CMPT 433 A1

Assignment 1

Part A A.1 - Obtain a Linux distribution of your choice that you can install on a VM. From a selection of tested Distributions: Debian 10.7.0 Ubuntu 20.04.1 Linuxmint 20.1 CentOS 8.3.2011 A few random ones from distrowatch.com selected by asking coworkers random numbers between 1-100 Stumbled on http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/, decided I should carefully back away for now.

    Due to time constraints, focused on what was familiar - Debian based
        Ruling out CentOS
            Im really used to apt, not a lot of fun
        Just like university, and work, the fundamental constraint is always time.

    Due to time constraints using Ubuntu 20.04.1
        Raw debian wasnt particularly exciting, a lot older kernel than ubuntu and mint
        Available in both a Server and Desktop distribution
        Available kernel source
        Extreemly common preconfigured VPS client on Digitalocean which i use for my other servers
        Traditionally I use Linux Mint for some machines. Stuck to using windows normally due to specific work software (CAD)
        Ubuntu desktop using same kernel as server (from what i can tell)


A.2 - Install and configure VBox to be able to load that image to run.
    Installing from command line on a fresh Linux Mint base OS accessed using Teamviewer to work location.
        TP-FATBOI - 4U 20 bay server rack with old scrap parts
        6 core Intel 3930k @ 3.2GHz with a bent up Noctua cooler to fit inside
        16GB DDR3 Ram
        500GB SATA ssd + 2x8TB + 2x3TB + 1x1.5TB Mechaincal drives (future offsite backup for Synology NAS)

    Later switched to main workstation due to slow compile times and the problems it created
        TP-GAMER
        12 core AMD Ryzen 3900x
        32GB DDR4
        2x2TB SSD

    Setting up Virtualbox: (package manager version was old so dl from oracle, removed old, and got latest version)
        crudely follow for ideas (was out of date) https://www.cloudsavvyit.com/3118/how-to-create-virtualbox-vms-from-the-linux-terminal/
        $ wget https://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/6.1.18/virtualbox-6.1_6.1.18-142142~Ubuntu~eoan_amd64.deb
        $ sudo VBoxManage extpack install Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-5.2.42.extpack        # install debian package
        $ sudo apt install htop               # monitoring base system performance
        $ VBoxManage -v                       # Checking version installed
            6.1.18r142142                     # https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Linux_Downloads = Location for finding current extension pack
        
        Note - Why do guides always blindly link in wget statements to versions that are out of date almost as soon as the guide is made?

        $ wget https://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/6.1.18/Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-6.1.18.vbox-extpack
        $ sudo VBoxManage extpack install Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-6.1.18.vbox-extpack # install extension pack
            accept eula
        
        Setup Base Config for Server
        $ sudo VBoxManage createvm --name "Ubuntu_server" --ostype Ubuntu_64 --register # set up server VM
        $ sudo VBoxManage modifyvm "Ubuntu_server" --memory 8192 # 8 GB ram (edited: increased to 8GB for compiling kernel and not hating life)
        $ sudo VBoxManage createhd --filename "Ubuntu_server.vdi" --size 40000 # 40GB HDD on SSD (edited: 20gb was not enough to compile kernel)
        $ sudo VBoxManage modifyvm "Ubuntu_server" --cpus 6 # 6 CPU threads

        Setup HDD
        $ sudo VBoxManage storagectl "Ubuntu_server" --name "SAS Controller" --add sas --controller LSILogicSAS
        $ sudo VBoxManage storageattach "Ubuntu_server" --storagectl "SAS Controller" --port 0 --device 0 --type hdd --medium "Ubuntu_server.vdi"
        $ sudo VBoxManage storagectl "Ubuntu_server" --name "SAS Controller" --hostiocache on

        Setup install iso directory
        $ sudo VBoxManage storagectl "Ubuntu_server" --name "IDE Controller" --add ide --controller PIIX4
        $ sudo VBoxManage storageattach "Ubuntu_server" --storagectl "IDE Controller" --port 0 --device 0 --type dvddrive --medium "/home/torban/Desktop/ubuntu-20.04.1-live-server-amd64.iso"

        Ram tweaks?
        $ sudo VBoxManage modifyvm "Ubuntu_server" --nestedpaging on
        $ sudo VBoxManage modifyvm "Ubuntu_server" --largepages on

        Setup remote access
        $ sudo VBoxManage modifyvm "Ubuntu_server" --vrde on
        $ sudo VBoxManage modifyvm "Ubuntu_server" --vrdeport 5587

        Setup a NAT Network
        $ sudo VBoxManage natnetwork add --netname natnet1 --network "10.0.0.0/24" --enable
        $ sudo VBoxManage natnetwork start --netname natnet1

        Start it up!
        $ sudo VBoxManage startvm "Ubuntu_server" --type headless

        Using RDP client
        $ sudo apt install remmina
        Use Remmina to RDP to localhost:5587
        RDP sorta works, walk through installation with half the screen missing, setup username, password, machine name, etc
        Edited settings in Remmina to force a higher resolution after installer failed so i could complete the installer
        Fought fora  few hours trying to get the server to reboot after install.

        Log in for first time & update
        $ sudo apt update
        $ sudo apt upgrade

        Enable SSH
        $ sudo ufw allow ssh

        Server Complete

        Setup Base Config for Workstation ( Identical to server except 4gb ram & called Ubuntu_workstation)
        $ sudo VBoxManage createvm --name "Ubuntu_workstation" --ostype Ubuntu_64 --register # set up server VM
        $ sudo VBoxManage modifyvm "Ubuntu_workstation" --memory 8192 # 8 GB ram (edited: increased to 8GB for compiling kernel and not hating life)
        $ sudo VBoxManage createhd --filename "Ubuntu_workstation.vdi" --size 80000 # 80GB HDD on SSD (Edited 40GB not enough Edited: 20gb was not enough to compile kernel)
        $ sudo VBoxManage modifyvm "Ubuntu_workstation" --cpus 12 # 12 CPU threads

        Setup HDD
        $ sudo VBoxManage storagectl "Ubuntu_workstation" --name "SAS Controller" --add sas --controller LSILogicSAS
        $ sudo VBoxManage storageattach "Ubuntu_workstation" --storagectl "SAS Controller" --port 0 --device 0 --type hdd --medium "Ubuntu_workstation.vdi"
        $ sudo VBoxManage storagectl "Ubuntu_workstation" --name "SAS Controller" --hostiocache on

        Setup install iso directory
        $ sudo VBoxManage storagectl "Ubuntu_workstation" --name "IDE Controller" --add ide --controller PIIX4
        $ sudo VBoxManage storageattach "Ubuntu_workstation" --storagectl "IDE Controller" --port 0 --device 0 --type dvddrive --medium "/home/torban/Desktop/ubuntu-20.04.1-desktop-amd64.iso"

        Ram tweaks?
        $ sudo VBoxManage modifyvm "Ubuntu_workstation" --nestedpaging on
        $ sudo VBoxManage modifyvm "Ubuntu_workstation" --largepages on

        Setup remote access
        $ sudo VBoxManage modifyvm "Ubuntu_workstation" --vrde on
        $ sudo VBoxManage modifyvm "Ubuntu_workstation" --vrdeport 5588

        Start it up!
        $ sudo VBoxManage startvm "Ubuntu_workstation" --type headless

        Use Remmina to RDP to localhost:5588
        Desktop install went a lot smoother than the server install! did have to force screen resolution to complete setup though

        Once installed,
        Log in for first time & update
        $ sudo apt update
        $ sudo apt upgrade

        Enable SSH
        $ sudo ufw allow ssh
        Workstation Complete

A.3 - Configure a kernel for each of your hardware configurations.
    The joy of selecting ubuntu is the wealth of resources on the internet to tweak it
    using https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/BuildYourOwnKernel as a reference
    using https://linuxguides.co.uk/ubuntu-guides/how-to-compile-kernel-ubuntu-20-04/ as a better reference

    Install dependencies for compiling
    $ sudo apt-get install -y build-essential libncurses5-dev gcc libssl-dev grub2 bc bison flex libelf-dev

    Install the latest kernel 5.9.9 for maximum fun
    $ wget https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v5.x/linux-5.9.9.tar.xz
    $ tar -xvf linux-5.9.9.tar.xz
    $ ls -l /boot

    move current kernel config file to working directory
    $ cp /boot/config-5.4.0-65-generic /home/torban/linux-5.9.9/.config

