So, yesterday we came to the decision that we were happy with the way WSUS was doing updates for the Middle School. It was decided that it was time to expand the roll out to more of the district. The 4th/5th Grade building is getting new desktops this year, and so is half the High School, so that means they’re not super high on the priority list. That really leaves the three K-3 buildings.
So, we added them to WSUS via GPO and bad things started to happen…
Pic not relevant to the discussion, admittedly. >_>
So, I’m a bit behind on posts this month because of dealing with landlord and contract negotiations, as well as studying for my boat safety certificate exam. Sorry about that!
Today we bring the question about apache and auth: why is it peculiar?
In which Mike tries to figure out a solution to a problem and ends up making it much, much worse.
All because I didn’t follow best practices.
Because I’m a dolt.
A fast learning dolt, but a dolt nonetheless.
Hey, but this time it isn’t a rant!
That’s because I’ve gotten somewhere!
Where we left off last time, I was having problems with the damn thing failing after the last SysPrep phase, after customizing the image.
We learned something and we have a solution and a working dealie!
Without further delay, here’s what I did.
Oh, boy howdy, I don’t know how to start this one, honestly.
I mean, I do, I just don’t want to.
But I’m going to.
Because he was right.
You were right Nick: Windows 10 Image Building and Deployment SUCKS. HARD.
So, at work we have to track our trips to various sites via a mileage tracker Excel sheet. It’s all very 1990’s and kind of silly to me. The thought was: what if I could build a website that could do it for us.
Well, I’ve started figuring it out conceptually and now I’m sort of stuck. I find when I’m stuck it’s best to write things out and figure out where I’m getting tripped up. That’s where you come in, blog-o-sphere (can we still use that word? Is it ok? Hip? And what not? IDGAF). Help me out.
So a STEM teacher at the Middle School got a CO2 Racecar Kit (something like this). In passing she suggested that I make a race car to race with. Well, challenge: accepted.
Someone asked me earlier this week what I thought were hallmarks of professionalism, not in any specific context or job, but as a general rule.
It wasn’t a difficult question for me to answer, as I think about this from time to time as an IT-Semi-Professional. What did catch my attention though was some of the answers I heard from other people.
Let me start with what other people thought defined being professional.
AKA: Something that has caused me to lose a lot of hair.
My coworker Steve had started asking me questions about Windows 10 deployment, as we’re probably going to be in Windows 10 land next year. I said everything I’ve read involves deployment solutions other than Altiris, our current deployment solution. I said my roommate has suggested a bunch of things, but Windows Deployment Services is probably the easiest to work with.
If WDS is the easiest to work with, I am really glad I went with it because, my god, it has made me pull my hair out a lot over the past week
So on 11/16 I wrote about fixing “Janky Cables”, specifically regarding a console to USB cable. That post was available here.
I am pleased to report that the cable was successfully repaired!
Take a look at that. Isn’t that a beautifully patched cable?
As a reminder the pin-out was:
USB Black to RJ-45 Pin 2 (Brown-White)
USB Green to RJ-45 Pin 4 (Blue-White)
USB White to RJ-45 Pin 3 (Green)
USB Red to RJ-45 Pin 5 & 8 (Blue & Orange-White)
USB Shield to RJ-45 Pin 1 (Brown)
I soldered the individual wires in the cable and used heat-shrink tubing on the individual wires also.
Once I had the wires all soldered together, I carefully wrapped them in electrical tape. I then used another piece of heat-shrink tubing to bundle it all together and keep it from looking atrocious. Pin 6 and Pin 7 from the network cable are snipped and individually heat-shrink tubed to prevent feedback/cross connecting accidentally.
Sure enough, I plugged that cable into a Keypad and a Computer; the Keypad lit up immediately. Soon after I heard the standard Windows found hardware audio. A moment later, the keypad was responding to input and the PC accepted the input. Huzzah!
Sure, the colors don’t match up, but the cable actually works now.
And at the end of the day, when a new keypad is $180 and the only way to get this cable is via that (it’s not a standard Console to USB cable a’la Cisco): I’m very happy to have fixed 2 of them and saved the district close to $400.
Besides, they only have to last for a year until we switch to ID Card Barcode Readers.
I hope.