Access ProxMox guest directly using VNC

Here's a quick and dirty

Shut your guest down

go to the following directory on your ProxMox host

/etc/pve/local/qemu-server/

Now edit the config file that matches your proxmox guest ID.  In this example the guest is "105" so the file 105.conf would be modified.

add this line into your configuration, then save your changes.  This entry means that you would connect to your server using port 5978  (VNC will prepend a 59)

args: -vnc 0.0.0.0:78

Now start your Guest

Download your favorite VNC client

In this example I'm using realVNC.

I put in the IP of my ProxMox server, followed by the port 5978

In this example, my ProxMox server is 192.168.0.8, and the port I set was "78" which means I set it to 5978, so it would look like this

192.168.0.8:5978

Now if I try and connect, I'm given the console of the windows box

Replace Oracle Java with AZUL JAVA and Java Web Start with OpenWebStart

Perhaps you find yourself faced with the licensing realities of Oracle Java and you need to change to something else to remain compliant?  Try these steps.  

In THIS example, we've replaced our need of Oracle Java 8 LTS and JAVA WEB START with Azul Java and OpenWebStart.

 Uninstall Oracle Java from your computer

2.      Install Azul Java 8 (LTS) from the following link:

3.      Java 8, 11, 17, 21, 25 Download for Linux, Windows and macOS

4.      Scroll down to "Windows" and download the x86 64-bit .MSI file 
This example uses Java 8 (LTS).  There are newer versions, however this example the needs were with JAVA 8.  You can have multiple versions installed.

5.      Perform the installation of that application.  Use the default questions

6.      Download and install OpenWebStart (this is the replacement for Java Web Start)

Download - openwebstart.com 

 

7.      Once that is installed, launch OpenWebStart Settings

8.      Select JVM Manager

You should see entries 1.8.0_492 Azul System, Inc.

(Make sure that Oracle Java is NOT referenced in this list)
 

9.      If you do not see the entries for 1.8.0 Azul
click on "Find Local" and the system should auto-populate that like the following

 

0. Click on "SETTINGS"

11. In "Update Strategy:" select "Do Not Download any version"

12. Click APPLY

13. Click on OK

If you have something that needs to run a .JNLP file, you can test it out.  If its not working you can install different versions of azul.  You can use OpenWebStart and select the version you want active, as you can enable/disable in the OpenWebStart Tool.

365 Tenant Discovered Application list

 Where does the 365 tenant show a list of the applications that users have installed on their systems?

It's here (as of July 2026)

INTUNE -> APPS -> Monitor -> Discovered Apps

You'll get a list something like this:

You can search for apps

Drill down further to find which systems have it

Basic vlan on cisco 3560 with cable modem as router

This is mostly for my own notes, but maybe someone might need the info.

CREATE VLAN(S)

conf t
vlan 10
name PRODUCTION
vlan 20
name DEVELOPMENT
exit
exit
show vlan

You will see something like this:

Assign the IPs to the vlans.  This will let you route to them

conf t
interface vlan 10
 ip address 192.168.10.2 255.255.255.0
 no shutdown

interface vlan 20
 ip address 172.20.20.1 255.255.255.0
 no shutdown
exit
exit

Review the status of your work:
show ip interface brief

You will see something like this:

Make sure your switch is routing
conf t
ip routing

shouldn't show anything really.

Assign some ports to the switch. 
Here is what the current switch looks like.
We are assigning port 3 to vlan 10 and port 4 to vlan 20


interface gigabitEthernet 0/3
switchport access vlan 10
exit
interface gigabitEthernet 0/4
switchport access vlan 20
exit
exit
show vlan
You'll see something like this:

show ip interface brief

You will need to have something plugged into the ports before you can ping from the switch

Once up, you will need to add in a route to get there.
In this example, i'm just using an ISP cable modem, so it looked like this:



The destination network is 172.20.20.0 and the gateway is the default vlan 1 IP of the switch

Java Installation Script Error

"people still use Java?"