    $ make menuconfig
    I looked through a lot of the kernel options but couldnt really see anything worth tweaking at the risk of breaking things
    Loaded the .config file into menuconfig
    $ make -j12 deb-pkg # 12 cores of goodness
    Press enter blindly about 500 times
        apparently i didnt save the config file properly which is why it asked so many questions
    Heat the room for a while compiling while starting workstation kernel build

    Workstation Kernel, Same process mostly
    Workstation uses a new kernel due to an update so adapt code slightly

    move current kernel config file to working directory
    $ cp /boot/config-5.8.0-40-generic /home/torban/linux-5.9.9/.config

    $ make menuconfig
    Loaded the .config file into menuconfig
    $ make -j12 deb-pkg # 12 cores of goodness
    Press enter blindly about 500 times
    go to bed

    Wake up, see both kernels have failed to compile, need more HDD space apparently

    Resize vm's in vbox to 40GB for both

    Change partition table in vms using terminal
    used a portion of this guide https://brianchristner.io/how-to-resize-ubuntu-root-partition/
    $ sudo cdfisk
    select sda3 and resize, write, quit, reboot
    Do it over again after filling up 40gb, in the end required 39gb to compile just the kernel

    Wn the directory of the kenel output, run the following
    $ sudo dpkg -i linux-*.deb
    $ sudo update-grub # adds to boot menu

    Reboot and check kernel with
    # uname -r
    And kernel successfully installed, both vm's were similar and checked the same way
    ... and didnt crash a few hour later either! (that has been my experience in the past)

A.4 - Write a C module that can be inserted as a kernel module that prints "Hello, world" when the module is initialized and installed, and "Goodbye, world" when the module is removed.

    Using https://blog.sourcerer.io/writing-a-simple-linux-kernel-module-d9dc3762c234 as a reference
    Using https://tldp.org/LDP/lkmpg/2.6/html/x121.html as a reference
    Create hello_world.c in git
    Create Makefile (in nano b/c visial studio code butchered up the file somwhere) i hate makefiles
    $ make
    make seems to have compiled properly, and created a handfull of files
    $ sudo insmod ./hello_world.ko
    $ cat /proc/modules
    Module seems to be in there at the top!
    $ cat /var/log/kern.log
    Jan 28 22:32:17 ubuntu-workstation kernel: [ 6971.178631] Hello, world
    $ sudo rmmod hello_world
    $ cat /var/log/kern.log
    Jan 28 22:45:19 ubuntu-workstation kernel: [ 7752.911387] Goodbye, world

    Done!

A.5 - Write a C program that reads the /proc filesystem to get status information about the machine. Justify what information you are obtaining and why.
    
    First install gcc compiler
    $sudo apt install gcc

    Write hello world to confirm everythings working
    $ torban@ubuntu-server:~$ ./helloworld
    $ hello World!
    Success! Code pushed to GIT

    Find some example code to run proc stuffs
    a good start https://stackoverflow.com/questions/56114598/read-proc-cpuinfo-and-print-matching-line-in-c

    Created code (procstats.c) that shows the following useful information
        CPU
        CPU Clock
        CPU Cores
        Total Memory
        Free memory
        Linux version incl. kernel
        Would like HDD space readout but short on time

Part B B.1 - Obtain a version of the Apache web server and ensure that PHP capabilities are provided in your system.

    Install Apache
    $ sudo apt install apache2
    Configure Firewall
    $ sudo ufw allow "Apache Full"
    $ sudo ufw enable
    Check to see if server is running by accessing webpage
    Working on port 80, not https though

    Install PHP
    using guide https://linuxize.com/post/how-to-install-php-on-ubuntu-20-04/
    $ sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php # install apache2 php plugin
    $ sudo systemctl restart apache2 # restart

    Verify it works by creating example php page that displays phpinfo();
    Successfully running PHP Version 7.4.3

B.2 - Write a simple script in PHP that accesses the /proc filesystem on the web server machine and prints out the same information that the C program did in Part A.5. This must be able to be run under Apache
    
    Using http://www.sledgehammersolutions.co.uk/projects/php/procfs.html as reference

    I have not touched PHP in 5 years or anything web for that matter

B.3 - Write a simple script in python (or other scripting language) that accesses the /proc filesystem on the web server machine and prints out the same information that the C program did in Part A.5.
    TODO
B.4 - Show that you can access the script in Part B.2. from a browser on the VM, or from another computer (real or virtual).
    TODO