System Administrator Operating System Course - Hands on Labs

Explore Windows Server 2025’s advanced threat detection, encryption, compliance tools, and enhanced security, alongside cloud and hybrid deployment with integrated management and scalable performance.

Discover Windows Server 2025 features, including direct upgrades from 2012 R2 and later, hot patching via Azure Arc, and enhanced security with laps and Defender for cloud.

Set up a safe, isolated lab by creating a Windows Server 2025 virtual machine with VMware Workstation or any preferred virtualization platform, using the Windows Server 2025 ISO.

Create and manage organizational units, users, and security groups in Active Directory to implement access control and Group Policy through a hands-on lab.

Learn group policy basics for centralized Windows Server management inside an Active Directory domain, using group policy objects to configure computer and user settings.

Extend Azure Arc to manage on-prem, AWS, and GCP resources from a single pane, applying policy and security with Defender for Cloud, by installing the Azure Connected Machine Agent.

Create a storage pool from multiple disks, carve a ten gigabyte virtual disk, and provision a usable NTFS volume with parity protection, using thin provisioning and PowerShell commands.

Learn to configure ntfs permissions in Windows Server 2025, including disabling inheritance, and applying access for domain users and air staff to folders and files with full control.

Learn to configure Windows firewall rules, manage inbound and outbound traffic, and create port-based and program rules for domain, private, and public profiles, enhancing server security.

Learn to verify and configure Microsoft Defender Antivirus on Windows Server 2025, run quick or full scans, update definitions, and manage real-time protection, ransomware protection, exclusions, and history.

Navigate Windows 11 editions for system admins—from home limitations to pro with domain and group policy, and from enterprise features to education licensing and upgrades.

As Windows 10 reaches end of life on October 14, 2025, moving to Windows 11 introduces TPM 2.0, zero trust, and enhanced manageability for sysadmins.

Build a Windows 11 virtual machine in a lab using VMware Workstation, configuring the VM with Windows 11 x64 and loading the ISO for safe, isolated testing.

Explore Microsoft Entra ID as the cloud-based identity solution that replaces on-premises Active Directory for modern Windows 11 environments, enabling single sign-on, MFA, conditional access, and Intune-driven device management.

Explore Windows 11 built-in productivity tools like Snap Layouts, Windows Tab, multiple desktops, and Focus settings, plus Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams, and OneDrive integrations to streamline tasks and collaboration.

Open device manager in admin mode to view hardware categories and driver statuses, resolve conflicts, and update drivers in Windows 11 for improved performance, compatibility, and security.

Manage Windows background processes with the services.msc console, understand startup types (automatic, manual, disabled), and use start, stop, and properties to troubleshoot networking, printing, and security services.

Use Windows 11 disk management to manage internal and external disks, create and format partitions, assign drive letters, and understand basic versus dynamic disks and simple volumes.

Manage Windows Update settings in Windows 11 to balance security, stability, and performance. Explore quality, security, feature, driver, and optional updates, plus scheduling, restarts, pause, delivery optimization, and uninstall options.

Explore how to manage Windows updates beyond built-in settings using WSUS, Intune, and RMM tools to centralize control, test patches, automate rollouts, and ensure compliance.

Explore Windows Defender, now Microsoft Defender Antivirus, built-in Windows 11 protection providing real-time antivirus against viruses, spyware, and ransomware, with Defender for Endpoint integration and the Windows Security Center.

Learn how Windows Defender Firewall protects devices by monitoring inbound and outbound traffic, managing ports and app rules, and leveraging group policy for centralized enterprise protection.

BitLocker provides full disk encryption on Windows Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions, protecting data at rest with TPM and a 48-digit recovery key.

Understand the bare minimum hardware for Ubuntu Server 24.04.2: a 64-bit CPU, 1 GB RAM, and 5 GB free disk space. Allocate more resources for better performance, such as 2–4 GB RAM and 20 GB disk, and use a dual-core or quad-core processor with Ubuntu Server's 64-bit requirement.

Learn to transfer files between Windows and Ubuntu Server using the secure copy protocol with WinSCP; upload, download, and manage file locations via a free open source tool.

Explore Samba on Ubuntu Server to share files with Windows and Linux clients, including installing Samba, creating /mount/data/share, configuring /etc/samba/smb.conf, and restarting the service.

