New York drivers: the most important people in the world

New York drivers are the most important people in the world.  I know this because I have had to isolate with COVID in a hotel room fourteen stories above Hell's Kitchen.

When someone displeases a driver in New York, they will hold their horn down for the whole time that they can still see the vehicle that has offended them.  This is often over a minute.

Fortunately, no-one else in the whole of New York can possibly matter, because this happens at all times of day and night. 

Thanks goodness that drivers have let everyone within four blocks in this densely packed city know that they have witnessed an example of bad driving, whilst being perfect themselves.

I look forward to leaving this nightmarish hellhole and only returning when it has been pedestrianised.

Mars

Another Whole New World (Mars)

While "Earth 2" is out for repairs, I bought a temporary replacement machine on Amazon next day delivery.  It's smaller than Earth2, so it's called "Mars".

Winget

Choco is no longer the way to go, so let's try to get everything back in using winget....

Winget

winget install -e -h Google.Chrome
winget install -e -h Valve.Steam
winget install -e -h Microsoft.VisualStudioCode
winget install -e -h Ditto.Ditto
winget install -e -h Git.Git
winget install -e -h Mozilla.Firefox
winget install -e -h Github.GithubDesktop
winget install -e -h 7zip.7zip
winget install -e -h VideoLAN.VLC
winget install -e -h Notepad++.Notepad++
winget install -e -h Foxit.FoxitReader
winget install -e -h Zoom.Zoom
winget install -e -h Inkscape.Inkscape
winget install -e -h Docker.DockerDesktop
winget install -e -h ShareX.ShareX
winget install -e -h Audacity.Audacity
winget install -e -h Postman.Postman
winget install -e -h Microsoft.PowerToys
winget install -e -h WhatsApp.WhatsApp
winget install -e -h BlenderFoundation.Blender
winget install -e -h Discord.Discord
winget install -e -h KeePassXCTeam.KeePassXC
winget install -e -h PostgreSQL.pgAdmin
winget install -e -h Microsoft.SQLServerManagementStudio
winget install -e -h JanDeDobbeleer.OhMyPosh
winget install -e -h Microsoft.MouseWithoutBorders
REM SysInternals: Process Explorer etc.
winget install -e -h 9P7KNL5RWT25
REM Windows Terminal
winget install -e -h 9N0DX20HK701
winget install -e -h Microsoft.Teams
winget install -e -h Elgato.StreamDeck
winget install -e -h NathanBeals.WinSSH-Pageant
winget install -e -h Toggl.TogglDesktop

Other downloads

These are not covered by winget and should be installed using Google and old-school downloading.

• Visual Studio Community 2022
• Paint.NET
• Fiddler
• KiTTY
• StreamDeck
• WiX Toolset
• Davinci Resolve

Oh My Posh

Oh my posh provides a better Windows Terminal experience, but the following additional steps are required:

• Install CaskaydiaCove Nerd Font

In WT, go to settings and edit the JSON file.  Add the following to the Defaults:

... 

       "defaults": {
            "font": {
                "face": "CaskaydiaCove Nerd Font"
            }
        },
...

Private key management

Set-Service -Name ssh-agent -StartupType Automatic

ssh-agent bash
ssh-add <keyname>.private.rsa

Docker desktop

To get Docker working:

wsl --set-default-version 2
docker run --name rabbitmq bitnami/rabbitmq:latest
docker run --name postgres -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=mysecretpassword -e PGDATA=/var/lib/postgresql/data/pgdata -v "C:/users/david/Postgres Data:/var/lib/postgresql/data" -d postgres

Visual Studio Extensions

Add all the good Visual Studio Extensions:

• Add New File
• Bootstrap Snippet Pack
• Case Converter 2022
• EditorConfig Language Service
• File Icons
• Git Diff Margin
• Inheritance Margin
• Markdown Editor
• Match Margin
• NamespaceFixer
• Hgrok Extensions
• Open Command Line
• Solution Error Visualizer
• SwitchStartupPorject for VS 2019
• Time Stamp Margin
• Trailing Whitespace Visualizer
• Viasfora
• Visual Studio Spell Checker (VS2017 and Later)
• Wix Toolset Visual Studio 2019 Extension

Settings

• Visible white space
• Enable with Ctrl R, Ctrl-W
• Make less harsh on the eyes by moving the saturation to ~50% of its default value
• Set Cascadia Code to be the default Font
• Move the Solution Explorer back to the left hand side

Data transfer

Data transfer will be fun - there's so much on my old PC, so I have that running at a second desk in case I need something in a hurry.

Undead LogicMonitor Devices / Resources

 Do you have seemingly dead LogicMonitor devices, with skull and crossbones, just because you have written your own DataSources, have applied "NoPing" to system.categories so the usual Host Status DataSource Group doesn't appear?

