Stop Clicking. Start Automating.
The first time I automated a task that used to take me an hour, I felt like I’d discovered magic. A 50-line script that did what I used to do manually, perfectly, every time, while I did something else.
From the field: Automation is what separates infrastructure you manage from infrastructure that manages itself. I automate everything I can, backups, deployments, monitoring, security baselines. Not because I am lazy, but because manual processes do not scale and humans make mistakes at 2am.
Automation is the skill that transforms sysadmins into DevOps engineers, and DevOps engineers into architects. It’s the difference between doing work and building systems that do work for you.
This series takes you from basic scripting through Infrastructure as Code. By the end, you’ll understand the tools and patterns that enterprises pay £55-75k for people to implement.
Career Context: Sysadmins who can script: £40-50k. Add configuration management (Ansible): £50-60k. Add Infrastructure as Code (Terraform): £60-75k. Automation skills are the clearest path from mid-level to senior roles.
The Series
Each guide builds on the last. Start with scripting fundamentals, then progress to configuration management and Infrastructure as Code.
Foundation
Scripting Fundamentals: Bash and PowerShell
Where automation begins. Variables, loops, conditionals, and the patterns that work in both Bash and PowerShell.
Scheduled Tasks and Cron
Make your scripts run themselves. Cron jobs, Windows Task Scheduler, systemd timers.
Configuration Management
Ansible: Configuration Management
Manage fleets of servers with code. Playbooks, roles, and idempotent configuration.
Infrastructure as Code
Terraform: Infrastructure as Code
Create infrastructure by writing code. Providers, resources, state management. Build entire environments that you can version control and reproduce.
The Automation Progression
| Level | Skills | What You Can Do | Role Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scripts | Bash, PowerShell basics | Automate repetitive tasks | Junior Admin (£32-40k) |
| Scheduling | Cron, Task Scheduler | Hands-off automation | Mid Admin (£40-48k) |
| Config Mgmt | Ansible | Manage server fleets | Senior Admin (£48-58k) |
| IaC | Terraform, CloudFormation | Build entire environments | DevOps/SRE (£55-75k) |
Who This Series Is For
- Sysadmins tired of repetitive work – Automate the boring stuff
- Support engineers moving to infrastructure – Scripts are your ticket up
- Developers wanting DevOps skills – IaC is where dev meets ops
- Anyone pursuing DevOps/SRE roles – Automation is non-negotiable
- Homelabbers wanting production skills – Document your lab as code
The automation mindset: If you do something more than twice, automate it. If you can’t automate it, document it. If you can’t document it, simplify it until you can.
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Related Learning Paths
- Linux Fundamentals – Know the systems you’re automating (12 guides)
- Windows Fundamentals – PowerShell automation for Windows environments
- Azure AZ-104 Series – Automate cloud infrastructure
- Homelab Guides – Practice automation in your own environment
The Automation Path
Start with the fundamentals and build up:
- Scripting Fundamentals — bash, PowerShell, and the basics of writing automation
- Scheduled Tasks and Cron — run your scripts automatically on a schedule
- Ansible Fundamentals — configuration management and orchestration across multiple hosts
- Ansible Security Baseline — a practical project: automate Linux hardening
- Terraform Fundamentals — infrastructure as code for cloud and on-prem
Why Automate?
Every script you write is a piece of documentation that also does the work. When I deploy a new host in my homelab, an Ansible playbook handles the base configuration — users, SSH keys, firewall rules, monitoring agent. Same playbook every time. No missed steps, no “I forgot to disable root login on that one.”
The same principle applies at enterprise scale. The difference is just the number of hosts and the consequences of getting it wrong.
Related Series
- Linux Fundamentals — the OS your automation will manage
- Docker Compose — declarative service management
- Build Your First Homelab — build something worth automating
RTFM Apparel · printed in the UK
ReadTheManual is run, written and curated by Eric Lonsdale.
Eric has over 20 years of professional experience in IT infrastructure, cloud architecture, and cybersecurity, but started with PCs long before that.
He built his first machine from parts bought off tables at the local college campus, hoping they worked. He learned on BBC Micros and Atari units in the early 90s, and has built almost every PC he’s used between 1995 and now.
From helpdesk to infrastructure architect, Eric has worked across enterprise datacentres, Azure environments, and security operations. He’s managed teams, trained engineers, and spent two decades solving the problems this site teaches you to solve.
ReadTheManual exists because Eric believes the best way to learn IT is to build things, break things, and actually read the manual. Every guide on this site runs on infrastructure he owns and maintains.
