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    flaxking

    @flaxking

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    Best posts made by flaxking

    • Landed a new job

      I just landed a new job that I'm pretty excited about. My current position moved slowly back from development into straight up IT, so I'm glad to be a software developer again.

      My new company has good benefits and I know some people that work there and it sounds like they treat their employees really well.

      If I didn't get this job, I might have given up on developer. There's so much work involved in dev hiring processes.

      posted in IT Careers
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      flaxking
    • RE: Comparing ELK and GrayLog

      Does anyone have an updated comparison to share?

      posted in IT Discussion
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      flaxking
    • SAM's New Business Venture

      Does anyone else think a Gordon Ramsay esque TV show called IT Nightmares would be a great idea?

      https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/lfoklv/does_anyone_else_think_a_gordon_ramsay_esque_tv/

      The way I would see it is as mostly directed at business owners and getting them to understand the role of IT in their business.

      "That's an HR problem, not an IT problem."

      posted in Water Closet
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      flaxking
    • Looking for Senior IT Admins

      https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/jobsearch/jobposting/27734586

      The title on the job site isn't really accurate. The website restricts what titles we can post, requirements, etc. We are not just looking for network admins. We have a couple different positions we need to fill. One of which will require VMWare experience.

      International applicants accepted, with option to work remotely.

      I am not a part of the hiring process, but I can try to answer questions. Might have to be through direct message though.

      posted in Job Postings
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      flaxking
    • Hiring infrastructure technician

      https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/jobsearch/jobposting/27439166

      The current job posting is kind of lame, but we probably will have something better out in the future. We are actually hiring multiple positions, with different specialities. I can't say too much right now, but we have some exciting stuff on the horizon, and there is opportunity to get into some cool 'DevOps' style stuff.

      posted in IT Careers
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      flaxking
    • LinkedIn Endorsements

      I know I'm far from one of the top contributors to ML, but if there's something you feel comfortable with endorsing me on, please send me a message and I'll send you my LinkedIn url.

      A couple of my topics:
      https://mangolassi.it/topic/15305/salt-grain-to-retrieve-users-present-on-minion-windows
      https://mangolassi.it/topic/18764/create-a-vm-on-vultr-using-terraform-on-gitlab
      https://mangolassi.it/topic/19224/gitlab-install-on-centos-using-salt

      posted in IT Careers
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      flaxking
    • Pluralsight Free Weekend

      Pluralsight has a free weekend promotion going on right now.

      https://pluralsight.pxf.io/c/1197078/668288/7490

      I'm a big fan of their courses, I find their videos to be high qualify and a great way to get an intro to something new.

      However if you sign up for a free Visual Studio Dev Essentials account, I believe there is still a promo for 3 months of free Pluralsight.

      posted in Training
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      flaxking
    • Salt grain to retrieve users present on minion (Windows)

      I've seen some doubts around about how useful Salt would be for desktop administration, so I thought I would share my Salt grain that makes things easier for me. It gives you a list of users that have profiles on that minion. So the end result is that you can do this in your states:

      {% for usr in grains['present_users'] %}
      
      C:\Users\{{ usr }}\AppData\Local\Something:
        file.directory:
          - makedirs: True
      
      {% endfor %}
      

      This has only been tested on Salt 2017.7.1, and it will definitely break with the next major release because they are changing some things that it relies on.

      To use this custom grain, create a _grains folder within your salt states folder/repo, then save this as a file there:

      presentusersgrain.py

      import socket
      
      import salt.utils
      if salt.utils.is_windows():
          import salt.utils.winapi
          import wmi
      
      def presentusers():
          if salt.utils.is_windows():
              with salt.utils.winapi.Com():
                  wmi_c = wmi.WMI()
                  userprofiles = [x.LocalPath.split('\\')
                                  for x in wmi_c.Win32_UserProfile()]
                  sysprof = ['systemprofile', 'ServiceProfiles']
                  userlist = [x[-1] for x in userprofiles
                              if not any(word in x for word in sysprof)]
              return {'present_users': userlist}
      
          return {'present_users': 'n/a'}
      

      Then run salt '*' saltutil.sync_grains to sync the custom grain to your minions. Now run salt '*' grains.items to see your new grain

      posted in IT Discussion salt saltstack windows
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      flaxking
    • DB Admin/Data Analyst (Remote)

      Job posting isn't up yet, so you guys are getting it first.

      Custom Software Solutions http://www.cssionline.com is going to be looking for someone with DBA experience so assist with our reporting and business analytics solutions and well as other projects working with our databases. Some programming experience is definitely an asset. The person who fills this position will be working closely with one of our DBAs/Developers.

      Experience in the following is an asset:
      VB6/C#
      MS SQL Server
      Power BI

      Email resume to [email protected]

      posted in Job Postings
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      flaxking
    • RDP - Whitelist IP address with 2 step authentication?

      I was looking at multiOTP, which looks like it would be a good free way of implementing 2-step authentication for RDP
      https://github.com/multiOTP/multiotp/wiki
      http://servilon.com/two-factor-authentication/

      But I would imagine that in SMB, people would find it annoying to have to get a code every time.

