a rootless user.

https://redd.it/1k9zf1h
@r_devops

Exploring the OpenTelemetry Demo Application With SigNoz an observability tool

Hey guys!
I'm a devrel at SigNoz. We recently released a blog which helps you explore SigNoz as an observability tool using the OpenTelemetry Demo Application, if you are considering it. You can get a quick walkthrough of all the essential features offered by SigNoz.

These include,
\- Logs Explorer
\- Traces tab
\- Exceptions tab
\- Service map
\- Messaging queues

The idea is to offer a quick idea of SigNoz as an observability vendor, helping you compare different options.
Posting it here for anyone who is trying or wants to explore SigNoz or get a quick comparison (this is a quick starter for you).

Let me know if you have any questions about the product in particular or any feature you would love to know more about.

Check the blog here - https://signoz.io/blog/opentelemetry-demo/

https://redd.it/1ka1j6b
@r_devops

How much coding does devops actually consist of?

Do you need to code a lot or is it mostly just tweaking things and running scripts when need be? What languages are used the most? Do you recommend it a career? Been thinking of getting into self-hosting for some static sites for small businesses and grow from there.

https://redd.it/1ka3il8
@r_devops

What are best practices when using templating tools (helm, kustomize, etc) and also a gitops model (like with ArgoCD)

Hey All,

I'm working on revamping our release process and I'm curious what everyone here thinks are the best practices when it comes to using templating tools like Kustomize and Helm while also following a GitOps workflow.

We use ArgoCD to manage our K8s deployments and currently pre-inflate our charts/process our kustomizations in CI which then pushes them to git. The logic is this ensures that the source of truth is truly immutable as we would be pointing at a specific git hash rather than trusting that Argo is correctly pointing at the correct versions of things and reconciling on the fly.

This ultimately slows down our release process quite a bit.

I'm considering pitching that we utilize Argo's ability to inflate charts/process kustomizations so we don't need to pre-inflate/process them which would speed things up a lot. I'm just trying to see what the unintended side effects of that could be.

Thanks!

https://redd.it/1ka2br5
@r_devops

How We Handle TBs of Trace Data: Apache Parquet + Smart Caching

In DevOps, dealing with large-scale distributed traces can be tricky. We’ve been using Apache Parquet to store trace data efficiently and improve the speed of our queries. By using columnar storage, we’ve drastically reduced I/O and made trace analysis much faster. Here’s how we combined this with caching and metadata management for optimal performance.

https://www.parseable.com/blog/opentelemetry-traces-to-parquet-the-good-and-the-good

https://redd.it/1ka0v8f
@r_devops

Video Terraform 101 for DevOps Engineers

Hey folks, 👋

I started my YouTube channel and want to focus on DevOps topics, to present different concepts in a pragmatic way. My last video, called "Terraform 101 for DevOps Engineers | Beginner’s Guide to Infrastructure as Code"
It's designed to give beginners (or anyone needing a refresher) a solid foundation on how Terraform fits into DevOps workflows.

I cover:
✅ What Terraform actually is and why it's important
✅ Core concepts like Providers, Resources, and State Management
✅ How Terraform integrates into CI/CD pipelines - but plan to expand on this later
✅ Common mistakes to avoid when using it in production

The goal was to keep it fast, practical, and beginner-friendly — no 2-hour theory lectures. 😅
If you're starting to automate your infrastructure or prepping for DevOps interviews, I think it'll help.

Here’s the link if you want to check it out:
👉 https://youtu.be/z3CLMsYtxYw

Feedback is more than welcome! Also, I am open to video ideas too! I have a solid backlog of planned videos, but I'm happy to cover something important to the community.
And of course, I would really appreciate subscriptions :)





https://redd.it/1ka43hp
@r_devops

Opinions on my personal project.

Hello r/devops!

I just worked on a personal project that I would appreciate your opinion on. It's an AWS Infrastructure automation pipeline using Jenkins, Terraform and Ansible.

* Terraform - Starts the EC2 instance using a launch template and auto-scaling group with all necessary attributes attached (Security groups, key-value pair, etc).
* Ansible - Logs into the EC2 instance, downloads services and copies necessary HTML and CSS files from my portfolio website into /var/www/html, making it visible from the browser.
* Jenkins - Has two pipelines.
* 'Create' pipeline
* Runs the terraform part to start the EC2 instance, retrieves IP of the new instance using the aws-describe command, and adds it to hosts file for ansible to use it. Then, runs the ansible part to get the website live.
* Triggered by a git push
* 'Destroy' pipeline
* Runs terraform destroy to take down the infrastructure safely.
* This is invoked by the 'create' pipeline and runs 15 minutes after it.

