Here are some suggestions for your lab setup as you watch this course.
To start, you should have at least two Linux systems, one that will act as a server and one that will act as a client.
If you have questions, feel free to contact me at:
- Website: https://prowse.tech
- Discord: https://discord.com/invite/mggw8VGzUp
I recommend the following Linux distributions:
- Debian Server
- Debian Client
Note: To run a proper Debian Server you would deselect all desktops during the installation.
Debian download: https://www.debian.org/distrib/
Debian Installation Guide: https://www.debian.org/releases/bookworm/amd64/index.en.html
Note: For step-by-step installations of various Linux distributions, including Debian and Fedora, see my website: https://prowse.tech/linux-installs/
If you can install other systems, do so. Examples include:
-
Fedora Server
-
Fedora Workstation
Download: https://www.fedoraproject.org/en/workstation/download/
Note: Watch out for the minimum requirements of Fedora Workstation. They are a bit more hefty than other Linux distros.
Requirements: https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/fedora/latest/release-notes/welcome/Hardware_Overview/
-
Ubuntu Server
Download: https://ubuntu.com/download/server
-
Ubuntu Desktop
Download: https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop
-
OpenSuse Server
Download: https://get.opensuse.org/
-
CentOS Server
Download: https://www.centos.org/download/
It sounds like a lot. But the more Linux systems you can install and work with, the more value you will have as a Linux Technician. Do what you can!
Now, how do you install them. You have a few options:
- Physical Machines (best option)
- Virtual Machines (almost as good)
- Cloud-based Machines (least recommended)
There's something to learn from each of these options, but the best method of learning is to use physical machines. For example, two laptops each equipped with wired and wireless network interface cards. Consider older equipment, that's where Linux really shines. You can find old, cheap (or free) laptops and PCs all over the place. Trust me. Consider Intel-based CPU/GPU devices as they tend to work better with Debian and other distros.
If you don't have the resources, money, or space to run physical systems, consider virtual machines. As long as your system can handle them, you can run as many virtual machines as you want.
I don't recommend cloud-based machines,but it is another option. If you do go this route, make sure that the machines are on the same subnet, can communicate with each other, and that you use the console to communicate with those machines.
But again, the best ways to learn are physical machines and virtual machines.
There are a lot of options when it comes to virtualization platforms. The easiest option is VirtualBox, but there are many others. Here are some links to several of them:
-
VirtualBox
Download: https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads
Documentation: https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Documentation
VirtualBox step-by-steps: https://prowse.tech/virtualbox/
-
Hyper-V (Windows hosts only)
Documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/virtualization/
-
VMware Workstation
Download: https://www.vmware.com/products/workstation-pro/workstation-pro-evaluation.html
-
Parallels (macOS only)
Download: https://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/download/
-
KVM
Documentation: https://www.linux-kvm.org/page/Documents
Note: See my article on KVM for more: https://prowse.tech/kvm/
-
Proxmox
Download: https://www.proxmox.com/en/downloads
-
ESXi
Download: https://customerconnect.vmware.com/downloads/#all_products
I know, tons of options! Choose what works best for you. As I mentioned, VirtualBox can be an easy solution. Consider it if you are new to virtualization.
Now... Go get your systems up and running! 👍🏼
When you are done, you can check out Lab 01
Here's an example of my lab setup for the video course:
Here's the same network map but with the IP address schemes I use:
