DEV Community: Lawrence Juma

TryHackMe (THM) | Linux Fundamentals Part 1

Lawrence Juma — Sun, 21 Jul 2024 09:50:31 +0000

Task 1: Welcome to Linux Fundamentals

It's me again, "Jumalaw98.”

Welcome to the "Linux-Fundamentals-part1" room series by TryHackMe! This room introduces Linux, an operating system powering various devices worldwide. Here, we'll learn basic commands in the interactive Linux machine provided in the Rooms and understand Linux's importance in cybersecurity.

Task 2: A Bit of Background on Linux

Question: What year was the first release of a Linux operating system?

The first Linux operating system was released in 1991.

Linux was created by Linus Torvalds in 1991. Source: Wikipedia

Task 4: Running Your First Few Commands

Question: If we wanted to output the text "TryHackMe", what would our command be?

echo TryHackMe

The echo command is used to display a line of text. Typing echo TryHackMe in the terminal will output the text "TryHackMe".

Question: What is the username of who you're logged in as on your deployed Linux machine?

tryhackme

The whoami command shows the current user logged into the terminal session. Running this command will display the username.

Task 5: Interacting With the Filesystem

Question: On the Linux machine that you deploy, how many folders are there?

Solution: There are 4 folders.

Use the ls command to list the contents of the current directory. The output will show the directories present.

Question: Which directory contains a file? folder4

Use ls -LA folder* commands will list all files and directories inside directories that start with "folder" in the current directory, including hidden files (those that start with a dot), but excluding the. (current directory) and .. (parent directory) entries.

Here's a breakdown of the command:

ls: The basic command to list directory contents.
-L: Follow symbolic links (if any). It means that if a symbolic link points to a directory, it will show the contents of the directory the link points to.
-A: Show all files, including hidden files, but excluding . and ...
folder*: A pattern (wildcard) that matches all directories (and files) whose names start with "folder".

By listing the contents of each directory using ls and changing directories with cd, you can explore the filesystem and determine which directory contains a file.

Question: What are the contents of this file?

Solution: Use cat to view the file contents.

cat note.txt

Hello World!

The cat command is used to display the contents of a file.

Question: What is the path to the new current working directory?

Let's Use the pwd command to print the working directory.

/home/tryhackme/folder4

Task 6: Searching for Files

Question: Use grep on "access.log" to find the flag that has the prefix "THM". What is the flag?

grep “THM” access.log

The flag is THM{ACCESS}.

The grep command searches through the file access.log for any occurrences of the string "THM". The output will show the line containing the flag.

Task 7: An Introduction to Shell Operators

Question: If we wanted to run a command in the background, what operator would we want to use? &

The & operator allows you to run a command in the background. For example, running command & will execute the command and return control to the terminal immediately.

Question: If I wanted to replace the contents of a file named "passwords" with the word "password123", what would my command be?

echo password123 > passwords

The > operator redirects the output of the echo command to the file passwords, overwriting its contents.

Question: If I wanted to add "tryhackme" to this file named "passwords" but also keep "passwords123", what would my command be?

echo tryhackme >> passwords

The >> operator appends the output of the echo command to the file passwords, preserving its existing contents.

It illustrates the significance of possessing technical skills, analytical thinking, and adaptability, particularly in technical domains. This experience has improved my abilities and confidence in dealing with difficult problems. As I move forward, I plan to use these lessons in the future to approach new challenges with the same level of skill and expertise.

Navigating Your Cybersecurity Career Path: The Power of Mentorship

Lawrence Juma — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 11:59:47 +0000

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month when people should concentrate on being safe online. It's also the ideal time to consider how mentorship might help you navigate the always-changing world of cybersecurity. In this essay, we'll talk about how mentorship can revolutionize your career in cybersecurity.

What is cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks. - cisco

Let's define cybersecurity before we delve into the mentoring field. Consider it the internet's digital bodyguard. The primary goal is to protect computer systems, networks, and data from malicious users who seek to steal, harm, or otherwise mess things up.

Why is It important?