Install and configure apache2 on Ubuntu to run a working web server. Create a custom index.html in /var/www/html to replace the default page, restart apache2, and test.

Create, write, and run your first Python script on Ubuntu server using a text file and a shebang that prints two lines. Make it executable and run with python3.

Learn how fail2ban monitors logs to detect brute-force SSH login attempts and automatically ban offending IP addresses via the firewall, with practical Ubuntu configuration steps.

Monitor network interfaces in real time to diagnose traffic problems and detect spikes, dropped packets, or congestion using practical Ubuntu tools such as ip, ifstat, endload, iftop, ss, and ethtool.

Master the Debian software workflow with APT: update, install, upgrade, and remove packages while automatically handling dependencies and managing repositories.

Configure and verify Debian network interfaces, switching between DHCP and static IP, manage DNS with resolv.conf, and use tools like ping, nslookup, and ip route to troubleshoot.

Master essential file and process management on a Debian system by creating, moving, copying, and deleting files and directories, navigating permissions, ownership, and basic commands.

Learn to manage disks and file systems in a Debian system by partitioning, formatting with ext4, mounting, and monitoring space using fdisk and df.

Regularly update your Debian system with apt to maintain security. Strengthen SSH with key-based authentication, deploy UFW, enforce strong passwords, and use fail2ban with logwatch and syslog to monitor activity.

Discover ubuntu desktop, a linux-based operating system with a user-friendly GNOME GUI, pre-installed apps, and secure updates, backed by canonical with long-term support for students, developers, casual users, and professionals.

Discover Ubuntu Pro, the premium edition from Canonical that adds up to ten years of security updates, enhanced compliance tools, kernel live patching, and optional managed services for businesses.

set up a Ubuntu desktop in a VM using VMware Workstation Player, comparing VMs to physical machines and detailing hardware: 8 gb ram, 4 vcpus, 64 gb disk, bridged networking.

Explore the Ubuntu settings menu to customize network and wifi, display and sound, privacy, power, accessibility, printers, and app-specific preferences, while configuring accounts and remote connections.

Discover ubuntu's search function as an all-in-one launcher that opens apps, files, and settings, shows calculator results, and offers smart suggestions for faster navigation.

Understand how ubuntu organizes disks with a single root directory, partitions, ext4, and key folders like home, etc, and mounting and device naming.

View installed apps from the manage tab in the app center, check for updates, and click update all to install the latest versions for security, performance, and features.

Explore LibreOffice, the free open-source office suite for Ubuntu, featuring Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, and Math; learn to create documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and PDFs with Microsoft Office compatibility.

Learn how Steam, the Valve game manager, enables Linux gaming by browsing Steam OS and Linux, filtering free games, checking system requirements, installing games, and playing from your library.

Explore the most commonly used Ubuntu desktop applications and how to use them for daily tasks. Check the App Center for Linux native alternatives and trusted recommendations.

Discover Firefox and Chromium on Ubuntu Desktop, two open-source, privacy-conscious browsers with tab browsing, private browsing mode, password management, add-ons, and Google account sync.

Explore how Ubuntu desktop enables real-time messaging, group collaboration, voice and video calls, and file sharing with Microsoft Teams, Slack, and open source options, plus secure installation.

Explore music on Ubuntu desktop with Rhythmbox or Spotify, import and play mp3 and wav files, organize by artist, album, and genre, and enjoy playlists, internet radio, and Last.fm integration.

install and use vlc media player on ubuntu to handle nearly all video and audio formats, with subtitle support, playlists, streaming, and recording; free and open-source.

Leverage the Ubuntu terminal to diagnose and troubleshoot issues, learn essential commands like uname, free, df, top, journalctl, and network tools like ping and traceroute.

Explore why backups matter, what to back up on ubuntu, and how to back up and restore using deja dup with duplicity, including local and cloud options and encryption tips.

Create and manage users on Ubuntu desktop, including standard and administrator accounts, their home directories, and password policies, using the graphical steps in settings to add users.

Download Rocky Linux from the official site, selecting minimal, dvd, or boot ISO for your architecture, and verify with checksums before installing in a virtual environment.

Deploy Rocky Linux in cloud environments like Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud via marketplace options, with pricing, region choices, and images like Docker and desktop workstation live images.

