DEV Community: Mritunjay Tiwari

Week 6 of my DevOps Journey : Mastering Variables, JSON & YAML

Mritunjay Tiwari — Sun, 15 Jun 2025 15:58:52 +0000

Mastering Variables, JSON & YAML

This week, I focused on the building blocks of configuration and automation in DevOps: variables, JSON, and YAML. These are essential for writing reusable, flexible, and structured code in modern Infrastructure as Code tools like Ansible, Terraform, Kubernetes, and CI/CD pipelines.

🔍 What I Learned:

📌 Variables in DevOps Scripts

Used variables in Bash scripts and Vagrantfile to make VM provisioning more dynamic.

Learned about environment variables (export VAR=value), default values, and scope (global vs local).

📄 JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)

Understood its role in config files, REST APIs, and cloud resource provisioning.

Practiced working with nested structures and arrays.

Learned to format, validate, and parse JSON for better readability.

🧾 YAML (YAML Ain’t Markup Language)

Explored YAML’s clean, readable syntax used in Docker Compose, GitHub Actions, Kubernetes, and Ansible.

Learned best practices like using spaces over tabs, document separation (---), and correct indentation.

Compared YAML vs JSON for real-world config management.

📚 Resources That Helped:

📘 Learn YAML in Y Minutes: https://learnxinyminutes.com/docs/yaml

📘 JSON vs YAML – What’s the Difference?: https://www.json2yaml.com

📺 JSON & YAML Crash Course (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdLNKUoMc6c

📘 DevOps Variable Guide by Educative: https://www.educative.io/blog/devops-variables

✅ JSON Formatter & Validator: https://jsonlint.com

🛠️ Key Tasks I Completed:

✅ Declared and used variables in Vagrant and shell scripts.

✅ Created and validated multi-layered JSON files for configurations.

✅ Wrote YAML files for simulated Kubernetes pods and CI/CD pipelines.

✅ Converted JSON ↔ YAML for better readability and compatibility.

✅ Identified and fixed common errors like wrong indentation and syntax.

⚠️ Common Errors & Quick Fixes:

❌ Error

💡 Solution

bad indentation in YAML

Use only spaces, no tabs. Tools like YAML Lint help.

unexpected end of JSON input

Use JSONLint to find missing commas/brackets.

Variable not found

Ensure it’s exported (export VAR=value) and accessed correctly ($VAR)

YAML list parsing issues

Use - consistently and maintain indentation levels.

🎯 My Takeaway:

Variables, JSON, and YAML may seem basic — but they’re the language of automation. From Vagrant to Kubernetes, understanding these formats helps you control, scale, and debug infrastructure with precision.

Let’s connect if you’re learning YAML, writing automation configs, or exploring Infrastructure as Code!

DevOps #Git #Vagrant #LinuxServers #InfrastructureAsCode #VersionControl #SSH #Virtualization #Automation #SystemAdministration

🚀 Week 5 of My DevOps Journey: Git, Vagrant & Linux Servers

Mritunjay Tiwari — Sat, 31 May 2025 16:41:44 +0000

This week, I explored the foundational tools that make modern DevOps workflows smooth and scalable. From mastering Git for version control to spinning up Linux servers using Vagrant, each tool brought me a step closer to real-world infrastructure automation.

🔍 What I Learned This Week:

🗂️ Version Control with Git
Learned how to initialize repositories, stage/commit changes, and work with branches. Explored Git logs, diffs, merges, and rebasing to keep history clean and workflows efficient.

📦 Vagrant for VM Automation
Understood how Vagrant simplifies virtual machine provisioning. Worked with Vagrantfile, synced folders, and provisioned Linux environments on the fly.

🖥️ Working with Linux Servers
Practiced logging into servers via SSH, updating packages, managing services, and setting up basic server configurations. Learned the importance of secure remote access and environment consistency.

🧠 Resources That Helped Me:

🎥 Course: Decoding DevOps – Git, Vagrant & Linux Servers
🔗 https://www.udemy.com/course/decodingdevops/learn/lecture/26460570?start=15#questions

📘 Pro Git Book (https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2)

📺 Vagrant in 100 Seconds
🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg4y0KWlN0M

🛠️ Tasks Completed:

✔️ Created and managed multiple Git branches for isolated feature development.
✔️ Resolved merge conflicts and rebased commits for a cleaner project history.
✔️ Initialized a Vagrant box with Ubuntu and provisioned it using shell scripts.
✔️ Accessed virtual servers via SSH and ran system-level commands.
✔️ Simulated real-world Linux server environments for DevOps practice.

