How To Install Microsoft Visual Studio Code on Linux

Visual Studio code (VScode) is the cross-platform Chromium-based code editor is being open sourced today by Microsoft. How do I install Microsoft Visual Studio Code on a Debian or Ubuntu or Fedora Linux desktop?

Visual Studio supports debugging Linux apps and code editor now open source by Microsoft. It is a preview (beta) version but you can test it and use it on your own Linux based desktop.

Why use Visual Studio Code?

From the project website:

Visual Studio Code provides developers with a new choice of developer tool that combines the simplicity and streamlined experience of a code editor with the best of what developers need for their core code-edit-debug cycle. Visual Studio Code is the first code editor, and first cross-platform development tool - supporting OS X, Linux, and Windows - in the Visual Studio family. If you use Unity, ASP.NET 5, NODE.JS or related tool, give it a try.

Requirements for Visual Studio Code on Linux

1.      Ubuntu Desktop version 14.04

2.      GLIBCXX version 3.4.15 or later

3.      GLIBC version 2.15 or later

The following installation instructions are tested on:

1.      Fedora Linux 22 and 23

2.      Debian Linux 8

3.      Ubuntu Linux 14.04 LTS

Download Visual Studio Code

Visit this page to grab the latest version and save it to ~/Downloads/ folder on Linux desktop:

Fig.01: Download Visual Studio Code For Linux

Make a new folder (say $HOME/VSCode) and extract VSCode-linux-x64.zip inside that folder or in /usr/local/ folder. Unzip VSCode-linux64.zip to that folder.

Alternate install method

You can use the wget command to download VScode as follows:
$ wget 'https://az764295.vo.msecnd.net/public/0.10.1-release/VSCode-linux64.zip'
Sample outputs:

--2015-11-18 13:55:23--  https://az764295.vo.msecnd.net/public/0.10.1-release/VSCode-linux64.zip

Resolving az764295.vo.msecnd.net (az764295.vo.msecnd.net)... 93.184.215.200, 2606:2800:11f:179a:1972:2405:35b:459

Connecting to az764295.vo.msecnd.net (az764295.vo.msecnd.net)|93.184.215.200|:443... connected.

HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK

Length: 64638315 (62M) [application/octet-stream]

Saving to: 'VSCode-linux64.zip'

100%[======================================>] 64,638,315  84.9MB/s   in 0.7s

2015-11-18 13:55:23 (84.9 MB/s) - 'VSCode-linux64.zip' saved [64638315/64638315]

Install VScode using the command line

Cd to ~/Download/ location, enter:
$ cd ~/Download/
$ ls -l
Sample outputs:

Fig.02: VSCode downloaded to my ~/Downloads/ folder

Unzip VSCode-linux64.zip in /usr/local/ directory, enter:
$ sudo unzip VSCode-linux64.zip -d /usr/local/

Cd into /usr/local/ to create the soft-link as follows using the ln command for the Code executable. This is useful to run VSCode from the terminal application:
$ su -
# cd /usr/local/
# ls -l
# cd bin/
# ln -s ../VSCode-linux-x64/Code code
# exit
Sample session:

Fig.03 Create the sym-link with the absolute path to the Code executable

How do I use VSCode on Linux?

Open the Terminal app and type the following command:
$ /usr/local/bin/code
Sample outputs:

Fig.04: VSCode in action on Linux

And, there you have it, the VSCode installed and working correctly on the latest version of Debian, Ubuntu and Fedora Linux. I suggest that you read getting started pages from Microsoft to understand the core concepts that will make you more productive writing and navigating your code.

 Courtesy: VIVEK GITE

Linux Mint

Linux Mint is a free and open source operating system (OS) distribution based on Ubuntuand Debian for use on x-86 x-64-compatible machines. 

Mint is designed for ease of use and a ready-to-roll out-of-box experience, including multimedia support on desktops. The operating system is easier to install than most Linux distributions. Mint includes software required for e-mail and online functionality as well as support for multimedia content, whether online or from a user's own files and physical media.

Unlike most Linux distributions, Mint includes proprietary third-party browser plugins, Java, media codecs, and other components to enable support for common accepted standards. This support allows for DVD and BluRay playback, as well as Flash for streaming media. Although the OS includes a firewall, Mint claims to have no need of antimalware. Mint is compatible with Ubuntu installer, which enables access to 30,000 existing pieces of free, open source software. 

