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Introduction
The DevOps landscape is evolving at breakneck speed, and staying ahead requires more than just reading theory—it demands hands-on practice with real-world tools and scenarios. GitHub has become the ultimate playground for DevOps engineers, hosting thousands of repositories that range from curated tool lists to comprehensive learning paths with exercises, quizzes, and production-grade code. Whether you are a beginner trying to break into the field or an experienced engineer looking to sharpen your skills, the right GitHub repositories can accelerate your journey from “I have heard of Kubernetes” to “I run it in production”.
Learning Objectives
- Master essential DevOps tools including Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, Jenkins, and AWS through hands-on exercises and real-world projects
- Develop practical skills in CI/CD pipeline automation, infrastructure as code, and container orchestration using production-grade examples
- Prepare for DevOps interviews with thousands of practice questions covering Linux, networking, cloud platforms, and SRE principles
You Should Know
1. DevOps Exercises — The Ultimate Practice Ground
The devops-exercises repository by bregman-arie is arguably the most comprehensive collection of DevOps-related questions and exercises available on GitHub. With over 2,600 questions covering DevOps, SRE, Linux, networking, and cloud topics, this repo serves as both an interview preparation toolkit and a skill-validation resource.
What it does: This repository contains thousands of multiple-choice questions, open-ended questions, and hands-on exercises that test your knowledge across the entire DevOps spectrum. Topics range from basic Linux commands to advanced Kubernetes concepts, cloud provider-specific questions, and CI/CD pipeline design scenarios.
How to use it:
- Clone the repository: `git clone https://github.com/bregman-arie/devops-exercises.git`
2. Navigate to the relevant topic folder (e.g., `cd devops-exercises/topics/kubernetes`) - Test yourself with the questions—cover your answers and try to solve them without looking
- For hands-on exercises, set up a local lab environment using Minikube or Docker Desktop
- Track your progress and revisit topics where you scored poorly
Linux command example for system administrators:
Check system resource usage
top -bn1 | head -20
Find and kill zombie processes
ps aux | grep defunct | awk '{print $2}' | xargs kill -9 2>/dev/null
Monitor network connections
ss -tulpn | grep LISTEN
- Kubernetes The Hard Way — Master K8s from Scratch
Kelsey Hightower’s kubernetes-the-hard-way is not for the faint of heart—but it is the gold standard for truly understanding how Kubernetes works under the hood. With over 48,000 stars, this repository walks you through bootstrapping a Kubernetes cluster from scratch on Google Cloud Platform, without the help of automated installers.
What it does: This guide forces you to configure every component of a Kubernetes cluster manually—from generating TLS certificates to setting up etcd, kube-apiserver, kube-controller-manager, and kube-scheduler. You will learn about networking, security, and cluster operations in ways that managed Kubernetes services like GKE or EKS abstract away.
How to use it:
- Set up a GCP project and ensure you have the `gcloud` CLI installed
2. Follow each step sequentially—do not skip sections
- Use the provided scripts to verify each component is working correctly
- After completing the hard way, deploy a sample application to test your cluster
- Compare your manual setup with a managed Kubernetes service to appreciate the automation
Verification command after cluster setup:
Check cluster status kubectl get componentstatuses Verify nodes are ready kubectl get nodes Test cluster functionality with a simple deployment kubectl run nginx --image=nginx --port=80 kubectl expose deployment nginx --type=LoadBalancer --port=80
- 90 Days of DevOps — A Structured Learning Path
The 90DaysOfDevOps repository by Michael Cade offers a structured, day-by-day learning plan that has helped thousands of engineers transition into DevOps roles. With 29,000+ stars, this repo is ideal for those who prefer a guided curriculum over random exploration.
What it does: The repository is organized into 90 days of content covering foundational topics (Linux, networking, scripting), core DevOps tools (Git, CI/CD, configuration management), containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes), cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), and observability (monitoring, logging, tracing).