⚠️ Common Errors & Solutions:

❌ Error 💡 Solution
Permission denied (publickey) while SSH-ing → Add your SSH key or use vagrant ssh directly
Merge conflict on rebase → Use git status, resolve conflicts, then git rebase --continue
"Command not found" inside VM → Update system with sudo apt update and install missing packages
Vagrant up hangs or fails → Check VirtualBox installation and Vagrant plugins

🎯 Biggest Takeaway:

Version control, virtualization, and Linux server management are pillars of DevOps. Learning to wield Git, automate with Vagrant, and navigate servers confidently is empowering — like building the foundation of a DevOps lab right on your laptop.

Let’s connect if you’re diving into Git, Linux, or building virtual labs with Vagrant!

DevOps #Git #Vagrant #LinuxServers #InfrastructureAsCode #VersionControl #SSH #Virtualization #Automation #SystemAdministration

🚀 Week 4 of My DevOps Journey: Linux Internals, Kernel & System Processes

Mritunjay Tiwari — Sun, 25 May 2025 08:19:43 +0000

This week, I took a deep dive into how Linux actually works under the hood — from system boot to process management, and how the kernel ties everything together. It’s fascinating how much happens in the background of even the simplest command!

🔍 What I Learned This Week:

🧠 Understanding the Linux Kernel
Explored the role of the kernel as the core of the OS — handling memory, process scheduling, hardware interaction, and more. Learned about kernel space vs user space and how system calls bridge the two.

⚙️ How Linux Works: Boot to Shell
Studied the Linux boot process (BIOS → Bootloader → Kernel → init/systemd → Shell) and how the system initializes services and user sessions.

💻 Advanced Linux Commands
Practiced top, htop, ps, kill, nice, df, du, uname, dmesg, and more — gaining insight into system performance and kernel logs.

🧰 File System and Mounting
Learned how Linux manages filesystems, mounted devices manually using mount, and checked system partitions with lsblk and fdisk.

🧠 Resources That Helped Me:

📘 How Linux Works by Brian Ward
🔗 https://linuxjourney.com/
📺 Linux Boot Process Explained
🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sebgrmiYdk4

🛠️ Tasks Completed:

✔️ Traced the Linux boot process using logs and dmesg.
✔️ Identified and managed processes using ps, kill, nice, and top.
✔️ Mounted USB drives manually and explored /dev and /proc.
✔️ Explored system call tracing with strace.
✔️ Compared kernel versions and configurations using uname and /proc.

⚠️ Common Errors & Solutions:

❌ Error 💡 Solution
mount: permission denied Use sudo and ensure the device is properly formatted
kill: operation not permitted You can only kill processes you own, or use sudo
command not found Make sure essential packages are installed with sudo apt install
Permission denied when accessing /proc Some files are protected — view as root if necessary

🎯 Biggest Takeaway:

Linux isn't just a command-line interface — it's a beautifully structured operating system with the kernel as its brain. Understanding how it boots, manages processes, and interacts with hardware makes me feel one step closer to being a true DevOps engineer.

Let’s connect if you're exploring Linux internals or getting serious about DevOps foundations!

DevOps #LinuxKernel #SystemAdministration #LinuxCommands #BootProcess #LinuxInternals #ShellScripting #ProcessManagement

🚀 Week 3 of My DevOps Journey: Linux Mastery & Cloud Exploration

Mritunjay Tiwari — Sun, 18 May 2025 09:38:44 +0000

This week was all about diving deeper into the DevOps ecosystem — mastering Linux basics inside VMs and Git Bash, and stepping into the world of cloud computing with AWS EC2.

🔍 What I Learned This Week:

💻 Linux Command Line Essentials
Practiced core Linux commands, user management, file permissions, and navigation — both on VMs and Git Bash (Windows).

🌐 Working with Git Bash
Used Git Bash to execute Linux commands on Windows, manage files, run shell scripts, and interact with remote servers.