      And then I found this post that makes me think you could use the 2-step authentication in order to whitelist IPs

      https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/16y3da/2_factor_ssh_login_via_google_authentication/c80k44d/

      Maybe I'll try to lab it sometime

      posted in IT Discussion
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      flaxking

    Latest posts made by flaxking

    • RE: Resume work

      System Engineer - Project Manager. You're try to appeal to multiple disciplines here. I'd create a different resume if you were applying to a Project Management job and focus on making this one look the part for engineering.

      Bullet points are your friend

      posted in IT Careers
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      flaxking
    • RE: Resume work

      @CCWTech yes, it's your resume. And anytime I've seen a tech resume that someone said they paid a professional to help write, it hasn't been good.

      Free help from other tech professionals is usually the way to go. Here is one community that can help https://discord.gg/CB8DMrr

      posted in IT Careers
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      flaxking
    • RE: What to use for new Windows network domain

      @dbeato said in What to use for new Windows network domain:

      @flaxking Well the point was that Jared was making of a local network domain which Azure Active Directory wouldn't have counted but I understand.

      I wasn't talking about AAD, I was talking about AAD DS.

      posted in IT Discussion
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      flaxking
    • RE: What to use for new Windows network domain

      @dbeato yes, Azure Active Directory Domain Services. That documentarion changed from aadds.contoso.com to aaddscontoso.com. But since they don't give the reason for the change, it is unclear if the reason applies to both aadds and ad.

      The only reason I know of is so that AD isn't displayed as the domain name in places.

      posted in IT Discussion
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      flaxking
    • RE: What to use for new Windows network domain

      Well Microsoft's AAD DS recommendation has changed from aadds.contoso.com to aaddscontoso.com but I don't think they have really said why

      https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory-domain-services/tutorial-create-instance#create-a-managed-domain

      posted in IT Discussion
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      flaxking
    • RE: Slack? What is it?

      @stacksofplates said in Slack? What is it?:

      @flaxking said in Slack? What is it?:

      At it's core Slack is a chat app. Think Teams without video calls or SharePoint integration.

      Slack has had video/audio calls for a while now.

      Interesting, I've only noticed the "Huddle" option, and have never used it.

      posted in IT Discussion
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      flaxking
    • RE: Slack? What is it?

      At it's core Slack is a chat app. Think Teams without video calls or SharePoint integration.

      It's also kind of treated like a shared mailbox. I.e. a channel will get sent alerts, and that's how people get notified and can talk about it right at the alert.

      "ChatOps" is kind of the next step here where with integrations and bots, you can trigger actions from right within Slack. A benefit of this is that the log of the action and the conversation surrounding it is all logged in the same place. Someone looking back at what was done could see the whole history of events (alert raised, talk that something should be done about it, and the action being done triggered and recorded right there)

      I have never heard of Slack being the only interface for something except for internal tools. It makes the most sense to use it for integrations when you're already having conversations there, but maybe the benefits of having the action log and the ability for different people using the integration to leave notes in the chat could mean it could be worth it to use if there are not other tools that does the same thing.

      posted in IT Discussion
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      flaxking
    • RE: SAMIT: Should You Provide Equipment for Work from Home Staff?

      @scottalanmiller said in SAMIT: Should You Provide Equipment for Work from Home Staff?:

      @flaxking said in SAMIT: Should You Provide Equipment for Work from Home Staff?:

      @scottalanmiller said in SAMIT: Should You Provide Equipment for Work from Home Staff?:

      @flaxking said in SAMIT: Should You Provide Equipment for Work from Home Staff?:

      Using my own personal laptop for work if a good way to ensure that I don't do my own tech stuff when I'm not working. I dual booted so that my work OS was completely separate, but I still didn't want to touch that thing after work.

      You only do IT at work and never because you find it fun or interesting or want to grow outside of job promotions?

      I can't imagine wanting to work in IT at all, with all the drama, stress, hard work.. if I didn't love IT itself. There are so many better fields that are less demanding if it is only a job and not a career that you want to do regardless of the job.

      It's about the association. If I do something on the side, it can be a fun project for me, but I don't want my purely fun projects mingling with my work. Though, having a family now and always being on the edge of everything falling into chaos, a lot of my fun learning does happen at work, but I am being paid for it. We have bookclub (and often the reading for it) during work hours. I can take whole days for person all development or just arrange certain mornings for it.

      This touches on a completely (or almost) difference subject. The concept of on/off work/personal time and mingled time. For many of us, fun and work have to mingle whether it's because of scheduling, or because the things we like to do and work are essentially the same thing. Like write now, I'm not at work but writing about work stuff.

      For us, and this is different by organization and jurisdiction, we operate in an environment where we are free legally to do anything to the benefit of the employees. There aren't any strong employer organizations manipulating the government into making sneaking anti-labor laws under the guise of protecting employees (e.g. New York's unpaid lunch laws for blue collar workers that are used to guarantee longer working days at lower cost for factories - the employers benefit, the employees suffer, but they claim it's employee protection to indemnify the employers who pushed for it.) So we are able to make healthy mingled environments where employees can effortlessly mix work and personal life.

