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Linux Installation and Setup – Ubuntu, RHEL , Rocky
Command-Line Interface (CLI) and Shell Scripting
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User and Group Management
Linux File Permissions and Security
Linux Networking and Internet Connectivity
Linux Process Management
Linux Kernel and Device Drivers
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Linux System Monitoring and Performance Tuning
Linux Backup and Recovery
Linux Virtualization and Containerization
Linux Server Configurations (Web, Database, DNS, Monitoring )
Linux Text Editors (nano)
Linux Desktop Environments (GNOME, KDE, Xfce, etc.)
Linux System Logs and Log Analysis
Linux Security Best Practices
Linux Firewalls and Network Security
Linux System Updates and Patch Management
Linux Shell Tools and Utilities
Linux Multimedia Applications and Tools
Linux Database Management (MySQL,MariaDB and PostgreSQL)
Linux Remote Administration and SSH
Linux High Availability and Load Balancing
Linux Cloud Computing and Deployment
Linux Shell Scripting Best Practices
Linux Troubleshooting and Debugging
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Linux Data Encryption and Security
Linux IoT (Internet of Things) Applications
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VMware ESXi (pronounced ESXi) is a type of hypervisor that allows you to run multiple virtual machines on a single physical host. It is a bare-metal hypervisor, which means it runs directly on the host’s hardware and does not require an operating system to be installed first.

ESXi is a popular choice for virtualization in the enterprise because it is easy to install and manage, and it provides a high level of performance and reliability. With ESXi, you can run multiple virtual machines on a single physical server, each with its own operating system and applications, and manage them all from a central console.

In addition to virtualization, ESXi also provides features such as live migration, high availability, and resource management to help you deploy and manage your virtual infrastructure.

ESXi comes with a 60 days evolution period in this period you can use all its feature but after 60 days you need to purchase a license for it.

Related Article: What is VMware used for?

To install VMware ESXi 7 on a server, you will need to perform the following steps:

Download ESXi

Download the VMware ESXi 7 installation ISO file from the VMware website.

Download from the official site trial version or if you want to use it for the business you can purchase it too. As recommended if you are new to it ask the IT department they will provide a custom ESXi iso according to the environment.

VMware ESXi download

How to use ISO

According to the situation, there are 3 methods to use ISO on a server.

• Burn the ISO file to a CD or create a bootable USB drive.
• Mount ISO on KVM console from IMC, ILO, IDRAC or ILOM, etc
• Place ISO on your network boot server

After mounting, you have to reboot the server and boot the server with ISO

Press the appropriate key to enter the BIOS or boot menu. This key is usually F6, F10, F11, or F12, but it may vary depending on the server’s BIOS.

Process of Installation of ESXi 7

After reaching the boot menu select the bootable media from the boot menu and press Enter to boot from it.

After loading the screen, it will ask you to press enter to continue. Press enter to the next step.

Press F11 to accept the license agreement from ESXi

Select the disk in which you want to install ESXi and press enter to continue. Press enter again if asked to create a partition for the new ESXi installation. This will happen only in case you are using the old raid for the new ESXi installation.

Select desired language for your ESXi installation and press enter to continue

Give the root password and remember it will be used to log in to ESXi after installation. It will ask you to enter two times password and when both match press enter key to continue.y

Next screen will ask you to confirm installation press F11 to start the installation.

Wait until the process is finished. It will ask you to press enter for the reboot. Press enter and it will boot to ESXi.

Press F2 and give root and password and edit the management IP address if required or if the DHCP network is configured then no need to edit it.

Connect to the ESXi host using the web browser and log in with the root user and the password you set during the installation process.

Conclusion

Now we have successfully installed ESXi. ESXi installation is not as complicated ad other OS because ESXi is a hypervisor installed on bare metal and it will provide a cost-saving solution by creating multiple OS VMS on a single bare-metal

What is VMware?

VMware is a cloud computing and virtualization platform developed by VMware Inc. It provides users with the ability to create, deploy, and manage virtual machines and other software applications. VMware enables IT professionals to easily create, configure, and manage virtualized environments on their own or in the cloud.

VMware technology is used in a variety of industries, from data centers to healthcare and finance to education and government. It’s a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes and can help them save time and money while increasing productivity.

Official Site: VMware

Related Article: How to Install ESXi?

