Resources · DevOps and Kubernetes
From Linux to Kubestronaut, for free
This is the route I took, with the paid courses taken out. In October 2025 it ended in the CNCF Kubestronaut title; it starts with Linux, Git and containers, and every link here is official or free.
Do the hands-on tutorials before any video course; the exams are practical, and the official docs are allowed during them.
1 Plan the route
A community-maintained visual map of what a DevOps engineer learns, from Linux and networking to CI/CD, containers, cloud and monitoring, with links for each node. Use it to see the whole picture, not as a checklist to finish.
2 Foundations
A free Linux Foundation course on the command line, files, processes and basic administration. Linux comfort is the foundation for everything else on this path.
The official Docker introduction: install Docker, build an image, run a container and understand volumes and networks. Containers come before Kubernetes on any DevOps path.
Free hands-on courses that teach Git and GitHub inside real repositories: first commits, pull requests, GitHub Actions and more. The address now redirects to GitHub Learn.
The full Pro Git book, free to read online, from basics to branching and workflows. Read the first three chapters and you will use Git with confidence.
Free practice exercises in many languages, including Go and Python, with optional feedback from volunteer mentors. Good for the scripting skills DevOps work needs.
The official interactive introduction to Go, the language Kubernetes and most cloud native tools are written in. Runs in the browser.
The official Python tutorial from the Python documentation. Enough to write the small automation scripts that DevOps roles expect.
3 Learn Kubernetes
The official reference for Kubernetes concepts, tasks and the API. Every certification exam allows you to use these docs, so learn to find things in them quickly.
Official step-by-step tutorials that start with the basics of deploying an app on a cluster. Do these before any paid course.
A free Linux Foundation course covering Kubernetes architecture, Minikube installs, deployments, services, ConfigMaps, Secrets and ingress. The page lists it at no cost with roughly fifteen to twenty hours of material.
A free Linux Foundation course that maps to the Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA) exam domains: containers, orchestration, observability and delivery. A sensible first step toward the Kubestronaut set.
All of the Linux Foundation's free courses in one filtered list, including Linux, Git, GitOps, cloud infrastructure and security topics. Check it before paying for a course elsewhere.
Google's learning platform with courses, hands-on labs and skill badges for Google Cloud and other Google products. The old cloudskillsboost.google address now redirects here; some labs need credits, and the site offers free monthly credits through its GEAR programme.
AWS's own training platform. The AWS digital training page says it has hundreds of free self-paced digital courses; hands-on labs and exam preparation sit behind a paid subscription.
Free modules and learning paths for Azure, GitHub, DevOps and many other Microsoft topics, with browser-based sandboxes in many modules. Certifications are paid; the learning is free.
A free browser playground that gives you temporary nodes to practise kubectl and cluster setup without installing anything. Handy on a low-spec laptop.
4 Go deeper
A free tutorial that walks you through building a Kubernetes cluster by hand, component by component, so you understand how the pieces fit. Do it after the basics, before the CKA.
Official free tutorials for infrastructure as code with Terraform, from the first configuration to modules and state. Pair them with a free cloud tier.
5 Certify
The CNCF title for people who hold all five Kubernetes certifications at the same time: CKA, CKAD, CKS, KCNA and KCSA. The page explains the benefits and how to claim the title.
High-yield notes for the five Kubestronaut exams (KCNA, KCSA, CKAD, CKA, CKS), written while passing them: the concepts, the commands, where in the docs to find each YAML, and scenario questions with solutions for the hands-on exams. One Markdown file per exam, free.
Exam simulators for CKA, CKAD, CKS, CNPE and LFCS in an environment close to the real exam, with detailed solutions. The Linux Foundation's CKA exam page states that registration includes two simulator sessions from Killer.sh, so do not pay for them separately.
Linux Foundation scholarships that give training courses and certification exams at no cost to people who could not otherwise afford them. The page read in October 2026 said the 2027 programme opens in April 2027.
Aiming for the Kubestronaut title?
The five exams in the order I took them, what each one tests, and my notes for every one.
Open the Kubestronaut roadmap