# 🛠 Bonus Sysadmin Projects — Bash & PowerShell Fundamentals

This README documents a set of **bonus sysadmin-oriented projects** designed to be completed **after Week 1 and before Week 2**.

These projects are practical, security-focused, and closely aligned with **real Linux/Windows system administration, automation, and security analysis tasks**. They reinforce core programming concepts (loops, conditionals, validation, algorithms) in both **Bash (Linux)** and **PowerShell (Windows)** environments.

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## 🎯 Purpose of These Projects

These bonus projects exist to:

* Bridge theory → real-world sysadmin work
* Strengthen Bash and PowerShell scripting confidence
* Apply algorithmic thinking to system tasks
* Build habits required for **A+ → CCNA → Security+** paths
* Prepare for Week 2 (Data Structures & Algorithms)

They simulate tasks performed by:

* Linux and Windows system administrators
* Security analysts / SOC engineers
* DevOps and cloud engineers
* Blue team / hardening roles

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## 🧰 Project 1 — User Audit Script

### Goal

Audit local users and identify potentially unsafe usernames.

### Tasks

* Read usernames from `/etc/passwd` (Linux) or `Get-LocalUser` (PowerShell)
* Extract the username field
* Validate usernames using rules:

  * Letters only
  * Length ≤ 20
  * Starts with a letter
* Print only invalid usernames

### Skills Reinforced

* File reading / system commands
* Field parsing
* Loops and validation logic
* Defensive system auditing

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## 🔐 Project 2 — Password Policy Checker (Simulation)

> ⚠️ No real passwords — this is a simulation exercise

### Goal

Validate whether a password string meets a security policy.

### Tasks

* Prompt user for a password
* Enforce rules such as:

  * Minimum length (e.g., ≥ 12)
  * At least one letter
  * At least one digit
  * At least one special character
* Output `Strong` or `Weak`

### Skills Reinforced

* Multiple counters / flags
* Regex checks
* Early exit logic
* Secure input validation

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## 📄 Project 3 — Log File Scanner

### Goal

Scan a log file for suspicious activity indicators.

### Tasks

* Read a log file line by line
* Detect keywords such as:

  * `failed`
  * `error`
  * `unauthorized`
* Count occurrences of each keyword
* Print a summary report

### Skills Reinforced

* File iteration
* Pattern matching
* Counters
* Incident response fundamentals

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## 🖥 Project 4 — Service Status Monitor

### Goal

Verify whether critical system services are running.

### Tasks

* Define an array/list of services (e.g., `ssh`, `cron`, `ufw` in Linux; `WinRM`, `wuauserv` in Windows)
* For each service:

  * Check if it is running
  * Print `OK` or `NOT RUNNING`

### Skills Reinforced

* Arrays / collections
* Command execution and exit code checking
* Automation patterns in Bash and PowerShell

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## 📊 Project 5 — Algorithm Reflection (Written)

### Goal

Build the habit of analyzing performance in real scripts.

### Tasks

For **one of the projects above**, answer:

* What is `n` in this script?
* What is the time complexity?
* What happens if the input doubles?

### Example

```
T(n) = n
T(2n) = 2n
Big-O: O(n)
```

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## ✅ Completion Guidelines

* These projects are **optional but strongly recommended**
* Completing **2–3 projects** is sufficient before Week 2
* Focus on:

  * Correctness
  * Readability
  * Defensive coding
  * Clear logic
* Implement each project in **both Bash and PowerShell** if possible for dual practice

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## 🔜 What Comes Next

After completing the bonus projects:

* Proceed to **Week 2 — Data Structures & Early Algorithms**
* Arrays, maps, sets
* Searching algorithms
* Clear math explanations with real system examples

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📌 *These bonus sysadmin projects are designed to turn programming fundamentals into practical Linux and Windows administration and security skills.*