Some basic Linux knowledge is needed, as this book does not explain the basics of Linux management.
The examples given in this book can be implemented either in the cloud or on-premises. Some of the setups were deployed on Microsoft's cloud platform, Azure, so having an account with Azure to follow the examples is recommended. Azure does offer a free trial to evaluate and test deployments before committing—more information can be found at https://azure.microsoft.com/free/. Additionally, more information on Azure's offerings can be found at: https://azure.microsoft.com.
Since the book entirely revolves around Linux, having a way to connect to the internet is a requirement. This can be done from a Linux desktop (or laptop), a macOS Terminal, or Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).
All of the examples illustrated in this book make use of open source software that can be easily obtained from either the available repositories or from their respective sources, without the need of a paying license.
Be sure to drop by the projects pages to show some love—a lot of effort goes into developing them: