Before connecting to a serial port, you must start PuTTY as a superuser (or as root user) using following command. This command opens the putty configuration dialog box.

$ sudo putty

 

In the above dialog box:

1. Choose Connection type as Serial.
2. In Serial line enter the USB Serial port path obtained above /dev/ttyACM<number> or /dev/ttyUSB<number> or /dev/pts/<number>.
3. Enter Speed to 115200.
4. Click Open

Steps 1-3 opens a new window to receive serial data from the DRIVE platform.

1. Connect up a console cable and power on the switch, whilst holding down the “mode” button:

The following will be prompted :

Using driver version 1 for media type 1 Base ethernet MAC Address: 4c:30:2d:81:ef:80 Xmodem file system is available. The password-recovery mechanism is enabled. The system has been interrupted prior to initializing the flash filesystem. The following commands will initialize the flash filesystem, and finish loading the operating system software: flash_init boot switch:

2.   Run the following command to initialize the flash file system: Switch:flash_init

switch: flash_init
Initializing Flash…
mifs[2]: 10 files, 1 directories
mifs[2]: Total bytes : 1806336
mifs[2]: Bytes used : 612352
mifs[2]: Bytes available : 1193984
mifs[2]: mifs fsck took 1 seconds.
mifs[3]: 0 files, 1 directories
mifs[3]: Total bytes : 3870720
mifs[3]: Bytes used : 1024
mifs[3]: Bytes available : 3869696
mifs[3]: mifs fsck took 0 seconds.
mifs[4]: 5 files, 1 directories
mifs[4]: Total bytes : 258048
mifs[4]: Bytes used : 9216
mifs[4]: Bytes available : 248832
mifs[4]: mifs fsck took 0 seconds.
mifs[5]: 5 files, 1 directories
mifs[5]: Total bytes : 258048
mifs[5]: Bytes used : 9216
mifs[5]: Bytes available : 248832
mifs[5]: mifs fsck took 1 seconds.
— MORE —
mifs[6]: 566 files, 19 directories
mifs[6]: Total bytes : 57931776
mifs[6]: Bytes used : 28429312
mifs[6]: Bytes available : 29502464
mifs[6]: mifs fsck took 21 seconds.
…done Initializing Flash.


  3.  Delete the config.text file from the flash directory:

And Finally, Delete the vlan.dat file from the flash directory and reboot the system

To reboot the system:

switch: boot
Loading "flash:c2960s-universalk9-mz.122-58.SE2.bin"…
— System Configuration Dialog —
Enable secret warning
———————————-
In order to access the device manager, an enable secret is required
If you enter the initial configuration dialog, you will be prompted for the enable secret
If you choose not to enter the intial configuration dialog, or if you exit setup without setting the enable secret,
please set an enable secret using the following CLI in configuration mode-
enable secret 0 <cleartext password>
———————————-
Would you like to enter the initial configuration dialog? [yes/no]:
% Please answer 'yes' or 'no'.

The above table shows how the configuration commands will appear on Network Configuration Manager’s Configlet command tab.

Step 1: Use an external emulator such as Telnet or a PuTTY to login to the switch.

• Connect the switch to the computer by utilizing a console cable that is connected to the console port on the switch and the serial port on the computer.
• Open puTTY -> under category choose serial -> in “Serial line to connect to” box provide the COM port to which the cable is connected -> configure the serial line transfer settings -> Click “Open“
• Initial command prompt “Switch>” appears on the screen.
• Type “enable” next to it and press “Enter”(we don’t need any password to enable at this stage).
• This will take you to the “EXEC” mode, also known as the Global Configuration mode.
• Go to configure mode using the configure terminal.
• Input the configuration commands by typing one command per line.

Switch# configure terminal
Switch(config)#

Step 2: Provide a hostname for the switch to function in a particular network environment

The provided hostname should be unique within the network in order to facilitate easier identification of the switch. It is also advisable to adhere to any naming standards in order to easily categorize the devices with names.

Switch(config)#hostname <switch_name>
Switch(config)#hostname Cisco_switch_x

Step 3: Configure IP address management

To enable remote connectivity to the switch via SSH or Telnet, it is necessary to configure the IP address. Any VLAN can be selected for configuring the IP. Please utilize the following commands:

Switch(config)#interface vlan1
Switch(config-if)#ip address<ipaddress><mask>
Switch(config-if)#ip address 172.16.29.10 255.255.0.0

Step 4: Configure an administration password (enable secret password)

Configuring an administrative password for the privileged exec mode is essential to restrict access. Without this password, anyone with console credentials will have the ability to configure the switch.

