Emilia Michanek

Developer · Linux and Cloud Infrastructure Enthusiast

📍 Oslo

✉️ Du kan sende meg mail på [email protected]

About

Hey, I'm Emilia!

A home lab nerd turned developer who has been doing Linux for 15 years now (a bit longer than I've been coding). You could say I'm involved in all sorts of projects of my own, having run all sorts of things, and that I love reading/writing documentation, learning technologies, debugging systems, and writing code/automations.

Started with Linux in 2009, working with various Linux (Debian-based and Arch-based) and UNIX based platforms. Everything from networking and domain management, to web server configuration, to database management, to storage technologies, to debugging, to cloud infrastructure, to security, to automation and scripting.

I value stability, reliability, scalability, automation, DX (developer experience), and proper documentation quite a lot.

Currently I'm studying the certification material for Terraform, so I can take the Terraform Associate certification very soon! Going for Azure or Kubernetes after that. Also reading up on Ansible and having fun. ✨

Here's a full list of technologies I've used over the years and can happily tell you some fun stories about:

Skills, technologies, and platforms I have used over the years

  • Configuration, hardening, and maintenance of Linux (Debian-based and Arch-based) and UNIX based platforms (since 2009)
  • Scripting (Bash, Python, Ruby, JavaScript, Regex (I love regex actually)) and development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, ECMAScript, TypeScript, React, Next, SWR, Redux, Redux Toolkit) + Git
  • Network, security, DNS administration
  • Web/Application server configuration and database administration (PostgreSQL)
  • Web server configuration (load balancing with reverse proxy): Nginx (TLS 1.2/1.3 with H/1/2, QUIC and H/3, using Let's Encrypt and Certbot, OCSP stapling), Caddy, 0-RTT TLS, HSTS (+ Preload List), CSP, Referrer-Policy, Feature-Policy, Early Hints (interested in web performance/optimization and security records/headers)
  • Cloud infrastructure: AWS (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) (CLI, IAM, VPC, E2, S3), Cloudflare (Workers, D1, R2), Wasabi (Object Storage), Google Cloud Platform (TTS), Digital Ocean (VPS, Object Storage, Block Storage), Linode (VPS), Vultr, Scaleway (macOS M1 and x86 machines for building), Hetzner (VPS, Block Storage)
  • Automation tools, and CI/CD platforms: Docker, Terraform, CircleCI
  • Email and SMS delivery platforms: Twilio, 46elks, Mailgun
  • PaaS for web: Netlify, Vercel, Cloudflare Pages

I'm also interested in things like

  • Video CLI tools (ffmpeg for stream selection, copying, modifying, encoding), codecs, and containers (MKV, MP4, VC1, AVC, HEVC, AV1), audio codecs (MP3, FLAC, Opus, AAC, DD (AC-3), DDP (E-AC-3), TrueHD), subtitling (VTT, SRT, ASS)
  • Computer/digital storage technologies, reliability/stability, backup, and redundancy (RAID, ZFS, physical media storage) and media archival (DAS with HBA vs. NAS)
  • VPN technologies (WireGuard, Tailscale)
  • Federated decentralized protocols and technologies (XMPP (Prosody), Matrix (Synapse, Dendrite, Conduit) (protocol maturity), ActivityPub (the fediverse) (Mastodon)), Matter (with Thread)

What I'm up to right now

  • Planning out some home automatiion with Home Assistant (on the RPi 4 I have), using Matter + Thread enabled devices, NFC tags, and location
  • H/3 over QUIC now mainline in Nginx, trying to figure out config with connection upgrade (alt-svc vs. DNS HTTPS record)
  • Learning more about "serverless" limitations
  • Reading more about web performance (everything from TLS 0-RTT, to web server optimization (Nginx), to CDNs, to frontend frameworks, dependencies, and build processes)
  • Also reading more about web and cloud security

Certifications and Accomplishments

  • International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP): Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) | Nov 2023 – Dec 2026
  • Driver's license (learnt to drive in two weeks whilst working full-time, without prior experience) (I can be a little proud of this one ✨)

Education

Linköping University · BS · Computer Programming · Linköping, Sweden

Aug 2015 – Jun 2018 (Paused)

  • Used a broad spectrum of widely-used programming languages, high and low level, complemented by applications of computer language construction (both imperative programming languages and declarative computer languages), which increased comprehension of new languages, and sped up learning of new technologies, tools, and programming languages
  • Gained skills in operating system construction (and programming), hardware programming, and further skills in computer networking, system administration, database management, scripting, and cybersecurity/hacking, but (now in a uni setting) this time with thick books, and hour long lectures about TCP's inner workings
  • Developed both web solutions (backend and frontend), as well as networked graphical software for use in the transportation sector

NTI Gymnasiet · Information Technology · Stockholm, Sweden

Aug 2012 to Jun 2015

  • Continued refining skills in computer networking, system administration, database management, scripting, and basic cybersecurity, but for the first time in an official setting
  • Both backend and frontend web development, with attention to compliance with data privacy and accessibility laws