Home | Ryan Molkentin

I provide enterprise-grade Linux support, help global customers maintain essential systems, & diagnose/resolve complex infrastructure issues.

I'm genuinely grateful to be in the position that I'm in. I get to do what I love every day... solve complex and interesting problems, learn constantly, and help people keep their systems running when they need it most. No matter where I am in life I always find myself learning. Always pulled into whatever interests me for the day and learning as much as I can about whatever that thing happens to be.

Currently as an Associate Linux Support Engineer at Canonical I get to use that curiosity to solve problems for our very high impact global customers. I often take cases where the stakes are high and a quick resolution is important. Thankfully troubleshooting is my strong suit. Every new issue I encounter is sort of like a puzzle (I get to solve puzzles all day for work?! Not a bad gig) and the outcome of the puzzle is a happy customer and working infrastructure.

At the moment my current projects and learnings have been focused on Linux system administration, Openstack, MAAS (Metal as as Service), & Canonical Landscape.

And no... if you're wondering, this is not copy/pasted AI garbage. I actually wrote this and this is who I am and what I love to do :)

Professional Experience

Associate Linux Support Engineer - Canonical

Currently supporting Linux based cloud infrastructure as an Associate Support Engineer at Canonical. My recent projects and learnings have been focused on Linux system administration, Openstack, Landscape, and MAAS.

Help Desk Intern - Parker's Kitchen

Provided first-level technical support, managing and resolving hardware, software, and maintenance issues.

Troubleshooted hardware, software, and maintenance issues for over 100 stores and corporate headquarters.
Troubleshooted LAN/WAN and network hardware issues.
Troubleshooted printers, scanners, tablets, and POS devices.
Provided technical support on over 1000 support requests.
Proficient in: ServiceNow, NinjaOne, Teamviewer, Cisco Meraki, Emerson, SCW & Vigil surveillance, Esper, Zenput, & MagicInfo.

Personal Projects

Linux Server Setup & Administration

AWS Linux Server Setup

This project involved setting up a Ubuntu web server on AWS using an EC2 instance. I utilized SSH to connect to the server and installed Apache2. A simple HTML webpage was created and transferred to the server using SCP. DNS settings were configured to point to the server, and an SSL certificate was attached to ensure security.

Home Web Server & Private Cloud

Setup a home Ubuntu apache2 web server on an old ThinkCentre computer. Configured portforwarding on my home router, Migrated my website, configured DNS settings, configured firewall settings, and secured the site by obtaining SSL certificates from certbot in the command line interface in addition to editing server configuration files with said certificates. Setup subdomain and self hosted cloud with Nextcloud & MariaDB.

Skills learned:

Linux command-line tools such as SSH, SCP, LS, CD, CP, NANO, SUDO, CHMOD, SYSTEMCTL, & TOP
AWS server creation and management
SSL certificate creation and management

Linux/Windows Dual Boot Configuration

Configured a dual boot system on my personal laptop, installing Linux Mint alongside Windows. This project involved partitioning drives, managing bootloaders, and proper UEFI configuration.

Skills learned:

Microsoft and Linux system installation and administration

Freelance Web Development

Developed and deployed websites for local businesses, including setup of DNS, hosting, and basic cybersecurity measures. Example: naautorepair.com.

Courses

Cisco Networking Academy - Networking Basics

Completed the "Networking Basics" course from Cisco Networking Academy, gaining foundational knowledge in networking principles.

TestOut - PC Pro

Completed TestOut PC Pro course in preparation for the CompTIA A+ certification.