Simply add the following lines to your DataSource's Groovy collection script (not active discovery) and viola: they're undead.

import com.santaba.agent.live.LiveHostSet
LiveHostSet.getInstance().flag(hostProps.get("system.deviceId").toInteger())

Sandy Munro gives a design masterclass

Can someone clone Sandy Monroe, please and quickly, before he retires.

https://youtu.be/ROOiCUfj9pw

Unless...

Building healthy relationships is not an obligation. Single serve makes you happy now. Change is difficult and hard work.  The status quo is easier. Taking them for what they can afford, and get rich quick.

This is failure.

• Communicate openly and effectively.
• Be who you are.
• Celebrate them being them.
• Deserve and give respect.
• Connect, don't expect.
• Keep confidences.
• Expect better.
• Listen completely and properly.
• Ask for feedback.
• Trust.
• Respond to concerns.
• Keep promises.
• Apologise when appropriate.
• Don't hide.

Everyone.  Not just the good ones.  Everyone.

Long term relationships are the only ones with value. Your value to the world is the change you bring.  What you bring to others is how they value you.

But don't do this for those that respect you.  Do this for everyone.

Those that you benefit may be there when you retire, but the list of those that you love, just for being them...  THIS is success.

WhatsApp and Discord corrupted QR Codes - Fixed!

Introduction

If your WhatsApp Desktop, WhatsApp Web or Discord app's QR codes are corrupt, like this:

You should temporarily:

• Browser: disable hardware acceleration
• Desktop app: run in compatibility mode

This will fix QR codes, long enough to authenticate you.  Once you have used the code, you can put the browser/app shortcut back as you found it.

Chrome fix

1. Go to Settings / Advanced and toggle "User hardware acceleration when available" to off (see below).
2. Restart Chrome
3. Go to WhatsApp web and use the (now non-corrupt) QR code
4. Go back to settings and re-enable hardware acceleration
5. Restart Chrome
6. Go back to WhatsApp web - you should still be logged in

App shortcut fix

1. Find the WhatsApp/Discord shortcut.  This will probably be in: C:\Users\<YOUR USERNAME HERE>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\<App name>
2. Right click on the file and select properties
3. Click on the "Compatibility" tab.
4. Select the Checkbox and select "Windows 7" in the dropdown
5. Leave the properties open and click Apply
6. Run WhatsApp / Discord.  The QR code should work fine now.
7. As soon as you have scanned the code, uncheck the checkbox in the properties dialog and click OK.
8. Restart the app.

Earth 2

A whole new world

It's been 8 years since the last upgrade ("Earth"), but now the new PC ("Earth 2") is here - thanks Scan!

Keeping notes here, perhaps useful for other people.  I decided to get my own Windows licence, so Scan did not install this for me.   Unfortunately, that meant my first attempt didn't have the right BIOS settings and the Windows 11 install failed.  Having set up for secure boot, I reinstalled and Windows 11 is now in place.

Choco

Basic items

choco install -y steam-client vscode ditto git github-desktop googlechrome firefox 7zip vlc notepadplusplus visualstudio-installer foxitreader zoom paint.net inkscape microsoft-windows-terminal procexp powershell-core audacity postman greenshot docker-desktop sublimetext3 powertoys fiddler whatsapp blender discord.install kitty keepassxc netfx-4.7-devpack elasticsearch kibana logstash anydesk pgadmin4 streamdeck wixtoolset rabbitmq lightworks sql-server-management-studio

Visual Studio Community Preview

choco install -y visualstudio2019community-preview --pre

Postgresql

choco install postgresql13 --params '/Password:<PASSWORD>'

NET SDK

choco install -y dotnet-sdk --version=5.0.201

Windows Terminal

Windows Terminal is the default shell app for Windows 11.  However, it needs to be set up for PowerLine.

Scott Hanselman to the rescue:

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/terminal/tutorials/powerline-setup

Visual Studio Extensions

Set Visual Studio up just right!

Extensions

Add all the good Visual Studio Extensions:

• 1-Click Docs
• Add New File
• Bootstrap Snippet Pack
• EditorConfig Language Service
• File Icons
• Generate GUID for Visual Studio 2012-2019
• Git Diff Margin
• Inheritance Margin
• Intellisense Extender 2019
• Markdown Editor
• Match Margin
• NamespaceFixer
• Hgrok Extensions
• Open Command Line
• Roslynator 2019
• Security Code Scan
• Solution Error Visualizer
• SwitchStartupPorject for VS 2019
• Time Stamp Margin
• Trailing Whitespace Visualizer
• Viasfora
• Visual Studio Spell Checker (VS2017 and Later)
• Wix Toolset Visual Studio 2019 Extension

Settings

• Visible white space
• Enable with Ctrl R, Ctrl-W
• Make less harsh on the eyes by moving the saturation to ~50% of its default value
• Set Cascadia Code to be the default Font
• Move the Solution Explorer back to the left hand side

Data transfer

Data transfer will be fun - there's so much on my old PC, so I have that running at a second desk in case I need something in a hurry.