IT Fundamentals Handbook

Hypervisors

Proxmox

Video Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u8qTN3cCnQ

Visit https://www.proxmox.com/en/ go to downloads page and download the "Virtual Environment" ISO.

Next you need a boot loader to properly load the ISO onto a flash drive. I prefer Rufus: https://rufus.ie/en/

Select flash drive device and ISO image and start.

Rufus 49.2256 Interface

Once image is finished…

Plug ethernet into soon to be Hypervisor Machine.
Attach flasher drive into Hypervisor Machine.
Boot to bios.
Change boot option #1 to the flash drive.
Reboot
Follow through with installation
Host name and static IP are of important note
Once installation finishes. Set machine to the side. You can now log in using the web UI

Log into web server by typing in URL: https://(static IP):8006

bash

# I like to install tailscale on the host that way I can remote/connect to into the machine outside of the network.
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y curl
curl -fsSL https://tailscale.com/install.sh | sh

# This installs the latest version for your OS automatically.
# Start Tailscale service:
sudo tailscale up

You will see an authentication URL: "To authenticate, visit: https://login.tailscale.com/a/xxxxxx"

Copy the URL from SSH output and open it on your local browser.

Once authenticated, the machine will appear in your Tailscale admin dashboard.

Check Tailscale status:

bash

tailscale status

On the left hand side select local(PVE). Here ISO images can be uploaded and container images can be uploaded and downloaded.

Core Services

Tailscale

Connect to your remote server via SSH:

bash

ssh user@your_server_ip

Ensure you have sudo privileges on the target machine.

Install Tailscale

Update package list (Debian/Ubuntu):

bash

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y curl

Download & install Tailscale:

bash

curl -fsSL https://tailscale.com/install.sh | sh

This installs the latest version for your OS automatically.

Authenticate Server

Start Tailscale service:

bash

sudo tailscale up

You will see an authentication URL: "To authenticate, visit: https://login.tailscale.com/a/xxxxxx"

Copy the URL from SSH output and open it on your local browser.

Log in with your preferred identity provider (Google, GitHub, Microsoft, etc.)
Once authenticated, the machine will appear in your Tailscale admin dashboard.

SSH

Install OpenSSH Server:

bash

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt install openssh-server -y

Verify it is running:

bash

sudo systemctl status ssh

Allow through the Firewall:

bash

sudo ufw allow ssh

Key-Based Authentication

Windows Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf1J8XSEiO0

Windows

On your machine in command line:

bash

ssh-keygen -t ed25519

Note file save path location!

If you want login username & password enter it. If not just enter enter enter…

On host machine:

bash

mkdir -p ~/.ssh
nano ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

Paste contents of .pub file into nano authorized_keys

bash

Ctrl+o (Then Enter to Save)
Ctrl+x (To Exit)

bash

sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Set password authentication to "no". Delete the # in its front.

bash

Ctrl+o
Ctrl+x
sudo systemctl restart ssh

Mac

Mac Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpk_1gldOAE&list=LL&index=2

On your machine in command line:

bash

ssh-keygen -t ed25519

bash

ssh-keygen rsa -b 4096

Note file save path location!

If you want login username & password enter it. If not just enter enter enter…

On host machine:

bash

scp ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub user@ipaddress:/home/user/.ssh/name_key.pub
cat ~/.ssh/name_key.pub >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
chmod 700 ~/.ssh/
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/*
nano ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

Paste contents of .pub file into nano authorized_keys

bash

Ctrl+o
Ctrl+x
sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Set password authentication to "no". Delete the # in its front.

bash

Ctrl+o
Ctrl+x
sudo systemctl restart ssh

Docker

Documentation: https://docs.docker.com/engine/install

# Add Docker's official GPG key:

bash

sudo apt update
sudo apt install ca-certificates curl
sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings
sudo curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc

# Add the repository to Apt sources:

bash

sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.sources <<EOF
Types: deb
URIs: https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu
Suites: $(. /etc/os-release && echo "${UBUNTU_CODENAME:-$VERSION_CODENAME}")
Components: stable
Signed-By: /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
EOF

