# Linux systems engineer — since 2010

> My work with Linux servers: the operating system applications run on, nginx, the firewall, storage, and container and cloud environments.

- Highlights: 16 years
- Experience: Since 2010
- Updated: 2026-11-08
- Source: https://muhammetsafak.com/expertise/linux/
- Language: en-US
- Author: Muhammet Şafak

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## Me in the Linux ecosystem

Linux is the ground under all my other tools: the application, the container and Kubernetes all end up running on a Linux server. The role side of this work is on the [DevOps and infrastructure page](https://muhammetsafak.com/expertise/devops/).

Linux is the oldest tool on the DevOps pages: I started with it in 2010, and with [Docker](https://muhammetsafak.com/expertise/docker/) and [Kubernetes](https://muhammetsafak.com/expertise/kubernetes/) in 2020. That is why I like reading what a container shares with the server, and what it does not, from the Linux side.

I wrote about building a server in its barest form, on my own hardware, in the [home cloud server build](https://muhammetsafak.com/blog/home-cloud-server-raspberry-pi5-upgrade/): operating system, static IP, firewall and storage, everything a cloud does not hand you ready-made.

## What is the Linux Systems Engineer role?

Linux is a clone of the Unix operating system, written from scratch by Linus Torvalds with the help of a loosely-knit team of hackers across the Net. The kernel is just one component of a working Linux system; a complete system needs a distribution that carries the other software alongside it. A Linux systems engineer is the person who sets up and operates this server environment applications run in.

## What does the Linux Systems Engineer do?

I use Linux as the server operating system applications run on. I put nginx in front of the application and configure services on the server; [Docker](https://muhammetsafak.com/expertise/docker/) containers, [Kubernetes](https://muhammetsafak.com/expertise/kubernetes/) or Dokploy run on top. The servers sit in cloud environments such as AWS and Google Cloud, or on my own hardware.

## Technologies I pair it with

- Linux: The server operating system applications run on.
- nginx: The layer in front of the application.
- Docker: Development environment and deployment unit.
- Kubernetes: The orchestration layer where containers are run, scaled and restarted across machines.
- Dokploy: Self-hosted PaaS; container-based deploys.
- AWS: Cloud provider; virtual machines, storage and managed services.
- Google Cloud: Cloud provider; virtual machines, storage and managed services.

## Frequently asked

### How long have you worked with Linux?

Since 2010 — 16 years.

### What is Linux?

Linux is a clone of the Unix operating system, written from scratch by Linus Torvalds with the help of a loosely-knit team of hackers across the Net. According to kernel.org the kernel is just a component in a working Linux system; a complete system needs a distribution.

### Is the Linux kernel the same as a Linux distribution?

No. The kernel is one component of the system; a distribution is the whole that ships the kernel together with the other software needed to run it.

### Why do you use Linux on servers?

As the server operating system applications run on. Containers use the host kernel too, so having Linux under the server makes working with Docker and Kubernetes easier.

### What do you do on a Linux server?

Put nginx in front of the application, configure services, set up the firewall and network settings, and organise storage. I wrote up the static IP, firewall (UFW) and RAID 10 storage steps in a home cloud server build on the blog.

### What have you written about Linux?

I wrote up a home cloud server build on a Raspberry Pi 5: Raspberry Pi OS Lite, a static IP, the UFW firewall, RAID 10 storage with mdadm, CasaOS, MariaDB, Nextcloud, and Cloudflare Tunnel for access without opening a port on the modem.

### Which environments do you run Linux servers in?

In the cloud on AWS and Google Cloud, and on my own hardware as a home server on a Raspberry Pi 5. On top of the servers I use Docker, Kubernetes and Dokploy for containers.