There are several different desktop editions of Mint, including Cinnamon, GNOME, XFCE and KDE, to best support various hardware. The operating system is also provided in an alternate Linux Mint Debian Edition for those that are more familiar with Linux. That edition is said to be less intuitive and user-friendly but also faster and more responsive.

Linux Mint is the third most popular home operating system, behind Microsoft's Windows and Apple's Mac OS. 

Courtesy:

Wearables OS (wearables operating system)

A wearable OS is an operating system designed or refactored to satisfy the requirements of wearable computers, which can be significantly from one type of device to another and also different from the requirements of both desktop and mobile devices.

Wearable computers include smartwatches, smart rings, embedded clothing, fitness and health monitors in various form factors and headsets, such as Google Glass and Microsoft’s HoloLens.

In addition to the multiplicity of devices and the diversity of their physical sizes, there are two main operational modes: Some wearable devices operate in standalone mode, while others use a wireless connection to an Internet-connected device, typically a smartphone.

Most smartwatches, for example, connect to the user’s smartphone to enable their Webinterface. In that case, the wearable OS is essentially a mobile operating system adapted to allow the watch to serve as a user interface.  The watch itself is effectively a wirelessBluetooth adaptor that extends smartphone capabilities to the watch, allowing the user to answer and initiate phone calls, read and dictate email and text messages, get weather reports or sports scores, listen to music or ask a digital assistant a question. 

A standalone smartwatch, on the other hand, is typically dedicated to a particular purpose, such as GSP navigation or healthcare-related data monitoring, recording and transmitting. Wearable operating systems include Android Wear, Tizen for Wearables, Google Fit, Apple's watchOS and MediaTek’s LinkIt.

Courtesy:

How do I apply proxy settings automatically on all the workstations?

Q: I am administering a Windows 2000 Server domain controller. I have installed Active Directory and login drives as Z: drive for the daily work on that domain controller. However, users who want to access the Internet have to set the proxy again and again if they sit on another system. Is there a way that I can apply proxy settings in Group Policy automatically on all the workstations?

Ans: Very simply. The easiest way to do this is to configure a workstation to have the correct settings for the proxy server and other details such as any sites which should bypass the proxy. Then use this machine to edit the policy settings under User Configuration Windows Settings Internet Explorer Maintenance. You can directly import the "Connection Settings" from the machine you are on if you need to, then check and edit them before clicking OK to set them in the policy.

Alternatively you can just configure the "Proxy Settings" to set the proxy server address and exceptions list (to exclude sites such as your intranet from having to go through the proxy unnecessarily). You would also want to look at the various security settings under User configuration Administrative Templates Windows Components Internet Explorer to lock down the IE interface to prevent users from changing the settings themselves.

Courtesy: Jeremy Moskowitz

Do Active Directory functional levels still matter?

Will there be enough improvements in the next version of Active Directory for administrators to consider raising functional levels?

With every version of Windows, Microsoft introduces many new features and capabilities. However, this push for innovation also provides a challenge to maintain backward compatibility with previous Windows Server versions. Early on Microsoft found this to be especially problematic for Active Directory and introduced forest and domain functional levels as a workaround.

If you are not familiar with the concept of forest functional levels or domain functional levels, the idea is simple. Most Active Directoryenvironments consist of multiple domain controllers. These domain controllers might not always run the same version of Windows Server. For instance, an organization might have a Windows Server 2008 domain controller and a Windows Server 2012 domain controller in the same domain. Due to the distributed nature of the Active Directory, this means that some features cannot be used unless they are supported by all of the domain controllers. This is where Active Directory functional levels come into play.

Functional levels guarantee a certain level of functionality. For example, a domain that has a domain functional level of Windows Server 2008 R2 is able to use the Active Directory features that were introduced in and prior to Windows Server 2008 R2. Domain controllers running Windows Server 2012 or 2012 R2 could be added to the domain, but Active Directory capabilities that were introduced in Windows Server 2012 or 2012 R2 cannot be used because the domain functional level prevents it.

Domain functional levels also limit the types of domain controllers that can participate in the domain. For example, a domain that is running at the Windows Server 2008 R2 functional level cannot accept domain controllers running on versions of Windows older than Windows Server 2008 R2.