Yep.

Had an issue with installation of Java from https://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp

In this case it was JRE-8 update 941 and kept getting the following error when we were trying to install it

"An error has occurred in the script on this page"

There are some methods where you can suppress error messages in Windows by going to Internet Options and in the Advanced tab, disabling Script Debug. 

Another option to try is this:

Open a Command Prompt in the directory that your Java installer is in and run the executable using this syntax

jre-8u491-windows-x64.exe INSTALL_SILENT=Enable

generate ppk with putty

 

Create SSH key pair on Windows

In this section, you use PuTTY Key Generator to create a public SSH key and private key pair to use when you create a secure connection to Linux machines in your Azure Stack Hub instance. PuTTY is a free terminal emulator that can allow you to connect to a server via SSH and Telnet.

1. Download and install PuTTY for your machine.

2. Open PuTTY Key Generator.

   

3. Under Parameters, select RSA.

4. In the Number of bits in a generated key box, enter 2048.

5. Select Generate.

6. In the Key area, generate some random characters by moving the cursor over the blank area.

   

7. Enter a Key passphrase and confirm it in the Confirm passphrase box. Note your passphrase for later use.

8. Select Save public key, and save it to a location where you can access it.

9. Select Save private key, and save it to a location where you can access it. Remember that it belongs with the public key.

Your public key is stored in the text file you saved. The text looks like the following:

text

---- BEGIN SSH2 PUBLIC KEY ----
Comment: "rsa-key-20190330"
THISISANEXAMPLEDONOTUSE AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAABJQAAAQEAthW2CinpqhXq
9uSa8/lSH7tLelMXnFljSrJIcpxp3MlHlYVbjHHoKfpvQek8DwKdOUcFIEzuStfT
Z8eUI1s5ZXkACudML68qQT8R0cmcFBGNY20K9ZMz/kZkCEbN80DJ+UnWgjdXKLvD
Dwl9aQwNc7W/WCuZtWPazee95PzAShPefGZ87Jp0OCxKaGYZ7UXMrCethwfVumvU
aj+aPsSThXncgVQUhSf/1IoRtnGOiZoktVvt0TIlhxDrHKHU/aZueaFXYqpxDLIs
BvpmONCSR3YnyUtgWV27N6zC7U1OBdmv7TN6M7g01uOYQKI/GQ==
---- END SSH2 PUBLIC KEY ----

When an application requests the key, you copy and paste the entire contents of the text file.

Connect with SSH by using PuTTY

When you install PuTTY, you have both the PuTTY Key Generator and an SSH client. In this section, you open the SSH client, PuTTY, and configure your connection values and SSH key. If you're on the same network as your Azure Stack Hub instance, you connect to your VM.

Before you connect, you will need:

• PuTTY
• The IP address and username for the Linux machine in your Azure Stack Hub instance that uses an SSH public key as the Authentication type.
• Port 22 to be open for the machine.
• The private SSH key that paired with the public key.
• The client machine that runs PuTTY to be on the same network as your Azure Stack Hub instance.

1. Open PuTTY.

   

2. In the Host Name (or IP address) box, enter the username and public IP address of the machine (for example, username@192.XXX.XXX.XX).

3. Validate that the Port is 22 and the Connection type is SSH.

4. In the Category tree, expand SSH and Auth.

   

5. Next to the Private key file for authentication box, select Browse, and then search for the private key file (<filename>.ppk) of your public and private key pair.

6. In the Category tree, select Session.

   

7. Under Saved Sessions, enter a name for the session, and then select Save.

8. In the Saved Sessions list, select the name of your session, and then select Load.

9. Select Open. The SSH session opens.

Create OpenVPN Access Server with Let's Encrypt (Azure)

Here's how you could install and configure OpenVPN in the Azure cloud. 
In this instance the pre-built vm was selected

Part of the default install will be Azure providing you with a PEM key. 
You'll want to save this and possible store it safely somewhere.

