Hope This Helps - A Tech Podcast Hope This Helps

The STiffs return to podcasting after a very long week. The cloud has changed, Loop still isn't a thing, Viva and Entra are around, and Linux Mint vs Windows 11!



Extended show notes available at https://hthpc.com



Boot-up (AKA, "LAST WEEK, ON HOPE THIS HELPS")


It would be fun to do a "since we've been gone" run through of a high level overview of all of the things in tech that have happened…
Some things have changed, while others have stayed the same
Microsoft Teams External Access Flaw Poses a Malware Risk
Phishing emails
Red Hat in the hot seat
Jeff Geerling: I'm done with Red Hat (Enterprise Linux)
A Comprehensive Analysis of the GPL Issues With the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Business Model
Loop (or: Loop: A Fiasco)
Loop vs OneNote vs Notion vs Whiteboard vs Miro
A Referendum on the Cloud in 2023
Correction: Multi-cloud talk was in HTH0041, not HTH0042.
It used to be all cloud, then it was hybrid, then it was multi-cloud, now we're going back to on-premise?
Hey: We're Leaving The Cloud
Annoying Teams thing of the week: "You'll need to shorten your message to send it"
I was pasting an Excel table, two columns, 53 cells
Yet you can post huge chunks of code far longer than that?
Microsoft Viva Las Vegas
Tiff is saving an Entra story for next time…
Stuff Tiff pasted into the HTH0042 show notes but we never got to discussing:
Create a profile container with Azure Files and Azure Active Directory
SharePoint Framework Client-Side Web Part Samples

Windows 11


Thoughts on Windows 11
Zune Software in Windows 11
Linux Mint
What the heck is up with the TPM requirements?
Skip_TPM_Check_on_Dynamic_Update.cmd
Feature updates called “moments”

Co-Pilots


Windows Co-Pilot, GitHub Co-Pilot, etc.
GitHub Co-Pilot's tendencies to suggest other people's code without credit or licensing
Remember Cortana?

The end of Windows?


Windows 11 Cloud

The Year(s) of Linux


In January 2022, Steve moved to Linux on his main desktop - Linux Mint
So far, nearly every app, feature, and core experience made the jump without much fuss
Linux Mint is very Windows-like
OneNote on the web just isn't there yet. I have a VM to run the Windows version (it doesn't work in Wine)
Mini-state of the Zunion: It’s capable of browsing files on a connected Zune device, USB passthru to VirtualBox works
Teams on Linux needs work
Asks for a login every time
Input/output sound devices get confused during calls - unusable
Just use teams.microsoft.com in a browser
Steam/Proton is fantastic for gaming
Should you do it?
If you're willing to put up with learning fast and researching community fixes
Most Microsoft-based stuff will work on Linux, with the exception of OneNote which is stuck being web-based (or use a VM)

Outro - "Plus Delta"


We help you, you help us: Rate us on iTunes

Error messages, meeting etiquette, MFA improvements and concerns, PowerShell with MS Graph, PowerShell Crescendo, random PowerShell things, in a short-but-packed episode!

Extended show notes available at https://hthpc.com

=====Boot-up=====

BSoDs and error messages

Phrases I don't wanna hear anymore: "Thank you for your time."

Microsoft Teams - Send praise to people

Better meeting etiquette

The stigma against accepting a meeting as "tentative"

Accepting and not sending a response

Shower thought: There should be a "Mute Mic AND Turn Webcam Off" button in Teams

Parasocial relationships

Real-time followup: There's a PowerToy for it! Go check it out.

Microsoft Authenticator improvements

Suspected Russian Activity Targeting Government and Business Entities Around the Globe





=====PowerShell Drunk Jawer (it's like a Junk Drawer shut up)=====

Microsoft Graph PowerShell got way easier + Azure AD Temporary Access Pass

Tiff asks: Why are Enterprise Apps and App Registrations in two different places?

Azure AD security attributes

Microsoft Graph API: The dangerous line between script writer and developer. It's a high barrier of entry to a non-developer.