Forest functional levels are similar to domain functional levels, except they apply to the Active Directory forest as a whole rather than to individual domains within the forest. A domain can operate at a higher functional level than the forest but cannot operate at a lower functional level.

Obviously no organization wants to deploy Windows Server 2012 R2 then get stuck at a Windows Server 2003 functional level, but there are other considerations.

Do functional levels still matter?

One way of looking at the question is to consider if you will ever need backward compatibility within your Active Directory environment. Suppose you decide to create a new Active Directory forest using Windows Server 2012 R2 domain controllers and set the forest and domain functional levels to Windows Server 2012 R2. This eliminates the ability to join older domain controllers to the forest. In a new deployment that's probably not an issue, but you will likely have to deal with functional levels eventually.

When Microsoft releases Windows Server 2016, an administrator will have to raise the functional levels to use the new Active Directory capabilities. Before that, the organization will have to upgrade the domain controllers in either the domain or the forest where the functional levels will be raised. There is no problem with having an Active Directory domain that is made up of both Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2016 domain controllers, but you won't be able to raise the functional level and use the new features until all legacy domain controllers have been upgraded, replaced or retired.

Also, consider the functionality you gain by moving to a higher functional level. Windows Server 2003 introduced a huge number of new capabilities over what was available through Windows 2000 domain controllers. Windows Server 2003 R2 introduced even more improvements and new features over Windows Server 2003, so once again there was a real incentive to raise the functional level. This trend continued in Windows Server 2008 but began to slow in Windows Server 2008 R2. Subsequent Windows Server releases introduced relatively few improvements to the Active Directory. You can see a list of exactly which features are supported in each functional level here.

Follow this general rule

Given the relatively small number of improvements introduced in the last few versions of the Active Directory, functional levels aren't quite as big a deal they once were. But this trend could be reversed when the next version of Windows Server arrives.

Microsoft recommends setting the functional level for domains and foreststo match the earliest domain controller version the IT staff needs to support. There is no advantage to using a low functional level if all of your domain controllers are running modern versions of Windows.

Courtesy: Brien Posey

Beware! Your Devices Are Spying On You

They’re here, they’re there and they’re everywhere — recording your every move. Listening to your every word and listing your every interaction. You invited them in, gave them access to your space through cell phones, wearables, webcams and basically everything that connects to the Internet. It is a pretty fantastical thought and a bit scary. Yet it hasn’t seemed to sway the millions of people away from interacting with these listening devices, gobbling them up by the hundreds of millions. It is hard not to get pulled into the hype... and the convenience. These gateway devices are our portals to the Internet of Things (IoT) and are paving the way to make our lives “easier.” As we continue to open ourselves and our families to this monitoring, it is imperative that we recognize our exposures. Here are a few devices and thoughts to consider:

Baby Monitors

A baby monitor is supposed to make us feel safe. Recently they have come out with video baby monitors. Now we are able to watch our little ones from anywhere. Not only is this cute, but you can distinguish if a whimper is something that needs attending to or if your darling is merely dreaming. In recent years, these monitors have taken even bigger steps: you can scan the room from anywhere. At work, do you want to see if the sitter put your baby to bed? No problem — open your app and take a peek. Sounds like it should bring you a big sense of relief... or does it? How strong is that password securing this video device? A hacker can also watch your baby at home and learn the routines of your family. Make sure to secure yourrouters and modems.

Garage Door Openers and Automatic Locks

Remember when the only option we had to secure our garage was with a metal key? I certainly do. Today we are able to lock and unlock our homes with our smartphones and similar devices — from a different state let alone from across town. Now while this is convenient in many situations, the potential for misuse is alarming. If you can open your garage door, so can hackers if your system is not properly safeguarded. Seventy-three percent of adults are victims of cyber-crimes each year. It isn’t too hard to imagine someone breaking into an improperly secured home.

Kinect for Xbox

Xbox is amazing. It allows users to talk to each other and video chat. Users can allow Kinect to identify their face and enable automatic sign-in to an Xbox Live profile. If you are playing with a total stranger, you are letting them into your space. That is obvious. But quite literally the spies are watching you as well. Microsoft’s Kinect has been linked with Britain's spy agency known as GCHQ, and the snooping doesn’t end there. Kinect has been mining data for our own National Security Agency for over a decade. Think of the big data trove being created by today’s teenagers. The NSA now has your child’s image, most probably yours, and that of your living room. Openly transmitted information is gleaned from your camera, your chat logs, audio, and it is all linked to your IP address. Talk about the Internet of Things! Remember to watch your back. Secure your network and shut down your game consoles when not in use, so maybe only Uncle Sam and Edward Snowden can track you.

