Cloud-Native Skills in 2026: The Open-Source Playbook Everyone Should Be Using
- info1143081
- Jan 16
- 5 min read
Linux. Containers. Kubernetes. Automation. Infrastructure as Code.
If those words keep appearing in job descriptions, you’re not imagining things.
In 2026, cloud-native and open-source skills are no longer “nice to have.” They’re the baseline for developers, DevOps engineers, SREs, and platform teams. The good news? You don’t need expensive bootcamps or proprietary platforms to learn them. You need the right open-source tools, real labs, and community-backed learning paths.
This guide breaks down the platforms, distributions, and free resources that help you build practical, enterprise-ready cloud-native skills using Linux, containers, Kubernetes, OpenShift, Ansible, Terraform, and OpenTofu (now a CNCF Sandbox project).
Why Open Source Is the Foundation of Cloud-Native Skills
Cloud-native is built on open source.
Linux runs the cloud.
Kubernetes orchestrates it.
Ansible automates it.
OpenTofu and Terraform define it.
CNCF projects glue it all together.
Learning open source gives you:
Real-world tools, not abstractions
Skills that transfer across employers
Community-driven innovation
Freedom from vendor lock-in
If you want skills that scale with your career, open source is the fastest and most future-proof path.
Why Linux Distribution Choice Matters in the Enterprise
One of the first questions people ask is:
“Which Linux distro should I learn?”
In real-world enterprise environments, the answer almost always comes down to two Linux families:
Debian/Ubuntu-based systems (Ubuntu Server, Debian)
Red Hat–based systems (RHEL, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, Fedora)
Between them, these distributions power the majority of production workloads across modern data centers and cloud platforms.
I’ve used both Ubuntu and Red Hat–based distributions in different roles and environments. Each has its strengths, and both are worth understanding. That said, I’ve been using Red Hat–based Linux distributions since I was 13 years old, and that long-term exposure has heavily shaped how I approach Linux, automation, and enterprise platforms.
That experience matters—because Red Hat–based systems tend to dominate:
Large enterprises and regulated industries
Kubernetes platforms like OpenShift or podman
Automation and lifecycle management workflows
Long-lived, stability-focused production environments
Understanding both ecosystems is valuable, but going deep where enterprise platforms actually run gives you a long-term advantage.
Choosing Your Linux Desktop: Fedora vs. RHEL
Both Fedora and RHEL are sponsored by Red Hat, but they serve different purposes.
Feature | Fedora 43 | RHEL 9 (Developer Subscription) |
Model | Community-driven (upstream) | Enterprise-grade (downstream) |
Release Cycle | ~6 months | ~3–5 years |
Support | ~13 months | ~10 years |
Software | Cutting-edge | Stable & hardened |
Best For | Developers, learning, labs | Enterprise alignment, cert prep |
Cost | Free | Free for developers (up to 16 systems) |
Recommendation
Use Fedora to stay close to upstream innovation and modern tooling
Use RHEL to mirror enterprise production environments and certifications
RHEL is free for personal learning through the Red Hat Developer Subscription:
Fedora Workstation Distro:
Together, Fedora and RHEL form one of the strongest learning pipelines for cloud-native and enterprise Linux skills.
Core Cloud-Native Skills and Where to Learn Them
Containers, Kubernetes & OpenShift
Containers are the foundation. Kubernetes is the control plane. OpenShift is how many enterprises run both at scale.
OpenShift and Podman: Containers in the Cloud-Native World
Podman: Lightweight Container Management
Containers are the building blocks of modern cloud-native platforms, and OpenShift and Podman are two tools that help you run, manage, and orchestrate them—each with its own focus.
OpenShift: Enterprise Kubernetes Platform
OpenShift is Red Hat’s enterprise Kubernetes platform. It provides:
A fully managed Kubernetes environment
Built-in CI/CD pipelines, monitoring, and security
Enterprise-grade support and certification
Use OpenShift when you want a production-ready platform for deploying and managing containerized applications at scale, particularly in regulated or large enterprise environments. OpenShift integrates with RHEL, Fedora, and cloud providers, making it ideal for teams running multi-node clusters in production.