How to use it:
- Fork the repository to track your own progress
- Dedicate at least 1-2 hours each day to the assigned topic
- Complete the hands-on challenges and projects for each section
- Document your learnings in a personal blog or markdown file
- Join the community discussions to ask questions and share insights
Windows command examples for DevOps tasks:
Check Docker version and status docker version docker info List all running containers docker ps Build and run a container docker build -t myapp . docker run -d -p 8080:80 myapp Manage Kubernetes contexts kubectl config get-contexts kubectl config use-context my-cluster
- The Book of Secret Knowledge — Daily Engineering Arsenal
With over 3,000 curated CLI tools, security utilities, and one-liners, The Book of Secret Knowledge is an indispensable resource for system administrators and DevOps engineers. This repository is a treasure trove of manuals, cheatsheets, and tools used daily by real engineers.
What it does: It compiles practical commands, scripts, and tools for everything from system administration and network troubleshooting to security auditing and performance optimization. It is the kind of repository you bookmark and reference daily.
How to use it:
- Browse the repository to discover tools you did not know existed
- Create aliases for frequently used commands to save time
- Use the security utilities to audit your infrastructure
- Contribute your own useful commands and tools back to the community
Essential Linux commands from the repository:
Check open ports and listening services
netstat -tulpn
Find large files consuming disk space
find / -type f -size +100M -exec ls -lh {} \; 2>/dev/null
Monitor log files in real-time
tail -f /var/log/syslog
Quick SSL certificate check
openssl s_client -connect example.com:443 -servername example.com < /dev/null | openssl x509 -text -1oout
Network troubleshooting with mtr (better than traceroute)
mtr -r -c 10 google.com
5. Awesome DevSecOps — Security-First DevOps
Security is no longer an afterthought in DevOps—it is integrated into every stage of the pipeline. The Awesome DevSecOps repository provides an authoritative list of DevSecOps tools, from securing CI/CD pipelines to monitoring systems.
What it does: This curated list covers tools for static application security testing (SAST), dynamic application security testing (DAST), software composition analysis (SCA), container security, infrastructure security, and runtime security. It helps you build security into your DevOps workflow from day one.
How to use it:
1. Review the tools categorized by security domain
- Integrate SAST tools like SonarQube or Semgrep into your CI/CD pipeline
- Implement container scanning using Trivy or Clair in your build process
- Set up secret scanning to prevent credentials from leaking into repositories
- Regularly update your security toolchain as new threats emerge
CI/CD security pipeline example (GitHub Actions):
name: Security Scan on: [bash] jobs: security: runs-on: ubuntu-latest steps: - uses: actions/checkout@v3 - name: Run Trivy vulnerability scanner uses: aquasecurity/trivy-action@master with: scan-type: 'fs' scan-ref: '.' format: 'sarif' output: 'trivy-results.sarif' - name: Upload Trivy results to GitHub Security tab uses: github/codeql-action/upload-sarif@v2 with: sarif_file: 'trivy-results.sarif'
6. Awesome Scalability — Learn from the Giants
Understanding how large-scale systems are designed is crucial for any DevOps engineer. The Awesome Scalability repository offers a structured reading list that explains how systems at companies like Netflix, Google, and Uber scale to serve billions of users.
What it does: It curates real-world case studies, articles, and papers on system design, scalability patterns, and reliability engineering. You will learn about load balancing, caching, database sharding, microservices architecture, and incident response from the teams that have solved these challenges at massive scale.
How to use it:
- Read one case study per week and summarize key takeaways
- Apply the scalability patterns to your own projects
3. Practice designing systems for hypothetical scenarios
- Discuss the trade-offs between different architectural choices with peers
7. DevOps Bash Tools — Automation at Scale
Automation is the heart of DevOps, and Bash scripting remains one of the most powerful automation tools available. The DevOps Bash Tools repository contains over 1,000 Bash scripts for automating tasks across AWS, GCP, Kubernetes, Docker, CI/CD, and more.
What it does: This repository provides ready-to-use scripts for common DevOps tasks—from provisioning cloud resources and deploying applications to monitoring infrastructure and rotating credentials. It saves countless hours of reinventing the wheel.
