Overview
The Linux Server 2020 project was an ambitious endeavor to create a fully functional home lab environment using Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS. The project aimed to emulate a professional web development and source code management setup within a secure, virtualized infrastructure.
Project Goals
This home lab project was designed with several key objectives in mind:
- To install and configure VMware Workstation Pro for creating and managing virtual machines on a personal computer.
- To establish a LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) stack on Ubuntu Server for hosting and testing multiple websites in a sandboxed environment.
- To deploy a GitLab server for efficient management of source code repositories, enabling the practice of CI/CD pipelines within a localized network.
- To set up an OpenVPN server to provide secure, encrypted access to the home lab network remotely.
- To implement Nagios for real-time monitoring of the health and performance of the server and its services, ensuring reliability and uptime.
Implementation Details
The project leveraged VMware Workstation Pro to virtualize Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS, creating a robust platform for the subsequent software stack installations. The LAMP stack’s configuration facilitated a practical web development environment, allowing for the deployment and testing of web applications in a controlled setting.
A GitLab server was introduced to the system to manage version control and automate the build and deployment processes through CI/CD pipelines, enhancing development workflows and productivity.
Furthermore, the integration of an OpenVPN server ensured that remote access to the home lab was both possible and secure, extending the lab’s utility beyond its physical location.
Lastly, Nagios was selected and configured to monitor the system’s health, providing alerts and insights into the performance of the server and its hosted services, thus preemptively addressing potential issues.
Conclusion
The Linux Server 2020 Home Lab Project successfully created a versatile and secure environment for web development and server management tasks. By incorporating essential services like LAMP stack, GitLab, OpenVPN, and Nagios, the project demonstrated the feasibility and benefits of a personalized server setup, offering valuable insights into system administration and network security practices.