Firefox Lock-down #
Zapping around the internet these days is nasty business, you have to assume every site you visit wants to track you (or help their partners track you) or infect your PC. Here are a few things i do to make my FF a bit more secure and private:
i have come across a few sites that do not work unless you let them place a cookie on your PC, they go into a weird loop where as soon as you arrive at the site your browser is redirected to a "no cookie" script which then redirects to another page (probably because you haven't allowed scripts for this site) which then loops back to the no cookie page, it is stupid to see. Any site that forces you to accept a cookie just to view the site is dodgy.
If you join a site, say... You Tube then of course you are going to let YT put a cookie on ya PC, it's how it knows it's you when you log on, but just to look at a site (not join) then it wrong. Whenever i get to a site like that (cookie needed just to view site) i stop, copy the URL and put it in my hosts file thereby making it impossible for my PC to ever go to that site again (more on the hosts file later).
Just as i started this post i went to PortableApps for a little look at what was going on over there, funny new app, Billy Mays Caps Lock 1.0, lol cool, on that page that was a link to John T. Hallers blog. On his blog i found this, Warning: AddThis Puts Flash Tracking Objects on Your Website. You have got to be kidding me, i use AddThis (it's the little icon down there below this post with the plus sign on), well i used to, that icon used to be red, now it's blue because i now use AddToAny instead of AddThis. ClearSpring bought AddThis and used it (it is java-script after all) to plant LSOs (Local Shared Objects/flash cookies) on the PCs of anyone who visits a web-site using the AddThis widget. It is a coincidence that on the very day i start to make a post about how nasty flash cookies are i find out my own blog has been planting them on peoples PCs without my knowledge, ClearSpring are worms.
Anyway back the the subject, BetterPrivacy dose not, like CookieSafe, block LSOs, it lets flash cookies get planted. What it does is delete those cookies when you open/close Firefox. Unless these cookies stay on your PC permanently they are useless (:
Man, i am so pissed off about ClearSpring/AddThis. Seriously, ClearSpring are fucking dodgy cunts.
RefControl lets you set which site the site you visit thinks you came from, i set mine to the Wikipedia Referrer spoofing page so now every site i visit thinks i came from that page :D
It can break on some sites but RefControl let you set sites you trust to see the normal referrer.
It used to use the hosts file (when the internet wasn't that big that all the web-site addresses could fit in a text file). Your browser still looks at your hosts file first before DNS. If you haven't edited it it should just have: 127.0.0.1 localhost (this is your PC and you shouldn't mess with this line). 0.0.0.0 is an invalid IP address so if i put: 0.0.0.0 www.google.com in the hosts file and typed www.google.com into Firefox it would look in the hosts file (before DNS) and see it as an invalid IP and not go there.
So you could put in something like: 0.0.0.0 ads.example.com, you can still go to www.example.com, Firefox just would not (could not) connect to their ad server so no ads. You can google around for lists of nasty sites to copy/paste into your hosts file.
It's hard work surfing the internet these days but i hope these few things make it a bit safer/private for you (:
NoScript
Of course the first one is the great NoScript, you know what it is. Doesn't allow sites to run java-scripts unless you allow them. Simple and it works.CookieSafe
CookieSafe is the NoScript for cookies, no site is allowed to place cookies on your PC unless you allow them. A lot of companies track your browsing habits though the use of cookies and partner companies web-sites. They say they profile you to better serve you ads but who knows what they do with these profiles of you.i have come across a few sites that do not work unless you let them place a cookie on your PC, they go into a weird loop where as soon as you arrive at the site your browser is redirected to a "no cookie" script which then redirects to another page (probably because you haven't allowed scripts for this site) which then loops back to the no cookie page, it is stupid to see. Any site that forces you to accept a cookie just to view the site is dodgy.
