Course 43 - Practical Malware Development | Episode 2: Building Your Dual-OS Dev Labs — CyberCode Academy

This episode establishes the essential development foundations across Windows and Linux, preparing the workspace for advanced scripting, application development, and future security-focused projects.The episode takes a practical, hands-on approach, configuring a Windows development environment and then building a complete local web and database stack on Ubuntu.1. Configuring the Windows Development EnvironmentThe first part of the episode focuses on preparing Windows for C# and .NET development.The setup includes:

Installing .NET Core
Installing Visual Studio Code (VS Code)
Installing the C# extension for VS Code
Creating a dedicated project directory named "Red team develop"
Initializing a new console application
Using the integrated VS Code terminal
Compiling and running a simple "Hello World" application
Verifying that the complete development toolchain is functioning correctly

This provides a lightweight development environment suitable for building and testing Windows-based applications.2. Building the Ubuntu Web Development StackThe episode then moves to Ubuntu and focuses on establishing a complete local web application environment.The main components installed are:

Apache — Web server
MySQL — Database server
PHP 7.2 — Server-side programming environment
PHP database extensions
PHP multibyte string extensions
Atom — Code editor

The installation process is performed primarily through the Ubuntu terminal, providing practical experience with package management and Linux-based development configuration.3. Verifying Background ServicesAfter installation, the episode demonstrates how to verify that the required services are properly configured and running.Particular attention is given to:

Checking the Apache service
Checking the MySQL service
Confirming that services are running in the background
Troubleshooting installation or service-related issues
Ensuring that the local development stack is ready for application development

4. Configuring the Atom EditorThe final stage involves installing and launching Atom on Ubuntu.The episode demonstrates how to work with the downloaded Debian package and complete the editor installation, providing a graphical development environment for working with web application source code.Final Development EnvironmentBy the end of the episode, the development workspace contains two complementary environments:Windows

.NET Core
Visual Studio Code
C# development support
Dedicated application project directory
Verified console application

Ubuntu

Apache web server
MySQL database server
PHP
Required PHP extensions
Atom code editor
Verified background services

Key TakeawaysAfter completing this episode, learners should understand how to:

Set up a functional C#/.NET development environment
Create and execute a basic console application using VS Code
Install development packages on Ubuntu
Configure an Apache + MySQL + PHP stack
Verify Linux services and their background operation
Install and configure a Linux-based code editor
Prepare a cross-platform workspace for future development and security exercises

The completed environment provides a strong foundation for progressing toward more advanced scripting, web application development, server-side programming, and security-focused development.

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