Benefits of VMware

The benefits of VMware are numerous. Here are some of the key advantages of using VMware technology:

• Cost savings: With VMware, businesses can save money by reducing the number of physical servers they need to purchase and maintain. They can also reduce overhead costs associated with operating and maintaining physical servers.
• Improved performance: VMware enables businesses to run multiple applications on a single server, which helps improve performance and reduces latency.
• Ease of use: VMware is easy to use and configure, so businesses can quickly set up and maintain their virtual machines.
• Increased scalability: VMware technology makes it easy for businesses to scale their operations up or down quickly and easily.
• Increased security: VMware provides robust security measures, such as encryption, to keep data safe and secure.

Features of VMware

VMware offers a wide range of features that make it a powerful tool for businesses. Here are some of the important key features of VMware for consideration:

• Automation: VMware technology provides automated deployment and management of virtual machines. This makes it easier for IT professionals to manage large numbers of virtual machines.
• Fault tolerance: VMware technology provides fault tolerance, so if one virtual machine fails, it can be restarted on another machine without downtime.
• High availability: VMware technology provides high availability of virtual machines, so businesses can keep their systems up and running.
• Cloud compatibility: VMware is cloud-compatible, so businesses can easily move their virtual machines to the cloud for flexibility and scalability.
• Disaster recovery: With VMware, businesses can easily recover from disasters with minimal disruption to operations.

How VMware Works

VMware technology works by using virtualization to create multiple virtual machines on one physical server. Each virtual machine has its own operating system, applications, and data. This allows businesses to run multiple virtual machines on one server without affecting performance.

The virtual machines are managed using a hypervisor, which is a piece of software that provides the necessary resources for the virtual machines to run. The hypervisor is responsible for controlling the resources allocated to each virtual machine, as well as ensuring that they are secure and running optimally. VMware ESXi is a type 1 hypervisor.

Advantages of VMware

The advantages of VMware are numerous. Here are some of the key benefits of using VMware:

• Increased efficiency: VMware technology makes it easier for businesses to manage and maintain their virtual machines, so they can focus on other tasks.
• Improved scalability: VMware technology makes it easy for businesses to scale up or down quickly, so they can adjust their operations as needed.
• Improved security: VMware provides robust security measures, such as encryption and authentication, to ensure the safety of their data.
• Increased flexibility: VMware enables businesses to move their virtual machines to the cloud for greater flexibility and scalability.

• Cost savings: VMware technology can help businesses save money by reducing the number of physical servers they need to purchase and maintain.
• Improved performance: VMware technology enables businesses to run multiple applications on a single server, which helps improve performance and reduces latency.
• Ease of use: VMware technology is easy to use and configure, so businesses can quickly set up and maintain their virtual machines.

What is VMware used for :

Below we will get through with VMware products which will give you an idea of what is VMware used for :

Types of VMware Products

There are a variety of different VMware products available for businesses to use. Here are some of the most popular VMware products:

• VMware vSphere or ESXi: vSphere is a virtualization platform that enables businesses to create, deploy, and manage virtual machines and other software applications in the cloud.
• VMware vCenter Server: vCenter Server is a centralized management platform that provides businesses with the tools they need to manage their virtual machines and other components of their IT infrastructure.
• VMware NSX: NSX is a network virtualization platform that enables businesses to create secure and isolated networks in the cloud.
• VMware vSAN: vSAN is a storage virtualization platform that enables businesses to create, deploy, and manage storage in the cloud.
• VMware vRealize: vRealize is an automation platform that enables businesses to automate the management of their virtual machines and other components of their IT infrastructure.

Types of VMware Solutions

VMware also offers a variety of different solutions for businesses to use. Here are some of the most popular VMware solutions:

• VMware Cloud Foundation: Cloud Foundation is a complete cloud infrastructure platform that enables businesses to quickly and easily deploy, manage, and scale their cloud infrastructure.
• VMware vCloud Suite: vCloud Suite is a comprehensive set of infrastructure, networking, and security solutions for businesses to manage their cloud infrastructure.
• VMware Horizon: Horizon is a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solution that enables businesses to securely deliver virtual desktops and applications to their users.
• VMware vRealize Automation: vRealize Automation is an automation platform that enables businesses to quickly and easily deploy, manage, and scale their cloud infrastructure.
• VMware vRealize Business: vRealize Business is a business intelligence and analytics platform that enables businesses to understand and optimize their cloud costs.

VMware Security Solutions

VMware also offers a variety of security solutions for the datacenter to use. Here are some of the most popular VMware security solutions:

• VMware AppDefense: AppDefense is a security platform that helps businesses protect their applications from malicious attacks.
• VMware NSX Advanced Threat Prevention: NSX Advanced Threat Prevention is a security platform that provides businesses with the tools they need to detect and prevent advanced threats.
• VMware Carbon Black Cloud: Carbon Black Cloud is a cloud-based security solution that provides businesses with real-time threat protection and visibility.
• VMware vRealize Security: vRealize Security is a security management platform that provides businesses with the tools they need to detect and respond to security threats.

