How to Delete Your Facebook Account

Did you have a real job?

Are you an internet age baby (90's, 2000's) and have a job and a real life that doesn't revolve around social media. Do you actually TALK to people and use text messages. Well...let's get your life back.

You can delete Facebook and be done with it. If you are going to school, learning something new or important, studying a language, memorizing the Qur'an, writing a novel or planning your trip to a beautiful country where you will be disconnected from the Internet. You can delete your Facebook account.

Get out and talk to people! Volunteer or do something actually valuable with your time.

1. Click this link (You Need to be Logged In):

https://www.facebook.com/help/delete_account 

2. The account will then be deactivated for 14 days (It's not deleted yet).

3. Do no login to Facebook. Delete the Facebook AND Messenger apps from your phone.

4. Resist...resist...fight it!!!

5. Find a hobby, learn a language on Duolingo, get a college degree or do something important.

6. If you spend more than 1 hour of your time on social media and it's not a job your getting paid for, you need some help.....

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Top 7 Paying IT Certifications of 2016

What certifications actually matter in 2017 and are hot and will actually pay you?

DevOps:
https://linuxacademy.com/devops/courses

AWS SysOps:
https://linuxacademy.com/amazon-web-services/courses

Linux Skills (DevOps/Systems Engineer/Administration):
https://linuxacademy.com/linux/courses
https://www.pluralsight.com/browse/it-ops/linux
LPIC - https://www.lpi.org/our-certifications/summary-of-certifications
RHCE/RHCSA/RHEV - https://www.redhat.com/en/services/certification

Azure:
https://linuxacademy.com/azure/courses
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/learning/azure-training.aspx

Google Certified Professional - Cloud Architect:
https://cloud.google.com/training/cloud-infrastructure
https://www.coursera.org/googlecloud

Certified Ethical Hacker:
https://www.pluralsight.com/paths/ethical-hacking

Nutanix Platform Professional / Nutanix Platform Expert
https://www.nutanix.com/support-services/training-certification/

Lastly, you need some kind of college education to get you through Human Resources, Recruiters or these ridiculous resume scanning software systems from ADP, Workday, ZipRecruiter, etc. It impacts your ranking and can be a headache if you don't have at least an Associate's Degree for promotions and some Mid-Level to Senior Level Engineering positions and is a bare minimum to be an IT Manager, Datacenter Manager or DevOps Manager.

A community college anywhere in the US is dirt cheap ($80-130 per credit hour). Get your associate's degree. If you pick an online college and it's going to cost you more than $30k to graduate for a Bachelor's degree, don't do it. Get your Associate's degree from a community college on the cheap, transfer your credits to a US Department of Education Regionally Accredited Bachelor's Degree granting college and finish up. There are a ton of college's out there. Stay away from the diploma mills. If they advertise all over the place, it's because their sole purpose is making money, not educating students. Don't bother.

If you have your Bachelor's or even your Master's or if your really a go-getter, your Ph.D., you need hands-on. There is nothing more irritating than a direct line IT Manager with a bunch of college degree's that has no clue about the technology in use for team's their managing.

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Cybersecurity Training for Less than $300!!

Ok. Since the IT Market is going in the following avenues and you plan on staying in IT and making more than US $100,000 a year. You need to practice. Also, one of the joys of learning and staying in IT is the ability to resolve the problem everyone learning on the cheap has to do. Even though I can likely buy a fancy schmancy $600 or $1500 laptop. I like to keep it inexpensive and cheap and actually focus on learning.

Tools:
1. Chromebook (US $100-$500). CPU's are what jumps the cost. Stick with Intel CPU's.
2. RAM from Amazon (Prime get's it to the house quicker)
3. Crouton (with -e encryption: https://github.com/dnschneid/crouton)
4. Kali-Rolling / Ubuntu (Depending on if you need VirtualBox to run Window$)

1. Put your Chromebook into Developer Mode (ESC+Restart Key+Power Button)
2. CTRL+D
3. CTRL+D, Machine will wipe into Developer Mode
4. Connect to your wireless and log back in (recreate your profile by enabling your sync)
5. Launch a Terminal Shell (CTRL+ALT+T)
6. Shell
7. Download "Crouton" from https://github.com/dnschneid/crouton
8. Pick your distribution (Debian, Kali or Ubuntu). You can use -r to change the distribution.
    (Example: sudo -e sh ~/Downloads/crouton -r kali-rolling)

9. If your doing Cybersecurity training, your going to need Kali-Rolling and Pluralsight Online Training (https://www.pluralsight.com/). If you already have a Bachelor's or Master's Degree. Don't waist your time getting another degree at a university. Learn hands-on, pass some certification exams and then start applying for jobs. University programs are pretty good, but like I said, this is the cheap and quick way to jump into the field if your already in IT or flipping into IT. Certifications and hands-on experience is what will get you through a technical interview or technical phone screen. Degree's help, but I can't count how many people I have by-passed because they didn't know anything hands-on or weren't skilled.

