Alpine Linux is a lightweight, security-focused Linux distribution known for its small size and simplicity. It’s designed to be extremely small and efficient by including only essential components, which keeps the system fast and lightweight.  Alpine is commonly used in containers, embedded systems, and virtual machines because it has a very small footprint. It also emphasizes security with hardened kernels by default.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Install Alpine Linux using VirtualBox
• Configure Alpine via the terminal
• Connect to the Internet via the terminal

PREREQUISITES

• Oracle VirtualBox

DELIVERABLES

• None. This is a resource for students.

RESOURCES

• The Alpine Official Documentation 
• Video resource to assist in Alpine Install

CONTRIBUTORS AND TESTERS

• Antionette Hults, Cybersecurity Student, ERAU-Prescott
• Mathew J. Heath Van Horn, PhD

1. Click here to download the Alpine ISO
2. Wait for the download to complete
3. Open Oracle VirtualBox
4. Click Machine > New
5. In the New Virtual Machine Window, name the VM whatever you want (mine is called Alpine Linux)
6. In the option for ISO image, select the dropdown arrow and click Other
7. Go to the directory that contains your ISO image (likely downloads)
8. Select the ISO image (it will be named something like alpine-virt-x86_64.iso)
9. In the OS, select Linux if it isn’t selected already
10. In OS Distribution, click the dropdown arrow and select Gentoo
11. In OS Version, select Gentoo (64-bit) if not selected already.
    

    
12. Select the Specify virtual hardware tab (we will skip the unattended guest OS installation)
13. For Base Memory, select the input box at the very right of the window and type in 1024
14. For Number of CPUs, drag the slider all the way down to 1
    

    

15. Select the Specify virtual hard disk tab
16.  Select Create a New Virtual Hard Disk (usually selected by default)
17. For Disk Size, select the input box at the very right of the window and type 1.50
    

    

     

18. Click on Finish
19. Select your newly created VM, then right-click it
20. Then click on Start > Start with GUI

1. At the login screen, where it says “localhost login:” type in root
2. Once logged in, type setup-alpine and click enter
   

   

3. For Select keyboard layout  type “us” and click enter
4. For Select Variant type “us” and click enter
5. Once prompted to Enter a system hostname type whatever you want to name the system and click enter (Mine is called Alps)
6. Once prompted for Interfaces just use the default and click enter
7. Once prompted for IP address for eth0 just use the default and click enter
8. Once prompted for manual network configuration just use the default and click enter
   

   

   NOTE: You will see a prompt warning you about a weak/bad password. Just ignore it for our purposes a simple password is fine. This prompt will not affect the install process.

9. Once prompted for Root Password type in “toor” and click enter
10. Retype the password “toor” and click enter
11. Once prompted for Timezone select the options for your region the commands below are an example of my timezone (Phoenix, AZ)
    1. For the first prompt of which timezone are you in type in “America” and click enter
    2. When prompted for the sub-timezone of America type in “Phoenix” and click enter
12. When prompted for Proxy just use the default and click enter
13. When prompted for the Network Time Protocol type in “chrony” and click enter
14. When prompted for APK Mirror just use the default and click enter

    NOTE: For advanced users, you may add your own user if preferred. However, most labs using Alpine assume you are using the root account. Only make your own user if you have advanced knowledge of root access in Alpine Linux.

15. When prompted for a User, just use the default and click enter (we will just use the root account)
16. When prompted for the SSH server, type in “none” and click enter
17. When prompted for Disk Install, type in “sda” and click enter
    

    

     

18. When prompted for How would you like to use it type “sys” and click enter
19. When warned about Erasing the above disk(s), type “y” and click enter

1. Power off the Virtual Machine
2. In Oracle Virtual Box Manager, right-click on your Virtual Machine and click Settings
3. Once in Settings, click on Storage 
4. Right-click on the alpine-virt-x86_64.iso and click Remove Attachment
   

   

5. In the pop-up window, click Remove
6. In the bottom right of the Settings window, click OK
7. Start your Alpine VM and wait for the login screen to appear
8. Once the login prompt appears, type in “root” and click enter
9. Once prompted for a password, type in the password you created earlier (e.g., “toor”) and click enter
10. Once logged in, test internet access by typing the following command

    ping -c 4 google.com

     

    

     

11. If you achieved a ping response, your Alpine VM is fully functional and ready for future labs!

Career Connection

IT professionals frequently maintain portable development, testing, and troubleshooting environments to support classroom instruction, consulting engagements, incident response, and field operations. The ability to create a portable enterprise lab reduces setup time, improves consistency, and ensures that critical tools and configurations are available wherever work is performed. The skills developed in this chapter mirror industry practices for managing portable virtual environments and supporting flexible, mobile IT operations.

End of Lab