Graph PowerShell Module

The Ups and Downs of Connecting to the Microsoft Graph Using the PowerShell SDK

Installing modules in PowerShell 7 vs Windows PowerShell (admin level vs user)

PowerShell Crescendo Release Candidate - But why JSON? What's wrong with advanced functions?

PowerShellGet 3.0 Preview 12 - More useful for developers developers developers?

Global variables in PowerShell 7 are funky if you use -UseWindowsPowerShell with import-module

Make test accounts with this one simple trick! 1..300|%{$_}

Correction: This technically isn't an array

Range Operators in PowerShell

Always make your functions return psobjects containing data. It's better for you, the environment, and your pets.



=====“Unplanned Outage” (Sponsor section - “Hope this Helps is helped by…‘)=====

The rewind button. Be sure to rewind this podcast when done listening so the next person doesn't have to





=====Outro - "Plus Delta"=====

Montero (Call Me by Your Name)

We help you, you help us: Rate us on iTunes

Microsoft Ignite 2021 hot takes! Multi-Cloud MultiBall, Loop, Teams, Viva, PowerShell install variations, and Zune on macOS!

Extended show notes available at https://hthpc.com



===Boot-up===

We help this hopes



===Microsoft Ignite 21H2===

Defender madness - so many confusing name changes!

Multi-Cloud MultiBall

"Now, native support for multicloud environments is available through the extension of Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) and Cloud Workload Protection capabilities to Amazon Web Services (AWS)."…Do other clouds actually want Microsoft to butt in?

Actual quote from someone (Mary Jo Foley?) at Microsoft: "It's like a Big Mac: Have it Your Way"

Tiff's experience working at Wendy's

LOOP THERE IT IS

Does it replace OneNote?? (No)

Does it replace Whiteboard? (Maybe?)

Clarification: Loop is an Office app.

The feature imparity between Windows and Mac versions of certain Office apps

MS Roadmap updated and has moved MS Teams connect to March 2022, I just want shared channels.

Speed/ease of use - When people choose illogical/unexpected solutions

Remember Viva?

PowerShell's store version versus the standalone MSI version

Frustrating differences between them

VS Code integration for Store version is off

Running as a different user can get hairy

Just install the MSI version, the Store version is annoying

Installing PowerShell on macOS via HomeBrew is fantastic



===This is the way===

Microsoft presents for a long time about why passwords suck

Types of Passwordless auth

Unlock your Mac with your Apple Watch

iOS Security Guide - Page 8 - Passcode supersedes biometrics at first boot

Are passwords and policies truly worthless?

Counterpoint: They have their place in the correct use cases.



===State of the Zunion===

Steve's attempts to get Zune working on macOS Big Sur

The Apple Event, Windows 11 features, Defender for Endpoint updates, Docker, Terraform, and fingers!



Extended show notes available at https://hthpc.com



Note: Our apologies for wavering audio quality, we had some technical difficulties again!



The Fork-Up

-Don't Fork your Parent

-Finger



Boot-up

-Apple Creates the World's Best Computer...of 2009? New Macbook pro has real ports

-The Surface event



Win 11

-Vista 2.0? Not really

-Windows 11 WSL 2 is almost as quick as running Linux natively

-Installing Wine using Homebrew on macOS



Player One DFEated

-Defending Windows Server 2012 R2 and 2016

-"The solution does not use or require the installation of the Microsoft Monitoring Agent (MMA)."

-There's an installer now!

-So what about Server 2012 support?



More Apple things

-Apple Music "Voice Plan" - Bad for accessibility. What about those who are mute? Inconvenience for a lower price?