Explore the minimum and recommended Rocky Linux specs, including 1.1 GHz processor, 2 GB RAM, and 20 GB storage for both lab and production environments.

Compare regular and standard users, administrators, and root users in a Linux system, and see how permissions shape daily tasks and enterprise access, including a login as John.

Log in as a user with sudo rights rather than root to perform admin tasks, with actions audited. Emphasize privacy, think before you type, and use named accounts.

Update repository data with dnf update, upgrade packages with dnf upgrade, and auto remove unused files with dnf auto remove on Rocky Linux 9.5 to improve security and performance.

Elevate a standard user to admin on Rocky Linux by adding Mary to the wheel group with sudo usermod -aG, then verify access with groups and sudo.

Learn to safely delete a user in Rocky Linux by terminating active sessions, removing the account with an optional home directory cleanup, backing up data, and verifying removal.

Add a user to a group with sudo usermod -aG and specify the group name, then verify membership using groups and getent. Audit group memberships regularly to maintain correct access.

Delete a group with sudo group del followed by the group name, developers. Follow best practices for group management, such as organizing users by role and enforcing least privilege.

Create files on Rocky Linux using touch and vi, explore ls and pwd, and apply best practices for descriptive names, extensions, permissions, and avoiding overwrites in scripts and configs.

Master Rocky Linux file and folder permissions by viewing, interpreting owner, group, and others rights, using chmod, chown, and numeric permissions to enforce least privilege.

Learn to copy and move files in Rocky Linux using cp and mv, create directories with mkdir, and verify results with ls and pwd, to keep your system organized.

Explore the Rocky Linux disk structure, partitions, and file systems, including root, boot, home, var, and swap, and learn to view and manage disks with lsblk, fdisk, and df.

Monitor CPU, memory, and load on Rocky Linux with top, view real-time metrics, and learn to sort by memory (M) or CPU (P), kill (k) and quit (q).

View and manage running processes in Rocky Linux with ps and top, then terminate using kill with signals like SIGTERM, SIGKILL, and SIGHUP to prevent resource hogs.

AlmaLinux is professionally backed by the AlmaLinux OS Foundation with allies like AMD, Microsoft, Meta, and major cloud providers, delivering enterprise-grade stability, ten years per version, and official cloud images.

Emphasizes a stable long term support model for Linux servers, with ten-year major release support, regular security patches, and a predictable Alma Linux point-release lifecycle.

AlmaLinux provides an enterprise-grade, 1-to-1 Red Hat compatible Linux OS with long-term support and security patching, backed by the AlmaLinux OS Foundation and partners used in cloud, education, and enterprises.

Determine Alma Linux lab requirements: 10 gb minimum disk, 20 gb recommended, and 1.5 gb RAM minimum (2 gb for light workloads); verify architectures x86_64, aarch64, ppc64, and s390x.

Install and verify the openssh server on Linux, then locate the DHCP IP with ip addr and connect remotely via putty for secure management.

Keep Alma Linux systems secure and up to date with the DNF package manager. Learn update, install, remove, search, and info commands, and review release notes and GPG key verification.

Navigate the Linux file system from the root directory, learning folders like /bin, /sbin, /etc, /home, /var, /boot, /dev, and /proc and /sys, where everything is a file.

Create users and assign passwords, grant sudo rights via the wheel group, and manage file permissions with chmod and chown to secure Alma Linux in production enterprise environments.

Explore how firewalld acts as a security gate, monitoring traffic and enforcing runtime and permanent rules to protect Linux servers, and learn to manage zones, services, and ports.

Master disk management by provisioning a new drive, partitioning it, formatting as zfs, mounting to a mount point, and configuring fstab with its uuid for reboot persistence.

Install Apache httpd on Alma Linux, start and enable the service, configure firewall rules for http and https, and create a test index.html in /var/www/html.

Install docker on AlmaLinux by adding the official docker ce repo and installing docker ce, cli, containerd.io; then start and enable the docker service.

Explore Alma Linux resources through official documentation, wiki pages, and community forums; connect on Mattermost, GitHub, Reddit, and social groups to troubleshoot, report bugs, and contribute to projects.

