The born2beroot project is part of the School 42 curriculum, aimed at introducing students to system administration concepts and practices. The goal of this project is to set up a virtual machine (VM) with a specific operating system, configure it securely, and manage it as a server, applying various system administration tasks.

The born2beroot project involves setting up a virtual machine, configuring its network and security settings, and ensuring it operates as a stable and secure server. You will learn to manage users, configure SSH, set up firewalls, and apply other essential sysadmin practices.

• Operating Systems:
  • The project can be implemented on Debian-based or Red Hat-based distributions.
• Virtualization:
  • Use of virtualization software such as VirtualBox or VMware to create the VM.
• Key Configurations:
  • User Management: Create and manage users and groups.
  • SSH Configuration: Set up and secure SSH access.
  • Firewall Setup: Configure firewall rules using ufw (for Debian) or firewalld (for Red Hat).
  • Automated Tasks: Use cron jobs for task scheduling.
  • System Monitoring: Implement tools to monitor system performance and security.

1. Setting Up the VM:

   • Install a chosen Linux distribution on a virtual machine using VirtualBox or VMware.
   • Update and upgrade the system packages to ensure the latest security patches are applied.

2. User and Group Management:

   • Create a new user with sudo privileges.
   • Implement strong password policies and manage user permissions.

3. SSH Configuration:

   • Install and configure the OpenSSH server.
   • Disable root login and configure key-based authentication.
   • Change the default SSH port to enhance security.

4. Firewall Setup:

   • Install and configure ufw or firewalld to allow only necessary traffic.
   • Set up rules to allow SSH connections and other required services while blocking all other incoming connections.

5. Automated Tasks with Cron:

   • Schedule regular system updates and backups using cron jobs.
   • Implement monitoring scripts to check system health and resource usage.

6. System Monitoring:

   • Install monitoring tools such as top, htop, or glances to observe system performance.
   • Set up log monitoring to track system events and potential security issues.

7. Documentation:

   • Document all configurations and settings applied to the VM.
   • Create a comprehensive report detailing the steps taken, configurations applied, and rationale behind each decision.

This project provides hands-on experience with essential system administration tasks, focusing on security, user management, and system monitoring, which are critical skills for managing and maintaining secure and stable server environments.