☁️ Introduction to AWS EC2
Created and managed EC2 instances, connected using SSH, and deployed basic services.

🧠 Resources That Helped Me:

📘 Linux Command Line for Beginners
🔗 freecodecamp.org/news/linux-command-line-be..

📺 AWS EC2 Beginner Tutorial
🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2GRZxYrzGk

🔐 Connect to EC2 via Git Bash (SSH)
🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57TCFZG08oM

🛠️ Tasks Completed:

✔️ Practiced file and directory operations in Linux VM & Git Bash.
✔️ Created and launched EC2 instances on AWS Free Tier.
✔️ Configured security groups and connected via SSH from Git Bash.
✔️ Deployed a simple HTML page on an EC2 instance (Apache setup).
✔️ Wrote and executed bash scripts to automate basic tasks.

⚠️ Common Errors & Solutions:

❌ Error 💡 Solution
Permission denied (publickey) on EC2 Ensure .pem file has correct permissions: chmod 400 key.pem
Git Bash not recognizing SSH Restart terminal or use full path to ssh.exe
EC2 not reachable via browser Add port 80 (HTTP) in EC2 security group inbound rules
Linux command not found Install missing packages using sudo apt install
🎯 Biggest Takeaway:

Linux is the backbone of DevOps, and Git Bash bridges the gap on Windows. Learning how to work with real cloud servers on AWS EC2 made DevOps feel real.

If you're just starting out — don’t skip the basics. They compound fast.

Let’s connect if you’re learning AWS, Linux, or exploring DevOps tools!

DevOps #AWS #Linux #GitBash #EC2 #ShellScripting #CloudComputing #100DaysOfDevOps #LearningInPublic #TechJourney #BeginnerFriendly

🚀 Week 2 of My DevOps Journey: Virtual Machines & Automation

Mritunjay Tiwari — Sat, 10 May 2025 11:18:22 +0000

This week was all about virtualization and automation — diving into the world of Virtual Machines (VMs) and learning how to set them up manually and automatically using Chocolatey, Vagrant, VirtualBox, Git Bash, and SSH.

🔍 What I Learned This Week:

Understanding Virtual Machines and why they're crucial for DevOps.

Manual setup of VMs using VirtualBox:

Installed CentOS Stream 9 and Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Jellyfish Server).

Automation using:

Chocolatey – to install packages in Windows.

Vagrant – to create and configure VMs quickly.

Vagrant boxes – prepackaged development environments.

Git Bash & SSH – to manage, create, and delete VMs through the CLI.

🧠 Resources That Helped Me:

🍫 How to Install Chocolatey on Windows
🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5WLKu_J_AE

📦 Download & Install Vagrant Using Chocolatey
🔗 https://www.udemy.com/course/decodingdevops/

💿 Installing VirtualBox
🔗 https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

🖥️ Installing CentOS in VirtualBox
🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmGWCOKu0mk

🐧 Installing Ubuntu 24.04 LTS in VirtualBox
🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hva8lsV2nTk

🛠️ Tasks Completed:

✔️ Installed Chocolatey, Vagrant, and VirtualBox.

✔️ Manually created CentOS and Ubuntu VMs in VirtualBox.

✔️ Used Vagrant boxes to automatically spin up and provision VMs.

✔️ Managed VMs via Git Bash using SSH.

✔️ Practiced using commands like vagrant init, vagrant up, vagrant halt, vagrant destroy.

⚠️ Common Errors & Solutions:

❌ Error 💡 Solution
vagrant: command not found Run choco install vagrant, restart Git Bash, and ensure it's in your PATH.
Vagrant can't find VirtualBox Ensure VirtualBox is properly installed and added to system environment variables.
SSH permission denied Delete the .vagrant directory in your project and try vagrant up again.
VM not booting properly Check RAM & storage allocation; use the right ISO file or Vagrant box.
Git Bash can't run Vagrant Use Git Bash as Admin, and ensure Chocolatey, Vagrant, and VirtualBox are in the PATH.

🎯 Biggest Takeaway:

DevOps isn't just about tools — it's about automating everything. Manual setup teaches the “how,” automation teaches the “why.”

Let’s connect if you’re also learning DevOps, or working with Vagrant & virtual machines!

