Changed the GH exam topic

content/blog/2022/05/build-a-windows-10-image-with-packer-using-vmware-workstation/index.md

@@ -2,11 +2,13 @@
 title: "Build a Windows 10 image with Packer using VMware Workstation"
 date: "2022-05-31T20:04:33.000Z"
 categories: 
-  - "iac"
-  - "packer"
+  - vmware workstation
+  - packer
+  - windows
 tags: 
-  - "packer"
-  - "windows"
+  - vmware workstation
+  - packer
+  - windows
 author: Ivo Beerens
 url: /2022/05/31/build-a-windows-10-image-with-packer-using-vmware-workstation/
 ---
@@ -18,26 +20,37 @@ With Packer, the VMware-iso builder is used for creating images with VMware Work
 ## **Pre-requisites**
 
 - Windows a 10 ISO file. You can use this [link](https://www.ivobeerens.nl/2021/05/19/quick-tip-download-the-latest-windows-10-iso-file/) for downloading the latest Windows 10 ISO for example
-- Install VMware Workstation. I use VMware Workstation Pro 16.x
-- The newly created image must be able to access the internet for  downloading the latest VMware Tools version
-- During my first deployment, the following build issue occurred Build "**Could not determine network mappings from files in the path: C:/Program Files (x86)/VMware/VMware Workstation**". Colin Westwater of vGemba.net has blogged about a solution that can be found here, [link](https://www.vgemba.net/VMware/Packer-Workstation-Error/).
+- Install VMware Workstation. I use **VMware Workstation Pro 17.x**
+- The newly created image must be able to access the internet for downloading the latest VMware Tools version
+- During my first deployment, the following build issue occurred Build "**Could not determine network mappings from files in the path: C:/Program Files (x86)/VMware/VMware Workstation**". Colin Westwater of vGemba.net has blogged about a solution that can be found here, [**link**](https://www.vgemba.net/vmware/Packer-Workstation-Error/).
+
+The solution to solve this error is:
+
+>1. In Workstation go to `Edit...Virtual Network Editor`
+>2. Click Change `Settings`
+>3. Don’t change anything, just click `OK` <br>
+>Now if you look in `C:\ProgramData\VMware` there is a new file called `netmap.conf`
+
 - Use NAT in VMware Workstation.
+- Install Hashicorp Packer, see [Download the latest Hashicorp Terraform, Packer, and Vault bits](https://www.ivobeerens.nl/2023/09/22/download-the-latest-hashicorp-terraform-packer-and-vault-bits/)
+ for installing Packer.
 
 ## **Steps**
 
 - Run the following PowerShell script ([link](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ibeerens/Packer/main/workstation/windows10/download.ps1)). This script does the following things:
-  - Create a download folder such as c:\Packer (line 6-17)
-  - Download the latest Packer version and unzip the package (line 19-30)
-  - Download my Github Packer repository to the local download folder (line 35-39)
-  - Create within the download folder the Packer folder structure (line 41-45)
+  - Create a download folder such as `c:\Packer\win10`
+  - Download my Github Packer repository to the local download folder
+  - Create within the download folder the Packer folder structure
+
+  The script looks like this:
 
 ```powershell
 # $ErrorActionPreference = "SilentlyContinue"
 # Enable TLS 1.2
 [Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [Net.SecurityProtocolType]::Tls12
  
 # Variables
-$downloadfolder = 'C:\packer\'
+$downloadfolder = 'C:\packer\win10\'
 $github = 'https://github.com/ibeerens/Packer/archive/refs/heads/main.zip'
  
 # Create Folder
@@ -50,19 +63,6 @@ else {
     Write-Verbose "Folder '$downloadfolder' already exists."
 }
  
-# Download the latest Packer version
-$product='packer'
-$packurl = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri https://www.$product.io/downloads.html | Select-Object -Expand links | Where-Object href -match "//releases\.hashicorp\.com/$product/\d.*/$product_.*_windows_amd64\.zip$" | Select-Object -Expand href
-$packdown = $packurl | Split-Path -Leaf
-$packdownload = $downloadfolder + $packdown
-$webclient = New-object -TypeName System.Net.WebClient
-$webclient.DownloadFile($packurl, $packdownload)
- 
-# Unzip Packer
-Expand-Archive $packdownload -DestinationPath $downloadfolder
-# Remove the Packer ZIP file
-Remove-Item $packdownload
- 
 # Go to the Packer download folder
 Set-Location $downloadfolder
  
@@ -73,13 +73,13 @@ Expand-Archive ${downloadfolder}packer.zip -DestinationPath $downloadfolder
 Remove-Item -Path ${downloadfolder}packer.zip 
  
 # Create the folder structure
-Move-Item ${downloadfolder}Packer-main\workstation\windows10\setup -Destination $downloadfolder
+Move-Item ${downloadfolder}packer-main\workstation\windows10\setup -Destination $downloadfolder 
 Move-Item ${downloadfolder}Packer-main\workstation\windows10\*.* -Destination $downloadfolder
 # Remove the Github structure
 Remove-Item -Path ${downloadfolder}Packer-main -Recurse -Confirm:$false -Force
 ```
 