However, a college degree is actually important. Don't let anyone tell you different, but if you can't afford it, you have to do something else. Also, you don't need to spend US $5000, $10,000 or dear goodness...$50,000 US getting a college degree. You can attend a US Department of Education Accredited Online School like University of The People: http://www.uopeople.edu/ where tuition is free and all that you pay for is exams and whatever ancillary expenses are necessary. If you have math or other area's of academic weakness you can use Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/ . The only one that can stop you from learning is you.

10. Choose your desktop type (sh /Downloads/crouton -t list) this will show you what environments you cant to pick. I prefer gnome to unity. As usual with all things administrative. You have to run via "sudo"

sudo sh ~/Downloads/crouton -t gnome

11. sudo startgnome

12. Optionally, if you want it encrypted and want to throw the whole kitchen sink at it...just copy and paste the following command (NOTE: Xenial is Ubuntu 16.04.1):

sudo sh ~/Downloads/crouton -r xenial -t unity-desktop,gtk-extra,cli-extra,extension,keyboard,xbmc,chrome -e

Note: If you have an issue, use another desktop type and run the command with -u (don't forget your passphrase or your done...)

sudo sh ~/Downloads/crouton -r xenial -t xfce,keyboard,xbmc,chrome -u -e

FYI. If you don't like Unity use another desktop like Gnome or some other desktop. Personally, I like Budgie or Kali Linux. Budgie: https://github.com/solus-project/budgie-desktop. If you are new to Linux...Kali will make you an Internet warrior!! Kali+YouTube+Blogs+Pluralsight...equals lighting and thunder!!! Ok....this Chipotle is making me sleepy...so delicious. Anyway...screenshot below!

More Crouton Information? It was created by a Google Employee.

More? Sheesh...go here already...http://www.howtogeek.com/210047/how-to-manage-the-crouton-linux-system-on-your-chromebook/

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Lockdown Adobe Reader Document Cloud

Do you have a template and no volume license? Do not install the bulk junk for Adobe. It will not only drive your users/family insane. It will just lead to people calling you with a bunch of unnecessary questions.

1. Download Adobe Reader: https://get.adobe.com/reader/ 

2. Don't install the junk toolbar, etc. (Install Chrome if your in the real world!)

3. Hack the registry...If you don't know what your doing...you likely shouldn't be doing this. If you do, hey...have at it!

Adobe Document Cloud Registry Edits

Copy this link if your worried about clicking on links.

http://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/PrefRef/Windows/Workflows.html?zoom_highlight=web+services#Servicesintegration(DC)

You have to disable what is important to you and your business/organization/school.

1. Disable all of the options that you do not want your user's to have access to use or see. Disable every single option below for people to only open .PDF files and that's it.

.

Good bye...3rd party junk!!!

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How to Install Windows 7 or 10 Using VMware PVSCSI Drivers

Ok. So... installing VMware PVSCSI Adapters on a VM is a pain in the neck if you don't know how to do it. So...I want to save people some time. I figured out this is the fastest and less complicated process to get this done. These VM's are good for anything that requires speed.

Thanks Carl for your blog for VMware View! http://www.carlstalhood.com/vmware-horizon-7/

1. Reference VMware KB article: https://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1010398

1a. The trick is to use 2 CD/DVD drives!!

1b. Add your second (2nd) CD/DVD!!

2. Create your VM. Make sure that your CD/DVD IDE is 0:0 or it won't boot to Windows. 

VMware Tools .ISO file should be 0:1.

3. DO NOT use the VMware Tools that comes with the ESXi host installation. Use the Latest VMware Tools. As of this blog entry. The latest VMware Tools release is 10.0.9. This is the Official Location for VMware Tools. Do not download it from anywhere else. https://packages.vmware.com/tools/releases/index.html 

4. Boot the VM and boot into Windows. This works for either Windows 7 or Windows 10.

5. Select Custom. Don't be dumb and upgrade an image for VMware View or Images. Start over and do it from scratch. You're waiting for a headache to come if you do an upgrade. Plus, it's just plain old lazy.

6. You won't see any drives listed because the PVSCSI driver is not loaded into the VM yet.

7. Browse for the driver. Select the VMware Tools DVD and drill down the the release.

8. Remember to use the right architecture for your VMware Tools. If it's x86 or x64. 

9. This is key and vital. You have to make sure that the NEXT button is not greyed out. As long as you followed the steps above it won't be greyed out. If it's greyed out. You did something wrong. Go back and do it over.