-Pumpkin HomePod



Hope This Helps Tip of the Something

-Don't sudo rm -rf your docker storage folder

-Things that may happen:

-Images gone

-Errors trying to update containers

-If a container is restarted it will not come back

-Portainer will explode

-You'll have to rebuild all your docker-compose stacks in Portainer (hope you had a backup)



Terraform

-Tiff's experience with WSL + Linux + Docker + Terraform

-Enabling Virtualization in AMD BIOS is oddly esoteric

-F7 for Advanced Mode - CPU Configuration - SVM Mode - Enabled - Guide

Microsoft Exams, Passwordless login, Identity and Access Management, Microsoft 365 landmines, and more!

Extended show notes available at https://hthpc.com

Note: Our apologies for wavering audio quality, we had some technical difficulties!



Boot-up



    Delilah

    Human Robots + Cyborgs

    Remember on-premise? There's a cert for that

    Microsoft exams are hard!

    Passwordless login

    New identity partnerships and integrations to accelerate your Zero Trust journey

    Metroid: Other M and Privileged Identity Management

    DEFCON Patch Alerts It's like the French Toast Alert System for patches

    Apple zero-day vulnerability

    Update/correction: Snow Leopard was last updated in early 2016 just so you could jump to a newer version of OS X in the Mac App Store.

    Update/correction: Steve meant the 2010 Macbook Air's ability to run Catalina, not the 2011 one.

    Bo Burnham's "Inside"





Various M365 landmines to be aware of



    Via Joe Stocker (@ITguySoCal)

    We go over almost everything listed here: https://twitter.com/ITguySoCal/status/1431734989792563201





M365 vs O365 vs Azure



    Some things are the same between the two

    Where do they link/not link?

    Two user portals

    Things change and documentation isn't always updated

    Exchange Online's dual portals

    Exchange scripts/Documentation still referencing Skype for Business



That is Accurate



    SSH and Secure Shell have the same amount of syllables

Outlook Web Access, Scrum, Windows Admin Center complaints, Defender for Endpoint complaints, and the world of InfoSec, among other things!

Extended show notes available at https://hthpc.com



Boot-up

    OWA Suggested Pre-reads on meeting reminders, interesting idea

    Not mad, just disappointed: Cloud shell kinda sucks, I'm complaining about it

    Set-MSOLUserLicense is going away

    The importance of learning programming/scripting/CLI/DevOps, Infrastructure-As-Code, etc.

    Steve figures out git branching

    Scrum, orgs adapting to agile, etc



Windows Admin Center annoys me immensely, but it does work I guess

    Ongoing follow-up from HTH episode 20 and 24 regarding WAC

    Stupid little things, some complaints from HTH0020 are still in play

    Remote PowerShell feature is really picky (and buggy)?

    Must specify credentials in a certain way

    UserVoice pages are 404'd in documentation

    Speed/efficiency issues

    Can't do advanced things like take ownership of registry keys or values, still need regedit to do that

    Semi-related: Manage Active Directory Objects with the New Windows AD Provider for HashiCorp Terraform



Defender for Endpoint device inventory/search/dashboards/reports could be better

    I wish it would support wildcard searches

    Is really picky about exact matches

    Duplicate/misleading entries: Workgroup vs domain

    Removing a device other than waiting for it to age out?

    Fix unhealthy sensors in Microsoft DFE

    Reordering columns isn't possible

    Have to stretch out the browser window across multiple monitors to get full width

    Entire interface is inefficient, sort of like WAC



InfoSec - The new Sysadmin

    CISO MindMap 2021: What do InfoSec Professionals Actually Do?

    How To Get A Job in Cybersecurity

    Look at all this stuff!

    Are they actually sysadmins?

    What IS a sysadmin?



The OWA Experience

    Missing UI elements

    Flagged items in a sidebar

    Has a "To Do" panel but it doesn’t include flagged items

    Calendar flyout is not expanded by default

    Categories (already discussed at length in our blog)

    [old man complaint] Forward as Attachment is different

    GMU.edu guide on how to do it in OWA

    Meeting notifications aren't prominent/obnoxious enough

    No unread "group by folder" view

    Can't add an Office 365 Group as a favorite like you can in Outlook

    Table management in OWA email composition is bugged

    Can't set specific to-do dates for flagged items?