This article introduces a scholarship program developed within one of our company to maximize the use of powerful open-source tools, saving thousands of euros monthly (ex: SaaS replacements) and forming the core of our business operations. Designed for personal and professional growth, the guide covers system administration, software development, and AI tools. It includes practical challenges and real-world projects, with resources and support available. Follow this guide at your own pace and feel free to reach out with any questions.

Note: the cover image was generated using flux1-schnell 2 steps

GOAL

After finishing this scholarship you will be able to:

• Establish a business enterprise designed to address a specific market need by developing or offering a unique product, service, or technology.
• Earn money offering system administration, software development services or IT support.
• Generate passive income.
• Incorporate into your daily routine a new mindset and some technologies based on freedom, performance and privacy to maximize your full potential.

MATERIAL

Videos

• Zeitgeist: The Movie
• Zeitgeist: Addendum
• No veas este vídeo si vas a votar hoy : #WHYDEMOCRACY
• Qué es REALMENTE la democracia : #WHYDEMOCRACY
• Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey
• The Rules for Rulers

Books

• 1984
• Brave New World
• The End of Eternity
• Sapiens
• Thinking, Fast and Slow

Free Open Source Software

• GNU/Linux
• Arch, NixOS, Fedora, Debian
• GrapheneOS, LineageOS
• Ubuntu Touch, SailfishOS, PostmarketOS
• Nginx
• Firefox, Brave
• LibreOffice
• Python, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, SVG
• Node, npx, Bun, Svelte, Web Components, Tauri
• MongoDB, MySQL, Valkey
• Bash, Makefile
• Git
• Docker
• Neovim
• GIMP, Krita
• Inkscape
• Blender
• Godot
• Thunderbird
• OpenProject
• Jitsi
• Mattermost
• RustDesk
• FreeNAS
• OpenVPN, WireGuard
• Tailscale
• pfSense
• GLPI
• Joplin, Logseq
• Grafana
• OBS
• Kdenlive
• Telegram
• Gitlab, Github
• Wordpress, WooCommerce
• Odoo
• Home Assistant
• MQTT
• KDE Connect
• FileZilla, scp
• NocoDB, Grist, Baserow
• oathtool
• scrcpy
• curl, httpie
• ssh
• ping, ifconfig, nmap, arp-scan
• mutt, mailx, mailutils
• xdotools
• tmux
• jq
• FFmpeg
• dust, btop, lshw, neofetch
• ImageMagic
• Tesseract
• Ollama: Llama 3.1, Mixtral, DBRX
• Ollama WebUI
• Stable Diffusion WebUI/Forge: Flux.1
• ComfyUI
• Whisper, Bark
• Quivr
• Chroma
• TensorFlow
• Blockchain

PLANNING

• Week 1: Design
• Week 2: Front and Back Office
• Week 3 and 4: Frontend Development
• Week 5 and 6: Backend Development
• Week 7: AI Tools Locally

Learning by doing: Tutorial + Challenge

At the end of every week you will submit a compressed file in Telegram with all tasks completed.

Each challenge's folder should have:

• README.md with explanations, tips and steps to reproduce / deploy
• Relevant screenshots
• Video with OBS <= 5m (edit with Shotcut / Blender and optimize with FFmpeg if needed)
• Related files: .html, .yml, .blender, .svg, etc

At the end of each month you will have a real time exam divided in 3 parts:

• Typing speed
• Communication skills
• Problem solving

Note: you can rely on extra resources if needed, but you have to link sources

Month 1

• Watch: Zeitgeist
• Read: 1984

Week 1: Design ⬆️

• Desktop setup: theme, window mangers, terminal, icons
• Photo editing: landing page photos, presentation images
• Vector interface design: brand logo, flowchart, app user interface
• 3D modeling: device, robot, videogame character
• Real-world machine: parametric 3D, engineering and analysis, technical documentation

1. Unixporn
   • Overview
   • Challenge
     1. Avoid using desktop folder
     2. Set profile image and destop wallpaper slideshow with your 5 fav animes
     3. Set dock at the bottom always hidden (use Super key to show)
     4. Dock: FF, Brave, Terminal, VSCodium, Inkscape, GIMP, Blender, OBS, VLC, LibreOffice, Steam, Files, Tracer
     5. Install Oh My ZSH
     6. Install Powerlevel10k
     7. Add extra configuration from unixporn that you like
2. GIMP
   • Tutorial
   • Challenge: Integrate in the "L'ultima cena" the following elements as you wish: Tux, Einstein and a T-Rex
3. Inkscape
   • Tutorial
   • Challenge: App design to control a WiFi Mesh using this style and only vectors
4. Blender
   • Tutorial
   • Challenge: Create a robot / mechanical arm
5. FreeCAD
   • Tutorial
   • Challenge
     1. Create a phone holder using Blender shortcuts
     2. Get it real with a 3D printer

These powerful apps are trusted, used and supported by millions+ Organisations:

• GIMP: Google, the US Department of Energy, the US Navy
• Inkscape: Wikimedia Foundation, NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA)
• Blender: Nickelodeon, Lucasfilm, Netflix, Ubisoft, BMW, Nvidia, AMD, Amazon, Unity
• FreeCAD: Epiray, Oak Tree Engineering, 3BM

Please, consider donating to these open source apps so we can all benefit from them. Even if there are great engineers and good companies behind you can support them in many ways ❤️ We all add up, and together we can accomplish great things.

Week 2: Front and Back Office ⬆️

• Notes across devices
• Company or personal website
• E-Commerce shop linked to Paypal, Stripe or Square
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
• Email
• Chat service with file sharing, search, and integrations
• Voice, video conferencing and instant messaging applications
• IT asset management (ITAM) and service desk software solution
• Remote technical support
• Databases as spreadsheets
• Planning

1. Joplin
   • Tutorial
   • Challenge
     1. Docker Compose file for Joplin server
     2. Find best/easy free docker hosting platform in EU
     3. Install Joplin server with Docker Compose on previous hosting
     4. Install the Joplin client on your desktop and mobile
     5. Write a list with top 10 greatest scientist and check synchronization
2. WordPress
   • Tutorial
   • Challenge
     1. Docker Compose file for Wordpress
     2. Install Wordpress with Docker Compose locally and
     3. Add an article, backup database and prepare a new Docker Compose to restore
     4. Uninstall Wordpress and restore it back
3. WooCommerce
   • Tutorial
   • Challenge
     1. Install WordPress with Docker Compose on a hosting platform
     2. Install WooCommerce
     3. Set a shop to sell digital assets and link to your paypal account
     4. Add Graphics & Design products completed in Week 1 and set a small price for each
     5. Clients will download the source file once payment is confirmed
     6. Tell someone to buy you something
4. Odoo
   • Overview and tutorial
   • Challenge
     1. Install Odoo Community with Docker Compose locally on your machine
     2. Add module for Employees, Contacts, Expenses, Attendances, Proyects and Sales
     3. Add employees from Week 1 / GIMP and assign them tasks
     4. Add some employee expenses and attendances
     5. Add company bills with Spanish taxes
     6. Backup database, uninstall Odoo and resotore it back
5. Thunderbird
   • Overview
   • Challenge
     1. Install Thunderbird and set a free email account
     2. Set your automatic email signature
     3. Create a bash script and send 100 messages to your account
     4. Backup emails received, remove them and restore them back
6. Mattermost
   • Tutorial
   • Challenge
     1. Install Mattermost with Docker Compose locally on your machine
     2. Install the Mattermost client on your desktop and mobile with different accounts
     3. Create a group, post messages and images about distros preferences
     4. Backup database, uninstall Mattermost and restore it back
7. Jitsi
   • Tutorial
   • Challenge
     1. Install Jitsi in a free external server
     2. Install the Jitsi client on your mobile
     3. Send a link to a friend and talk about world domination using your self hosting service
8. GLPI
   • Tutorial
   • Challenge
     1. Install GLPI with Docker Compose locally on your machine
     2. Create some tickets for incidents and requests
9. RustDesk
   • Tutorial
   • Challenge
     1. Install RustDesk with Docker in a free external server
     2. Connect to a computer outside your local network using RustDesk and change its wallpaper
10. NocoDB
    • Overview and tutorial
    • Challenge
      1. Install NocoDB with Docker Compose locally on your machine
      2. Import JSON, CSV, ODS and XLS files
      3. Connect to some MySQL database
      4. Change data and export back in same format
      5. Backup all your data, uninstall NocoDB and restore it all in a free external server
11. OpenProject
    • Overview
    • Challenge
      1. Install OpenProject with Docker Compose locally on your machine
      2. Create a planning to destroy all evil corporations and corrupt politicians
      3. Export your planning in PDF and send it to your army

These powerful apps are trusted, used and supported by millions+ Organisations:

• Joplin: WISPER, Oodles Technologies, PF Holdings
• WordPress: The White House, Mercedes-Benz, Sony Music, The Walt Disney Company
• Thunderbird: MIT, Deutsche Welle, European Commission, Autoplant, Mozilla
• Odoo: Toyota, Hyundai, Danone, Coca-Cola
• Mattermost: Uber, Samsung, Airbus, CERN
• Jitsi: French Government, the European Commission, Deutsche Telekom
• GLPI: Axess StarXpert, IT Governance, Würth
• RustDesk: Amazon
• NocoDB: Walmart, Bosh, Accenture
• OpenProject: Siemens, Stadt Köln, Greenpace

You can create and sell your own plugins with Odoo. Install RustDesk in any company and earn money giving support. Communicate internally with Mattermost. Meet your project deadlines using OpenProject and so on.