“Cybersecurity is important because it protects all categories of data from theft and damage. - Abi Tyas Tunggal: upguard”

Cybersecurity is essential because we live in a society where practically everything is done online. We share our lives, communicate, work, and shop through the Internet. If our digital environment isn't safe, our personal and professional lives could suffer greatly.

The Cybersecurity Career Path

Consider a career in cybersecurity if you want to make the internet safer. The road can be difficult because it is constantly changing. It is a never-ending puzzle since new dangers and technology are constantly being developed.

The Role of Mentorship

This is when mentorship comes into play. An advisor or wise buddy who helps you manage your profession is a mentor. They can save you from making the same mistakes they did by sharing their expertise and wisdom. Here are some ways mentoring might accelerate your cybersecurity journey:

Getting the Hang of It: Mentors can guide you through the process by outlining the fundamentals and current developments in cybersecurity. They aid in the improvement of your topic of study.

Networking: They connect you with people who can assist you, from potential employers to coworkers who share your interests. In cybersecurity, networking is essential.

Real-life Examples: Mentors might relate personal experiences in the form of true stories. These tales are like gold, guiding you to possibilities and away from traps.

Building self-assurance: Offering advice and encouragement helps you feel more confident. It can make a difference to know you have someone knowledgeable on your side.

Finding a Mentor: Your Simple Guide

Are you interested in finding a mentor in the world of cybersecurity? That's a smart move! Here's a straightforward guide on how to start your mentorship journey:

Step 1: Identify Your Goals

Before you begin, consider what you want to achieve in your cybersecurity career. Do you wish to focus on network security or ethical hacking, for example? Finding the ideal mentor will be aided by knowing your objectives.

Step 2: Look Within Your Network

Get to know your existing network first. You may know someone who works in cybersecurity. They might serve as your mentor or introduce you to a helpful person.

Step 3: Attend Cybersecurity Events

There are several cybersecurity-related events, both in person and online. These events include conferences, workshops, and webinars. Participate in these events and meet professionals who could become mentors.

Step 4: Join Cybersecurity Groups

Online communities and forums may be gold mines for locating mentors. Connect with professionals on websites like LinkedIn, Reddit, and specialized cybersecurity forums. Take part in conversations and get in touch with people whose knowledge you respect.

Step 5: Use mentoring Platforms

Several platforms are available to assist you in finding mentors and mentees. They connect people concerning their desired goals and passions. Here are a few you should visit:

LinkedIn: Don't underestimate LinkedIn's potential. You can look for cybersecurity experts and contact them to express your desire for mentorship.

Local Meetup Groups: Find local cybersecurity organizations in your region using platforms like Meetup.com. Participate in their events to meet possible mentors in person.

Mentor Cruise This website connects you with cybersecurity mentors who have prior experience. You can schedule sessions to hear from professionals.

Step 6: Be Clear in Your Requests

When contacting possible mentors, make it clear what you're searching for. Describe your objectives and why you believe they would be an excellent mentor. Respect their time and make it simple for them to comprehend how they may assist you.

Step 7: Don't Give Up
It could take some time to find the ideal mentor. Don't let rejections or a lack of responses deter you; they are familiar. Continue reaching out and adjusting your strategy. The ideal mentor is waiting to lead you.

Remember, mentorship can be a game changer in your cybersecurity career. With an ideal mentor, you'll have someone to turn to for advice, share your experiences with, and guide you through the thrilling and always-evolving world of cybersecurity.

In summary, National Cybersecurity Awareness Month is an excellent time to emphasize online safety and consider how having a mentor can significantly impact your cybersecurity career. Cybersecurity is crucial because we do so much business online and because it's constantly evolving. A mentor is like a wise buddy who can offer advice, share experiences, and help you avoid pitfalls.

You can start by establishing specific objectives, asking individuals you know, and joining cybersecurity events or online organizations to locate a mentor. Additionally, some websites can help you find mentors. If you don't locate a mentor immediately, don't give up. Having a mentor can significantly advance your career in cybersecurity by giving you guidance and self-assurance in this constantly evolving industry. Therefore, get started on your mentorship adventure right away.

