Maddie Regis:
Hey everyone! This is Maddie Regis, Paid Media Manager at Automox, bringing you another episode of IT Insiders, Automox’s podcast that introduces you to the people behind the product.
March is all about Linux, so we’re bringing back a former guest of the pod—someone who is also now a fellow Automox podcast host. You can find him dropping all kinds of knowledge on the Automate IT podcast.
Welcome back, Jeremy Maldonado, Senior Solutions Consultant here at Automox! Thanks for joining us.
Jeremy Maldonado:
Thank you, Maddie! Cool to be back. I’ve never been introduced as a return guest before, so that’s a first—thank you.
Maddie Regis:
Yeah, this is a first for the pod as well—first time we’ve brought someone back. It’s exciting that we’ve been doing this long enough to have return guests!
Jeremy Maldonado:
Double first. I’ve officially made it. I’m excited to tell my mom.
Maddie Regis:
You’re famous now, for sure. Alright, I know we’ve had you here before, but there might be folks listening who didn’t catch the first episode—or they’ve just forgotten—so can you give a quick recap of your career and your background with Linux?
Jeremy Maldonado:
Sure. Before Automox, I spent nine years in the web hosting industry, which is heavily Linux-dominated. I worked with shared hosting servers—sites running on Magento, WordPress, and other CMS platforms. When I started, WordPress was really taking off, and it's still huge.
Linux was central to everything. It was all open source: managing web servers with Apache or NGINX, databases like MySQL—it was a crash course in learning by doing. Servers would break. I'd install WordPress on an old PHP version, and everything would blow up. Trial by fire.
That experience shaped my path—from customer success to support, to sales engineering and systems engineering. Linux was at the core of all that. When I came to Automox, I got to build on that knowledge but also had to adapt and learn new things. Still, I use Linux all the time. And when I meet other Linux users, it’s like we’ve been in the trenches together.
Maddie Regis:
For sure. Sometimes the best way to learn is to get thrown into problems and figure your way out. I’m sure that made transitioning to Automox’s environment a lot easier in your engineering and support roles.
Jeremy Maldonado:
Definitely. It’s like having a little wiki in my brain—stuff I might not think about for months or years, but it’s in there waiting for a flashback moment.
Maddie Regis:
Totally. Your brain dusts it off like an old file. Alright, follow-up question: what’s your favorite thing about working with Linux systems?
Jeremy Maldonado:
For me, it's how fast I can get something up and running. Linux is just so lightweight. If I need a server for an app or code, I can spin one up and get it working in minutes. That speed comes from making all the mistakes already.
Also, Linux lets you customize everything. I can install only what I need—no extra packages, no open ports I don’t want. That reduces vulnerabilities and keeps things efficient.
And I’ll admit, I’m the kind of person who builds a Linux server, uses it, then destroys it and moves on. I don’t keep them around. It’s not like this MacBook—I can’t just throw that out the window when I’m done!
Maddie Regis:
Interesting! I didn’t realize that. As someone who’s not in the trenches every day, that really makes Linux sound appealing. I’m liking it more already.
Jeremy Maldonado:
I’ll share my screen one day and break a server live for you. It'll be fun.
Maddie Regis:
Haha, love that. And good to know about the security stuff, too.
Jeremy Maldonado:
Yeah. Anytime you install something like Apache, MySQL, etc., it opens up ports to communicate. Some cloud providers have firewalls, but in my early hosting days, it was all manual. We aimed to host things as cheaply as possible, so I had to be very granular and careful. Sometimes I didn’t know what I was doing and ended up leaving myself open to bad actors.
Maddie Regis:
Alright—hard-hitting question now. If you had to choose one operating system to use for the rest of your career—no switching back—would it be Mac, Windows, or Linux?
Jeremy Maldonado:
I guess... it’s Linux.
Maddie Regis:
Very on theme!
Jeremy Maldonado:
Yeah, though that might upset some of my friends and family. Growing up, everyone had that one shared house computer—usually Windows. Meanwhile, I always had a Linux box, and whenever someone used it, they had no idea what they were looking at.
But Linux has really grown. There are now ready-to-ship Linux desktops, Linux Mint, Cinnamon… and now Linux gaming is a thing! It’s been cool to see that evolution and feel like I’ve been part of the journey.
Maddie Regis:
You’ve been there for the ride. It’s like watching an old friend grow up.
Jeremy Maldonado:
Exactly! When I see someone wearing an Ubuntu shirt in public, I’m like, “Oh my gosh!” I want to go talk to them.
Maddie Regis:
Alright, let’s switch gears. What do you get up to outside of work? Any Linux side projects—or something else?
Jeremy Maldonado:
Nope, no Linux side projects. I’m expecting my second child in May, actually!
Maddie Regis:
Congrats!
Jeremy Maldonado:
Thanks! I’ve also gotten really into reading—thank you, TikTok—and I’ve been playing guitar for 20 years. So between music, reading, and kids, that’s where my time goes. I think creativity is important, especially when your work is so logic-focused. It’s how I decompress.
Maddie Regis:
Absolutely agree. It’s vital to have those creative outlets. Okay, last serious question before our game: what’s one fun fact about your career?
Jeremy Maldonado:
Hmm... maybe not "fun" in the usual sense, but I’ve gotten to meet some amazing people. Folks from the AlmaLinux Foundation, people associated with Ubuntu and Canonical... even now at Automox, I get to work with people who are on the cutting edge of Microsoft updates and IT innovations.
The people are the most fun part. You forget that behind all the servers, bugs, and code—there are humans. That’s what makes it fulfilling.
Maddie Regis:
That’s the heart of this podcast! Bringing out the people behind the product. You’re tying everything together today.
Jeremy Maldonado:
It’s the trail mix. Powered by trail mix and dried cherries. Someone sponsor us!
Penguin Facts Game
Maddie Regis:
Let’s get into our game: Penguin Facts! First question—true or false: you’ll never see polar bears and penguins together in the wild?
Jeremy Maldonado:
True! Polar bears live in the Arctic, and penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere. Plus, I learned that penguins don’t have natural predators—at least not on land.
Maddie Regis:
Correct! Next one: What’s a group of penguins called on land? A herd, a waddle, or a gaggle?
Jeremy Maldonado:
Is it a waddle?
Maddie Regis:
It is! Makes sense when you think about how they move.
Jeremy Maldonado:
Totally. If I had a penguin crew, I’d call them my "squad" though.
Maddie Regis:
I love it. Maybe in some alternate universe you can adopt penguins and train them in IT.
Jeremy Maldonado:
If I start a server farm in Antarctica, penguins are my employees!
Maddie Regis:
Last question—what do male penguins give female penguins to woo them: a dance, a nest, or a rock?
Jeremy Maldonado:
A rock!
Maddie Regis:
Yes! Just like us—well, similar concept. They even mate for life, so it’s kind of romantic.
Jeremy Maldonado:
Yeah, next time I see penguins, I’m checking out the rock game.
Maddie Regis:
Alright, we’ve covered Linux, IT, and penguins—what more could you want? Jeremy, thank you so much for joining us today.
Jeremy Maldonado:
Thanks for having me! This was fun—you should invite me more often.
Maddie Regis:
We might have to merge our podcasts! Just kidding. But for more episodes of IT Insiders and Jeremy’s Automate IT pod, follow us on YouTube, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. Talk soon!
Jeremy Maldonado:
Thanks, Maddie.
