In this lab, you will learn how to install virtualization software, create a virtual machine (VM), and install a useful operating system for security (many open source and freeware tools are developed exclusively for Linux).

Many of the security tools we encounter include Linux in some way, shape, or form. It is imperative that you get comfortable with this operating system in order to do well in ethical hacking, forensics, and so forth. Using Linux is, in many ways, just as easy as using any other operating system.

For the purposes of this lab, we will:

1) Download and install VirtualBox from Oracle. There are other virtualization products that perform just as well, if not better than, VirtualBox (for example, VMware, Microsoft Virtual PC, Parallels, Xen, etc). However, VirtualBox is fairly easy to configure for those new to virtualization.

2) Create and configure a VM inside VirtualBox running Linux.

To show that you have properly installed everything, create a user with a username that reflects your first initial and last name;

4) Take a screen shot of your installed VM running some flavor of Linux and showing a terminal window. At the terminal, you have typed whoami, and the resulting info is the logged in user (i.e., your username).