Smart TV

The television has changed a great deal since its inception — from the dial, to the remote, to today, where we can use voice command features. While I am still of the age where I can manage to use a traditional remote, I do appreciate the potential that voice-activated technology provides in today’s smart TVs. However I have chosen not to let my television eavesdrop and record my family’s private conversations. Keep in mind that when a voice request is processed, smart TVs are programmed to send this data to third parties. I don’t want my personal information sent to just anyone. While the TVs don’t monitor before they hear key words, they are listening for triggers and once they hear them, they are “aware.” And, if it isn’t bad enough to keep your privacy from legit companies, what would happen if a hacker broke in and could listen to your private moments? Do your homework and know your TV’s security and privacy options.

Webcams

Early on, a webcam was an upgrade in a computer or device. Today webcams are something that every businessperson is expected to have. Webcams have many benefits. Prior to webcams and video conferencing we traveled around the world for brief meetings. Now, with a double click or a button pushed we can meet face-to-face with individuals anywhere. It is amazing. However, these same devices have also given hackers worldwide the ability to enter our affairs and look around without ever being noticed. Sometimes it is voyeuristic, or sometimes it is malicious. Imagine not shutting down your webcam, leaving your computer on, and getting undressed. A hacker has taken over your webcam. You don’t know it, but you are being watched. Shut down and secure your devices after each use.

Protect Yourself

After reading all the above, it may seem I am paranoid. As a risk manager I question most everything and then use a reverse process to dissect, plan and mitigate. While the manufacturers of listening devices have a moral responsibility to their users, you can take charge and intercede on your own behalf. There are specific ways to protect yourself with each device. First and foremost, use complex passwords. Use a password generator. Companies including Dashlane.com and Keepass.info offer free password generators and online password vaults that are very effective in protecting you and your personal information from the point of login. Know your vendor, research your device and understand the security and privacy settings available. Stay tuned to news about the technology you own and take the time to reach out to an area IT or home security expert to help close any open windows or portals. Don’t just pause the feature. Always turn off the device once you are finished using it. If you are at home, don’t use the online feature of the baby monitor. This way your routine won’t be as obvious.

Be smart and be careful. Remember, the online world has become a dangerous place, yet with proper planning you can know your risks and work to reduce them.

Courtesy:  ToddLyle

Six 3D printing myths dispelled

CIOs who’ve taken a more conservative stance on 3D printing may want to think again, according to Pete Basiliere, an analyst at Gartner Inc. “It’s imperative that the IT organization be prepared for use and the disruption that will occur when 3D printing is throughout your organization,” he said.

That can be hard to do when 3D printing myths abound, giving CIOs the false impression that they can put things off for now, Basiliere said. In that vein, he went on to dispel six 3D printing myths during his talk at the Gartner Symposium/ITxpo. They are as follows:

1. 3D printing is too expensive. 3D printing can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Like 2D printers, prices for 3D printers can range from a few hundred dollars (and can be purchased at Staples) to well over a million dollars.
2. 3D printing is only good for cheap plastic parts. Simply not true, Basiliere said. 3D printers are now being used to manufacture key parts for hearing aids and dental restoration, which aren’t cheap and, in the case of a dental crown, aren’t plastic.
3. It will bring manufacturing back. “A lot of folks seem to think that it will, but I disagree,” Basiliere said. “We will always have products that benefit from being mass produced.” 3D printing, though, will enable businesses to mass produce customer personalization. New Balance, for example, can design shoes specifically tuned to a runner’s gait. “They’ll build soles for shoes that have a unique spike placement for that athlete,” he said.
4. 3D printers can print replacement organs. “No, we can’t,” Basiliere said. “And they probably won’t in my lifetime.” But a San Diego-based company called OrganOVO can bioprint tissue. The company is partnering with pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies like L’Oreal, which is using bioprinted skin tissue in the cosmetic development process.
5. Terrorists will print undetectable guns. “No doubt they will try, but it’s like the equivalent of counterfeiting one dollar bills,” Basiliere said “It’s not worth the risk.” At least as of right now, it’s easier to acquire weaponry in other ways.
6. The market is in flux. Publicly traded companies, including the two biggest in the industry, “have had a heck of a ride over the last two years,” Basiliere said. Stock prices have increased dramatically only to dip lower than original starting prices. “But when I talked to major manufacturers of 3D printers around the world … every other manufacturer said their sales were strong and growing and that they hadn’t seen a decline in 2014 or the beginning of 2015.”