I did learn a lot about all these tools, credential security and management, automation, etc. Before y'all come at me, I know that some of my choices might seem weird, like - using Jenkins instead of Github Actions, or using Ansible when the entire thing can be taken care of by a user\_data script, or hosting it on AWS when I can just have it on my .github.io page.
I used the tools and technologies because I wanted to learn these tools specifically, as they seem to be more prevalent in job descriptions. Outside of these things, do you have any thoughts about whether it's *actually* a good project to have on my resume, whether it could impress potential hiring managers/recruiters, etc? Should I change something, use different tools, or anything else at all? I'm open to honest feedback and would love to improve. I love automation and I love building things, so I can do this all over again without an issue.

P.S - I'm a grad student with 2 years of experience as a System Engineer, just to give you an idea of my background.

https://redd.it/1ka9qxn
@r_devops

30 days into Network operations role -- Did I step into unsustainable chaos?

I started a new position 30 days ago at an MSP (Managed Service Provider) as a Network Operations Manager.

My original understanding was that I'd lead infrastructure migration projects at a structured, strategic pace — taking ownership of planning, execution, and building operational discipline.

I knew the environment might be somewhat messy — and I actually saw that as an opportunity to bring structure where it was needed.

But instead, an existing senior team member (let's call him Mark) immediately flooded the process with urgency:

– Meetings all day, often back-to-back

– Little to no time to plan deeply, reflect, or organize properly

– Constant interruptions and ad hoc requests — expectation to be hyper-responsive

– No official timeline from leadership, but Mark imposed a fast-track timeline anyway

Meanwhile, the CTO — who I technically report to — is largely absent:

– Doesn’t respond to emails

– Doesn’t return calls

– Occasionally appears briefly (e.g., grabbing a sandwich at the airport) but otherwise offers no active guidance

I also hired two team members early on, originally planning to assign them to focused infrastructure projects.

But with the current chaos, they are now being treated as generalists, expected to somehow cover a wide range of topics, including undocumented environments.

Additionally, while I was never explicitly told it was a "cloud-first MSP," the way the role was presented (focused on infrastructure modernization and migration leadership) led me to assume it was heavily cloud-oriented.

In reality:

– Only about 20% of the infrastructure is actually cloud-based.

– Roughly 40% is legacy systems, many undocumented, requiring reverse engineering just to understand what's running.

(For context, during the interview I asked for a website to learn more about the company, and was told they didn’t have one — in hindsight, that probably should have been a red flag.)

The biggest problem:

I was hired to bring structure, but the current rhythm is so accelerated that trying to implement thoughtful leadership would simply slow things down.

In short:

– I feel I’ve lost the leadership narrative I was hired for.

– I’m being forced to play at their chaotic rhythm instead of leading with my own structure and pace.

Mark himself is extremely intense:

– Wakes up at 3–5 AM

– Eats lunch by 9 AM

– Spends afternoons studying for certifications — while pushing the team at full speed

I was aiming for a leadership role where I could build, structure, and scale — not a permanent crisis-response role in a fragmented environment.

Am I overreacting?

Is this just what IT leadership looks like today?

You're welcome to criticize me.

I’d appreciate any references:

– Is this 50%, 70%, 90% of IT leadership roles now?

– Is this common across MSPs?

– Or are there still companies where structured leadership and thoughtful execution are respected?

\-- Does it make sense to stay 2 weeks more, or do you see a long term position worth enduring?

Thanks for reading — I’m trying to calibrate my expectations.

https://redd.it/1kaala1
@r_devops

How do you manage the Prod DR with terraform

Gj

https://redd.it/1kaeqdv
@r_devops

Getting into Devops

I am thinking about taking the SANS GCSA (sponsored by my job) course I have about 2 years experience in IT I am trying to get into devops I was wondering whether we are allowed to put the projects on our resume and can we do them on how personal GitHub. And also would it be comprehensive enough to help me break into devsecops. And what should I be understanding before getting into the class to increase my chances of grasping and internalizing the concepts.

https://redd.it/1kafyqk
@r_devops

Devops or AI? For Freshers

Hi everyone, I am second year of college (B.Tech CSE). Just confused between 2 paths: DevOps or AI?
Please could anyone guide me which field to choose, considering internship & job availability for freshers and college students. So my career is secured (not forever, but atleast i step in the industry)
How much time will it take to learn? Project ideas (because I think unique projects are almost not possible now) for resumes?

PS: I understand that advices that follow your passion, see if you like solving maths or problems. I just want to secure my career in IT. I don't have problem doing maths as well as learning tools.

https://redd.it/1kah8zd
@r_devops