-- Browse to the download folder
+- Browse to the download folder location
 - Open the "win10-std-.auto-pkvars.hcl" file and edit the variables for your needs such as:
   - Line 2: The VM name
   - Line 17: The ISO location
@@ -93,48 +93,54 @@ vm_firmware             =   "bios"
 vm_cdrom_type           =   "ide"
 vm_cpus                 =   "2"
 vm_cores                =   "1"
-vm_memory               =   "2048"
+vm_memory               =   "4096"
 vm_disk_controller_type =   "nvme"
-vm_disk_size            =   "32768"
+vm_disk_size            =   "65536"
 vm_network_adapter_type =   "e1000e"
 // Use the NAT Network
 vm_network              =   "VMnet8"
 vm_hardwareversion      =   "19"
 
 // Removeable media
-win10_iso               =   "c:/iso/en-us_windows_10_business_editions_version_21h2_x64_dvd_ce067768.iso"
+win10_iso = "c:/iso/feb2024/en-us_windows_10_business_editions_version_22h2_updated_feb_2024_x64_dvd_732d1707.iso"
 // In Powershell use the "get-filehash" command to find the checksum of the ISO
-win10_iso_checksum      =   "1323FD1EF0CBFD4BF23FA56A6538FF69DD410AD49969983FEE3DF936A6C811C5"
+win10_iso_checksum = "E433ADA123A50DBDEE946FEA5B34BD40038891F5C0ADBB1D72CACF5A633AD391"
 ```
 
-- Open the "autounattend.xml" file in the setup folder and check and edit the following lines as needed:
-    - Language and keyboard settings
-    - Line 84: Administrator Password (must be the same as the winrm_password)
-    - Line 92: Autologon Password (must be the same as the winrm_password)
-    - Line 141: The ComputerName
+- Open the `autounattend.xml` file in the setup folder and check and edit the following lines as needed:
+  - Language and keyboard settings
+  - Line 84: Administrator Password (must be the same as the `winrm_password`)
+  - Line 92: Autologon Password (must be the same as the `winrm_password`)
+  - Line 141: The ComputerName
 
-- Edit the build.ps1 file and check the following lines:
-    - Line 2: Packer folder location
-    - Line 14: The winrm\_password matches the administrator password in the autounattended.xml file
+- Edit the `build.ps1` file and check the following lines:
+  - Line 2: Packer folder location
+  - Line 14: The `winrm_password` matches the administrator password in the `autounattended.xml` file
 
