# **Complete Rocky Linux Lab Setup: Virtualization, Automation, and Networking**

This guide provides a step-by-step process for setting up an advanced lab environment on Rocky Linux, including virtualization, automation, networking, security, and monitoring. It covers everything from system preparation to multi-VM setups using Vagrant and libvirt.

---

## **Step 1: System Update and Repository Configuration**

Start by updating your system and configuring necessary repositories.

1. **Update the system**:
   ```bash
   sudo dnf update -y
   ```

2. **Enable the CodeReady Builder (CRB) repository**:
   ```bash
   sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled crb
   ```

3. **Add the HashiCorp repository for Vagrant**:
   ```bash
   sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo https://rpm.releases.hashicorp.com/RHEL/hashicorp.repo
   ```

4. **Import the GPG key for security** (optional but recommended):
   ```bash
   sudo rpm --import https://rpm.releases.hashicorp.com/gpg
   ```

5. **Refresh the package cache**:
   ```bash
   sudo dnf makecache
   ```

---

## **Step 2: Install Required Tools**

Install all necessary packages for virtualization, development, automation, and monitoring tools.

```bash
sudo dnf install -y \
  qemu-kvm \
  libvirt \
  libvirt-daemon-driver-qemu \
  libvirt-devel \
  vagrant \
  ruby-devel \
  gcc \
  ansible \
  python3 \
  python3-pip \
  bridge-utils \
  net-tools \
  wget \
  curl \
  vim \
  git \
  htop \
  iotop \
  iftop \
  firewalld \
  unzip \
  kernel-devel \
  kernel-headers
```

**Optional**: For a full development environment, install the complete "Development Tools" group:
```bash
sudo dnf groupinstall -y "Development Tools"
```

---

## **Step 3: Enable and Start Services**

Ensure the essential services for virtualization and security are running, and update your user permissions for VM management.

1. **Enable and start libvirt**:
   ```bash
   sudo systemctl enable --now libvirtd
   ```

2. **Enable and start firewalld**:
   ```bash
   sudo systemctl enable --now firewalld
   ```

3. **Add your user to the `libvirt` group**:
   ```bash
   sudo usermod -aG libvirt $USER
   ```

4. **Log out and log back in** or run the following command to apply group membership:
   ```bash
   newgrp libvirt
   ```

---

## **Step 4: Install Vagrant Plugins and Python Setup**

Install the **vagrant-libvirt** plugin and ensure **Python** is fully set up.

1. **Install the vagrant-libvirt plugin**:
   ```bash
   vagrant plugin install vagrant-libvirt
   ```

2. **Ensure pip is upgraded**:
   ```bash
   python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip
   ```

3. **Optional**: Use Python virtual environments to avoid affecting system-wide packages:
   ```bash
   python3 -m venv ~/venv
   source ~/venv/bin/activate
   ```

---

## **Step 5: Create and Run Virtual Machines**

Now that everything is installed, set up and run multiple virtual machines using Vagrant.

1. **Create a Vagrant project directory and initialize**:
   ```bash
   mkdir ~/vagrant-lab
   cd ~/vagrant-lab
   vagrant init generic/rocky9
   ```

2. **Modify the Vagrantfile** for a multi-VM setup (web and database servers):
   ```ruby
   Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
     config.vm.box = "generic/rocky9"
     
     # Web server VM
     config.vm.define "web" do |web|
       web.vm.provider "libvirt" do |libvirt|
         libvirt.memory = 2048
         libvirt.cpus = 2
       end
       web.vm.network "private_network", ip: "192.168.56.10"
       web.vm.hostname = "webserver"
     end

     # Database server VM
     config.vm.define "db" do |db|
       db.vm.provider "libvirt" do |libvirt|
         libvirt.memory = 4096
         libvirt.cpus = 2
       end
       db.vm.network "private_network", ip: "192.168.56.11"
       db.vm.hostname = "dbserver"
     end
   end
   ```

3. **Bring up the VMs**:
   ```bash
   vagrant up --provider=libvirt
   ```

4. **SSH into the VMs**:
   ```bash
   vagrant ssh web
   vagrant ssh db
   ```

---

## **Step 6: Verify Virtualization and Networking**

Ensure the virtual machines are running correctly and networked.

1. **List running virtual machines**:
   ```bash
   sudo virsh list --all
   ```

2. **Check network interfaces**:
   ```bash
   ip a
   ```

3. **Verify that the `virbr0` bridge is active**:
   ```bash
   ip link show virbr0
   ```

---

## **Step 7: Test Ansible and Python Setup**

Verify that Ansible and Python are ready for automation tasks.

1. **Check Ansible version**:
   ```bash
   ansible --version
   ```

2. **Test Python and pip**:
   ```bash
   python3 --version
   pip3 --version
   ```

3. **Create an Ansible inventory file for the VMs**:
   ```ini
   [webservers]
   webserver ansible_host=192.168.56.10 ansible_user=vagrant ansible_private_key_file=.vagrant/machines/web/libvirt/private_key

   [dbservers]
   dbserver ansible_host=192.168.56.11 ansible_user=vagrant ansible_private_key_file=.vagrant/machines/db/libvirt/private_key
   ```

---

## **Step 8: Configure Security**

Set up firewalld and SELinux to secure your environment.

1. **Allow web traffic on firewalld**:
   ```bash
   sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=http
   sudo firewall-cmd --reload
   ```

2. **Enable SELinux for web services**:
   ```bash
   sudo setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect on
   ```

---

## **Additional Suggestions**

- **Automate VM Provisioning**: Use Ansible playbooks to install services on the VMs. For example:
   ```yaml
   ---
   - hosts: webservers
     tasks:
       - name: Install Apache
         yum:
           name: httpd
           state: present
       - name: Start Apache
         service:
           name: httpd
           state: started
           enabled: true
   ```

- **Configure Static IPs**: This is useful for consistent VM addresses.

- **Resource Monitoring**: Use `htop`, `iotop`, and `iftop` inside the VMs for CPU, disk, and network monitoring.

---

## **Summary of Key Commands**

```bash
# System update and repository configuration
sudo dnf update -y
sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled crb
sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo https://rpm.releases.hashicorp.com/RHEL/hashicorp.repo
sudo rpm --import https://rpm.releases.hashicorp.com/gpg
sudo dnf makecache

# Install necessary packages
sudo dnf install -y qemu-kvm libvirt libvirt-daemon-driver-qemu libvirt-devel vagrant ansible python3 python3-pip \
bridge-utils net-tools wget curl vim git htop iotop iftop firewalld unzip kernel-devel kernel-headers

# Enable and start services
sudo systemctl enable --now libvirtd
sudo systemctl enable --now firewalld
sudo usermod -aG libvirt $USER
# Log out and log back in or use `newgrp libvirt`

# Install vagrant-libvirt plugin
vagrant plugin install vagrant-libvirt

# Test Python and Ansible
python3 --version
pip3 --version
ansible --version
```