Which Configuration as Code Tool Should I Start With?

Don’t forget about Salt! It’s not as popular right now, but I still think it’s powerful. It’s similar to Ansible but offers more capabilities for some tasks. I love using it!

The best tool to learn really depends on what your organization uses and what their future plans are. Just a heads up, if you're serious about DevOps or platform engineering, you've got to learn Linux. It’s pretty essential for any of these tools to make sense!

I’d recommend starting with Ansible—it’s user-friendly and widely used. It’s imperative, which means you can connect to other systems directly without needing an agent. Plus, the syntax is easy for anyone to grasp. Check out the book 'Ansible for DevOps' to get a solid start!

Remember that tools like Chef, Puppet, Ansible, and others are built around Linux and shell scripts. If you skip learning Linux basics, you might struggle with the advanced tools. Also, in most workplaces, you don't get to choose your tools—they’ll already have their setups in place! Knowing Linux will help you quickly adapt to whatever they use.

Ansible is definitely the most popular choice nowadays, and I think it's easier to pick up than Chef or Puppet. But just like the earlier comments say, knowing Linux is crucial. Try setting up a Linux VM and install some software manually—this groundwork is important before diving into these tools!