Install the Docker packages:

bash

sudo apt install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin
sudo apt update
sudo systemctl status docker
sudo systemctl start docker
sudo docker run hello-world

Docker Compose

Documentation: https://docs.docker.com/compose/install/

CURL

bash

sudo apt install ca-certificates curl

Htop

Depending on your Linux distribution, use the corresponding command below:

For Ubuntu, Debian, Linux Mint, or Kali:

bash

sudo apt update
sudo apt install htop

For CentOS, RHEL, or Rocky Linux:

bash

# First, enable the EPEL repository
sudo dnf install epel-release
# Then install htop
sudo dnf install htop

For Fedora:

bash

sudo dnf install htop

For Arch Linux:

bash

sudo pacman -S htop

How to use htop

Once installed, simply type htop in your terminal to launch it.

Quick Cheat Sheet for htop:

Once the interface is open, you can use these keyboard shortcuts to navigate:

F2 (Setup): Customize the colors, meters, and columns.
F3 (Search): Find a specific process by name.
F4 (Filter): Hide everything except processes matching your keyword.
F5 (Tree): See the parent-child relationship between processes.
F6 (Sort): Choose to sort by CPU%, Memory%, PID, etc.
F9 (Kill): Send a signal (like SIGKILL) to stop a process safely.
F10 (Quit): Exit the program.

Vim/Nano

Installation Steps

For Ubuntu, Debian, or Raspberry Pi OS:

bash

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nano vim

For CentOS, RHEL, or Rocky Linux:

bash

sudo dnf install nano vim-enhanced

For Arch Linux:

bash

sudo pacman -S nano vim

How to use them

Using Nano:

To open a file: nano filename.txt
Save: Press Ctrl + O then Enter.
Exit: Press Ctrl + X.
Search: Press Ctrl + W.

Using Vim:

To open a file: vim filename.txt
Type Text: Press i to enter Insert Mode.
Stop Typing: Press Esc to return to Normal Mode.
Save & Exit: In Normal Mode, type :wq and hit Enter.
Exit without Saving: In Normal Mode, type :q! and hit Enter.

Net-tools

Installation Steps

For Ubuntu, Debian, Linux Mint, or Kali:

bash

sudo apt update
sudo apt install net-tools

For CentOS, RHEL, Fedora, or Rocky Linux:

bash

sudo dnf install net-tools

For Arch Linux:

bash

sudo pacman -S net-tools

What's inside net-tools

Command	What it does	Modern Replacement (iproute2)
`ifconfig`	View/Configure network interfaces	`ip addr`
`netstat -tuln`	See active ports and connections	`ss -tuln`
`route -n`	View the routing table	`ip route`
`arp -a`	View the ARP table (IP-to-MAC mapping)	`ip neigh`

Quick Examples

Check your IP address:

Simply type ifconfig. You'll see your hardware address (MAC), your local IP (inet), and data packet statistics

Check listening ports:

sudo netstat -plnt. This shows which programs are listening on which ports (e.g., port 80 for HTTP)

Check your default gateway:

route -n

Samba

Step 1: Install Samba

For Ubuntu/Debian:

bash

sudo apt update
sudo apt install samba

Step 2: Create the Shared Directory

bash

sudo mkdir -p /samba/public
sudo chmod -R 0777 /samba/public
sudo chown -R nobody:nogroup /samba/public

Step 3: Configure the Samba Share

bash

sudo cp /etc/samba/smb.conf /etc/samba/smb.conf.bak
sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

Add your share details at the bottom:

config

[PublicShare]
comment = Samba on Ubuntu
path = /samba/public
browsable = yes
read only = no
guest ok = yes
force user = nobody

Step 4: Setup User Accounts (Optional but Recommended)

If you want a private share instead of a guest one, you must create a Samba password for your user.

bash

sudo smbpasswd -a your_username
sudo smbpasswd -e your_username

Step 5: Restart Samba

bash

sudo systemctl restart smbd nmbd
sudo ufw allow samba

Step 6: How to Access the Share

From Windows:

Open File Explorer
In the address bar, type: \\<YOUR_STATIC_IP>\PublicShare (e.g., \\192.168.38.120\PublicShare)
Press Enter

From Linux:

Open your file manager (Nautilus, Thunar, etc.)
Select "Other Locations" or "Connect to Server"
Enter: smb://192.168.38.120/PublicShare

Summary of smb.conf Parameters

Parameter	Meaning
path	The actual directory on your Linux disk
browsable	Whether the share shows up when browsing the network
read only	Set to no if you want to be able to upload/delete files
guest ok	Set to yes to allow access without a username/password

Static IP

METHOD 1: UBUNTU NETPLAN

Find your interface name:
bash
```
ip -c a
```
Or in some cases:
bash
```
ip addr
```
Look for names like eth0 or enp0s3
Note the IP route addresses:
bash
```
ip route
```

Locate and edit the config file:

bash

cd /etc/netplan
ls
sudo nano 50-cloud-init.yaml

Insert the configuration:
"addresses:" will be the static IP. "via" will be the IP route
Apply changes:
bash
```
sudo netplan apply
ip -c a
```
Verify the change with the last command.

METHOD 2: DEBIAN INTERFACES

Find interface and route:
bash
```
ip -c a
ip r
```
Locate the config file:
bash
```
sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces
```
Apply configuration:

Restart service and verify:

bash

sudo systemctl restart networking.service
ip -c a

Windows

Go to Control Panel.
Select Network and Internet.
Go to Network and Sharing Center.
Click on your active connection (e.g., Connections: Ethernet).
Select Properties.
Click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and select Properties.
Here a static IP, Subnet mask, and Default gateway can be manually set.

DNS

How to put an HTML website online

Useful Links:

Part 1: Hosting Your Website for Free (GitHub Pages)

GitHub Pages is a free service that hosts your static files directly from a GitHub repository.

Create a GitHub Account: Go to github.com and sign up or log in
Create a New Repository:
- Click your profile icon (top right) > Your repositories > New
- Give it a name (e.g., my-website) and ensure it is set to Public
Upload Your Files:
- Click "uploading an existing file".
- Drag and drop your index.html (and any CSS/Images) into the box.
- Scroll down and click Commit changes.
Enable GitHub Pages:
- Go to Settings (top tab) > Pages (left sidebar).
- Under Build and deployment, ensure "Deploy from a branch" is selected and the branch is set to main.
- Click Save. After a minute, you'll see a link like: https://your-username.github.io/my-website/.

Part 2: Using a Custom Domain (Namecheap)

If you want a professional address (like www.yourname.com), you need to point your domain to GitHub's servers.

Buy a Domain: Purchase one from Namecheap.
Configure GitHub:
- In your GitHub Repo Settings > Pages, scroll to Custom domain.
- Type your domain (e.g., yourname.com) and click Save.
Configure Namecheap (DNS Records):
- Log in to Namecheap > Domain List > Manage > Advanced DNS.
- Add four A Records pointing to GitHub's IP addresses:
  - 185.199.108.153
  - 185.199.109.153
  - 185.199.110.153
  - 185.199.111.153
- Add a CNAME Record:
  - Host: www
  - Value: your-username.github.io
Link Domain in GitHub:
- Return to your GitHub repository Settings > Pages.
- Under Custom domain, type your new domain (e.g., example.com) and click Save.
Enable Security (HTTPS):
- Once the domain is verified, check the Enforce HTTPS box.

Windows Server

Section 1: Initial Server Setup & Role Installation

Before beginning, ensure your server has a static IP address configured (e.g., 192.168.49.5)

Open Server Manager: Click Manage > Add Roles and Features
Select Installation Type: Choose Role-based or feature-based installation and select your server
Select Server Roles: Check the boxes for:
- Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS)
- DHCP Server
- DNS Server
- Note: Click "Add Features" whenever prompted for management tools.
Install: Follow the prompts and click Install
Promote to Domain Controller: Once installed, click the notification flag and select Promote this server to a domain controller
Deployment: Select Add a new forest and enter your Root domain name (e.g., mylab.local)
Configuration: Set a Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM) password and complete the wizard
The server will automatically reboot after installation.

Section 2: DNS - Configuring Lookup Zones

Active Directory creates Forward Lookup Zones automatically, but you must manually configure the Reverse Lookup Zone.

