GNU/Linux

Create a PKCS#12 file that contains both the certificate and the private key

 in Firewall / GNU/Linux  tagged certificate / openssl / PEM / PKCS#12 by

In today’s world, security is a significant concern for everyone. Securing sensitive information such as passwords, certificates, and private keys is important. OpenSSL is a widely used tool for encrypting, decrypting, and managing digital certificates and keys. In this blog, we will explain the following command:

openssl pkcs12 -export -out certificate.p12 -in certificate.pem -inkey key.pem -passin pass:bytefreaks -passout pass:bytefreaks;

This command creates a PKCS#12 file containing the certificate and the private key. PKCS#12 (Public-Key Cryptography Standards #12) is a file format that stores cryptographic objects such as private keys, certificates, and intermediate certificates.

Let’s break down this command and explain what each option does:

openssl pkcs12

This is the OpenSSL command for PKCS#12.

-export

This option tells OpenSSL to export the certificate and private key.

-out certificate.p12

This option specifies the output file name and format. In this case, the output file will be named certificate.p12.

-in certificate.pem

This option specifies the input file name and format. In this case, the input file is the certificate file named certificate.pem.

-inkey key.pem

This option specifies the private key file name and format. In this case, the private key file is named key.pem.

-passin pass:bytefreaks

This option specifies the password to decrypt the private key. In this case, the password is “bytefreaks”.

-passout pass:bytefreaks

This option specifies the password to encrypt the PKCS#12 file. In this case, the password is “bytefreaks”

;

This symbol indicates the end of the command.

When you run this command, OpenSSL will prompt you to enter the password for the private key. Once you enter the correct password, OpenSSL will create a PKCS#12 file named certificate.p12 that contains both the certificate and the private key encrypted with the password “bytefreaks”.

In conclusion, the openssl pkcs12 -export -out certificate.p12 -in certificate.pem -inkey key.pem -passin pass:bytefreaks -passout pass:bytefreaks; command is used to create a PKCS#12 file that contains both the certificate and the private key. This file is encrypted with the password “bytefreaks” to ensure security.

Remove Disabled Snaps.

 in Bash / GNU/Linux  tagged bash / clean up / free space / GNU/Linux / snap / ubuntu by 
LANG=C snap list --all | awk '/disabled/{print $1" --revision "$3}' | xargs -rn3 sudo snap remove;

Let us break down the command for you:

  1. LANG=C sets the language to English (C locale), which can be helpful to ensure consistent behavior across different systems with different default languages. We used this to make sure that the word disabled will appear for disabled snaps and not some other translation.
  2. snap list --all lists all installed snaps (i.e., packages) along with their details. The output of this command is piped to the following command.
  3. awk '/disabled/{print $1" --revision "$3}' searches for lines in the output that contain the word “disabled” and prints the first field (i.e., the name of the snap) followed by the string “–revision” and the third field (i.e., the revision number). This output is piped to the next command.
  4. xargs -rn3 sudo snap remove takes groups of three arguments from the input and runs the command snap remove with those arguments. In this case, the first argument is the name of the disabled snap; the second argument is the string “–revision”, and the third argument is the revision number. This will remove all disabled snaps and their associated revisions.

So, in summary, the command searches for all disabled snaps on the system, extracts their name and revision number and then removes them using the snap remove command. This is a very useful command to free up some space without losing data or functionality.

Linux mouse jiggler

 in GNU/Linux  tagged github / GNU/Linux / jiggle / jiggler / Keep-Presence / mouse / open source / snap by

Keep-Presence is an innovative program that automatically detects when you’re away from your computer and moves the mouse or presses a key to keep it active. This is especially helpful when you need to keep your computer running but don’t want it to lock or sleep due to inactivity.

What’s excellent about Keep-Presence is that it won’t interfere with your work while using your computer. Instead, it only activates when it detects that you’re away, so you can rest assured that your computer will remain active even if you step away from your desk for a few minutes.

