The Linux operating system has been increasing in popularity for many reasons. Most Linux platforms are free and open-source with very active development communities. Linux is also very reliable in that it often does not require reboots when something goes wrong. Furthermore, Linux is very customizable so only the features that are required are installed. A bare-bones Linux distribution can run on as little as 58MB of RAM! Finally, most applications on Linux are free and open-source.

Many people are reluctant to use Linux because it typically uses a command-line interface (CLI) rather than a graphical user interface (GUI) like Windows or macOS. However, all those easy-to-use images require a lot of RAM and CPU power, so using CLI allows the operating system to focus on the essentials. We use Linux in the GNS3 environment because it requires very few hardware resources. This allows us to build complex enterprise networks without overloading our hosting machine. This lab will help you download, install, and configure a Ubuntu Linux Server for use in a GNS3 environment.
TIME: 45 minutes not including download

Learning Objectives

• Successfully download, install, and run Ubuntu Server in a GNS3 environment
• Optional installs for later labs
  • • Phase II – DHCP Server – KEA
    • Phase III – DNS Server – BIND9
    • Phase IV – Text-Based Web Browser – w3m
    • Phase V – GUI – LXDE Desktop
    • Phase VI – Web Hosting Service – Apache2

Prerequisites

• Chapter 2 – Setting up a GNS3 environment
• Chapter 6 – Adding a VM to GNS3

Deliverables

• None – this is a preparatory lab that supports other labs in this book

Resources

• Download Ubuntu Server

Contributors and Testers

• Kyle Wheaton, Cybersecurity Student, ERAU-Prescott

1. 1. Download Ubuntu Server
   2. Start Oracle VirtualBox Manager
   3. Click on New
      
      1. Pick a name, for this example, we use something clever like “Ubuntu Server – no GUI”
      2. Use the dropdown menu to select the Ubuntu Server ISO image that you downloaded
         

         

      3. Open the settings for “Set up unattended guest OS installation” and complete the following fields:
         1. User Name (cannot use spaces)
         2. password
         3. confirm password
         4. Host Name (cannot use spaces or underscores)
      4. Click on “Install Guest Additions” – If you installed VirtualBox guest additions
         

         

      5. Open the settings for “Specify virtual hardware” and complete the following fields:
         1. You can leave the hardware on its defaults for now and adjust them for specific uses later
            

            

      6. Open the settings for “Specify virtual hard disk” and complete the following fields:
         1. Disk size will vary based on your needs:
            1. 25 GB (default) is good for general use and saving space on your hard drive
            2. 50 GB is necessary to install a GUI
            3. Anything larger is based on need. We warn against making a large one-size-fits-all image. After all, if you add everything but only need one function, you will have a server at 100GB, then another at 100GB, and another at 100GB…
               

               

      7. Click on Finish
   4. The Ubuntu Server should start automatically since we selected an unattended install. It will take a few minutes.

      NOTE: If you want to manually install, read the instructions

       

   5. When the VM starts, log in using the credentials you created earlier

      NOTE: If you are new to Linux, the password cursor does not move. This is a security feature that masks the number of characters in the password. Anyone who shoulder surfs can accelerate their password brute-force efforts by knowing the password length.

   6. You may get an error at the end of the installation. Just reboot the VM, and it should clear
      

      

   7. Use Chapter 6 to add the Ubuntu Server to the GNS3 Working Environment

1. At the terminal prompt, type

   sudo apt install kea

2. On the Kea password screen, select ‘configured_password’
   

   

3. For the password, use one of your own or use the book’s default Security1
4. Kea installation is now complete. If you need to configure Kea at this stage, type

   sudo vi /etc/kea/kea-dhcp4.conf

5. The instructions to configure Kea are included in the file
6. You can also use the Kea tutorial to configure Kea

1. Install software and additional utilities

   sudo apt install -y bind9 dnsutils bind9-utils

2. The Bind9 installation is now complete. If you need to configure Bind9 at this stage, we’ve included some commonly used commands:
   1. Modify the configuration file

      sudo nano /etc/bind/named.conf.options

   2. Configure master zone declarations

      sudo nano /etc/bind/named.conf.local

   3. Start DNS daemon

      sudo systemctl start named

   4. To restart

      sudo systemctl restart named

   5. To check status
      sudo systemctl status named

1. Install the LXQT GUI

   sudo apt install lxqt -y

2. This can take a while
   

   

3. Reboot the server

   sudo reboot

4. Upon restart, enter the credentials that you created earlier
   

   

    

1. Install a GUI on the Ubuntu Server by following the steps in Phase IV
2. Open a terminal
3. Install Apache HTTP Server
   1. Install Apache by typing

      sudo apt install apache2

   2. Restart the Apache Server by typing

      sudo service apache2 restart

   3. Test that it is running by opening Firefox and typing 127.0.0.1 in the address bar
   4. Check that it says it works
      

      

4. Install MySQL database management system
   1. From a terminal, install MySQL by typing

      sudo apt install mysql-server

   2. Verify it was installed by viewing the version number by typing

      sudo mysql -v

   3. Quit the MySQL interface prompt by typing

      \q

   4. Set the password validation by typing

      sudo mysql_secure_installation

      1. Press y and set the password strength according to your needs
      2. Press y to remove anonymous users
      3. Press y to disallow remote root login
      4. Keep the test database by pressing n
      5. Reload the privilege tables by pressing y
   5. Test the operability of mysql
      1. Start mysql by typing

         sudo mysql -u root

      2. Create a database by typing

         create database <name>;

      3. List all the databases by typing

         show databases;

   6. You should have a screen that looks like
      

      

   7. To leave mysql and return back to the Ubuntu Server console, type

      exit

5. Install PHP web-server scripting language module
   1. From the terminal, install PHP by typing

      sudo apt install php

   2. View the version by typing

      php -v

   3. Make a check file by typing

      sudo vi /var/www/html/info.php

      1. Type i and add the following information

         <?php
         phpinfo();
         ?>

      2. Save the file by pressing the escape key followed by

         :wq

   4. Restart the Apache service by typing

      sudo service apache2 restart

   5. Test PHP by opening Firefox and typing the following into the web browser address bar 127.0.0.1/info.php
   6. You should get the following screen
      

      

End of Lab