Use these apps in your startup or install them in other companies that wanna improve their workflow and at the same time wanna save plenty of money. You can get rid of private software, monthly subscriptions, expensive licenses and abusive monopoly practices. Invest money in people and free open source technologies ❤️

Week 3 and 4: Frontend Development ⬆️

• Web standards
• Company or personal website
• Beautiful interfaces to integrate with any backend technology
• Interactive games, multimedia applications
• Responsive applications that adapt to phones, tablets and desktop computers

Note: use MDN for good specific documentation about web technologies

1. Intro
   • HTML
   • CSS
   • JavaScript
2. Codecademy courses
   • HTML
   • CSS
   • CSS Intermediate
   • JavaScript
3. Challenge: Create an HTML and CSS-only terminal center on a wallpaper
4. Deep understanding of JavaScript
   • JS - Understanding the Weird Parts
   • What the heck is the event loop anyway?
   • Functional programming in JavaScript
5. Challenge: Create Simon Game
6. W3schools tutorials
   • HTML
     1. Tutorial
     2. Forms
     3. Graphics
     4. Media
     5. APIs
   • CSS
     1. Tutorial
     2. Advanced
     3. Responsive
     4. Grid
   • JavaScript
     1. Tutorial
     2. Objects
     3. Functions
     4. DOM
     5. BOM
     6. APIs
     7. JSON
7. Debugging and Short Tricks
   • Firefox devtools
   • Short tricks part one
   • Short tricks part two
8. Challenge
   1. Studio Ghibli gallery
   2. Save films from IMBb using their API
   3. HackerRank
      • Prepare > Problem Solving. Solve 20 easy problems using JS

Web standard powers the whole web but also phone and desktop apps like Facebook, Instagram, Candy Crush, Uber, Slack, Visual Studio Code, Skype, Steam, Spotify

Month 2

• Watch: #WHYDEMOCRACY, The Rules for the Rulers
• Read: Brave New World

Week 5 and 6: Backend development ⬆️

• Node (JavaScript) in the server
• Offering services to other pieces of software
• Databases: MongoDB, MySQL, Valkey (Redis)
• Distributed version control system that tracks changes in any set of computer files
• Fast all-in-on JavaScript runtime

1. Intro
   • API with Node and Express
   • MySQL
   • MongoDB
   • Redis
   • Git
   • Bun
   • GraphQL
2. Node
   • Tutorial
   • Challenge:
     1. Set up your project about events that changed humanity forever: title, when, where and what
     2. Set up MongoDB
     3. Create your Express server
     4. Create a model for your data
     5. Create routes for CRUD operations
     6. Mount routes in your Express app
     7. Test your API
3. Telegram API
   • Overview
   • Terminal challenge: Send messages and files over Telegram from the command line
   • Node challenge
     1. Tutorial
     2. Create a bot that welcome you every time you say '/hi'
     3. Connect your bot with previous API and ask for events list and specific event info
   • PC events challenge: Add a command to your bot that turn off your computer in the following N seconds
   • Gmail challenge: Every time you receive a new email read it on Telegram
   • Browser challenge: Chromium extension that listens for updates in external Telegram Web App Channels and resend info (messages and/or images) after some changes to other external channels acting as a real user
4. Bun
   • Overview
   • Challenge
     1. Create a repo and recreate Node and Express challenge using just Bun
     2. Use tiny meaningful commits in English: fix, feat, refactor, chore, perf
     3. Create a new branch and use ElysiaJS as your backend framework. Don't forget good practics in your commits.
5. GraphQL
   • Overview
   • Use GraphQL Yoga with Bun to query about historical human events like you did before

The Node.js runtime powers back-end servers for big players like PayPal, Netflix, LinkedIn, and even NASA.

Week 7: AI Tools Locally ⬆️

• Run large language models locally
• User-friendly WebUI for LLMs
• Using multiple models
• Upload documents and images
• Add users
• Create custom models
• Generate images
• Text to speech and speech to text

Note: you need a good Linux computer / server for this

1. Ollama
   • Overview
   • Challenge
     1. Install Ollama AI Fundation
     2. Pull AI models: llama3.1, llava, DBRX
     3. Test models at the same time you watch the performance of your GPU
2. Open WebUI
   • Overview
   • Challenge
     1. Install Open WebUI
     2. Chat with different models
     3. Create users to access different models and add restrictions
     4. Make models chat together
     5. Upload and describe images using a model
     6. Upload a file and ask something about that file
3. Stable Diffusion and ComfyUI
   • SD UI
   • ComfyUI
   • Challenge
     1. Install Stable Diffusion Forge and connect Flux.1
     2. Install ComfyUI and connect Flux.1
     3. Ask models to create prompts and generate images in both apps
4. Whisper
   • Overview
   • Challenge
     1. Install Whisper
     2. Talk to a model
     3. Connect Whisper to Open WebUI
5. Bark
   • Overview
   • Challenge
     1. Install Bark
     2. Listen a Model talk
     3. Change voices, languages and create music
     4. Connect Bark to Open WebUI
6. Quivr
   • Overview
   • Challenge
     1. Install Quivr
     2. Connect it to Ollama
     3. Upload a book and ask for a summary
7. Find possibilities of using OCR tools and AI

Geek stuff

★ Don't forget to check my geek clothing about development ;P