The Students Linux User Group - SLUG

07/12/2015

People! Exotel, in association with SendGrid is conducting a 10 hour hackathon in Bangalore! Visit http://apihackday.io/ to know more!

The API Hackday is a one day, 10 hour hackathon that challenges people to make something awesome. There are no restrictions on platform or language and there is no theme!

16/01/2015

Codechef SRM Campus Chapter : x-code
https://www.facebook.com/srmxcode

this is official Srm University's Codechef Campus chapter page.
http://www.srmxcode.in

14/07/2014

People giving ideas regarding home automation today.....here's one for you..

Brix is an affordable smartphone solution for affordable home automation....
www.getbrix.in

They have home automation starting from 5k

20/06/2014

Top 8 Hacker centric Operating Systems...

01/08/2013

ENTER KALI LINUX!!!!!


“So, what’s the difference between BackTrack and Kali?” you might be asking. Unfortunately for us, that’s not a simple question to answer. It’s a mix between “everything” and “not much”, depending on how you used BackTrack.

From an end user perspective, the most obvious change would be the switch to Debian and an FHS-compliant system. What this means is that instead of having to navigate through the /pentest tree, you will be able to call any tool from anywhere on the system as every application is included in the system path. However, there’s much hidden magic in that last sentence. I’ll quickly list some of the new benefits of this move.


Our new streamlined repositories synchronize with the Debian repositories 4 times a day, constantly providing you with the latest package updates and security fixes available.


This is where we’ve been spending most of our time and effort. Relentlessly packaging dozens of useful tools, painstakingly making sure our packages are Debian compliant.


Many of the tools in our toolbox need to be “bleeding edge”. This means we have take on the task of packaging and maintaining upstream versions of many tools, so that our users are constantly kept up to date where it matters.


As our source packages are now also Debian compliant, you can quickly and easily get the required sources of each tool, then modify and rebuild them with a couple of commands.


One of the many benefits of our move to a Debian compliant system, is the ability to Bootstrap a Kali Installation/ISO directly from our repositories. This means that you can easily build your own customizations of Kali, as well as perform enterprise network installs from a local or remote repository.


Kali Linux installations can now be automated using pre-seed files. This allows for enterprise wide customization and deployment on multiple systems.


BackTrack 5 brought with it new support for ARM hardware. Our ARM build-bot was a modified Motorola Xoom tablet, which suffice to say, didn’t last for long. To help remedy this, Offensive Security has donated a Calxeda ARM cluster to our project, allowing reliable and long term development of Kali Linux ARM images.


Our new build and repository environments allow for complete flexibility in generating your own updated Kali ISOs, with any desktop environment you like. Do you prefer KDE? LXDE? XFCE? Anything else? Then change your Kali desktop environment yourself.


Another benefit derived from the move to a Debian compliant system is the ability to seamlessly upgrade future major version of Kali. No longer will you have to reinstall your pe*******on testing machine due a new version of Kali coming out.

25/07/2013

BackTrack is a distribution based on the Debian GNU/Linux distribution aimed at digital forensics and pe*******on testing use. It was named after backtracking, a search algorithm. In March 2013, the Offensive Security team created a fork of BackTrack named Kali Linux.

The BackTrack distribution originated from the merger of two formerly competing distributions which focused on pe*******on testing:
WHAX: a Slax-based Linux distribution developed by Mati Aharoni, a security consultant. Earlier versions of WHAX were called Whoppix and were based on Knoppix.
Auditor Security Collection: a Live CD based on Knoppix developed by Max Moser which included over 300 tools organized in a user-friendly hierarchy.

The overlap with Auditor and WHAX in purpose and in their collection of tools partly led to the merger.

BackTrack provides users with easy access to a comprehensive and large collection of security-related tools ranging from port scanners to Security Audit. Support for Live CD and Live USB functionality allows users to boot BackTrack directly from portable media without requiring installation, though permanent installation to hard disk and network is also an option.

BackTrack includes many well known security tools including:
Metasploit for integration
Wi-Fi drivers supporting monitor mode (rfmon mode) and packet injection
Aircrack-ng
Gerix Wifi Cracker
Kismet
Nmap
Ophcrack
Ettercap
Wireshark (formerly known as Ethereal)
BeEF (Browser Exploitation Framework)
Hydra
OWASP Mantra Security Framework, a collection of hacking tools, add-ons and scripts based on Firefox
Cisco OCS Mass Scanner, a very reliable and fast scanner for Cisco routers with telnet and enabling of a default password.
A large collection of exploits as well as more commonplace software such as browsers.

BackTrack arranges tools into 12 categories:
Information gathering
Vulnerability assessment
Exploitation tools
Privilege escalation
Maintaining access
Reverse engineering
RFID tools
Stress testing
Forensics
Reporting tools
Services
Miscellaneous

The latest release was the Kali 1.0 that was unveiled on March 13,2013

01/06/2013

Ever since its invention, the mouse has become an extremely useful tool that makes using a computer much easier to learn when coupled with a graphical user interface. However, some of you may feel like the mouse should be capable of doing more work for you. Then there are some of you who like the keyboard better and may want to be able to use mouse functions without actually invoking a mouse.

As Linux is a very flexible and customizable operating system, nothing is impossible. Here are some cool hacks you can use to make your mouse more useful.

Mouse Gestures

One of the best ways of getting more out of your mouse is to use mouse gestures. Some applications such as Opera already have their own set of mouse gestures implemented, but those gestures stay within the browser. What if you want to be able to use mouse gestures anywhere on your computer, and create your own custom gestures?

Easystroke Gesture Recognition is a highly-rated application with which you can create your own custom mouse gestures. The types of gestures which you can create are limited only by your imagination. As an example, you can create a gesture that opens up YouTube in your favorite browser after you form an imaginary “y” with your cursor. Once it’s made, Easystroke will watch your cursor and launch any actions that you’ve configured.

While the application may be more useful for touchscreens, it is still highly applicable to mice as well. The software should be easily found in your distribution’s repositories or software center.

Mouse Resolution

If your Linux distribution uses an X.org configuration file — distributions geared towards power users like Arch Linux will tend to have them at /etc/xorg.conf — then you can increase the speed of your cursor without reducing its accuracy, as would otherwise happen if you changed the sensitivity and acceleration parameters in your system’s settings.

Scroll down until you find the line that reads Section "InputDevice". Underneath this, you’ll find a few Identifier, Driver, and Option lines. After the last Option line, insert the following: Option “Resolution” “1600”. This line increases your mouse’s resolution to 1600 pixels per inch or less, depending on what the maximum resolution is that the mouse supports. The higher resolution is what keeps the cursor accurate despite its increased speed across your screen.

Mouse Keys

As a heavy keyboard user, you may wish to transfer all of the mouse’s functionality over to your keyboard so that your hands do not have to travel away from your beloved keyboard.

To enable some mouse functionality on your keyboard, open up your System Settings, and choose Universal Access. From there, choose the Pointing and Clicking tab and enable Mouse Keys. This allows you to move the cursor by using your keypad (albeit very slowly), and allows left clicks by hitting the “5” key.

These instructions are for Ubuntu/Gnome users only, but the same effect can be enabled similarly among other distributions and desktop environments.

Automatic Mouse Clicks & Movement

Finally, one of the biggest problems that heavy mouse users face is the risk of injury from repetitive motions. If you know that there are tasks which require you to repeat the same mouse movements and clicks over and over, you should instead look at using an application which does all of this for you.

The Linux Auto Mouse Click Software should work under any Linux distribution, and is ready to go after downloading the .zip file and unzipping the contents to any location.

With the software, you can create your own macro (list of instructions for the program to follow) that controls the cursor coordinates, the type of click you want (which includes not only left and right clicks, but clicks while virtually holding keyboard buttons), and the delay between each instruction. The application also allows you to repeat the macro as many times as you like, as well as hide to tray.

Conclusion

These four tips should offer a lot more flexibility when it comes to your mouse, whether it makes it more functional or moves that functionality over to your keyboard. In any case, there are plenty of solutions available to make using your Linux computer easier for you, so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t use what helps you.

09/05/2013

A very well written and detailed research paper on Linux Kernel Development by Ian McDonald (NZ), University of Waikato....
check this out

http://wand.net.nz/~iam4/papers/linuxdev.pdf

23/03/2013

HI FRIENDS, ITS AN ARTICLE ABOUT
How To Run Windows Software on Ubuntu with Wine

Linux is a great operating system, but its software catalog can be lacking. If there’s a Windows game or other app you just can’t do without, you can use Wine to run it right on your Ubuntu desktop.

Wine is a work in progress, so it won’t run every application perfectly — in fact, some applications may not run at all — but it’s improving all the time. This beginner’s guide will get you up and running with Wine.
Wine Application Database

The process of finding out whether an application will work with Wine and tweaking it to work can be tedious, so the Wine project hosts an application database known as the Wine AppDB. Search the database for an application to see ratings, comments, tips, guides and tweaks left by other users.

Platinum-rated applications run perfectly, with no tweaks required, while garbage-rated applications don’t run at all.

For many apps, particularly popular ones, you’ll find a full guide to installing your application in Wine, as well as tweaks to fix any annoying issues.

Installing Wine

You’ll find Wine available in the Ubuntu Software Center. Both stable and beta versions are available — here, version 1.2 is stable and version 1.3 is beta. The stable version is more tested — sometimes, a regression in the beta version can cause an application to stop working, but some applications will only work with the newer, beta version. An application’s entry in the Wine application database sometimes contains information about the necessary version of Wine you’ll need.

Running an Application

Once you’ve got Wine installed, you can download an application’s EXE or MSI (Microsoft Installer) file and double-click it — just like you would if you were using Windows — to run it with Wine.

This isn’t always the best way to run an application. If you’re encountering a problem, you can run the application from the terminal to see detailed error messages that can help you troubleshoot the problem. Just use the following command:

wine /path/to/application.exe

If you have an MSI file instead, use the following command to install it:

wine msiexec /i /path/to/installer.msi

Bear in mind that many of the error messages don’t matter. For example, the fixme message here indicates that Wine doesn’t contain support for a specific function yet, but the application runs fine without this function.

If the application requires installation, install it as if you were using Windows.

Once it’s installed, you’ll find its shortcuts in your applications menu, and possibly on your desktop.

Wine’s Utilities

The Wine package comes with a few utilities, which you can access from the applications menu. Just type Wine in the application menu to search for them.

Wine’s configuration dialog contains a variety of options, some of which you may need to get applications working. You can set the Windows version Wine behaves as, or set specific Windows versions for each individual applicaiton. Other options include graphics, audio and theming settings.

The Uninstall Wine Software utility lists your installed software and allows you to remove programs.

The package also includes Winetricks, a helper script that automates some tasks. Winetracks can guide you through installing certain popular applications and games — you won’t find every supported application here, though.

The Registry & File System

Many applications require registry tweaks to work properly. You’ll often find information about which registry entries to modify on the application database. Execute the regedit command from a terminal to access Wine’s registry editor.

Wine uses a virtual Windows file system, which is stored in the hidden .wine folder in your home folder. Use the View -> Show Hidden Files option in the file manager to reveal it. Once you have, you’ll find a folder named drive_c in the .wine folder — this folder contains the contents of Wine’s C: drive.

Fun, geeky fact: Wine stands for “Wine is not a Windows emulator.” It doesn’t emulate Windows; it’s an implementation of the Windows API for Linux, Mac OS X, Solaris and the BSD family of operating systems.

23/03/2013

Your hard disk is like a pie.
You can divide it into sections. For example, if you had two partitions, popular operating systems would generally call them C and D. You can call them Romeo and Juliet, or Shahrukh and Salman or even the Professor and Sherlock if you like. I just use these bad jokes as a way of saying that C and D are naming conventions that belong to other operating systems. Linux doesn't use them. Linux may call them /hda3 and /hda5 for example. We'll get to that in a minute. Then you will need another partition known as a 'swap' partition. This 'swap' partition is just a way that Linux uses to get more memory so that you don't run out of it. (Do remember Virtual Memory concept….it’s similar).

The classic way of partitioning your hard disk is with a program called 'fdisk'. The program comes with a lot of whistles and buzzers and flashing messages that say "Danger, Will Robinson". There's a version for Linux but it doesn't mention Will Robinson. We want to say here that this is the SWAT team method of doing it - the scorched-earth policy of partitioning. If you have that important term paper on your hard disk, or pictures of that dream vacation to US that you haven't shown to your girlfriend yet(you know what I mean) or your best COD scores, you'll need to make back-up copies of them. The re-partioning using this method will get rid of them - forever!

But installing Linux isn't dangerous and if you choose to install you may not need such a drastic solution to your partition problem. As we mentioned before, If you're fortunate enough to have a hard drive with more than one partition (the old C: and D: routine), then it may be just a question of moving some files around.

There's a tool called FIPS that comes with major Linux versions. This will re-arrange your hard drive so you can install Linux. There are also other commercial products that will do the same. That may be an option for you, unless you've got a hard drive that's bursting at the seams. You should know that any decent working Linux system - and by decent, I mean, having the programs that will let you do anything you did with your Windows system- will take at least 2 gigabytes. Please keep that in mind. And if you want those videos of US on there, I'd plan for a bit more.

To talk about where Linux and other operating systems should go. In any situation where you've got two things sharing the same space, like two people sharing the same apartment, one person will always exert his rights over the other. Other operating systems usually want to be the only ones in the computer, so even though it's really not going to be this way, you have to install them in the first 'primary' partition, and that way it thinks it's the only one there. That means installing it in /hda1 in Linux speak. So remember, if you've chosen to go the fdisk route, the other operating system should be re-installed first. When you've got that re-installed, you are free to install Linux in what's left. Once you've installed Linux, you can actually see the other system's partition.

01/03/2013

The Group is Officially online.....and ready to go.....so ppl.....let that inner geek out and start posting those superb articles on FOSS and new tech....but plz no spams.... :)