So here we are.
The last few days have taught me more than I expected, and this felt like a good point to pause and reflect on what I have learned so far.
Virtual Machines and Proxmox
I can now confidently say that I know how to:
- Spin up a virtual machine
- Take snapshots
- Revert a VM back to a known good state
That alone has been a huge mindset shift. Knowing I can experiment freely and undo mistakes has made learning a lot more enjoyable and much less stressful.
Docker: From Copy and Paste to Understanding
Docker has probably been the biggest leap for me.
Before this, my only exposure to Docker was:
- Copying and pasting docker compose files
- Running docker ps
- Following a Word document at work without really knowing why things worked
I did not truly understand what Docker was. I was just following directions.
Now, after actually building and breaking things myself, Docker finally makes sense. I am still far from an expert, but I understand containers, images, and how services fit together. And honestly, I have really enjoyed playing around with it.
Ansible: Less Fun, More Powerful
And then there is Ansible.
Previously, my experience with Ansible was limited to filling out a template in a web based tool at work to run predefined scripts. This time around, I set up my own playbooks for my home lab to automate VM configuration.
It has not been as fun as Docker, but it might be even more valuable.
Seeing how quickly and consistently Ansible can apply baseline configurations really clicked for me. It is one of those tools that feels boring right up until you realize how much time it saves.
Closing Thoughts
I will stop here before this turns into a rambling novel.
This has been one of those stretches where everything starts to connect. Networking, virtualization, containers, and automation are all working together. More to come soon.