Courtesy: Nicole Laskowski

Poof! You're also a Linux administrator. Now what?

Linux has crept into data centers where Windows was once the sole operating system. If you're a budding Linux admin, here's a guide to help get you started.

Where there was once a chill in the data center, there is a slight thaw in the air, as more organizations have begun to embrace Linux in previously Windows-only environments.

 Running Linux in the enterprise often meant little more than an experiment that was sequestered in a lab environment, far away from the production side. But this former interloper is now inching across networks, as it has matured andhas become more accepted due to its prominence in established cloud platforms and emerging container technologies. Even Microsoft has dropped its campaign against the open source operating system and has gone so far as to develop itsown version of Linux to run part of the Azure cloud platform.

As paradigms continue to change in the tech world, the Windows administrators also must evolve and accept the growing presence of Linux servers in their environment. This guide, consisting of information about various distributions and how to manage them, can help get sys admins get on the fast track to learning how to be a Linux administrator.

The basics behind Linux distributions

When starting with Linux, you'll need a basic understanding of the operating system starting with the terminology. There are a number of different versions of Linux called distributions. Despite all these permutations, many of these distributions have the same common foundation and won't require extra expertise to administer them.

Basic commands for handling services

Our expert says the first task for a new Linux administrator is to see what processes are running on the server by running the ps command from the root shell. There are ways to show whether a specific process is running and, if it isn't, how to get it started manually.

How to halt a service

When the inevitable happens, and a service teeters on the edge of productivity, then it's time for the administrator to step in to terminate the service as gracefully as possible. Learn the many levels available to shut down a service with the kill command.

Selecting the right Linux distribution

After building familiarity with Linux, you may find that the existing distribution may not be the best fit for your company. Depending on the version, there may be a short maintenance period that could leave the server vulnerable when a security hole has been discovered, but no patch is in the offing. If timely support is necessary, then it may be time to step up to a different distribution. This tip details a few of the more popular enterprise Linux distributions.

Bridging the gap with System Center

It takes a little bit of doing, but Windows administrators can use the familiar backdrop of Systems Center Operations Manager to monitor the Linux servers. With some PowerShell expertise, the sys admin can put together scripts that perform tasks such as performance collection and monitoring.

Working with Linux VMs under Hyper-V

Microsoft's hypervisor has support for Linux VMs, but getting these workloads to perform at their utmost might require some adjustments. This tip explains some of the potential dynamic memory issues that will require some attention to ensure VMs aren't starved of the memory they require.

Courtesy: Tom Walat

Hyper-V 2012 R2 Troubleshooting

Fixing “Windows cannot find the Microsoft Software License Terms. Make sure the installation sources are valid and restart the installation” Or “Windows installation encountered an unexpected error. Verify the installation sources are accessible, and restart the installation. Error code: 0xE0000100”

When trying to install a Windows 2012 (R2) or Windows 8(8.1) VM you can encounter the following error:

"Windows cannot find the Microsoft Software License Terms.  Make sure the installation sources are valid and restart the installation."

Right after selecting the operating system.

or perhaps even this error

"Windows installation encountered an unexpected error. Verify the installation sources are accessible, and restart the installation.

Error code: 0xE0000100"

The main reason for this on Hyper-V is that you have been to conservative on memory allocation and it could pass some checks. You can hit these errors when you did not assign enough memory to the virtual machine or accepted the default. The default is 512MB and I’ve noticed that on Windows Server 2012 (R2) Hyper-V this can be too little.

So the fix is an easy as upping the assigned amount of memory. I went for 1024MB

Now start the VM again, hit any key to boot form the virtual DVD to start the setup. After selecting the OS version to install you’re now greeted by the screen to accept the license terms instead of a warning.

So click next and install your VM.

Courtesy: Working HardIn IT