How to use it:
- Browse the scripts organized by cloud provider and tool
- Customize the scripts to fit your specific environment
3. Integrate scripts into your CI/CD pipelines
- Use them as learning resources to improve your own scripting skills
Sample automation script:
!/bin/bash
Automated backup script for Kubernetes persistent volumes
NAMESPACE=${1:-default}
BACKUP_DIR="/backup/k8s-$(date +%Y%m%d)"
mkdir -p $BACKUP_DIR
Backup all persistent volume claims
kubectl get pvc -1 $NAMESPACE -o json > $BACKUP_DIR/pvcs.json
Backup all configmaps and secrets
kubectl get configmaps,secrets -1 $NAMESPACE -o yaml > $BACKUP_DIR/configs.yaml
Backup deployment definitions
kubectl get deployments -1 $NAMESPACE -o yaml > $BACKUP_DIR/deployments.yaml
echo "Backup completed: $BACKUP_DIR"
8. Podinfo — The Ultimate GitOps Demo Application
Podinfo by Stefan Prodan is a tiny microservice that demonstrates best practices for running applications on Kubernetes with GitOps. With 6,000+ stars, it is the perfect sandbox for learning progressive delivery techniques.
What it does: Podinfo is a simple Go web application that showcases canary deployments, A/B testing, blue-green deployments, and other advanced deployment strategies using tools like Flux, ArgoCD, and Istio. It is maintained by the Flux team and is production-ready.
How to use it:
- Deploy Podinfo to your Kubernetes cluster: `kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/stefanprodan/podinfo/main/kustomize/deployment.yaml`
- Experiment with different deployment strategies using the provided kustomize overlays
- Set up Flux or ArgoCD to manage the application declaratively
4. Practice rolling updates, rollbacks, and canary releases
5. Monitor the application using Prometheus and Grafana
9. Awesome Cloud Native Trainings — Certification Preparation
Preparing for cloud-1ative certifications like CKA, CKAD, or AWS Certified DevOps Engineer requires structured training. The Awesome Cloud Native Trainings repository collects training resources from CNCF and Kubernetes-related software.
What it does: It aggregates free and paid training materials, labs, and certification guides for Kubernetes, Prometheus, Envoy, and other CNCF projects. It is a one-stop shop for certification preparation.
How to use it:
1. Identify the certification you want to pursue
2. Follow the recommended learning path
3. Practice with the hands-on labs and scenarios
4. Take mock exams to assess your readiness
5. Join the community forums for additional support
- The DevOps Roadmap — Visual Guide to Mastery
The DevOps Roadmap repository by Milan M. provides a visual guide to DevOps learning, with linked study resources for each topic. It helps you understand what to learn and in what order.
What it does: It offers a comprehensive roadmap covering everything from programming fundamentals and Linux to advanced topics like service mesh, GitOps, and observability. Each node on the roadmap links to relevant learning resources.
How to use it:
- Review the roadmap to identify gaps in your knowledge
- Focus on one topic at a time and complete the recommended resources
3. Track your progress by marking completed topics
- Revisit the roadmap periodically as your career evolves
What Undercode Say
- Hands-on practice trumps passive learning—the most effective DevOps engineers are those who spend more time breaking and rebuilding systems than reading documentation. Repositories like devops-exercises and Kubernetes The Hard Way force you to actually do the work.
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Security is everyone’s responsibility—with DevSecOps repositories gaining traction, it is clear that security can no longer be an afterthought. Integrating security tools into your CI/CD pipeline from the start is no longer optional—it is mandatory.
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Community-driven learning accelerates growth—the best repositories are those with active maintainers and communities. Contributing to open source through pull requests and issue reporting is one of the fastest ways to deepen your understanding.
Prediction
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+1 The demand for DevOps engineers with hands-on GitHub experience will continue to outpace supply through 2027, making these repositories even more valuable for career advancement.
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+1 AI-powered code assistants will increasingly be integrated into DevOps workflows, but the fundamental understanding of infrastructure and automation will remain irreplaceable—repositories that teach core concepts will become even more essential.
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+1 Platform engineering will emerge as the next evolution of DevOps, and repositories that cover internal developer platforms, self-service infrastructure, and developer experience will gain significant traction.
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-1 The proliferation of “awesome lists” that are merely link directories without practical exercises will diminish in value—engineers will increasingly gravitate toward repositories with actionable content and hands-on labs.
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-1 As cloud costs continue to rise, engineers who lack practical experience with cost optimization and resource efficiency—skills not adequately covered by many current repositories—will find themselves at a disadvantage.
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-1 The cybersecurity skills gap means that DevOps engineers without security training will face increasing scrutiny, making DevSecOps repositories not just useful but essential for career survival.
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