How to learn to web dev for real ?
peterhi: Well there is nothing stopping you from getting a small host somewhere and put up a site of some sort. This can then be used to practice the skills you will require to manage a host. Make sure that the site is actually being used for something so that you will need to maintain it and do upgrades.Then you only have to learn how to...1) Install and configure a machine
2) Configure a web server
3) Set up ssh access securely
4) Set up your database securely
5) Do backups (and as a test nuke the box and rebuild it from backups)
6) Automate the deployment of your application
7) Keep the machine up to date with security patches
8) Keep the hackers at bay
9) Monitor the general health of the machine and servicesBasically you will start to learn the art of the sysadmin. It is a useful skill if you end up at a small company without a dedicated sysadmin and even if you have one it will have a better idea as to what is required to develop and host a site. Empathy with the sysadmin is always good thing.You will learn a lot of new skills, most of which do not involve coding. I have a little hobby site that hosts fan art for a web comic, I have learnt much about automatic deployment by keeping the site up with minimal disruption. I have learnt much more about the running of databases (as opposed to just writing sql) and loads about unix security (users, groups, permissions, jails etc) that programmers just tend to ignore.All for around $9 a month. Money well spent if you ask me.