The Structure of the C Program

Lawrence Juma — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 21:11:01 +0000

Overview

Most programming languages tend to have a structure or design, including C Language. C language is divided into five different sections which are: Documentation, Preprocessor command, Main() function, printf(…), and Return 0.

Introduction to the C program structure.

Every human being has a particular structure that includes a torso, head, neck, and four limbs. The vast majority of objects have a distinct structure. Every programming language has a unique structure in a manner akin to this. You would have to use these structures whenever writing the code.
The structure of the c program can be divided into different parts, each having its purpose. This makes the program easy to read, modify, and document and makes it consistent in format.

Basic structure.

The documentation, which is typically given in the form of comments, includes a brief description of the program, the name of the programmer, the creation date, and more.
Preprocessor command: This processor command instructs a C compiler in the stdio.h file to proceed with the actual compilation before the preprocessor command is executed.
The main function, Main(), is where the program actually starts to run.
Another function in C called printf(…) causes the text "Hello, World!" to be printed or displayed.
Returning 0 closes/terminates the main function and gives the number 0.

Taking this example of c program. hello.c

/**                         // Documentation
  * file: hello.c
  * Author: your-name
  * description: program to print hello world
*/

#include <stdio.h>         // Proprocessor command

int main(){                // main function
printf("Hello World! \n);
return 0;

}

Assemble and run a C program.

By following these few instructions, this task should be simple.
Add the required code in a file editor.
Saving as hello.c
Enter the command prompt and navigate to the saved file's directory.
To compile your code, execute the command gcc hello.c.
If there are no mistakes, the code will move on to the following line and create an executable program.
In order to run your application, type a.out.
The message "Hello World!" will appear on screen.

gcc hello.c
./a.out
Hello, world!

Conclusion

The documentation, preprocessor command, main() function, printf(…), and return 0 sections are the six five sections in all.
The main() function is a requirement for all C programs, although the others are optional.
Well-structured C programs make debugging easier and increase readability and scalability.

How to Install Laravel on Linux with Apache

Lawrence Juma — Sun, 03 Jul 2022 11:13:27 +0000

Laravel - the PHP framework

Model-view- controller (MVC) web operations should be developed using the free, open-source Laravel frame, which was developed by Taylor Otwell and is grounded on Symfony

Laravel is an open-source PHP frame that's both robust and simple to just use. It remains married to the model-view- regulator process model. Laravel actually uses being factors from different fabrics, which aids in the development of a web operation. The performing web operation is more structured and realistic

It also has excellent attestation and appreciates well-written source law, which results in veritably suggestive law syntax. Laravel is a presto, effective, and stoner-friendly PHP frame

Here's how Linux and Ubuntu users may install Laravel.

How to Install Laravel on Linux/Ubuntu.

The simplest method to install Laravel on Ubuntu is following the below steps.

1. Install Apache Web Server

Apache web server: An open-source HTTP server for contemporary operating systems like Linux and Windows, it's likely that your VPS already has it set up. Fortunately, you can quickly check! Once you've established an SSH connection to your server, make sure that there is an Apache system service.

To check, we have to run the following command.
sudo systemctl status apache2
As you can see, there is no Apache service installed on our VPS, thus we must install it.

You can achieve this by running the next command.
sudo apt install apache2

By default, Ubuntu starts the Apache service when the system boots up.

Following that, we can once more check the Apache service status.
sudo systemctl status apache2

Finally, launch a web browser and navigate to your server's IP address or domain name.

On my end, my domain is: http://localhost/

This screen indicates that Apache is operational.

Important Commands
To start Apache 2 web server, enter: sudo service apache2 start
Restart Apache 2 web server, enter: sudo service apache2 restart
To stop Apache 2 web server, enter: sudo service apache2 stop

## Start command ##
    sudo systemctl start apache2.service
## Stop command ##
   sudo systemctl stop apache2.service
## Restart command ##
   sudo systemctl restart apache2.service

We can view the status using the following command:
sudo systemctl status apache2.service

Outputs:

2. Install PHP

PHP installation is the following procedure. Fortunately, PHP 7 is pre-installed in the official Ubuntu repository, which makes installation a breeze. You must install the language itself as well as a few other modules.
Execute the next command to do this:

sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-mbstring php-xmlrpc php-soap php-gd php-xml php-cli php-zip php-bcmath php-tokenizer php-json php-pear

To install PHP on Linux, adhere to the steps listed below:

Step 1: Launch your Linux terminal

Open the terminal on your Linux PC.
Ctrl+Alt+T can also be used to launch the terminal.