 ```powershell
 # Variables
-$downloadfolder = 'C:\packer\'
- 
-# Go to the Packer download folder
-Set-Location $downloadfolder
- 
+$downloadfolder = 'C:\packer\win10\'
+$packer_config = "windows.json.pkr.hcl" #Packer config file
+$packer_variable = "windows.auto.pkrvars.hcl" # Packer variable file
+
 # Show Packer Version
-.\packer.exe -v
- 
+packer.exe -v
+
 # Download Packer plugins
-.\packer.exe init "${downloadfolder}windows.json.pkr.hcl"
- 
+packer.exe init "$downloadfolder$packer_config"
+
+# Packer Format configuration files (.pkr.hcl) and variable files (.pkrvars.hcl) are updated.
+packer.exe fmt -var-file="$downloadfolder$packer_variable" "$downloadfolder$packer_config"
+
+# Packer validate
+# packer.exe validate .
+
 # Packer build
-.\packer.exe build -force -var-file="${downloadfolder}win10-std.auto.pkrvars.hcl" -var "winrm_username=administrator" -var "winrm_password=ThisisagoodPassword!" "${downloadfolder}windows.json.pkr.hcl"
+# .\packer.exe build -force -var-file="${$win11_downloadfolder}${packer_variable}" "${$win11_downloadfolder}${packer_config}"
+packer.exe build -force -var-file="$downloadfolder$packer_variable" -var "winrm_username=administrator" -var "winrm_password=ThisisagoodPassword!" "$downloadfolder$packer_config"
 ```
 
-- Execute the "build.ps1" file with PowerShell to start the Packer image build process.
+- Run the "build.ps1" file with PowerShell to start the Packer image build process.
 
 [![](images/PackerRun-300x164.jpg)](images/PackerRun.jpg)
 

content/blog/2022/10/how-to-install-windows-11-on-vmware-workstation/index.md

@@ -2,11 +2,13 @@
 title: "How to install Windows 11 on VMware Workstation"
 date: "2022-10-17T07:26:48.000Z"
 categories: 
-  - "VMware-workstation"
-  - "windows-11"
+  - VMware-workstation
+  - windows 11
+  - packer
 tags: 
-  - "VMware-workstation"
-  - "windows-11"
+  - VMware Workstation
+  - windows-11
+  - packer
 author: Ivo Beerens
 url: /2022/10/17/how-to-install-windows-11-on-vmware-workstation/
 ---

content/blog/2023/09/download-the-latest-hashicorp-terraform-packer-and-vault-bits/index.md

@@ -23,24 +23,24 @@ I created a PowerShell Script that downloads the latest version of Terraform, Pa
     .NOTES Changed: September 10, 2023 
     .NOTES Reason:  Creation
 #>
- 
+
 #Enable TLS 1.2
 [Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [Net.SecurityProtocolType]::Tls12
 #Speed up the Invoke-Webrequest command
 $ProgressPreference = 'SilentlyContinue'
- 
+
 #Variables
-$temp_folder = "c:\install\" #Temp download location 
-$hashicorp_destination = "c:\install\hashicorp\" #Path for storing the Hashicorp binaries
- 
+$temp_folder = "c:\progs\" #Temp download location 
+$hashicorp_destination = "c:\progs\hashicorp\" #Path for storing the Hashicorp binaries
+
 #Check if the temp folder exists
 If(!(test-path -PathType container $hashicorp_destination )) {
-    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $hashicorp_destination
+    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $hashicorp_destination 
 }
- 
+
 #Jump to the download folder
-Set-Location $hashicorp_destination
- 
+Set-Location $hashicorp_destination 
+
 Function Download-Hashicorp {
     param (
       [string]$product,
@@ -65,18 +65,18 @@ Function Download-Hashicorp {
         throw $_.Exception.Message
      } 
   }
- 
+
 #Download Packer, Vault, and Terraform 
 $products = @{
-    'packer' = 'https://developer.hashicorp.com/packer/downloads'
-    'vault' = 'https://developer.hashicorp.com/vault/downloads'
-    'terraform' = 'https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/downloads'
+    'packer' = 'https://developer.hashicorp.com/packer/install'
+    'vault' = 'https://developer.hashicorp.com/vault/install'
+    'terraform' = 'https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/install'
 }
- 
+
 foreach ($product in $products.GetEnumerator()) {
     Download-Hashicorp -product $product.Name -url $product.Value
 }
- 
+
 ##Add the Hashicorp binary folder to the system environment variable path
 Write-Host "............ Add folder to path ............" -ForegroundColor Green
 [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("PATH", $Env:PATH + ";" + $hashicorp_destination, [EnvironmentVariableTarget]::User)

content/blog/2024/03/Prepare for the GitHub Foundations Exam/index.md

@@ -20,10 +20,13 @@ In january 2024 GitHub launched his certification program. There are 4 certifica
 - **GitHub Advanced Security (GHAS)**. Designed to teach you how to secure your code with advanced security features at every stage of your development lifecycle. GHAS is specific to GitHub Enterprise!
 - **GitHub Administration**. Designed to teach you everything you need to maintain a healthy, robust, and secure GitHub environment that supports the needs of your organization. 
 
-The first exam I prepare for is the **GitHub Foundations** exam.
-![ghfoundations](images/ghfoundations.png)
+The first exam I prepared for is the **GitHub Foundations** exam.
 
-Here is a collection of resources to prepare for the GitHub Foundations exam.
+![ghfoundations](images/ghfoundations.jpeg)
+
+I passed the exam on march 23, 2024.
+
+Here is a collection o# f resources I used to prepare for the GitHub Foundations exam.
 
 |**Name** | **Description** | **Link** | 
 | --- | :---: | --- |