Powershell - Create New CentOS Workstation VM

 

I put this initial rundown together for further coding thingies, like state checking and condition handling. Simple enough, with room to grow.   : )

I did this using on Windows 10 pro, with Hyper-V, using Powershell 7 for a CentOS workstation.

The pile of code: https://github.com/LesleyPhillips/Build-CentOSWorkstation.ps1/blob/main/Build-CentOSWorkstation.ps1

Normally, I just throw up CentOS minimal builds. This time I thought I'd try something prettier.

Powershell - Active Directory User's Group List

All I wanted to do was to see a list a semi-readable list of the groups a client belongs to.

Get-ADUser am00000b

gives me a list of default values returned.

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> get-aduser am00000b


DistinguishedName : CN=Lesley,OU=Users,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
Enabled           : True
GivenName         : Lesley
Name              : am00000b
ObjectClass       : user
ObjectGUID        : ffffffff-ffff-ffff-ffff-ffffffffffff
SamAccountName    : am00000b
SID               : S-1-5-21-999999999-999999999-9999999999-99999
Surname           : Phillips
UserPrincipalName : am00000b@am.mycompany.com

Get-ADUser am00000b -Properties * shows me all the AD properties associated with the user. (which you can do on your own). From there I can see the property I'm looking for... MemberOf . If you have a lot of groups assigned to the user, it may be truncated. And, it is not in any particular order. However, you can add MembersOf to the results with -Properties memberof

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> get-aduser am00000b -Properties memberof


DistinguishedName : CN=Lesley,OU=Users,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
Enabled           : True
GivenName         : Lesley
MemberOf          : {CN=AMG-Heat-Users,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com,
                    CN=AMG_Internet_USERS,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com,
                    CN=RightFax,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com,
                    CN=APP-ATTConnect-stduser,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com,...}
Name              : am00000b
ObjectClass       : user
ObjectGUID        : ffffffff-ffff-ffff-ffff-ffffffffffff
SamAccountName    : am00000b
SID               : S-1-5-21-999999999-999999999-9999999999-99999
Surname           : Phillips
UserPrincipalName : am00000b@am.mycompany.com

Passing that into a Select -ExpandProperty memberof gives the following result.

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> get-aduser am00000b -Properties memberof | Select -ExpandProperty memberof
CN=APP-Heat-Users,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com,
CN=AMG-Internet-stdusers,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com,
CN=APP-RightFax-admusers,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com, 
CN=APP-ATTConnect-stduser,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=APP-Clarity-testuser,,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=APP-Clarity-stduser,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=IS-Level-1,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=SecWebAccess(Instant Message),OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=SecWebAccess(email),OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=^PCAdm,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=^DominoServer,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=^RemoteControl,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=SecWebAccess(CompSec),OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=SecWebAccess(Organizational Email),OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=SecWebAccess(MySpace),OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=IS-B-jo,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=AMG-SCCM,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=^LocalDev,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=AMG-FAXServer,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=APP-Heat-stdusers,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=AMG-Smartcard-stdusers,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=AMG-AD-adm,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com

And, finally, to make it semi-readable pass in to a Sort-Object

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> get-aduser am00000b -Properties memberof | Select -ExpandProperty memberof | Sort-Object
CN=^DominoServer,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=^LocalDev,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=^PCAdm,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=^RemoteControl,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=AMG-AD-adm,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=AMG-FAXServer,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=AMG-Internet-stdusers,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com,
CN=AMG-SCCM,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=AMG-Smartcard-stdusers,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=APP-ATTConnect-stduser,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=APP-Clarity-stduser,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=APP-Clarity-testuser,,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=APP-Heat-stdusers,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=APP-Heat-Users,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com,
CN=APP-RightFax-admusers,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com, 
CN=IS-B-jo,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=IS-Level-1,OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=SecWebAccess(CompSec),OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=SecWebAccess(email),OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=SecWebAccess(Instant Message),OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=SecWebAccess(MySpace),OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com
CN=SecWebAccess(Organizational Email),OU=Global,OU=Groups,OU=AM,DC=MyCompany,DC=com

Most examples I found don't use the shorthand for the CN lookup, but rather use a -filter {CN -eq "am00000b"}. Which would look like this...

get-aduser -filter { CN -eq "am00000b" } -Properties memberof | Select -ExpandProperty memberof | Sort-Object

How to fix WinMgmt

So I was working on a KB article for our support staff and wrote up the
following....

Upon further review, due to the possibility of affecting the wrong systems,
we decided to leave the at-workstation instructions only.

CMD: DOS command prompt
 PS: PowerShell

*** Desk-side support, a PC Administrator or a client with elevated rights  ***
*** can perform the following remotely...                                   ***

1. With elevated rights open a CMD prompt or PowerShell on your, the
   technician's, computer.

2. Stop winmgmt.

 CMD: sc \\clientPC stop winmgmt
  PS: Stop-Service -InputObject $(Get-Service -Computer "clientPC" -Name "winmgmt")

3. Rename the folder.

 CMD: net use z: \\clientPC\c$
      ren z:\windows\system32\wbem\repository repository_bad
      net use z: -d
  PS: rename-item \\clientPC\c$\windows\system32\wbem\repository repository_bad

4. Restart the PC.

 CMD: shutdown /m:\\clientPC /r /t:0
  PS: restart-computer -ComputerName "clientPC" -force

*** Desk-side support, a PC Administrator or a client with elevated rights  ***
*** can perform the following at the client's workstation...                ***

1. With elevated rights open a CMD prompt.

2. Type: net stop winmgmt

   Type "Y" when prompted to stop dependent services.

3. Type: ren %windir%\System32\Wbem\Repository Repository_bad

4. Restart the PC.

5. Try your application again.