Just learn these tools to become DevOps Engineer in 2026

Summary

In this video, Abhishek shares his top DevOps tool recommendations for 2026, focusing on essential tools that every aspiring DevOps engineer should master. From Linux and GitHub to Terraform, Docker, and Kubernetes, he outlines the core technologies that are critical for success. He also covers key aspects of CI/CD, observability, and cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP. The goal is to streamline learning by prioritizing a handful of tools, making it easier for beginners to dive into DevOps without feeling overwhelmed by the vast number of available options.

Takeaways

• 😀 Focus on learning a handful of tools to become a DevOps engineer in 2026, rather than trying to master hundreds of tools.
• 😀 Linux is the recommended operating system for DevOps, with Ubuntu being the ideal distribution. Focus on Linux fundamentals to start.
• 😀 For version control, GitHub is recommended as the primary tool, though GitLab is also an option.
• 😀 Learn basic scripting with Bash or Shell scripting, which will be essential for dealing with virtual machines and version control.
• 😀 Terraform is the go-to infrastructure-as-code tool for DevOps in 2026. Alternatives like Pulumi and Crossplane can be explored later.
• 😀 Ansible is the preferred tool for configuration management due to its simplicity and popularity in 2026.
• 😀 Docker is the recommended containerization tool, though Podman is also a viable alternative.
• 😀 Kubernetes is crucial for container orchestration in 2026, with a focus on mastering its latest concepts like Gateway API and custom resources.
• 😀 For CI/CD, GitHub Actions for CI and Argo CD for CD are the best options to focus on for simplicity and interview preparation.
• 😀 Keep observability simple by focusing on Prometheus and Grafana for monitoring, ELK or EFK stack for logging, and Jagger/OpenTelemetry for tracing.
• 😀 In the cloud domain, focus on key services across AWS, Azure, or GCP. Learn essential services in compute, networking, storage, and container orchestration.
• 😀 Stick to one cloud platform (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and master the key services like EC2, VPC, S3, EKS, RDS, and CloudWatch for a solid DevOps foundation.

Q & A

Why are there so many tools in the DevOps ecosystem, and how can beginners manage this overload?

The DevOps ecosystem is filled with a large number of tools, each solving different parts of the development and operations pipeline. Beginners often find this overwhelming. However, instead of learning all the tools, it's recommended to focus on a handful of key tools to become proficient, which will allow one to stay focused and efficient in their DevOps journey.

Which operating system should a DevOps engineer focus on in 2026?

In 2026, a DevOps engineer should primarily focus on Linux, as most production workloads run on Linux. The recommended distribution is Ubuntu due to its popularity, ease of use, and the ability to run it on a Windows laptop using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).

What should a DevOps beginner focus on when learning Linux?

For beginners, the focus should be on understanding the fundamentals of Linux, not the internal workings. Learning basic commands, file systems, and shell usage is crucial. Once employed, a deeper dive into Linux internals can follow.

What version control system should a DevOps engineer prioritize?

A DevOps engineer should focus on Git for version control. Among the available platforms, GitHub is recommended for its popularity and ease of use. GitLab can be an alternative, but minimizing the number of tools is key for efficiency.

What scripting language should a DevOps engineer learn initially?

For DevOps tasks, shell scripting or Bash is recommended. It is widely used for automating tasks on virtual machines and handling version control workflows.

Which tool should be learned for Infrastructure as Code (IaC) in DevOps?

For Infrastructure as Code, Terraform should be the primary tool to focus on. Even though there are alternatives like Pulumi and Crossplane, Terraform has the largest ecosystem and will provide ample opportunities in 2026.

Which configuration management tool is recommended for DevOps in 2026?

Ansible is the most recommended configuration management tool for 2026 due to its simplicity and popularity. While alternatives like Puppet and Chef exist, Ansible stands out in the DevOps space.

What containerization and orchestration technologies should DevOps engineers focus on?

For containerization, Docker should be the primary tool, with Podman as a secondary option. When it comes to orchestration, Kubernetes is the standard and should be mastered in 2026. It is essential to focus on the latest features and changes, such as the adoption of Gateway API for networking.

What CI/CD tools should a DevOps engineer focus on?

For CI, GitHub Actions is recommended. For CD, Argo CD should be the go-to solution. Learning a single CI tool and a single CD tool is sufficient, as mastering multiple CI/CD platforms can lead to confusion with different syntax and plugins.

What observability tools should a DevOps engineer focus on?

For monitoring, Prometheus and Grafana should be the primary tools. For logging, focus on the ELK stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, and Kibana). For distributed tracing, Jagger and OpenTelemetry are recommended. These open-source platforms are widely used and are a great foundation before exploring enterprise-level tools like Datadog.

Which cloud platform and services should DevOps engineers prioritize?

A DevOps engineer should focus on one of the major cloud platforms: AWS, Azure, or GCP. It is essential to learn basic services related to compute (e.g., EC2, VMs), networking (e.g., VPC), storage (e.g., S3), container orchestration (e.g., EKS), and monitoring (e.g., CloudWatch). Once these core services are mastered, one can move on to more advanced services like serverless or automation-related features.