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Linux VM Configuration Guide

This guide provides a step-by-step process for configuring a Linux virtual machine using various hypervisors such as KVM and VirtualBox. It covers prerequisites, installation, initial configuration, system hardening, and validation, ensuring a secure and efficient setup. Key steps include creating the VM, configuring networking, setting up SSH access, and implementing a backup strategy.

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Sabri Allani
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5 views3 pages

Linux VM Configuration Guide

This guide provides a step-by-step process for configuring a Linux virtual machine using various hypervisors such as KVM and VirtualBox. It covers prerequisites, installation, initial configuration, system hardening, and validation, ensuring a secure and efficient setup. Key steps include creating the VM, configuring networking, setting up SSH access, and implementing a backup strategy.

Uploaded by

Sabri Allani
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Configuring a Linux Virtual Machine - Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction:

This guide walks you through configuring a virtual machine (VM) running a Linux distribution.

Whether on-premises with KVM, VirtualBox, or in the cloud (e.g., Azure, AWS), these steps

ensure a secure, performant, and maintainable Linux VM setup.

Prerequisites:

- Host with virtualization support (VT-x/AMD-V) enabled in BIOS

- Hypervisor installed (KVM, VirtualBox, VMware)

- ISO image of the chosen Linux distro (e.g., Ubuntu Server, CentOS)

- Sufficient RAM (>=2 GB), Storage (>=20 GB), and CPU cores.
Installation & Initial Configuration

1. Create VM:

- KVM: virt-install --name linux-vm --ram 2048 --vcpus 2 \

--disk path=/var/lib/libvirt/images/linux-vm.img,size=20 \

--os-variant ubuntu20.04 --cdrom /path/to/ubuntu.iso

2. Boot and Install OS:

- Follow installer prompts: language, keyboard, timezone.

- Partition disk: use LVM or standard partitions (/boot, swap, /).

3. Configure Networking:

- Cloud VM: installer auto-configures.

- On-prem KVM: edit /etc/netplan/*.yaml or /etc/network/interfaces, then apply:

sudo netplan apply

4. Setup SSH Access:

- Enable SSH: sudo systemctl enable --now ssh

- Secure SSH:

* Change default port in /etc/ssh/sshd_config

* Disable root login: PermitRootLogin no

* Restrict users: AllowUsers your_user

5. Create User and Set Permissions:

- sudo adduser your_user

- sudo usermod -aG sudo your_user


System Hardening & Validation

6. Firewall Configuration:

- Install UFW: sudo apt-get install ufw

- Allow SSH: sudo ufw allow ssh

- Enable UFW: sudo ufw enable

7. Regular Updates:

- Automate:

echo "0 3 * * * root apt-get update && apt-get -y upgrade" | sudo tee /etc/cron.d/auto-update

8. Monitoring and Logs:

- Install monitoring agent (e.g., Nagios NRPE, Zabbix Agent)

- Configure log rotation: edit /etc/logrotate.d/

9. Validation:

- Check services: systemctl status ssh ufw

- Verify network: ping google.com

- Disk usage: df -h

- Memory: free -m

10. Backup Strategy:

- Schedule snapshots or use rsync to backup critical data to remote storage.

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