Explore Fedora, a Linux-based operating system from the Fedora Project sponsored by Red Hat, highlighting Fedora Workstation and Fedora Server for desktop and server use.

Compare Fedora workstation and server editions to decide between a graphical desktop and a headless, remote system sharing a common base.

Download the Fedora server iso and install a virtual machine, selecting the x86 64 dvd iso for Fedora server version 42, about 2.7gb.

Meet Fedora server minimums: 64 GB disks and at least 1 GB RAM; use 8 GB for scalable workloads and RAID with sufficient networking, no graphic UI.

Create a Fedora server virtual machine using the Fedora server ISO, configure a 64GB disk, 8GB memory, 8 vCPUs, and bridged networking, and select the ISO to prepare for installation.

Log in to the Fedora server via the CLI using the created user. Verify the installation by checking the os version and ip address, and test connectivity with a ping.

Configure static ipv4 addresses on fedora server and workstation using the cli and nmcli, setting the address, subnet, gateway, and dns.

Keep Fedora server secure and stable by applying updates via dnf, rebooting after kernel upgrades, and enabling automatic updates with dnf-automatic to maintain production systems.

Explore Fedora Workstation's software center to manage packages from repositories, search and install apps like Firefox or Google Chrome, and uninstall or tailor the system with development tools and drivers.

Learn to manage software on a Fedora server with DNF, the rpm-based package manager, to install, update, remove, search, and enable repositories.

Personalize Fedora Workstation by exploring GNOME desktop customization options, including wallpaper, accent color, light mode, GNOME tweaks, extensions, and keyboard shortcuts to fit your workflow.

Explore Fedora workstation's development tools for HTML, CSS, Python, and Java—from Scratch for beginners to IDEs, GCC, and RPM build tools. Also install Telegram, WhatsApp, and Discord packages.

Use firewall d to manage Fedora server firewall with zones and services, fronting iptables and nftables. Check status, view active zones, add services or ports, and reload.

Install and enable Apache on a Fedora server, configure the firewall for HTTP and HTTPS, create an index.html in /var/www/html, and review httpd.conf configuration options.

Discover how to monitor Fedora server and workstation resources using CLI tools like top, htop, vmstat, iostat, df -h, and du, plus networking checks with ping and trace route.

Explore how to create, manage, and restore backups on a Fedora workstation using Deja Dupe, including encryption, scheduling, and off-site options for disaster recovery.

Explore official Fedora documentation, forums, Reddit threads, and IRC channels to extend your Linux administration skills; research first, learn by doing in a safe lab, and stay curious.

Explore the Arch Linux FAQ to understand why Arch may suit you, including architecture support, rolling releases, free software, and how to tailor Arch as a server, desktop, or workstation.

Prepare a virtual lab by creating a Linux VM (Arch Linux), allocate 60 GB disk, 8 GB RAM, 1 CPU with 8 cores, enable amd-v, bridge networking, and attach ISO.

Log in to Arch Linux after installation, review the GNOME tour, and verify system setup by checking kernel version, network connectivity, installed packages, and disk usage.

Discover the console, Arch Linux’s text-based interface and starting point, where you type commands to install packages, edit config files, configure the system, and manage services, highlighting Linux’s control, speed, and scripting.

Configure networking via the network manager both in CLI and GUI, edit a connection, and apply manual settings for Ethernet interfaces by deactivating and reactivating the connection.

Explore pacman, the official Arch Linux package manager, and learn to install, remove, update, and manage software from Arch repositories with sudo, binary packages, and dependencies.

Explore the software manager in arch linux, learn to browse repositories, install or uninstall apps, and manage updates across categories like games, development, and education using libreoffice as a sample.

Master disk management in Arch Linux by partitioning a new 25 gigabyte virtual disk, formatting as ext4 or xfs, mounting to /mount/data, and configuring fstab with UUID for boot persistence.

Discover how Arch Linux can be a solid gaming platform by leveraging bleeding-edge kernels and drivers, while using Steam, Lutris, Wine, and emulators for Linux and retro games.

Explore firewall D on Arch Linux, a dynamic firewall manager for IP tables and NFT tables that uses zones and services to simplify network protection and rule management.

Explore Arch Linux learning resources such as the Arch Wiki, forums, Reddit, and Discord to search effectively, troubleshoot, and learn from community tips.