VMware Cloud Solutions

VMware is used for a variety of cloud solutions for businesses to use. Here are some of the most popular VMware cloud solutions:

• VMware Cloud on AWS: Cloud on AWS is a cloud service that enables businesses to quickly and easily deploy, manage, and scale their cloud infrastructure on Amazon Web Services (AWS).
• VMware Cloud Foundation on Dell EMC: Cloud Foundation on Dell EMC is a cloud service that enables businesses to quickly and easily deploy, manage, and scale their cloud infrastructure on Dell EMC.
• VMware vCloud Director: vCloud Director is a cloud service that enables businesses to quickly and easily deploy, manage, and scale their cloud infrastructure.
• VMware vRealize Automation Cloud: vRealize Automation Cloud is a cloud-based automation platform that enables businesses to quickly and easily deploy, manage, and scale their cloud infrastructure.

VMware Desktop Solutions

VMware also offers a variety of desktop solutions for businesses to use. Here are some of the most popular VMware desktop solutions:

VMware Horizon: Horizon is a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solution that enables businesses to securely deliver virtual desktops and applications to their users.
VMware Fusion: Fusion is a desktop virtualization solution that enables businesses to securely deliver virtual desktops and applications to their users.
VMware Workstation: Workstation is a desktop virtualization solution that enables businesses to securely deliver virtual desktops and applications to their users.
VMware ThinApp: ThinApp is a desktop virtualization solution that enables businesses to securely deliver virtual desktops and applications to their users.

VMware Network Solutions

VMware also offers a variety of network solutions for businesses to use. This is also what is VMware used for. Here are some of the most popular VMware network solutions:

• VMware NSX: NSX is a network virtualization platform that enables businesses to create secure and isolated networks in the cloud.
• VMware NSX Data Center: NSX Data Center is a network virtualization platform that enables businesses to create secure and isolated networks in the cloud.
• VMware vCloud Networking and Security: vCloud Networking and Security is a network virtualization platform that enables businesses to create secure and isolated networks in the cloud.
• VMware vRealize Network Insight: vRealize Network Insight is a network analytics platform that enables businesses to gain visibility into their networks and optimize their performance.

VMware Security Considerations

When using VMware technology, businesses should be aware of potential security risks. Here are some security considerations to keep in mind when using VMware technology:

• Access control: Businesses should ensure that only authorized users have access to their virtual machines.
• Data protection: Businesses should ensure that their data is protected by using encryption and other security measures.
• User authentication: Businesses should ensure that users authenticate themselves before accessing their virtual machines.
• Network security: Businesses should ensure that their networks are secure by using firewalls and other security measures.

VMware Support Services

VMware also offers a variety of support services for businesses to use. Here are some of the most popular VMware support services:

• Professional services: Professional services provide businesses with the tools they need to design, deploy, and manage their virtual infrastructure.
• Technical support: Technical support provides businesses with the resources they need to troubleshoot and resolve issues with their virtual machines.
• Training and certification: Training and certification programs provide businesses with the knowledge and skills they need to successfully manage and maintain their virtual infrastructure.

VMware Licensing Options

VMware also offers a variety of licensing options for businesses to use. Here are some of the most popular VMware licensing options:

• Per-VM licensing: Per-VM licensing enables businesses to license their virtual machines on a per-VM basis.
• Per-host licensing: Per-host licensing enables businesses to license their virtual machines on a per-host basis.
• Capacity-based licensing: Capacity-based licensing enables businesses to license their virtual machines based on their capacity requirements.
• Concurrent user licensing: Concurrent user licensing enables businesses to license their virtual machines based on the number of concurrent users.

Conclusion

Now that you have an answer to the question “What is VMware used for?”, you can see why it’s such a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes. VMware technology provides businesses with the tools they need to create, deploy, and manage virtual machines and other software applications in the cloud. It also provides businesses with cost savings, improved performance, increased scalability, and increased security.

If you’re looking for a virtualization and cloud computing platform for your business, VMware is an excellent choice. It offers a wide range of features, solutions, and support services to help businesses get the most out of their virtual infrastructure.

So, what is VMware used for? VMware is used to create, deploy, and manage virtual machines and other software applications in the cloud. With VMware, businesses can save time and money while increasing their productivity.

