Lab Setup

This Post we will focus on building our lab to practice Sys-Admin Tasks.

There are multiple ways of setting up the lab with different distro’s.

• Cloud (AWS,GCP etc) Free tier.
• Hypervisor (virtual box, Vmware etc)
• Vagrant (which would use an hypervisor but convenient for ready to use boxs)

many more.

I will choose Hypervisor(Virtual Box) with my host OS as Kubuntu.

Download VirtualBox

virtualbox-link

select the distribution of your choice and download it.

Install VirtualBox

installation instructions are provided within the docs.

in my case

Download Extension Pack

Download the extension from the virtualbox-link

Install Extension Pack

lets install the extension pack

• click on File on top left corner

• Prefrences

• Extensions

• it will ask u to install do it

• scroll and agree the license

• click OK

we have successfully install extension pack

Download Centos Image

centos-download

select the architecture dependent dvd.iso file

Install centos 8

• click on add New

• Name and Operating System

  • Type Name : desired name

  • Machine Folder: desired location

  • Type: Linux

  • Version : Red Hat (64-bit)

• Memory Size

  around 1024MB

• Create virtual hardisk
  • click on create

• Hardisk file type
  • VDI (VirtualBox Disk Image)

• Storage on physical hard disk
  • Dynamically allocated

• File location and size
  • leave location as is
  • size : 20 GB

You should get something like this

Change the name by clicking on Settings icon at the top center Navbar

• and click OK

we will be using this as base template for creating multiple instances in case our vm breaks or all Hell falls upon us we can always create new one from base template.

PS: we could have set the name at the very start but forgot it hence i changed it later

u can also create snapshots to save workstate

Configure Base Template

• click on settings
  • General
    • advanced
      • clipboard & Drag’n’Drop : Bidirectional

• Boot Order

• Add DVD Installer

• Click on Start

• Click on install centos 8

It might take some time be patient

click continue

click done

on it and click done

click done twice if pass simple

click done twice

Be patient this might take some time

Restart the box

tick mark and click done

• Login with credentials

Install Guest Editions

open terminal

and follow these steps

su

login as root

dnf install -y epel-release

• Install Kernel Headers and Build Tools

sudo dnf install -y gcc make perl kernel-devel kernel-headers bzip2 dkms

rpm -q kernel-devel
uname -r

might face kernel conflict like i do

To resolve this issue

dnf update kernel-*

type y on prompt

reboot

reboot now

select the correct kernel during boot

again check kernel info

rpm -q kernel-devel
uname -r

mount /dev/cdrom /mnt   

./VBoxLinuxAdditions.run

shudown now

Clone The Base Template

• right click on the box select clone
  • Full clone

Start Clone