Configuring Reverse Lookup Zones:

Open DNS Manager: Go to Tools > DNS
Create New Zone: Right-click Reverse Lookup Zones > New Zone
Select Primary Zone and check "Store the zone in Active Directory"
Replication Scope: Select "To all DNS servers running on domain controllers in this domain"
Select IPv4 Reverse Lookup Zone
Network ID: Enter the first three octets of your network (e.g., 192.168.49).
Dynamic Updates: Choose Allow only secure dynamic updates
Add Pointer (PTR) Record:
- Right-click your new zone > New Pointer (PTR)
- Browse to find your Host (A) record in the Forward Lookup Zone to map the IP to the Hostname
Final DNS Tweak: In your Ethernet adapter settings, change the Preferred DNS server from 127.0.0.1 to the server's actual static IP (192.168.49.5)

Section 3: DHCP - Post-Install & Scope Configuration

Post-Deployment: Click the notification flag in Server Manager and select Complete DHCP configuration
- This creates security groups and authorizes the server in Active Directory
Open DHCP Manager: Go to Tools > DHCP
Create New Scope: Right-click IPv4 > New Scope
Name: Provide a name (e.g., Scope1)
IP Range: Enter Start (e.g., .20) and End (e.g., .250) addresses
Lease Duration: Set to desired time (e.g., 8 hours)
Configure DHCP Options:
- Router (Default Gateway): Add your gateway IP (e.g., 192.168.49.1)
- DNS Server: Ensure your Domain Controller IP is listed
Activate: Select Yes, I want to activate this scope now

Section 4: Joining a Client to the Domain

Client Network Check: On a Windows 10 PC, ensure the adapter is set to "Obtain IP address automatically"
Run ipconfig /all to verify it received an IP from the new DHCP server
Join Domain:
- Go to Settings > System > About > Join a domain
- Enter the domain name (mylab.local) and provide Domain Administrator credentials
- Restart the client computer
Verify: In Server Manager, go to Active Directory Users and Computers > Computers to see the newly joined client listed

Network Time Protocol (NTP) Server

NTP time source parameters deployment mapping instructions pending.

Central Logging Server

Central log server ingestion templates and logging agents mapping pending.

Containerization

Kubernetes Cluster

Minikube (Single-node)

Single-node cluster tracking definitions pending setup.

Kubeadm (Multi-node)

Bare-metal infrastructure provisioning guides pending layout.

MicroK8s

Lightweight production execution parameters pending deployment mapping.

Automation

Configuration management tool

Ansible playbooks blueprints, Puppet manifests, and Chef configurations configurations pending.

Scripting

Administrative script repositories blocks for Bash and PowerShell environments pending repository upload.

Security Hardening

Firewall configuration

Boundary logic state checking parameters matching iptables/UFW pending.

Intrusion Detection/Prevention System (IDS/IPS)

Snort and Suricata rules definition matching engine parameters configuration pending mapping.

Vulnerability scanning

Nessus assessment metrics tracking charts pending framework deployment.

Networking

VLAN separation maps and kernel router configurations configurations metrics tracking profiles pending initialization.

Alerting

Threshold limit breach tracking metrics and monitoring routes configurations details pending.

SQL

Section mapping metrics and command structures pending.

NGINX

Section detailing reverse proxy rules pending configuration.

Bash

Section referencing core shell execution methods pending.

PowerShell

Section tracking automation modules pending mapping.

Vault Warden

Section defining deployment parameters pending installation.

Home assistant

Section referencing automation device rules pending interface integration.

Plex

Section targeting directory volume mounts pending storage architecture setup.

RAID

Section analyzing redundancy properties combinations pending calculations.

Pi-Hole

Section targeting DNS local blacklists pending tracking definitions.

HTML

Section summarizing design standards pending syntax components blocks layout.

GPG

Section referencing key architecture validations pending templates definition.

Backups

Section referencing environment replication strategies pending workflow metrics tracking.

MAC addresses

Section tracking hardware identifier lists details records allocation sheets pending.

TROUBLESHOOTS

Section listing environment remediation options logs data checklists pending.

COMMAND DICTIONARY

Section glossary tracking shell commands usage syntax rules matrices pending.