      At a bad company (or in a bad country) that might sound like trying to make people work all of the time. But at a good company, in a good jurisdiction, it's making people never have to shut off their personal lives.

      For us, the lengths that we go to to ensure our teams are passionate, also allows us to go to great lengths to protect their personal lives and time and space. Unlimited vacation time transparently turns into nine month maternity leaves, zero locational requirement means "full time travel options". Bring your own devices means creating your own workspaces that are best for you. People work when it makes sense, and stop when it doesn't.

      It may be separate from the point you were originally trying to make, but if you're looking at the whole picture trying to figure out where people make the demarcation, it's definitely part of the conversation.

      Things like computers and phones and be really personal devices, stuff like your internet connection, less so.

      Even when a company have unlimited vacation and actually mean it, they need to create a culture that gets people to actually use it. Super passionate people are less likely to take advantage of it, even when it would benefit them personally.

      A company that provides a workstation can help create a culture where people can turn work off and on at their own time. For me, if I'm on my work computer not doing real work, seeing a notification pop up can be really distracting and consume my thoughts, even if there was no expectation for me to be working. Not that I can't think about work while I'm not at work, but some separation is definitely beneficial.

      posted in Self Promotion
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      flaxking
    • RE: SAMIT: Should You Provide Equipment for Work from Home Staff?

      @scottalanmiller said in SAMIT: Should You Provide Equipment for Work from Home Staff?:

      @flaxking said in SAMIT: Should You Provide Equipment for Work from Home Staff?:

      @scottalanmiller said in SAMIT: Should You Provide Equipment for Work from Home Staff?:

      @flaxking if you watch the video, you'll notice that the primary point isn't that you shouldn't provide equipment for people, but should only do so when it makes sense. BUT that your candidates should have the resources to do IT at home, regardless of it you expect them to use them or not.

      At NTG, we do provide people's work environments most of the time (unless they don't want to use our stuff.) We provide the router/firewall, desktop, phone, etc. But we only do so to people who already have that stuff, too. We just provide better, or more appropriately designed and managed, work hardware.

      We look for that passion. I absolutely am not going to pay to provide work equipment to someone that doesn't want to do this kind of work. That guarantees I'll have to motivate solely with money and will never get the kind of growth and long term healthy future that we look for.

      Of course, we are also a "hire for life" employer, not a "hire for a task and see if we need you after that task is done" employer. We don't hire people for a role, we hire people who are passionate and that's about

      So the thing is, for 95% of the companies I would apply for, it would make sense that they supplied the computer. Most likely for security requirements. Kind of like how for most people you interview, it would make sense that they own a computer. I wouldn't rule out the 5% because they might have a good reason they don't, but

      I'm not a big believer in the security argument. Especially not in IT. I understand the premise, if you control the equipment tightly, you can lock it down. But we're IT, we HAVE to trust our staff already and we don't put any data on their machines (assigned... whether their machines or our machines, on endpoints that they use) anyway, so the entire point is locking down a browser or terminal. If they are going to hack that, they will do so regardless. Since we hire professionals we trust that they are securing things a bit as well. The exposure risk is very minimal as there are so many steps between them and data and always "closed glass."

      And the situation where no data is getting onto the system is what would be a rate situation in the tech companies I would potentially work for. It's often still a situation where the decentralized work stations providing compute is still cheaper than centralizing it. The workstation isn't a perk, the alternative of centralized compute is more expensive. That might be changing with stuff like dev containers getting traction, but regulations are also slow to change.

      posted in Self Promotion
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      flaxking
    • RE: SAMIT: Should You Provide Equipment for Work from Home Staff?

      @scottalanmiller said in SAMIT: Should You Provide Equipment for Work from Home Staff?:

      @flaxking if you watch the video, you'll notice that the primary point isn't that you shouldn't provide equipment for people, but should only do so when it makes sense. BUT that your candidates should have the resources to do IT at home, regardless of it you expect them to use them or not.

      At NTG, we do provide people's work environments most of the time (unless they don't want to use our stuff.) We provide the router/firewall, desktop, phone, etc. But we only do so to people who already have that stuff, too. We just provide better, or more appropriately designed and managed, work hardware.

      We look for that passion. I absolutely am not going to pay to provide work equipment to someone that doesn't want to do this kind of work. That guarantees I'll have to motivate solely with money and will never get the kind of growth and long term healthy future that we look for.

      Of course, we are also a "hire for life" employer, not a "hire for a task and see if we need you after that task is done" employer. We don't hire people for a role, we hire people who are passionate and that's about

      So the thing is, for 95% of the companies I would apply for, it would make sense that they supplied the computer. Most likely for security requirements. Kind of like how for most people you interview, it would make sense that they own a computer. I wouldn't rule out the 5% because they might have a good reason they don't, but

      posted in Self Promotion
      F
      flaxking