Day 1 of the RHCSA + Ansible Fast Track Training with the CloudWhistler Community was all about setting up the lab environment. This isn’t just busy work — this is the groundwork for everything we’ll build from here.

And honestly? It felt like a real moment. Because setting up your own lab makes it real.

What We Did:

  • Installed VirtualBox to create our virtual environment
  • Downloaded Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (RHEL 9) ISO
  • Created a VM from scratch and installed RHEL 9 on it
  • Got our first look at the Linux CLI (Command Line Interface) — even if we didn't dive in yet

This is where it starts. Your machine becomes your personal lab — a safe place to break things, fix things, and get hands-on with Linux.

🧰 Troubleshooting During Installation

Like many of us in the session, I hit a few bumps. If you're doing this solo, here are some common issues and how to solve them:

🔹 VirtualBox not detecting RHEL ISO?

Make sure you’ve selected the ISO under "Storage" → Controller: IDE → and checked "Live CD/DVD". Also, verify that the ISO isn’t corrupted.

🔹 VM crashes or stuck during boot?

Check your allocated memory (at least 2 GB recommended) and CPU settings. Also, enable Virtualization Technology (VT-x) from your BIOS if you haven’t.

💡 Pro Tip from the Training:

Even setting up your lab teaches you a lot. Things like:

  • The importance of resource allocation (RAM, CPU)
  • Understanding ISO images, boot orders, and disk partitions
  • Getting comfortable with errors — and learning to solve them one step at a time

This is the part that builds muscle memory.

🧭 Reflection:

Before this, I never thought of myself as someone who could “set up a system.” Now, I’ve got a fully functioning Linux machine on my own hardware. And yes, I needed guidance, but I made it happen.

That’s a win. And it’s only Day 1.

If you're thinking about learning Linux or preparing for RHCSA — don’t wait until you feel “ready.”

Set up the lab. Press the buttons. Hit a few errors. That’s where it starts.

Let me know if you're setting yours up too, or if you get stuck — I’ll share whatever I can from my own setup.

Tags:

#linux #redhat #rhcsa #techwithengineers #techtransition #learnlinux #devops #linuxlab #cloudwhistler #30daychallenge #opensource #techjourney