This program is beneficial if you’re working remotely and need to step away from your computer frequently. With Keep-Presence, you can trick your machine into thinking you’re still working on it, which can be helpful if you need to step away for a short period and don’t want to constantly re-login or restart your work.

In summary, Keep-Presence is a helpful program that keeps your computer active even when you’re away. It’s an excellent tool for those who work remotely or need to step away from their desk frequently, and it won’t interfere with your work while using your computer.

This software is available in GitHub and the snap package manager.

https://github.com/carrot69/keep-presence/

To install using snap, execute the following command:

sudo snap install keep-presence;
#Just execute the following to start the application with default settings
keep-presence;
#Use Ctrl+C to stop it.

We used it in Ubuntu 22.04LTS with success.

Optional arguments

-h, --help                        show this help message and exit
            
-s SECONDS, --seconds SECONDS     Define in seconds how long to wait after a user is
                                  considered idle. Default 300.

-p PIXELS, --pixels PIXELS        Set how many pixels the mouse should move. Default 1.

-c, --circular                    Move mouse in a circle. Default move diagonally.

-m MODE, --mode MODE              Available options: keyboard, mouse, both; default is mouse. 
                                  This is the action that will be executed when the user is idle. 
                                  If keyboard is selected, the program will press the shift key. 
                                  If mouse is selected, the program will move the mouse. 
                                  If both is selected, the program will do both actions.

-r RANDOM RANDOM, --random RANDOM RANDOM
                                  Usage: two numbers (ex. -r 3 10). Execute actions based on a 
                                  random interval between start and stop seconds. 
                                  Note: Overwrites the seconds argument.

Two Signal accounts on Ubuntu 22.04LTS

 in GNU/Linux  tagged bash / dual accounts / GNU/Linux / multiple accounts / signal / signal desktop / ubuntu by

Signal is a widely used messaging app that prioritizes user privacy and security. However, there may be times when one needs to use multiple Signal accounts on the same device. In this blog post, we will discuss the problem of needing two Signal accounts on Ubuntu 22.04LTS and how to solve it by installing the beta version.

The Problem:

Let’s say you have two Signal accounts, one for personal use and the other for work. Unfortunately, Signal does not provide a built-in feature for running multiple accounts on the same device. This can be a frustrating problem for Ubuntu 22.04LTS users who want to use multiple Signal accounts. Fortunately, there is a solution, and that is to install the beta version of Signal on your device.

Installation Steps:

  1. Open the Terminal.
    The first step is to open the Terminal by clicking the Terminal icon or pressing the “Ctrl+Alt+T” keys.
  2. Add the Signal repository.
    To install the beta version of Signal on Ubuntu 22.04LTS, you need to add the Signal repository to your system. Run the following command to add the repository:

echo 'deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/signal-desktop-keyring.gpg] https://updates.signal.org/desktop/apt xenial main' | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/signal-xenial.list;

  1. Add Signal’s public key.
    Next, you need to add Signal’s public key to your system. This key is used to verify the authenticity of the packages in the repository. Run the following command to add the public key:

wget -O- https://updates.signal.org/desktop/apt/keys.asc | gpg --dearmor > signal-desktop-keyring.gpg;
cat signal-desktop-keyring.gpg | sudo tee -a /usr/share/keyrings/signal-desktop-keyring.gpg > /dev/null;

  1. Update the package list.
    After adding the repository and public key, you must update the package list. Run the following command to update the package list:

sudo apt update;

  1. Install the beta version of Signal.
    Finally, you can install the beta version of Signal by running the following command:

sudo apt install signal-desktop-beta;

This will install the beta version of Signal on your system, which you can use to run multiple Signal accounts.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, running multiple Signal accounts on Ubuntu 22.04LTS can be a problem. However, installing the beta version of Signal can solve this problem. Following the above installation steps, you can easily install the beta version of Signal on your device and use multiple Signal accounts without hassle.