IP Address

The IP address is the main identifier of any system which is on any type of network. We can assign by using DHCP or static according to our requirements. It divides into 4 octets which decide which class of IP it is. Below are examples of IP address

192.168.4.1
10.122.1.9
170.28.29.54

There are 5 IP classes A, B, C, D, and E but mainly we use only A, B, and C. Apart from network engineering often we need to work on class C IP addresses for servers and devices.

From the above image, you can understand the classes of subnetting A, B, and C.

255.0.0.0 – 255.254.0.0 is class A

255.255.0.0 – 255.255.254.0 is class B

255.255.255.0 – 255.255.255.255 is class C

This is an easy way to understand which IP class you are using. This is an easy identifier of subnets but if you want to calculate in binary terms that we will see later in the article.

Related article: https://explinux.online/2020/05/learn-new-linux-tricks.html

Class A

Class A has the highest number of IP addresses and this has 16777216 usable IP addresses.

Class B

Class B has a lower usable IP address in this subnet mask you will get a 65534 IP address

Class C

This has only 254 usable IP address So managing via a network switch and physical servers are easy as compared to other classes where manual handling is required.

Subnet

Term subnet or subnetting of the subnet mask is used when we use part of any subnet. Like in class C we could have 254 maximum IP if we use CIDR /24 or Prefix 24 or NETMASK 255.255.255.0. But if we want a small section of IP then we can do subnetting of any subnet mask. For example, if we need only 16 IPs we can use CIDR /28 or Prefix 28, or NETMASK 255.255.255.240.

The above table is created for you to understand subnets and their use.

Understand Subnet Fundamental

A subnet mask is consist of 4 octets with the binary form which define the subnet mask. below is the standard to define a subnet mask. Octets mean a group of eight in simple terms. so we have 8 bits in each octet and 4 octets to create one subnet.

octet = 11111111 or 10100011 etc

Subnet = 11111111.111111111.11111111.11111111 = 255.255.255.255

How to solve it?

Hope you know the binary and decimal number systems. Below is a calculation of how we do the conversion from binary to decimal

11111111 = 1*2⁷ +1*2⁶ +1*2⁵ +1*2⁴ +1*2³ + 1*2² + 1*2¹ +1*2⁰ = 255

11111110 = 1*2⁷ +1*2⁶ +1*2⁵ +1*2⁴ +1*2³ + 1*2² + 1*2¹ +0*2⁰ = 254

11111000 = 1*2⁷ +1*2⁶ +1*2⁵ +1*2⁴ +1*2³ + 0*2² + 0*2¹ +0*2⁰ = 248

11100000 = 1*2⁷ +1*2⁶ +1*2⁵ +0*2⁴ +0*2³ + 0*2² + 0*2¹ +0*2⁰ = 224

Now this is a simple calculation we do to convert them into decimal form

255.255.255.255 = 1111111.11111111.11111111.11111111

255.255.0.0 = 11111111.11111111.00000000.00000000

This is how we calculate the subnet mask.

Subnet Mask vs subnetting

Sometimes we confusion about this term when we use a small amount of IP in a class of IP then it is called subnetting class c could have 254 usable IPs but if we need only 16 IPs we can use CIDR /28 or 255.255.255.240 then it is called subnetting. This could help you to avoid confusion when discussing with the network team.

In this article, we have covered an introduction to the subnet. Hope you find it useful. leave comments and share if helpful.

Test you Linux knowledge with some pretty good and necessary Linux questions . We have added only those question which you are going to use in your daily task either you are a profession or an just an Linux user .

Linux is an very good option if you are looking a career in a IT industry . As a individual or in PC you can use Linux if you are a geeky person and want to explore.

Linux is Best option for Professionals

If you want to get in IT or CS industry you will have to get interact with Linux in your profession journey. Even you are a developer or you just create a simple webpage . You will have to use Linux if you want to make your work easier.

97 % of cloud is based on Linux and your all favorite applications hosted on Linux , only few of them are on windows which are web based even that also very few. One best part of Linux is which Linux you use in laptop is same Linux function you will find on server. But in case of other OS server distro are different.

About the Quiz

This quiz is completely based on our professional knowledge , which command we daily use in our profession life. We will add more quiz later on specific topics because to add all topics in one quiz is not possible but we can say that if you pass this quiz you have ability to work on Linux systems/servers .

Important Link

If you are interested in Linux below articles will be helpful for you

• 22 Linux commands that every Linux user should know
• Why use Linux. 35 Advantage of Linux
• How is load average calculated in Linux
• How To Change Owner Of Home Directory In Linux With Extra Tip
• How to change UID and GID of the local user in Linux?
• How to set ulimit or change the default soft or hard limit for the number of user’s processes?