Podman is a daemonless container engine for developing, managing, and running containers. Unlike Docker, Podman is rootless by design, meaning it’s more secure for development environments. It also supports pods—groups of containers sharing network and storage resources—similar to Kubernetes concepts.
Podman was donated to the CNCF by Red Hat, highlighting its growing importance in the cloud-native ecosystem. You can use it for:
Local development of containerized applications
Testing container builds before deploying to Kubernetes/OpenShift
Lightweight automation of container workflows
Key Differences
Feature | OpenShift | Podman |
Scope | Enterprise Kubernetes platform | Container engine / local development tool |
Purpose | Deploy, scale, and manage clusters and applications | Build, run, and manage individual containers or pods |
Complexity | High (production-grade, full platform) | Low to medium (developer-focused, lightweight) |
Integration | CI/CD, monitoring, security, Kubernetes cluster management | Compatible with Kubernetes YAML, but mainly local/container-level |
Summary:
Use OpenShift for production workloads and cluster orchestration, and Podman for local development, testing, and building container images before pushing them to Kubernetes or OpenShift. Together, they provide a smooth path from developer laptop to production cluster.
For more information on Podman and its desktop tools: https://podman-desktop.io
Automation with Ansible
Manual configuration doesn’t scale. Automation does.
Ansible is an open-source automation tool that lets you configure systems, deploy applications, and manage IT taskswith simple, human-readable playbooks. Unlike other tools, it’s agentless, connecting over SSH or APIs to apply consistent configuration across servers and environments. When combined with Terraform, Ansible can take infrastructure provisioned by Terraform and automatically configure software, services, and applications, providing full end-to-end automation.
naturally if you want.
Infrastructure as Code: Terraform & OpenTofu
Infrastructure as Code is how modern platforms stay consistent.
Terraform and OpenTofu are Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) tools that let you define, provision, and manage cloud resources using code, making infrastructure repeatable, version-controlled, and automated. With IaC, instead of manually creating servers, networks, or databases, you write configuration files that describe your desired environment, and tools like Terraform or OpenTofu automatically build and maintain it.
OpenTofu, a community-driven Terraform fork, became a CNCF Sandbox project in April 2025, making it a strong long-term choice.
Skills transfer cleanly between Terraform and OpenTofu.
Free Courses and Certifications That Matter
Provider | Course | Area | Free |
Red Hat | DO080 – Containerization Overview | Containers & OpenShift | ✅ |
Red Hat | DO007 – Ansible Essentials | Automation | ✅ |
Red Hat | RH024 – RHEL Technical Overview | Linux | ✅ |
Linux Foundation | LFS158 – Introduction to Kubernetes | Kubernetes | ✅ |
Linux Foundation | LFS101 – Introduction to Linux | Linux Basics | ✅ |
CNCF | KCNA Certification | Cloud Native Fundamentals | ❌ (Exam Paid) |
These courses are practical, respected, and widely recognized across the industry.
Community and Ongoing Learning
Communities
GitHub
Media
YouTube: TechWorld with Nana, Red Hat OpenShift
Podcasts: Cloud Native Podcast, Command Line Heroes, Code To Cloud
Conclusion
2026 is an excellent time to invest in open-source cloud-native skills.
With a free Linux desktop, real Kubernetes clusters, hands-on automation, and infrastructure-as-code tools—all backed by strong open-source communities—you can build enterprise-ready skills without vendor lock-in or massive costs. Whether you start with Fedora or RHEL, Ubuntu or OpenShift, the most important step is simply getting hands-on.
But learning the tools is only part of the journey.
Modern cloud platforms are built on decades of ideas that started with Unix, and understanding that history gives valuable context to the technologies we use every day. Following the Code to Cloud Podcast is a great way to explore where Linux, containers, and cloud-native thinking came from—through conversations about Unix history, system design, and the people who shaped the platforms we rely on today.
And learning doesn’t have to happen alone.
If you want to keep the conversation going—ask questions, debate distro choices, share what you’re building, or dig deeper into topics from the podcast—the Code to Cloud Discord server is where that community comes together. It’s a place to learn in public, learn from others, and grow alongside people working through the same challenges.
Start building. Start breaking things. Learn the history. Join the conversation.
That’s how cloud-native careers are built. 🚀
Ship It. Scale It.
Author: Kevin Evans