10. Go get some juice! It's going to take a little while.

11. If you doing a VMware Horizon View VM or Citrix XenDesktop. Use Carl's blog. It's very good!! 

VMware Horizon View: http://www.carlstalhood.com/vmware-horizon-7/

Citrix XenDesktop: http://www.carlstalhood.com/xaxd/

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What is the Port for KMS?

What is the Port for KMS? (1688)

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How to Fix a Nutanix CVM being Stuck in Maintenance Mode

How to Fix a Nutanix CVM being Stuck in Maintenance Mode

1. ssh into the Nutanix cluster VM

2. cluster status

2. ncli host list (This will give you the host ID)

################
    Id                        : 9911991c-1111-093y-11yb-blahblah88::61810
    Uuid                      : 5blahblabla99-5227-43d9-ae05-243hahadummy
    Name                      : NTNX-SERIAL-X
    IPMI Address              : 10.10.3.3
    Controller VM Address     : 10.10.2.2
    Hypervisor Address        : 10.10.1.1
    Host Status               : NORMAL
    Oplog Disk Size           : 428.02 GiB (459,587,190,986 bytes) (0.7%)
    Under Maintenance Mode    : false (Hypervisor upgrade)
    Metadata store status     : Metadata store enabled on the node
    Node Position             : Node physical position can't be displayed for this model. Please refer to Prism UI for this information.
    Node Serial (UUID)        : VENDORSERIAL
    Block Serial (Model)      : VENDORSERIAL (NODE MODEL)
###############

3. ncli host edit id=9911991c-1111-093y-11yb-blahblah88::61810::61810 enable-maintenance-mode="false"

4. cluster status

5...sing...dance...rejoice and scream BOOYAH!!!! WARNING: Happy dancing in cubicle or workspace is Highly Recommended and preferred.

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VCSA vmware-vpxd Service Won't Restart After Upgrading to 6.0 U2

You navigate to the VMware Web Client and you get this 503 Error:

503 Service Unavailable (Failed to connect to endpoint: [N7Vmacore4Http20NamedPipeServiceSpecE:0x7fe4a805cc90] _serverNamespace = / _isRedirect = false _pipeName =/var/run/vmware/vpxd-webserver-pipe)

Cause: (SSL Certificates wouldn’t issue automatically after reboot for service vmware-vpxd

Compounded Problem: (Clearing logs under ~/.* **root**) – Specifically, clearing ~/.pgpass 

(Lesson Learned: NEVER EVER CLEAR FILES UNDER ~/. Except .bash_history on templates creation only!!!)

Fix: Kill all the services running vpxd

1. ps -ef | grep vpxd

2. kill ###

3. Re-add the ~/.pgpass file with the PostGreSQL password

4. vi /et c/vmware-vpx/embedded_db.cfg

5. Copy the password you see between PGUSER_PASSWORD=’password here‘

6. Put the password back in ~/.pgpass

localhost:5432:VCDB:postgres: password here

localhost:5432:postgres:postgres: password here

localhost:5432:VCDB:vc: password here

7. Check /etc/hosts and make sure config is there. 10.10.10.10 hostname.domain.com hostname 

8. service vmware-vpxd status (make sure it’s not running)

9. service vmware-vpxd start

hostname:~ # service vmware-vpxd start

vmware-vpxd: VC SSL Certificate does not exist, it will be generated by vpxd

Waiting for the embedded database to start up: success

Executing pre-startup scripts...

vmware-vpxd: Starting vpxd by administrative request.

success

vmware-vpxd: Waiting for vpxd to start listening for requests on 8089

Waiting for vpxd to initialize: ...success

vmware-vpxd: vpxd has initialized.

hostname:~ # service vmware-vpxd status

vmware-vpxd is running

10. That's it!!!

Reference:

https://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=2056968

https://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=2073717

https://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=2018902

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How to Convert a CD/DVD to an ISO File

Do you need to convert a CD or DVD to an ISO file for a virtual environment, etc?

Windows:

1. Download InfraRecorder (Be aware of Junkware for FOSS Software on Windows). IR is on the GPL: http://infrarecorder.org/?page_id=5

2. Install the InfraRecorder Software (Next...Next...Done)

3. Launch the Application

4. Click on "Read Disc"

5. Select your location to save the .ISO file

6. Let it finish....it's baking! =)

7. Click Ok. Upload, Save or do whatever with the ISO! You can also create a bootable USB. (I use Rufus...it's reliable and fast: http://rufus.akeo.ie/ )

Ubuntu Linux or Mac: Refer to this Article on HowToGeek

http://www.howtogeek.com/228886/how-to-create-iso-files-from-discs-on-windows-mac-and-linux/

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