257 lines
13 KiB
Plaintext
257 lines
13 KiB
Plaintext
|
_____________________________________________________________
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
GUIDE TO (mostly) HARMLESS HACKING
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Vol. 2 Number 2
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Linux!
|
||
|
|
______________________________________________________________
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Unix has become the primo operating system of the Internet. In fact,
|
||
|
|
Unix is the most widely used operating system in the world among computers
|
||
|
|
with more power than PCs.
|
||
|
|
True, Windows NT is coming up fast as a common Internet operating system,
|
||
|
|
and is sooo wonderfully buggy that it looks like it could become the number
|
||
|
|
one favorite to crack into. But today Unix in all its wonderful flavors
|
||
|
|
still is the operating system to know in order to be a truly elite hacker.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
So far we have assumed that you have been hacking using a shell
|
||
|
|
account that you get through your Internet Service Provider (ISP). A shell
|
||
|
|
account allows you to give Unix commands on one of your ISP's computers. But
|
||
|
|
you don't need to depend on your ISP for a machine that lets you play with
|
||
|
|
Unix. You can run Unix on your own computer and with a SLIP or PPP
|
||
|
|
connection be directly connected to the Internet.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
***********************
|
||
|
|
Newbie note: Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) and Point-to-Point
|
||
|
|
Protocol (PPP) connections give you a temporary Internet Protocol (IP)
|
||
|
|
address that allows you to be hooked directly to the Internet. You have to
|
||
|
|
use either SLIP or PPP connections to get to use a Web browser that gives
|
||
|
|
you pictures instead on text only. So if you can see pictures on the Web,
|
||
|
|
you already have one of these available to you.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
The advantage of using one of these direct connections for your
|
||
|
|
hacking activities is that you will not leave behind a shell log file for
|
||
|
|
your ISP's sysadmin to pore over. Even if you are not breaking the law, a
|
||
|
|
shell log file that shows you doing lots of hackerish stuph can be enough
|
||
|
|
for some sysadmins to summarily close your account.
|
||
|
|
********************
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
What is the best kind of computer to run Unix on? Unless you are a
|
||
|
|
wealthy hacker who thinks nothing of buying a Sun SPARC workstation, you'll
|
||
|
|
probably do best with some sort of PC. There are almost countless variants
|
||
|
|
of Unix that run on PCs. Most of them are free for download, or
|
||
|
|
inexpensively available on CD-ROMs.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
The three primary variations of Unix that run on PCs are Sun's
|
||
|
|
Solaris, FreeBSD and Linux. Solaris costs around $700. Enough said. FreeBSD
|
||
|
|
is really, really good but doesn't offer a lot of support. Linux, however,
|
||
|
|
has the advantage of being available in many variants (so you can have fun
|
||
|
|
mixing and matching programs from different Linux offerings). Most
|
||
|
|
importantly, Linux is supported by many news groups, mail lists and Web
|
||
|
|
sites. If you have hacker friends in your area, most of them probably use
|
||
|
|
Linux and can help you out.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
*********************
|
||
|
|
Historical note: Linux was created in 1991 by a group led by Linus Torvalds
|
||
|
|
of the University of Helsinki. Linux is copyrighted under the GNU General
|
||
|
|
Public License. Under this agreement, Linux may be redistributed to anyone
|
||
|
|
along with the source code. Anyone can sell any variant of Linux and modify
|
||
|
|
it and repackage it. But even if someone modifies the source code he or she
|
||
|
|
may not claim copyright for anything created from Linux. Anyone who sells a
|
||
|
|
modified version of Linux must provide source code to the buyers and allow
|
||
|
|
them to reuse it in their commercial products without charging licensing
|
||
|
|
fees. This arrangement is known as a "copyleft."
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Under this arrangement the original creators of Linux receive no
|
||
|
|
licensing or shareware fees. Linus Torvalds and the many others who have
|
||
|
|
contributed to Linux have done so from the joy of programming and a sense of
|
||
|
|
community with all of us who will hopefully use Linux in the spirit of good
|
||
|
|
guy hacking. Viva la Linux! Viva Torvalds!
|
||
|
|
**********************
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Linux consists of the operating system itself (called the "kernel")
|
||
|
|
plus a set of associated programs.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
The kernel, like all types of Unix, is a multitasking, multi-user
|
||
|
|
operating system. Although it uses a different file structure, and hence is
|
||
|
|
not directly compatible with DOS and Windows, it is so flexible that many
|
||
|
|
DOS and Windows programs can be run while in Linux. So a power user will
|
||
|
|
probably want to boot up in Linux and then be able to run DOS and Windows
|
||
|
|
programs from Linux.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Associated programs that come with most Linux distributions may include:
|
||
|
|
* a shell program (Bourne Again Shell -- BASH -- is most common);
|
||
|
|
* compilers for programming languages such as Fortran-77 (my favorite!), C,
|
||
|
|
C++, Pascal, LISP, Modula-2, Ada, Basic (the best language for a beginner),
|
||
|
|
and Smalltalk.;
|
||
|
|
* X (sometimes called X-windows), a graphical user interface
|
||
|
|
* utility programs such as the email reader Pine (my favorite) and Elm
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Top ten reasons to install Linux on your PC:
|
||
|
|
1. When Linux is outlawed, only outlaws will own Linux.
|
||
|
|
2. When installing Linux, it is so much fun to run fdisk without backing up
|
||
|
|
first.
|
||
|
|
3. The flames you get from asking questions on Linux newsgroups are of a
|
||
|
|
higher quality than the flames you get for posting to alt.sex.bestiality.
|
||
|
|
4. No matter what flavor of Linux you install, you'll find out tomorrow
|
||
|
|
there was a far more 3l1te version you should have gotten instead.
|
||
|
|
5. People who use Free BSD or Solaris will not make fun of you. They will
|
||
|
|
offer their sympathy instead.
|
||
|
|
6. At the next Def Con you'll be able to say stuph like "so then I su-ed to
|
||
|
|
his account and grepped all his files for 'kissyface'." Oops, grepping
|
||
|
|
other people's files is a no-no, forget I ever suggested it.
|
||
|
|
7. Port surf in privacy.
|
||
|
|
8. One word: scripts.
|
||
|
|
9. Installing Linux on your office PC is like being a postal worker and
|
||
|
|
bringing an Uzi to work.
|
||
|
|
10. But - - if you install Linux on your office computer, you boss won't
|
||
|
|
have a clue what that means.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
What types of Linux work best? It depends on what you really want.
|
||
|
|
Redhat Linux is famed for being the easiest to install. The Walnut Creek
|
||
|
|
Linux 3.0 CD-ROM set is also really easy to install -- for Linux, that is!
|
||
|
|
My approach has been to get lots of Linux versions and mix and match the
|
||
|
|
best from each distribution.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
I like the Walnut Creek version best because with my brand X
|
||
|
|
hardware, its autodetection feature was a life-saver.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
INSTALLING LINUX is not for the faint of heart! Several tips for
|
||
|
|
surviving installation are:
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
1) Although you in theory can run Linux on a 286 with 4 MB RAM and two
|
||
|
|
floppy drives, it is *much* easier with a 486 or above with 8 MB RAM, a
|
||
|
|
CD-ROM, and at least 200 MB free hard disk space.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
2) Know as much as possible about what type of mother board, modem, hard
|
||
|
|
disk, CD-ROM, and video card you have. If you have any documentation for
|
||
|
|
these, have them on hand to reference during installation.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
3) It works better to use hardware that is name-brand and somewhat out of
|
||
|
|
date on your computer. Because Linux is freeware, it doesn't offer device
|
||
|
|
drivers for all the latest hardware. And if your hardware is like mine --
|
||
|
|
lots of Brand X and El Cheapo stuph, you can take a long time experimenting
|
||
|
|
with what drivers will work.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
4) Before beginning installation, back up your hard disk(s)! In theory you
|
||
|
|
can install Linux without harming your DOS/Windows files. But we are all
|
||
|
|
human, especially if following the advice of 3).
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
5) Get more than one Linux distribution. The first time I successfully
|
||
|
|
installed Linux, I finally hit on something that worked by using the boot
|
||
|
|
disk from one distribution with the CD-ROM for another. In any case, each
|
||
|
|
Linux distribution had different utility programs, operating system
|
||
|
|
emulators, compilers and more. Add them all to your system and you will be
|
||
|
|
set up to become beyond elite.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
6) Buy a book or two or three on Linux. I didn't like any of them! But they
|
||
|
|
are better than nothing. Most books on Linux come with one or two CD-ROMs
|
||
|
|
that can be used to install Linux. But I found that what was in the books
|
||
|
|
did not exactly coincide with what was on the CD-ROMs.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
7) I recommend drinking while installing. It may not make debugging go any
|
||
|
|
faster, but at least you won't care how hard it is.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Now I can almost guarantee that even following all these 6 pieces of
|
||
|
|
advice, you will still have problems installing Linux. Oh, do I have 7
|
||
|
|
advisories up there? Forget number 7. But be of good cheer, since everyone
|
||
|
|
else also suffers mightily when installing and using Linux, the Internet has
|
||
|
|
an incredible wealth of resources for the Linux-challenged.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
If you are allergic to getting flamed, you can start out with Linux
|
||
|
|
support Web sites.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
The best I have found is http://sunsite.unc.edu:/pub/Linux/. It
|
||
|
|
includes the Linux Frequently Asked Questions list (FAQ), available from
|
||
|
|
sunsite.unc.edu:/pub/Linux/docs/FAQ.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
In the directory /pub/Linux/docs on sunsite.unc.edu you'll find a
|
||
|
|
number of other documents about Linux, including the Linux INFO-SHEET and
|
||
|
|
META-FAQ,
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
The Linux HOWTO archive is on sunsite.unc.edu:/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO.
|
||
|
|
The directory /pub/Linux/docs/LDP on sunsite.unc.edu contains the current
|
||
|
|
set of LDP manuals.
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
You can get ``Linux Installation and Getting Started'' from
|
||
|
|
sunsite.unc.edu in /pub/Linux/docs/LDP/install-guide. The README file
|
||
|
|
there describes how you can order a printed copy of the book of the same
|
||
|
|
name (about 180 pages).
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Now if you don't mind getting flamed, you may want to post questions
|
||
|
|
to the amazing number of Usenet news groups that cover Linux. These include:
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
comp.os.linux.advocacy Benefits of Linux compared
|
||
|
|
comp.os.linux.development.system Linux kernels, device drivers
|
||
|
|
comp.os.linux.x Linux X Window System servers
|
||
|
|
comp.os.linux.development.apps Writing Linux applications
|
||
|
|
comp.os.linux.hardware Hardware compatibility
|
||
|
|
comp.os.linux.setup Linux installation
|
||
|
|
comp.os.linux.networking Networking and communications
|
||
|
|
comp.os.linux.answers FAQs, How-To's, READMEs, etc.
|
||
|
|
linux.redhat.misc
|
||
|
|
alt.os.linux Use comp.os.linux.* instead
|
||
|
|
alt.uu.comp.os.linux.questions Usenet University helps you
|
||
|
|
comp.os.linux.announce Announcements important to Linux
|
||
|
|
comp.os.linux.misc Linux-specific topics
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Tobin Fricke has also pointed out that "free copies of Linux CD-ROMs
|
||
|
|
are available the Linux Support & CD Givaway web site at
|
||
|
|
http://emile.math.ucsb.edu:8000/giveaway.html. This is a project where
|
||
|
|
people donate Linux CD's that they don't need any more. The project was
|
||
|
|
seeded by Linux Systems Labs, who donated 800 Linux CDs initially! Please
|
||
|
|
remember to donate your Linux CD's when you are done with them. If you live
|
||
|
|
near a computer swap meet, Fry's, Microcenter, or other such place, look for
|
||
|
|
Linux CD's there. They are usually under $20, which is an excellent
|
||
|
|
investment. I personally like the Linux Developer's Resource by Infomagic,
|
||
|
|
which is now up to a seven CD set, I believe, which includes all major Linux
|
||
|
|
distributions (Slackware, Redhat, Debian, Linux for DEC Alpha to name a few)
|
||
|
|
plus mirrors of tsx11.mit.edu and sunsite.unc.edu/pub/linux plus much more.
|
||
|
|
You should also visit the WONDERFUL linux page at
|
||
|
|
http://sunsite.unc.edu/linux, which has tons of information, as well as the
|
||
|
|
http://www.linux.org/. You might also want to check out
|
||
|
|
http://www.redhat.com/ and http://www.caldera.com/ for more information on
|
||
|
|
commercial versions of linux (which are still freely available under GNU)."
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
How about Linux security? Yes, Linux, like every operating system,
|
||
|
|
is imperfect. Eminently hackable, if you really want to know. So if you want
|
||
|
|
to find out how to secure your Linux system, or if you should come across
|
||
|
|
one of the many ISPs that use Linux and want to go exploring (oops, forget I
|
||
|
|
wrote that), here's where you can go for info:
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
ftp://info.cert.org/pub/cert_advisories/CA-94:01.network.monitoring.attacks
|
||
|
|
ftp://info.cert.org/pub/tech_tips/root_compromise
|
||
|
|
http://bach.cis.temple.edu/linux/linux-security/
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Last but not least, if you want to ask Linux questions on the Happy
|
||
|
|
Hacker list, you're welcome. We may be the blind leading the blind, but what
|
||
|
|
the heck!
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
_________________________________________________________
|
||
|
|
Want to see back issues of Guide to (mostly) Harmless Hacking? See
|
||
|
|
http://www.feist.com/~tqdb/evis-unv.html. Want to subscribe to this list?
|
||
|
|
Email majordomo@edm.net with the message "subscribe happyhacker." Want to
|
||
|
|
share some kewl stuph with the Happy Hacker list? Send your messages to
|
||
|
|
hh@edm.net. To send me confidential email (please, no discussions of
|
||
|
|
illegal activities) use cmeinel@techbroker.com. Please direct flames to
|
||
|
|
dev/null@techbroker.com. Happy hacking!
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Copyright 1996 Carolyn P. Meinel. You may forward the GUIDE TO (mostly)
|
||
|
|
HARMLESS HACKING as long as you leave this notice at the end..
|
||
|
|
________________________________________________________
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
|
This message is from the HappyHacker mailing list. To unsubscribe,
|
||
|
|
send mail to majordomo@edm.net saying "unsubscribe happyhacker". The
|
||
|
|
HappyHacker page is at http://www.feist.com/~tqdb/evis-unv.html. This
|
||
|
|
mailing list is provided by The EDM Network (http://www.edm.net/) as
|
||
|
|
a public service and is not responsible for its content.
|
||
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Carolyn Meinel
|
||
|
|
M/B Research -- The Technology Brokers
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
|