Switch(config)#enable secret <password>
Switch(config)#enable secret P@$$w0^d

Note: This password will have to be given before entering into config mode once it is configured.

Step 5: Configure and change default switch credentials

Changing the default password of the switch is crucial, as it is widely known. To modify the password for an existing user, follow the commands provided below:

Switch(config)# username admin privilege 15 password <PASSWORD>
Switch(config)# username admin privilege 15 password P@$$w0^d

We can also create a new set of credentials as given above with desired privileges.

Step 6: Configure default gateway

In order to enable remote accessibility of the switch, it is necessary to configure the default gateway. Ensure that the provided default gateway is within the same network as the device (network router IP can be provided as gateway IP).

Switch(config)# ip default-gateway <IP-address>
Switch(config)# ip default-gateway 172.16.29.1
Switch# show ip route

Step 7: Configure password for console, Telnet, and aux ports

To establish a secure connection, it is essential to restrict access to the switch through all input ports.

For line console, enter below commands,

Switch(config)# line con 0
Switch(config-line)# password p@$$w0^d
Switch(config-line)# login
Switch(config)# exit

For line vty, enter below commands,

Switch(config)# line vty 0 4
Switch(config-line)# password p@$$w0^d
Switch(config-line)# login
Switch(config)# exit

For line aux, enter below commands,

Switch(config)# line aux 0
Switch(config-line)# password p@$$w0^d
Switch(config-line)# login
Switch(config)# exit

Step 8: Configure static route

In the absence of entries in the dynamic routing table or when there is no specific route available, the switches are capable of forwarding packets via the configured static route.

Switch(config)# ip route <dest_IP_address> <mask>
Switch(config)# ip route 172.16.29.59 255.255.0.0
Switch# show running-config

Step 9: Configure interface description

We can configure interface description using below commands

Switch(config)#interface fastethernet 0/1
Switch(config-if)#description Development VLAN

Step 10: Set Duplex mode

The duplex mode governs the data transmission between the switches and the endpoint. When set to full duplex, the switch is capable of both sending and receiving data from the endpoint simultaneously.

Switch(config-if)#duplex full

Step 11: Save the configuration

Switch#write memory
Building configuration… [OK]
Switch#

Beginning with Windows 10 Build 20226, Microsoft has introduced and new Storage feature called Manage Disks and Volumes. One of the new features includes the ability to check your hard drive temperature.

• Click on Start > Settings > System > Storage.
• Scroll down and click on Manage Disks and Volumes.

If you don’t see Manage Disks and Volumes, you aren’t updated to Windows 10 20226 or later, which should be available in the October 2020 update. Another possibility is that your hard drive is not supported, or you’re using a Virtual Machine. Manage Disks and Volumes does support all hard drives, including SSD drives.

• Click on the hard drive you want to see the temperature of, and click on Properties.
• You can find your current temperature under Drive health.

Step 1: Download and Install Ubuntu

To create a Linux VM,download UBUNTU. You can then choose the 32-bit or 64-bit versions depending on your computer’s architecture. In general, 32-bit architecture is faster than a 64-bit equivalent, but 64-bit enables you to assign much more resources to the system. Often, you’ll select 64-bit for its ability to scale. Simply pick the one that meets your needs.

Step 2: Install the VirtualBox

Download VirtualBox and the Oracle VM VirtualBox Extension Pack that comes with it. Go through the install steps and go with the default values when prompted. Provide permissions to your antivirus and firewalls to run VirtualBox. You may also have to select the folder for installing VirtualBox.

Step 3: Create a Virtual Machine 

• After installing VirtualBox, double-click on the icon to open it.
• Following this, name your VM according to a corporate naming convention.
• Next, select Linux in the type and Ubuntu in the version dropdowns. Remember to select 32-bit or 64-bit, based on what you’ve downloaded.

Now, allocate resources for your VM. The Virtual BOX will ask you to select the memory you want to provide for your VM. This can be a bit tricky. Make sure to add enough memory for your VM and at the same time, leave sufficient for your host OS. If you have many VMs, allocate only the minimum needed to run each at first. You can increase as needed later once you know your resource overheads.