Thanks for taking part in Linux quiz. Share with your friends and collogues to test there knowledge.

Python is very much popular and opensource programming language . It id widely used everywhere. Developers always ask for install latest version of python but sysadmins problem is that Redhat provides till only python 3.6 . This article cover how to install latest version of python or python 3.8 in RHEL 7 or RHEL 7.9.

In this article you will learn how to install python 3.8 on RHEL 7 without affecting your current environment. By this method you can install as many python version as required .

TIP : Use virtual environment for different version of python so it will not affect any python app too. 

Below Topics are cover in this article :

How to Install Python 3.8 on RHEL 7

How to Install Python 3.9 on RHEL 7

How to Install Python 3.10 on RHEL 7

Get Latest Version or required version of python

Go to site : https://www.python.org/ftp/python/

and copy link of python version according to your requirements . Here you will get all python version choose according to your requirements and developers ask.

Install required rpm package

Install required packages in your RHEL 7 system which help to install python 3.8 version

$ sudo yum install -y gcc openssl-devel libffi-devel bzip2-devel wget

These packages help to download and install python3.8

Download Python

Download python in opt or tmp folder . Make sure your internet is working if not connect to wifi or if you are working on server connect with network team and update resolve.conf file with internet active dns server.

$ cd /opt
$ wget https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.8.9/Python-3.8.9.tgz

$ tar xzvf Python-3.8.9.tgz

Compile and Install Python in System

Now enter the directory of extracted python and configure the code files according to your Linux environment.  We already know RHEL 7 previously installed python . So we run make altinstall . This will not harm your current environment. If you install by make install then it can effect your system environment and may you need to fix issues in other applications.

$ cd Python-3.8.9/
$ sudo ./configure --enable-optimizations
$ sudo make altinstall

This will take 2- 5 min to complete the full python3.8 installation. You can install different version of python with same way .

Related post :cpu-is-idle-but-load-average-is-still-high-solution-for-all-linux-environment

Check final result

Final result should not have any error exit code . If there is any exit code then even after it show that python3.8 is installed but it will not work correctly .This should be something similar to below result :

............

running install_scripts
copying build/scripts-3.8/pydoc3.8 -> /usr/local/bin
copying build/scripts-3.8/idle3.8 -> /usr/local/bin
copying build/scripts-3.8/2to3-3.8 -> /usr/local/bin
changing mode of /usr/local/bin/pydoc3.8 to 755
changing mode of /usr/local/bin/idle3.8 to 755
changing mode of /usr/local/bin/2to3-3.8 to 755
rm /usr/local/lib/python3.8/lib-dynload/_sysconfigdata__linux_x86_64-linux-gnu.py
rm -r /usr/local/lib/python3.8/lib-dynload/__pycache__
/bin/install -c -m 644 ./Misc/python.man \
/usr/local/share/man/man1/python3.8.1
if test "xupgrade" != "xno" ; then \
case upgrade in \
upgrade) ensurepip="--altinstall --upgrade" ;; \
install|*) ensurepip="--altinstall" ;; \
esac; \
./python -E -m ensurepip \
$ensurepip --root=/ ; \
fi
Looking in links: /tmp/tmpv86j4qpe
Processing /tmp/tmpv86j4qpe/setuptools-47.1.0-py3-none-any.whl
Processing /tmp/tmpv86j4qpe/pip-20.1.1-py2.py3-none-any.whl
Installing collected packages: setuptools, pip
WARNING: The script easy_install-3.8 is installed in '/usr/local/bin' which is not on PATH.
Consider adding this directory to PATH or, if you prefer to suppress this warning, use --no-warn-script-location.
WARNING: The script pip3.8 is installed in '/usr/local/bin' which is not on PATH.
Consider adding this directory to PATH or, if you prefer to suppress this warning, use --no-warn-script-location.
Successfully installed pip-20.1.1 setuptools-47.1.0

If your output is not same then try to check if current version is already installed or you have correct privileges .

Verify Python Version

This command altinstall will install separate python binary files in separate folder. So to check current version of python need to specify binary file .

$ python3.8 --version or python3.8 -V

Conclusion

Now you have successfully install python 3.8 in your RHEL7 environment without effecting any system application and function . Hope you like the article share with your Linux admin friends and group to show some support .

How to use the script: 

# vi passwordless.sh 

#chmod u+x passwordless.sh 

# ./passwordless.sh 

Done