Windows Home Lab

Project Board: https://github.com/users/E7H31234L/projects/2

Build disposable Windows VMs for safe testing, Active Directory practice, and development in an isolated home lab environment

Perfect for: IT administrators, security researchers, students learning Windows administration, and developers testing enterprise deployments.

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🚀 Quick Start

System Requirements

• OS: Ubuntu 20.04+ (tested on 24.04.1 LTS)
• CPU: Intel VT-x/AMD-V virtualization support
• RAM: 16GB+ for concurrent VMs (8GB per VM recommended)
• Storage: 100GB+ free disk space
• Network: Internet connection for ISO downloads

Installation

# 1. Install dependencies
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y qemu-kvm libvirt-daemon-system virt-manager aria2c

# 2. Configure user access
sudo usermod -aG kvm,libvirt $USER
newgrp libvirt

# 3. Verify setup
kvm-ok
sudo systemctl start libvirtd && sudo systemctl enable libvirtd

# 4. Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/E7H31234L/Windows-Home-Lab.git
cd Windows-Home-Lab

# 5. Install dependencies
./scripts/install.sh

Basic Usage

# Download required ISOs
./scripts/utilities/enhanced-downloader.sh 1  # VirtIO drivers
./scripts/utilities/enhanced-downloader.sh 2  # Windows 11 ISO

# Create base image (do this once)
./scripts/create-base/create-win11-base.sh

# Create disposable VMs
./scripts/create-vm/create-win11-client.sh --name "Test-Win11"
./scripts/create-vm/create-win-server.sh --name "AD-Server-01"

# List and manage VMs
./scripts/utilities/list-vms.sh

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📁 Project Structure

Windows-Home-Lab/
├── scripts/
│   ├── create-base/           # Base image creation
│   ├── create-vm/            # Child VM creation
│   ├── utilities/            # Management tools
│   └── common/              # Shared functions
├── config/                   # Configuration files
├── docs/                     # Documentation
├── README.md                 # This file
└── LICENSE                   # MIT License

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📚 Documentation

Document	Purpose
Administration Guide	Complete operational procedures
Security Guide	Security best practices
Troubleshooting Guide	Issue resolution

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⚙️ Configuration

Customize VM settings in config/paths.conf:

• Memory allocation
• CPU cores
• Network configuration
• Storage paths

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🛡️ Security

• ✅ Input validation - Prevents malicious input attacks
• ✅ Error handling - Scripts fail safely instead of silently
• ✅ Permission checks - Validates group membership and sudo access
• ✅ Path sanitization - Secure file path handling
• ✅ Network isolation - VMs use NAT by default

Never run scripts as root - Use sudo with regular user account.

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🎯 Use Cases

Enterprise IT

• Active Directory testing - Safe GPO and AD experiments
• Software deployment - Test SCCM/MECM packages
• Security validation - Malware analysis in isolation
• Patch testing - Validate Windows updates before production

Development & Learning

• Development environments - Isolated dev/test setups
• Education - Safe Windows administration practice
• Certification prep - MCSA/MCSE study environments
• Cross-platform testing - Windows software on Linux host

Security Research

• Malware analysis - Disposable analysis environments
• Penetration testing - Safe Windows target environments
• Forensics training - Practice incident response
• Network security - Test Windows security controls

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📄 License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details.

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🌟 Acknowledgments

• KVM/QEMU - Virtualization foundation
• Libvirt - VM management API
• VirtIO - Windows paravirtualized drivers
• Ubuntu Community - Documentation and support

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🚀 Ready to build your home lab! Start with the Quick Start guide and explore the Administration Guide for advanced operations.

Remember: With great power comes great responsibility. Use these VMs safely and ethically.