Well there is nothing stopping you from getting a small host somewhere and put up a site of some sort. This can then be used to practice the skills you will require to manage a host. Make sure that the site is actually being used for something so that you will need to maintain it and do upgrades.
Then you only have to learn how to...
1) Install and configure a machine
2) Configure a web server
3) Set up ssh access securely
4) Set up your database securely
5) Do backups (and as a test nuke the box and rebuild it from backups)
6) Automate the deployment of your application
7) Keep the machine up to date with security patches
8) Keep the hackers at bay
9) Monitor the general health of the machine and services
Basically you will start to learn the art of the sysadmin. It is a useful skill if you end up at a small company without a dedicated sysadmin and even if you have one it will have a better idea as to what is required to develop and host a site. Empathy with the sysadmin is always good thing.
You will learn a lot of new skills, most of which do not involve coding. I have a little hobby site that hosts fan art for a web comic, I have learnt much about automatic deployment by keeping the site up with minimal disruption. I have learnt much more about the running of databases (as opposed to just writing sql) and loads about unix security (users, groups, permissions, jails etc) that programmers just tend to ignore.
All for around $9 a month. Money well spent if you ask me.
You will be reinventing the wheel; that's part of working with open source on big sites. There just isn't one open-source deployment/backup/versioning/etc system out there. Nearly every large deployment/backup/versioning/etc system i've seen has been custom. Most of these details will be specific to the group you're working with and the project's requirements.
Don't worry so much about getting the process right or finding a pre-packaged solution. The most common solutions will be the same old tools re-worked and customized to get the job done on that site. I'd say the best thing you can do is put your fingers into every single open-source pie you can and get a feel for it all. The rest is a natural evolution of developing for your target platform.
Then you only have to learn how to...
1) Install and configure a machine 2) Configure a web server 3) Set up ssh access securely 4) Set up your database securely 5) Do backups (and as a test nuke the box and rebuild it from backups) 6) Automate the deployment of your application 7) Keep the machine up to date with security patches 8) Keep the hackers at bay 9) Monitor the general health of the machine and services
Basically you will start to learn the art of the sysadmin. It is a useful skill if you end up at a small company without a dedicated sysadmin and even if you have one it will have a better idea as to what is required to develop and host a site. Empathy with the sysadmin is always good thing.
You will learn a lot of new skills, most of which do not involve coding. I have a little hobby site that hosts fan art for a web comic, I have learnt much about automatic deployment by keeping the site up with minimal disruption. I have learnt much more about the running of databases (as opposed to just writing sql) and loads about unix security (users, groups, permissions, jails etc) that programmers just tend to ignore.
All for around $9 a month. Money well spent if you ask me.