The Dargslan author spotlight continues with Bas van den Berg, a Dutch-born infrastructure engineer and technical writer whose 15-book catalog bridges the gap between traditional system administration and modern cloud-native practices. With expertise spanning Linux, Python, cloud platforms, and DevOps, Bas has established himself as one of Dargslan's most versatile authors.
In this feature, we explore Bas's unique background, his approach to technical education, and the books that have helped thousands of IT professionals modernize their skills.
A European Perspective on Global IT
Born and raised in the Netherlands, Bas van den Berg developed his passion for technology during the early days of the European open-source movement. Growing up in a country that was an early adopter of internet infrastructure, he had early exposure to networking, server administration, and the collaborative ethos that defines open-source software.
"In the Netherlands, we had one of the first internet exchanges in the world — the AMS-IX. Growing up around that kind of infrastructure culture shaped my entire career. I learned early that understanding how things work underneath is what separates a good administrator from a great one."
After earning his degree in computer science from the Delft University of Technology, Bas spent over a decade working as a senior infrastructure engineer for major European financial institutions and telecommunications companies. This experience managing mission-critical infrastructure at scale became the foundation for his technical writing career.
The Van den Berg Library: 15 Books Across Four Domains
Linux Administration
The largest portion of Bas's catalog focuses on Linux, the operating system that has been central to his career. His Linux books are known for their thoroughness and practical orientation, covering everything from beginner-level introductions to advanced topics like kernel tuning, performance optimization, and high-availability clustering.
What distinguishes Bas's Linux books is their enterprise focus. While many Linux guides target home users or small setups, Bas writes from the perspective of managing hundreds or thousands of servers. His books include real scenarios from financial trading platforms, telecom infrastructure, and cloud data centers.
Python Programming for IT Professionals
Recognizing that Python had become essential for modern system administrators, Bas authored several Python books specifically targeted at IT professionals rather than software developers. His Python titles focus on automation, scripting, API integration, and infrastructure management — the practical applications that system administrators need.
His approach to teaching Python is distinctly hands-on. Rather than starting with abstract programming concepts, Bas begins with real administrative tasks and shows how Python can solve them more efficiently than shell scripting.
Cloud Infrastructure
As cloud computing transformed the IT landscape, Bas was among the first Dargslan authors to publish comprehensive guides on cloud platforms. His cloud books cover AWS, Azure, and multi-cloud strategies, always from the perspective of a seasoned infrastructure professional transitioning to cloud services.
DevOps and Automation
Bas's most recent books explore the intersection of traditional operations and modern DevOps practices. These titles cover configuration management, infrastructure as code, CI/CD pipelines, and the cultural shifts required to adopt DevOps successfully.
Writing Philosophy: Bridging the Old and New
Bas van den Berg occupies a unique position in the technical writing world: he is equally comfortable with traditional bare-metal server administration and modern cloud-native architectures. This dual perspective informs his writing philosophy.
"I write for the experienced sysadmin who knows their way around a server room but needs to understand containers, cloud APIs, and infrastructure as code. Too many modern books assume you are starting from zero. My readers have years of experience — they need a bridge to the new world, not a beginner's tutorial."
This philosophy is evident in how Bas structures his books:
- Analogies to traditional concepts — Cloud services are explained in terms of their on-premises equivalents
- Migration-focused content — Many chapters include sections on migrating from traditional to modern approaches
- Hybrid scenarios — Real-world environments are rarely pure cloud or pure on-premises, and Bas addresses this hybrid reality
- Production-grade examples — All code examples and configurations are suitable for production use, not just demonstration
The Writing Process: European Engineering Precision
Bas approaches technical writing with the same rigor he applies to infrastructure engineering. His writing process involves four distinct phases:
- Research and architecture — Before writing a single word, Bas spends two to three weeks mapping the book's structure, identifying key topics, and validating that the content is current with the latest releases
- Lab environment setup — Every book has a dedicated lab environment that mirrors realistic production setups. Bas uses a combination of local virtual machines and cloud instances for testing
- Iterative writing and testing — Each chapter is written, tested, revised, and tested again. Commands are verified on at least two different Linux distributions
- Technical review — Every manuscript undergoes review by active practitioners in the field, ensuring accuracy and relevance
Community Impact
Beyond his books, Bas is an active contributor to the European IT community. He regularly presents at infrastructure conferences, contributes to open-source projects related to monitoring and automation, and mentors junior engineers through various European tech programs.
His books have been adopted as reference materials by several European IT training organizations and are used in corporate training programs at technology companies across the continent.
What Readers Say
"Bas's Python automation book saved me literally hours every week. As a Linux admin who had never programmed before, his approach of starting with real sysadmin tasks made Python click for me in a way that generic programming tutorials never did." — Reader review
"The cloud infrastructure book is exactly what I needed to transition my career from on-premises to AWS. Bas understands that experienced admins do not need to be taught what a server is — they need to understand how cloud services map to what they already know." — Community feedback
What Is Next?
Bas is currently working on new titles focused on platform engineering, Kubernetes operations for traditional sysadmins, and advanced Python automation patterns. He is also developing an updated edition of his most popular Linux administration title, incorporating the latest changes in the Linux 6.x kernel series and modern systemd features.
Explore the Van den Berg Collection
With 15 titles spanning Linux, Python, cloud, and DevOps, Bas van den Berg's books are essential reading for IT professionals navigating the transition from traditional infrastructure to modern, automated environments. Browse his complete collection in the Dargslan bookstore.
Recommended Reading
Start with these popular Bas van den Berg titles:
- Python 3 Fundamentals — Your gateway to Python programming for IT automation
- Linux Administration Fundamentals — Master essential Linux skills for any career path
- Cloud Computing Basics — Understand cloud architecture from an infrastructure perspective
