VMception and other Tales

We were supposed to be using a program to connect to a Virtual Machine. Some of us encountered a bug that prevented us from installing this software on our company laptops.

One developer asks

“Would we be able to install it through a Virtual Machine?”

Yeah of course. Let’s connect onto a Virtual Machine, then install some software to connect to another Virtual Machine that we actually want to connect to. Brilliant plan.

A Virtual Machine in a Virtual Machine. We could make a film about it – like Inception.

What we actually did is log the bug with the provider’s support team, and they quickly fixed it.

Chapter 2

We were given instructions on how to install this special Virtual Machine. We already have Office365 accounts, but for some reason, we were given a separate email address to use just for these Virtual Machines.

Beavis managed to make excuses to take the previous week off. When he finally returned to work, he wrote “I’ve been sent instructions; am I supposed to be configuring this virtual machine?”

<sarcasm> No, you just got sent the instructions to ignore them.

“I think it only works when you remote onto your work PC” 

Rob

No Rob, it’s literally why we are using virtual machines, so we don’t have to remote onto something physical.

Then Beavis is up to his usual tricks, delaying as long as possible just to get out of doing work. He posts on slack:

“The instructions say to log in using my new email address. Do I have to log out of my usual work email because I’m already signed in?”.

Beavis

Is that a serious question? How many websites allow you to log into them with two different accounts at once? Just log out, or use a different browser. Simple.

The other thing of note in the instructions was the 2-factor-authentication. “If you use another app like Authy then you need to download Microsoft Authenticator as well.” I guess the instructions could have just said “You must use Microsoft Authenticator”. That would have been clearer.

Another team member says “I’m getting an error”

“What app are you using?” 

“Google Authenticator”

<facepalm> (－‸ლ)