If you join a site, say... You Tube then of course you are going to let YT put a cookie on ya PC, it's how it knows it's you when you log on, but just to look at a site (not join) then it wrong. Whenever i get to a site like that (cookie needed just to view site) i stop, copy the URL and put it in my hosts file thereby making it impossible for my PC to ever go to that site again (more on the hosts file later).
BetterPrivacy
This is where cookies get really nasty, in XP look in: "C:\Documents and Settings\your user-name\Application Data\Macromedia\Flash Player\#SharedObjects\random code\", oh look cookies, WTF are these (other locations here). These are flash cookies or "Local Shared Object" (that's a nice name isn't it). These are cookies that any site that uses flash can put on your PC, i only found out about these recently and i was shocked, all this time i was blocking HTTP cookies and every site with flash on (and some without flash) were planting these cookies all up in my PC.Just as i started this post i went to PortableApps for a little look at what was going on over there, funny new app, Billy Mays Caps Lock 1.0, lol cool, on that page that was a link to John T. Hallers blog. On his blog i found this, Warning: AddThis Puts Flash Tracking Objects on Your Website. You have got to be kidding me, i use AddThis (it's the little icon down there below this post with the plus sign on), well i used to, that icon used to be red, now it's blue because i now use AddToAny instead of AddThis. ClearSpring bought AddThis and used it (it is java-script after all) to plant LSOs (Local Shared Objects/flash cookies) on the PCs of anyone who visits a web-site using the AddThis widget. It is a coincidence that on the very day i start to make a post about how nasty flash cookies are i find out my own blog has been planting them on peoples PCs without my knowledge, ClearSpring are worms.
Anyway back the the subject, BetterPrivacy dose not, like CookieSafe, block LSOs, it lets flash cookies get planted. What it does is delete those cookies when you open/close Firefox. Unless these cookies stay on your PC permanently they are useless (:
Man, i am so pissed off about ClearSpring/AddThis. Seriously, ClearSpring are fucking dodgy cunts.
RefControl
i like this one. When you go to a web-site it knows what site you came from by using the HTTP referrer header. This could be use to track you browsing habits by a site.RefControl lets you set which site the site you visit thinks you came from, i set mine to the Wikipedia Referrer spoofing page so now every site i visit thinks i came from that page :D
It can break on some sites but RefControl let you set sites you trust to see the normal referrer.
Stylish + Ad Blocking FiltersetP
i don't use Adblock Plus as i always have Stylish installed and Ad Blocking FiltersetP does the same job without the overhead of having another add-on installed.SSL Blacklist
This one just informs you if a site uses the unsafe MD5 algorithm for RSA signatures.hosts file
Not really Firefox but the hosts file is a useful little chap, in XP it is in: c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\. As you know all site have a IP address. When you put www.google.com into your browser it uses DNS to tell which IP address is associated with www.google.com.It used to use the hosts file (when the internet wasn't that big that all the web-site addresses could fit in a text file). Your browser still looks at your hosts file first before DNS. If you haven't edited it it should just have: 127.0.0.1 localhost (this is your PC and you shouldn't mess with this line). 0.0.0.0 is an invalid IP address so if i put: 0.0.0.0 www.google.com in the hosts file and typed www.google.com into Firefox it would look in the hosts file (before DNS) and see it as an invalid IP and not go there.
So you could put in something like: 0.0.0.0 ads.example.com, you can still go to www.example.com, Firefox just would not (could not) connect to their ad server so no ads. You can google around for lists of nasty sites to copy/paste into your hosts file.
It's hard work surfing the internet these days but i hope these few things make it a bit safer/private for you (:
Labels: AddThis, BetterPrivacy, ClearSpring, CookieSafe, hosts file, laptop security, NoScript, privacy, RefControl, Referrer spoofing
All-in-One Sidebar #
If your All-in-One Sidebar disappears just go to
View > Toolbars > All-in-One Sidebar Toolbar
and it's back.
View > Toolbars > All-in-One Sidebar Toolbar
and it's back.
