Lab template: Ubuntu 16.04

Recently I’ve been working in a couple of different / disconnected labs. This means I’m managing a couple copies of all my templates manually. Sometimes its hard to find the right section of my notes depending on when/where I’m working on the lab, so I decided to post a couple quick blog posts so I can always find them. The following notes are for creating a template based on Ubuntu 16.04.1, and include notes on setting a static IP and joining to the domain with pbis-open (formerly likewise-open).

Install Ubuntu 16.04.1 Server from ISO image (http://www.ubuntu.com/download/server/thank-you?version=16.04.1&architecture=amd64), accepting all defaults. When prompted for an admin user, use the name hostadmin.

Once the install is complete, login as hostadmin. Switch to root and set a password for the root user.

sudo su -
passwd

Apply updates and install the packages openssh-server and ntp:

apt-get update && apt-get upgrade
apt-get install openssh-server ntp -y

Get the template ready for PowerBroker Identity Services (formerly likewise-open) domain joins:

wget http://download1.beyondtrust.com/Technical-Support/Downloads/PowerBroker-Identity-Services-Open-Edition/pbiso/850/pbis-open-8.5.0.153.linux.x86_64.deb.sh
chmod +x pbis-open-8.5.0.153.linux.x86_64.deb.sh
./pbis-open-8.5.0.153.linux.x86_64.deb.sh
cd /opt/pbis/bin/ 

At this point, I shutdown the VM and convert it to a template. When I’m ready to use the VM, I deploy a copy from template and follow the remaining steps.

If needed, set a static IP by updating the following file:

nano /etc/network/interfaces

The important sections to include in the iface settings are address, netmask, gateway, dns-search, and dns-nameservers. An example has been included below:

iface eth0 inet static
address 192.168.0.100
netmask 255.255.255.0
gateway 192.168.0.1
dns-search lab.enterpriseadmins.org
dns-nameservers 192.168.0.20

Verify that the hostname is properly set:

nano /etc/hostname

Join the Linux VM to the domain and create a DNS record:

domainjoin-cli join lab.enterpriseadmins.org adminbw
/opt/pbis/bin/config AssumeDefaultDomain true
/opt/pbis/bin/config LoginShellTemplate /bin/bash
/opt/pbis/bin/config HomeDirTemplate %H/%U
/opt/pbis/bin/config RequireMembershipOf "lab\\domain^users"
/opt/pbis/bin/update-dns

Once I reach this point, I kick off a quick reboot (just to make sure the domain join took) and am now free to use the VM.