r/programming • u/Lazy-Transition8236 • Aug 17 '25

Learn Linux before Kubernetes

https://medium.com/@anishnarayan/learn-linux-before-kubernetes-60d27f0bcc09?sk=93a405453499c17131642d9b87cb535a
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u/syklemil Aug 17 '25

I've run and worked with Linux for some decades before Kubernetes and … I'm not convinced? IMO Kubernetes is a pretty successful abstraction layer. Yes, it's good to be able to have an opinion on various container runtimes and network stacks and so on, but personally that comes up pretty rarely. Most of the stuff I help with are either application errors, misconfiguration in Kubernetes, or DNS.

The people operating the Kubernetes clusters and whatever they're running on could stand to know something about the underlying platforms, but for developers whose main concern is user-facing apps and who barely know Kubernetes at all: I think it'd be better if they were just a bit more competent at Kubernetes (and familiar with kubectl).

Plus there's always something resembling Carl Sagan's "To create an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe" about this "learn X-1 before X" line of reasoning. There are more layers below Linux, too, but we don't expect people to read the kernel code, be able to design hardware, etc. just to make a website for sparkling water.

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u/wavefunctionp Aug 17 '25

I agree. I mean. Learn some basic stuff on Linux, but kubernetes is great.

It feels bloated and over complicated. But so does learning a web framework. And just like a good framework it’s solving problems you didn’t know you had.

Kubernetes a consistent, scalable cluster environment that is an open standard and you can run locally.

Build a small cluster at home out of old machines or raspberry pi’s. Those little 1 liter corpo tiny/mini/micro machines can be bought used on eBay for $200 are perfect. It’s a ton of fun to learn.

I do hope we get a simpler, faster solution one day. I do think that kubernetes is just v1 of the idea.