Similarly, create a virtual hard drive for your VM. Decide how much hard drive space your VM needs and choose accordingly. Often, the minimum requirement is between 8GB to 15GB.

Next, select VirtualBox Disk Image (VDI) as the hard disk type.

Step 4: Start the Virtual Machine

To start the VM, click the Start button. When starting the first time, you may see some warnings and errors. Disregard them for now, most are logging missing resource information. Next, you’ll be asked whether you want to try or install Ubuntu. Go with the install option and a wizard will take you through the installation process.

On the first screen, select the two checkboxes and click Continue. On the next screen, select the “Erase disk and install Ubuntu” option. This will only erase the contents of the virtual hard drive you created earlier, and it won’t affect the host OS. Click the Install Now button on the bottom right-hand corner.

Use apt on Debian-based systems to find and install DEB packages, or dnf (and its predecessor yum) on RPM-based systems like RedHat and Fedora.

• Ubuntu: Use the Ubuntu Software app to install programs from packages. You’ll find it on the Dock or by searching for software in the Activities search bar.
• Linux Mint: Use Software Manager, which comes with the Cinnamon desktop environment, to install applications and Flatpak packages. You’ll find it in your menu under Administration > Software Manager, or by typing software manager into the search bar.
• Any distribution using the GNOME desktop environment: If you’re using Fedora, or any other Linux distribution and have the GNOME desktop environment, you can use the GNOME Software tool to install applications from your distribution’s repositories, as well as Flatpak and Snap packages. Just type software and clicking Software on the Activities screen.
• Any distribution using the KDE desktop environment: Similar to GNOME, KDE has a software center called Discover.With Discover, you can install applications from your distribution’s own repositories, as well as Flatpak packages, Snaps, Plasma add-ons, and AppImages from store.kde.org.

To delete a directory in Linux, you can use the rmdir or rm command. You use the rmdir command to remove an empty directory, while the rm command removes a directory and all its contents.

Using the rm command

Here are the steps to delete a directory in Linux using the rm command:

1. Open the terminal: To delete a directory in Linux, you need to use the command line. Open the terminal by pressing “Ctrl+Alt+T” on your keyboard or by searching for “terminal” in your system’s application launcher.
2. Navigate to the directory you want to delete: Use the cd command to navigate to the directory you want to delete. For example, if the directory you want to delete is called my_directory and is located in your home folder, type cd ~/my_directory and press “Enter”.
3. Check the contents of the directory: Before deleting the directory, it is a good idea to check its contents to make sure you are deleting the right directory. Use the ls command to list the contents of the directory. For example, type ls and press “Enter” to see the files and folders inside the my_directory folder.
4. Delete the directory and its contents: To delete the directory and all its contents, use the rm command with the -r option, which stands for recursive. Type rm -r my_directory and press “Enter”. You will be prompted to confirm the deletion. Type y and press “Enter” to confirm.
5. Verify that the directory has been deleted: To verify that the directory has been deleted, use the ls command to list the contents of the parent directory. For example, if the my_directory folder was located in your home folder, type ls ~/ and press “Enter”. The my_directory folder should no longer be listed.

Deleting a file involves removing the reference to the file from the file system. The file itself is not immediately removed from the storage device, but its space is marked as available for reuse.

Using the GUI file manager

Most Linux distributions come with a GUI file manager that allows you to delete files using a graphical interface. Simply navigate to the file you want to delete, right-click it, and select “Delete” or “Move to Trash.”

Using the rm command

You can also use the rm (remove) command to delete files and directories in Linux. To delete a file using the rm command, type the following command in the terminal:

rm filename

Make sure you replace filename with the name of the file you want to delete. If the file is write-protected or you don’t have sufficient permissions to delete it, you will be prompted to confirm the deletion.

Using the shred command

The shred command is a more secure way to delete files by overwriting the file’s contents multiple times before deleting it. This makes it difficult for anyone to recover the deleted file.

To use the shred command, type the following command in the terminal:

shred -u filename

Make sure to replace filename with the name of the file you want to delete. The -u option tells shred to delete the file after overwriting it.

Using the trash-cli command

The trash-cli command provides a safer way to delete files by moving them to the trash instead of immediately deleting them. To be able to use the trash-cli command, you install it first:

sudo apt-get install trash-cli

After installation, you can delete a file using the following command:

trash filename