Step 2: Update your packages

Use the following command to update your packages on your terminal.
sudo apt-get update

Step 3: Upgrade your packages

Use the following command to now install all upgrades that are available for the packages that are presently installed on the system.
sudo apt-get upgrade

Step 4: Install PHP
We are now prepared to install PHP. The machine will have PHP installed after we run the command below.
sudo apt-get install php

When prompted after executing the aforementioned command, type Y and press the enter key. The most recent version of PHP and a number of extensions will install on your Linux system in a short while.

After installation, the PHP version can be checked with the following command.

php --version

3. Download and Install a Database Manager

Installing a database manager is required if we plan to create with Laravel in Ubuntu 18.04. PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, and SQL Server are all supported by Laravel. The one we want can be installed and configured.

Set up XAMPP server. (A popular open-source software for PHP development)- includes MariaDB, PHP, and Perl, and its PhpMyAdmin graphical SQL interface makes it simple to manage data in a relational database

XAMPP installation and setup

4. Install Composer

Composer is a PHP dependency management that makes it easier for our projects to download PHP libraries. Laravel's installation is greatly facilitated by Composer and works flawlessly with it.

Step 1: On your terminal, download composer by executing the following command

`curl -Ss https://getcomposer.org/installer | php`

Step 2: This command will first enter the Composer's installation directory. The second command will then enable it for execution.

`sudo mv composer.phar /usr/local/bin/composer`

 `chmod +x /usr/local/bin/composer`

Step 3: The procedure of installation and configuration is now finished. To check the version of the Composer, perform the command listed below.

composer

5. Install Laravel on Ubuntu Using Composer

We can now install Laravel because Composer has been set up. Run the following command to accomplish this:

composer create-project --prefer-dist laravel/laravel [my-first-laravel-project]

Of course, we have to replace [my-first-laravel-project] with name of your application, this case our project name is “my-first-laravel-project”

My-first-laravel-project is actually the name of the project folder, but you can replace it with any name that you want. Here, create-project is a composer command that simply downloads the package and installs all the dependencies further needed by this package. Then, we have this -prefer-dist option, which means just prefer the stable version releases if possible.

This will begin installing all required dependencies, as shown in the figure below.

Move to the newly created folder, which is called "my-first-laravel-project." You'll see that this folder already has numerous files and folders; this is the Laravel framework. Run the command shown below in this folder to launch the built-in PHP server.

`php artisan serve`

`php artisan serve --host=[IP] --port=[port]`

This will give an output like the given below:

Next, open a web browser and navigate to the server's domain or IP address at the designated port. The address would have the same appearance as that seen in the output above. You are prepared to begin using Laravel if the screen below appears in your browser.

Conclusion

You need a PHP framework with lots of features if you want to create high-quality web apps. Another of them is Laravel. Here, you learned how to do it using Ubuntu 18.04 on a computer or server.

Always remember to go to the official documentation if you want more details or to learn more about the project. #HappyBuilding! #HappyDeveloping #HappyCoding

Detecting Fake News with Python and Machine Learning

Lawrence Juma — Sun, 01 May 2022 17:28:40 +0000

1. Introduction

We consume a lot of news throughout the day from various mediums, but it can be difficult to tell which is fake news and which is genuine news.

Do you rust the information you get from online media?
Every piece of news we hear is false. If we listen to or read fake news, we are gathering incorrect information from the world, which can have an impact on society because a person's perspective or thoughts can change after reading or listening to fake news that the user believes to be true.

Because not all news we encounter in our daily lives is authentic, how do we determine whether the news is fake or real?

Here, we will concentrate on text-based news in order to create a module that will assist us in determining whether a given piece of news is fake or real.