DevOps #VirtualMachines #Vagrant #Chocolatey #Ubuntu #CentOS #LearningInPublic #100DaysOfDevOps #Automation #TechJourney #Beginners #VirtualBox

🚀 My Week 1 DevOps Journey: What I Learned, Faced, and Figured Out (Beginner Insights)

Mritunjay Tiwari — Sat, 03 May 2025 08:30:28 +0000

Hey devs 👋

I’ve just wrapped up Week 1 of my DevOps journey, and let me tell you — it was an exciting, sometimes confusing, but deeply satisfying start. If you're also starting out with DevOps or curious about how to begin, I hope my experience helps you learn (or avoid) a few things.

Here’s what I covered this week, what tripped me up, how I solved it, and a few useful insights for fellow beginners 👇

☁️ What I Learned This Week

What is Cloud Computing? I finally got a grip on the difference between:

IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service): Where you rent virtual hardware (like AWS EC2).

PaaS (Platform as a Service): Managed app platforms (like Heroku).

SaaS (Software as a Service): Apps delivered over the internet (like Google Docs).

👉 I watched this amazing video that made it click for me:
🎥 [Insert YouTube Link: Cloud Computing Basics]

What is DevOps? Before this week, DevOps was just a buzzword for me. Now I understand it's a culture + tools combo that makes software delivery faster, safer, and more efficient.

I explored:

CI/CD pipelines

Version control

Containers (a bit, just the concept)

Automation using tools like Git, scripts, etc.

🎥 I followed freeCodeCamp's DevOps Beginner Roadmap — super beginner-friendly.

Git + GitHub Basics I did a Git + GitHub crash course, and learned the core commands:

git init, git add, git commit, git push, git pull, git clone
🔧 I set up my first repo with a Hello World HTML page and a proper README.

🗂️ My GitHub repo: [Insert Link Here]

Linux & WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) I installed Ubuntu using WSL on Windows and learned:

Basic commands (ls, cd, touch, nano, chmod, etc.)

Navigating file structures

Managing permissions

🎥 Tutorial I used: Ubuntu Terminal for Beginners – freeCodeCamp

⚠️ Challenges I Faced (and How I Solved Them)
❌ Problem 1: WSL Setup Was Confusing
At first, I had no clue how to even access Ubuntu on Windows. I installed WSL but couldn't find the terminal.

✅ Fix: I watched a simple step-by-step WSL install video, and made sure to set WSL 2 as default using PowerShell:

Copy

Copy
bashCopyEditwsl --set-default-version 2
❌ Problem 2: GitHub Authentication
I got stuck with GitHub asking me for a username/password during git push, but it kept failing.

✅ Fix: I learned that GitHub now uses personal access tokens instead of passwords. I generated a token and used it in place of the password — worked perfectly!

❌ Problem 3: Terminal Commands Were Overwhelming
Honestly, switching from GUI to command-line felt alien at first.

✅ Fix: I wrote down common Linux and Git commands on a sticky note and kept a cheat sheet handy. Practicing daily helped a lot.

🔍 Useful Insights from Week 1
Don’t skip the basics. It’s tempting to jump into tools like Docker and Jenkins, but without Git and Linux, you’ll struggle.

Hands-on > just watching videos. I pushed a dummy repo to GitHub and immediately felt more confident.

Join a community. Reading Reddit threads and Hashnode articles helped me realize others face the same issues.

📌 What’s Next (Sneak Peek of Week 2)
Next week, I’ll be diving into:

Shell scripting basics

File automation

More advanced Git commands

Maybe even touching Docker 👀

🙌 Final Thoughts
If you're starting DevOps, trust me — the first week is more about mindset than tools. Get comfortable with terminals, understand version control, and embrace the learning curve. You'll thank yourself later.

Feel free to drop your questions or experiences in the comments — let’s grow together 💪

Follow me here if you’d like to see how Week 2 goes — it’s only getting better from here!

My Journey of Growth: Wins, Lessons & Challenges

Mritunjay Tiwari — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 06:17:50 +0000

Every weekend, I’ll share what I learned, the hurdles I faced, and how I overcame them. Join me on this real, raw journey of growth and discovery. Let’s grow together! 🌱✨ #StayTuned