Module 63: Introduction to Linux
Getting a Linux system to practise on
🏠The everyday picture
A driving school car with dual controls: you can practise, stall, make mistakes, and nothing on the real road gets hurt.
📘What it really is
Ways to get a practice Linux system (choose one):
-
A virtual machine (VM): a whole pretend computer running inside yours (Module 7). Use VirtualBox (free) or UTM (on Apple-silicon Macs), with an Ubuntu Server image. You can take snapshots and roll back after mistakes.
-
WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux): on Windows, run
wsl --installin PowerShell (as administrator) to get Ubuntu inside Windows. Great for commands; less like a real server. -
Multipass (Windows, Mac, Linux):
multipass launch --name labcreates an Ubuntu VM with one command. - A small cloud VPS: the real thing, at a small monthly cost (Module 67). Use it after you've practised locally, and secure it at once (Module 65).
Rules for your lab:
- practise destructive commands only in your lab;
- take a snapshot before big changes;
- everything security-related in Course 6.4 happens only on systems you own or are explicitly allowed to test.
🖱️Try it
Set up an Ubuntu Server VM with Multipass (multipass launch --name lab then multipass shell lab), or WSL, or
VirtualBox. Log in, run uname -a and cat /etc/os-release, and note the kernel version and distribution.
✅Quick check
Why practise on a VM or WSL rather than a live server?
Show the answer
Mistakes don't harm anything real, and VMs can be rolled back with snapshots.
Where may you practise security testing?
Show the answer
Only on systems you own or have explicit permission to test.