2. The article's terminologies

2.1 What exactly is fake news?

Fake news refers to news that is likely to be a hoax and is widely disseminated via social media and other online media. This is typically done to further impose certain ideas and is frequently archived alongside political agendas.
Such news items may contain false and misrepresented cases, and they may end up being virtualized by calculations, trapping clients in a channel bubble.
**
2.2 What exactly is a TfidfVectorizer?**
Term Frequency (TF): The Term Frequency of a word is the number of times it appears in a document. A higher value indicates that a term appears more frequently than others, and thus the document is a good match when the term appears in the search terms.
IDF (Inverse Document Frequency): Words that appear frequently in one document but also appear frequently in many others, which may be irrelevant. IDF is a measure of how important a term is in the context of the entire corpus.
The TfidfVectorizer converts a set of raw documents into a TF-IDF feature matrix.

What precisely is a Passive Aggressive Classifier?
Online learning algorithms are Passive Aggressive algorithms. In the case of a correct classification outcome, such an algorithm remains passive and becomes aggressive in the event of a miscalculation, updating, and adjusting. It does not converge, unlike most other algorithms. Its goal is to make updates that correct the loss while causing very little change in the weight vector's norm.

3. Project

We need to build a machine learning model to accurately classify a collection of news as real or fake.
To detect fake or real news, we will create a project in Python using'sklearn,' and we will use 'TfidfVectorizer' in our news data, which we will gather from online media.
Following the completion of the first step, we will initialize the classifier, as well as transform and fit the model. Finally, we will compute the model's performance using the appropriate performance matrix/matrices. We will be able to see how well our model performs once we have calculated the performance matrices.
The practical application of these tools is very simple, as will be demonstrated in this article step by step.
Let’s start.

3.1 Data Analysis

**
Here I will explain the dataset.
In this python project, we have used the CSV dataset. The dataset contains ***** rows and *** columns.
This dataset has four columns,
1. Title: this represents the title of the news.
2. Text: this column has the news itself.
3. Label: this is a binary column representing if the news is fake (1) or real (0).
The dataset is open-sourced and can be found here

3.2 Libraries

The very basic data science libraries are sklearn, pandas, NumPy e.t.c and some specific libraries such as transformers.

Methods for "Earning" Money from Your Skills

Lawrence Juma — Sun, 24 Apr 2022 01:31:02 +0000

Brief:

_- Freelancing

Full Time Job Position
Teaching
Building Products
Affiliating
Books Writing & Blogging
Video Courses
Mentoring
Promoting
Vlogging_

Freelancing

Freelancing is very popular these days. Many clients are open to using freelancers for a variety of tasks.
Many dedicated platforms provide freelancing opportunities (like Upwork, Fiverr, FreeLancer etc)
Social networking can also provide you with opportunities.

Full-Time Job Position
You can look for a full-time work if you have a skill.
Full-time employment is extremely safe. You can rest assured that you will be compensated for your efforts.
It is a consistent source of revenue.
The stakes are also higher in terms of accountability.

Teaching
Teaching is the most effective way to learn.
Also, if you're secure in your abilities, don't be afraid to teach.
With the increased use of Zoom and Google Meet, teaching is no longer limited to the classroom.

Building Materials
You can turn your ideas into products if you have them.
After you've built your product, you may sell it.
You can ask people to subscribe to your service and pay you on a regular basis.
Software, a design template, or a chemical formula are examples of products.

Affiliating
Do you wish to assist others in growing their business? Join forces with them.
You will receive a portion of the product's price when the purchase is completed if you affiliate.
You can contact product vendors (Amazon is a best place)

writing Blogs and Books
Writing a blog and writing a book are both forms of writing. There are, however, others.
Many businesses require technical writers and copywriters. You can look for such opportunities if you are a skilled writer.

Books are still the most effective way to disseminate information.
It is always recommended to write a book if you believe you are exceptionally gifted in a particular field.
Your books can be sold on a variety of platforms. You can also publish them.

Courses on Video
To teach someone, you do not need to be physically present. How? By creating video courses and tutorials.
You can post paid video courses on many platforms (Example: Udemy, freeCodeCamp).