1.      Download PuTTY application

2.      With Azure, it provides you a PEM key to access the box using SSH.  (this is the password so to speak).  With PUTTY being a super popular way to SSH to a box, the PEM key needs to be converted to a PPK (Private Key File)

3.      Launch the PuTTYgen app.

Click Conversions > Import Key.

4.       Select the key file you used to generate your server.   
 With Azure, you dont need a keyphrase, you can just click "Save Private Key"

5.      Save private key.

6. Close PuTTYgen.
7. Connect with SSH by using PuTTY
8. Open PuTTY, and configure your connection values and SSH key. 

9. In the Host Name (or IP address) box, enter the username and public IP address of the machine (for example, username@192.XXX.XXX.XX).
   The default user for azure ssh is "azureuser"
10. Validate that the Port is 22 and the Connection type is SSH.
11. In the Category tree, expand SSH and Auth, select "Credentials"

 

12. Next to the Private key file for authentication box, select Browse, and then search for the private key file (<filename>.ppk) of your public and private key pair.
13. In the Category tree, select Session.

14. Under Saved Sessions, enter a name for the session, and then select Save.
15. In the Saved Sessions list, select the name of your session, and then select Load.
16. Select Open. The SSH session opens.
17. The default user for azure ssh is "azureuser"
18. Logon to the server, you will be prompted to enter the user name, and if you have the key configured properly, you will be logged in.

19. You will be asked to agree to the license

20. You will then be asked a series of configuration question

21. In this example, all the defaults were selected.

22. You will also be presented with the random generated GUI password, so look for that

23. Once the questions are answered, the final bits of configuration will be completed, and you will be presented with the logon information for the GUI

24. Update the Ubunut installation with the latest
25. sudo apt update

26. sudo apt upgrade -y

27. In Azure, go to Network Settings 

28. Its a good idea to update the default SSH rule to be the WAN IP of your network to reduce chances of an attack through the SSH PORT

29. Click on the "SSH" and then change the SOURCE from ANY to IP Addresses

30. Then in the source IP put in your WAN ip

31. SAVE the changes and select +Create Port Rule

32. Set the destination port ranges to be "943" (default port used by OpenVPN Admin)
33. Give it a NAME and then press add

 

 

34. It will look like this when done

 

35. If you are going to be adding some certificates to this box,
    you may need to add port '80' for the system to download the challenge files from the server
36. Additionally, you will need to open port 443 and 1194 so that users can access this box
37. Now try and access the server with the IP  and /admin provided in the example

Select Advanced

38. Select CONTINUE

39. The "UNSECURE" means you have no CERTS for the box, yet.
40. Enter in the credentials provided when you were configuring the system in the cli
41. Enter in your credentials

42. openvpn / CvIrJINl4CBp

43. You'll get prompted with a License Agreement

 

44. You'll be in the GUI now

45. Change the GUI openvpn admin password

46. Goto USERS -> OpenVPN -> Reset Password

47. now lest add this new server to our existing license (you can share the licences among different servers)
48. Logon to your OpenVPN.com license site.  

49. Copy the Activation key from your subscription

 

50. Select "ACTIVATION" and then paste the key into the box and press "ACTIVATE"

 

51. If successful you will be taken to a screen similar 

 

52. The above picture shows "30" in yellow as the number of available licenses this account has, and the green shows the number of licenses in use on other servers.
53. Now click on Certificate management

54. Go into the DNS provider and add in the DNS name for this box and its ip.
    

    in my case, the domain is hosted in GoDaddy, so I go in an add an A record name for the box and its IP address

    
    
    
55. In OpenVPN 

    put in the FQD name of the server that matches your FULL DNS name

    
    
    
56. This link is openVPN server's link how to install Lets encrypt.  It works very well
57. Access Server: Install Let's Encrypt SSL Certificates and Automate it via CertBot – OpenVPN Support Center

55.