foxynet's blog

VMware vCenter Orchestrator setup notes and links

by foxynet on January 6, 2010, no comments

Besides following the VMware documentation, the following links were helpful to assist with my setup of VMware vCenter Orchestrator:

My vCenter Orchestrator Installation Notes

This post let me know the appropriate commands to run via SQLCMD to create and set up the database, namely:

CREATE DATABASE VCO;
GO
CREATE LOGIN [VCOUSER] WITH PASSWORD=”vmware”, DEFAULT_DATABASE=[VCO], CHECK_EXPIRATION=OFF, CHECK_POLICY=OFF
GO

USE VCO
GO
EXEC sp_grantdbaccess [VCOUSER]
GO
EXEC sp_addrolemember “db_owner”, [VCOUSER]
GO
EXEC sp_addsrvrolemember [VCOUSER], “sysadmin”
GO

The user is not associated with a trusted SQL Server Connection

Because I wasn’t using windows only authentication for the vCO database connection, I had to enable mixed mode in the registry.

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.2005\MSSQLServer\LoginMode = 2

… and I’m not sure if it’s a bug or a feature, but I was unable to use the vCO configuration web interface unless I connected via “localhost” URLs – using host names / FQDNs meant that I was prompted twice each time I logged on and couldn’t navigate away from the “General” tab.

Making ideas real

by foxynet on May 23, 2009, no comments

  1. It’s not the idea that matters, it’s the execution
  2. It’s got to be something you’re passionate about
  3. Do one thing and do it well

Not very original concepts – can’t remember where I first came across them, but very true I think.

It’s not so much about being interested or even passionate about the idea, or the concept, but being passionate about the execution.

Scheduled commands in mac osx leopard

by foxynet on September 12, 2008, no comments

So, the problem is that broadband usage is usually metered in Australia, and my current plan allows for 4gb usage in peak and 4gb usage in off peak.  It would be great to have a simple method of forcing “non-interactive” downloads to occur during the off peak period – from memory it’s between midnight and 8:00am.

Podcasts and iTunes related downloads

Method 1 was to kick off a number of downloads in iTunes, then quit the program.  I used Lingon to create a launchd configuration to launch iTunes everynight at midnight.  Kludgy.

File downloads from the web

Slightly better option for downloading files: enable and use the at command.  Enable it by issuing the following command line in the terminal:

sudo launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.atrun.plist

(thanks Mac OSX Hints – Use the ‘at’ command to schedule task)

Then add the file to download:

at midnight
wget http://example.com/example.dmg
^D

Software Updates

Disable automatic software updates with the following command:

softwareupdate --schedule off

Add the following command to the cron using the following:

crontab -e

Add a line that says:

0 0 * * * /usr/sbin/softwareupdate -d -a

Still need to check if this will alert me when software updates are available.

Under leopard, and running as a non-root user, this downloads the updates into the ~/Downloads folder. (not ideal).

And I think it’s kludgy (flexible?) that I’m using 3 different methods …

t minus 1405 minutes and counting – again(2) – Apple Wireless Keyboard

by foxynet on October 16, 2007, no comments

So … the Apple store I ordered the Mac Mini from couriered … the wrong computer … back from their other store.

Groan.

At least I talked them into giving me a discount on a new Apple Wireless Keyboard. It doesn’t want to work with my Windows laptop, worked first time with a friend’s TiBook (10.3 even!) and first time with the iMac G5 at home.

With a bit of work it also works with Ubuntu Fiesty on my laptop:

Not 100% sure that this was required:

sudo apt-get install gnome-bluetooth

To get the MAC address of the keyboard:

sudo hidd --search

Substitute the MAC address returned from the search above for aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff in the following commands.

Edit /etc/bluetooth/hcid.conf and add the following section:

device aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff {
name "Apple Wireless Keyboard";
auth enable;
encrypt enable;
}

Enable Human Interface Devices:

sudo vim /etc/default/bluetooth

Look for the following line:

HIDD_ENABLED=0

Change it to:

HIDD_ENABLED=1

Restart the bluetooth daemon:

sudo /etc/init.d/bluetooth restart

Then connect to the keyboard!:

sudo hidd --connect aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff

It should prompt you to type in a pairing pin number on your bluetooth keyboard and on your existing keyboard.

I had all sorts of trouble actually getting the pairing to work … in the end a reboot sorted things out, I suspect because the reboot autodetected and loaded the correct modules.

References:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BluetoothSetup

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=224673

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=3523271

Happy days!

The Blog

by foxynet on October 14, 2007, no comments

So, an initial list of things to do for the blog:

  • OpenID authentication for comments
  • Blogroll (managed via Google Reader)
  • Atom feeds (default)
  • Personal (social) graph
  • Adwords
  • SEO
  • Theming

t minus 1405 minutes and counting

by foxynet on October 14, 2007, one comment

Setting up a mythtv box has been on the todo list for quite a while. Since the planets have aligned, I figured I might as well blog about it, so here it is.

The plan

  1. Learn about DTV the easy way (COMPLETE). Call me a wimp, but I used Elgato EyeTV on my iMac G5 with a twinhan USB2 DVB tuner.
  2. Build one (or two, or three) to throw away (COMPLETE). First, an Ubuntu install under vmware on my work laptop to verify that the twinhan tuner will work under Linux. Start to learn about tzap, dvb devices, channels.conf … (yes, the tuner even worked under vmware!) Then install Ubuntu natively on a separate partition and start to learn mythtv. Followed by (another) Ubuntu install on an old laptop, and start to learn the joys of lirc. Bemoan the lack of USB2, hence the inability to actually use the tuner.
  3. Bite the bullet (IN PROGRESS). With full budgetary approval, buy a Mac Mini (while they are still available), wait for the release of Gutsy, and off we go.

The 2gb of ram I wanted in the Mac Mini meant that I couldn’t pick it up today, hence the title of the post.

The plan for tomorrow is the unboxing ritual, testing of the Gutsy release candidate cds, wiring up to the (old) TV … and maybe a bit of a play with EyeTV and FrontRow.