Mentoring
People require direction in order to move in the right direction. Many people are looking for a mentor.
You can mentor others if you have experience.
Social media is the best place for people to contact you for mentoring.

Promoting
You can promote other people's products/services if you have a large enough audience.
You can get promotion opportunities by reaching out to companies directly or by them reaching out to you.
It's always a good idea to advance based on your abilities.

Vlogging
You can share your experiences through the creation of short videos.
It's simple to monetize your videos if they become popular.

CONCLUSION

Earning a peanut is simple. However, I did not receive an Elephant.

Nothing is simple. There are numerous possibilities. However, in order to earn money, you must also work hard.

The Ultimate Python Tutorial for Beginners

Lawrence Juma — Sun, 24 Apr 2022 00:31:39 +0000

Introduction

Python has recently emerged as one of the fastest growing programming languages.
Python is a high-level programming language created by Guido Van Rusaun and maintained by the Python Software Foundation.
Because of its wide range of applications, it is also known as a general purpose programming language.
web development

Machine Learning and AI
Data Science
Data Analytic
Desktop Application

Python Installation

Python is simple to set up and is supported by the vast majority of operating systems. _Windows Operating System, Mac OS X, and Linux/Unix Distribution Kerne_l

Python Installation on Windows Environment
Unlike most Linux distributions, Windows OS does not include the Python programming language by default, but it can be installed by following the simple steps below.

Step 1: Choose a Python Version to Install
a) This entails downloading Python from its official website and running it in your Windows OS.
b) The version you need depends on the project you want to run; it is recommended that you download the most recent version for new projects.

Step 2: Get the executable installer.
a) Navigate to the official Python website, and then download
b) Choose Download from the download tab.

Step 3: Launch the executable installer.
Run the executable installer that you downloaded.
Check the Add Python Path to Path checkbox and ensure that the installer runs for all users.
Choose Install Now.

Step 4: To verify that Python is installed
Open a command prompt and type Python.

Python Installation in Mac OS X
Navigate to the official Python website in your browser and click on the download tab.

Choose Mac OS X as your operating system.

Download the most recent version (recommended )

To install, double-click the.pkg file you downloaded.

Python installation on Linux
The benefit of linux distribution systems is that most of them come with Python installed;

Open a command prompt and type python3 to see which version of Python 3 you have installed.

$ python3 --version

If you are using a Unix environment such as Ubuntu or Linux ..., you can easily install Python 3.8 by running the following commands:

$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install python3

If you're running a different version of Ubuntu (for example, the latest LTS release) or want to use a more recent Python, we recommend installing Python 3.8 via the deadsnakes PPA:

$ sudo apt-get install software-properties-common
$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:deadsnakes/ppa
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install python3.8

DEV Community: Lawrence Juma

TryHackMe (THM) | Linux Fundamentals Part 1

Task 1: Welcome to Linux Fundamentals

Task 2: A Bit of Background on Linux

Task 4: Running Your First Few Commands

Task 5: Interacting With the Filesystem

Task 6: Searching for Files

Task 7: An Introduction to Shell Operators

Navigating Your Cybersecurity Career Path: The Power of Mentorship

What is cybersecurity?

Why is It important?

The Cybersecurity Career Path

The Role of Mentorship

Finding a Mentor: Your Simple Guide

The Structure of the C Program

Overview

Introduction to the C program structure.

Basic structure.

Assemble and run a C program.

Conclusion

How to Install Laravel on Linux with Apache

Laravel - the PHP framework

How to Install Laravel on Linux/Ubuntu.

1. Install Apache Web Server

2. Install PHP

Step 1: Launch your Linux terminal

Step 2: Update your packages

Step 3: Upgrade your packages

3. Download and Install a Database Manager

4. Install Composer

5. Install Laravel on Ubuntu Using Composer

Conclusion

Detecting Fake News with Python and Machine Learning

1. Introduction

2. The article's terminologies

2.1 What exactly is fake news?

3. Project

3.1 Data Analysis

3.2 Libraries

Methods for "Earning" Money from Your Skills

The Ultimate Python Tutorial for Beginners

*Introduction *

Python Installation

Introduction