Labels: All-in-One Sidebar Toolbar
about:config tweeks i like to make #
Here's a few about:config hacks i like to do (typing about:config into the addressbar of Firefox and you will get to a page where you can change a lot of the FF preferences):
browser.xul.error_pages.enabled - true
When browsing a page with a lot of pix on it i usually middle click the pix (to open the pic in a new tab) to look at after i have read the page. If for some reason one of the pix fails to load FF snaps me to that tab with a dialog box, not just any dialog box but a modal dialog box. A Modal dialog box freezes FF until you click OK or something, very annoying. This setting changes it from a dialog box to an error page, more importantly it doesn't snap you from the page (tab) you are on to the error tab so you can go on reading the page you are on even if a pic didn't load.
extensions.newAddons - false (right-click and make this Boolean preference if it is not there, it probably won't be there)
This one stops the add-on manger popping up after you restart after installing an add-on. So annoying, "Yes Firefox, i know i just installed an add-on, thank you very much".
browser.tabs.closeButtons - 2
This one takes the close (X) off the tabs. i middle-click (scroll wheel) links to open them in a new tab and i middle-click the tabs to close them, i don't need the X.
browser.tabs.tabMinWidth - 72
The default for this one is 100. It sets how small the tabs can be (in pixels) before scroll arrows appear on the right of the tab bar. The add-on FaviconizeTab helps here as you can set it to shrink certain site tabs down to the favicon, a lot of sites don't give very useful information in the tab text so shrinking them down to just the icon saves space.
noscript.firstRunRedirection - false
Stops the page loading after a NoScript update. There was quite a little war about this recently.
view_source.editor.external - true
and then...
view_source.editor.path - V:\PortableApps\Notepad++Portable\Notepad++Portable.exe
Set to true then specify the path to the editor you want to use when you right-click/View Page Source on a web-page.
As i run my FF portable always from a truecrypt container mounted to the V:\ drive i set my path to the very cool Notepad++, you can set it to whatever editor you would like to use.
browser.urlbar.maxRichResults - 0 (default = 12)
Turns the "awesome bar" off. Whenever i try to change anything in the URL bar my FF freezes and the HD start working hard, this is the awesome bar doing it's thing. The first thing i do with a new FF install is remove the search toolbar as i use Quicksearches so i type in the URL bar a lot and the awesome bar freeze is very annoying.
This post is also a reference for me. i have been using the same install of FF for about two years now because it is portable and i can just copy it around to new PCs. If i ever did need to make a new FF install it's nice to have a place to reference all the tweeks i made, these are my main ones.
browser.xul.error_pages.enabled - true
When browsing a page with a lot of pix on it i usually middle click the pix (to open the pic in a new tab) to look at after i have read the page. If for some reason one of the pix fails to load FF snaps me to that tab with a dialog box, not just any dialog box but a modal dialog box. A Modal dialog box freezes FF until you click OK or something, very annoying. This setting changes it from a dialog box to an error page, more importantly it doesn't snap you from the page (tab) you are on to the error tab so you can go on reading the page you are on even if a pic didn't load.
extensions.newAddons - false (right-click and make this Boolean preference if it is not there, it probably won't be there)
This one stops the add-on manger popping up after you restart after installing an add-on. So annoying, "Yes Firefox, i know i just installed an add-on, thank you very much".
browser.tabs.closeButtons - 2
This one takes the close (X) off the tabs. i middle-click (scroll wheel) links to open them in a new tab and i middle-click the tabs to close them, i don't need the X.
browser.tabs.tabMinWidth - 72
The default for this one is 100. It sets how small the tabs can be (in pixels) before scroll arrows appear on the right of the tab bar. The add-on FaviconizeTab helps here as you can set it to shrink certain site tabs down to the favicon, a lot of sites don't give very useful information in the tab text so shrinking them down to just the icon saves space.
noscript.firstRunRedirection - false
Stops the page loading after a NoScript update. There was quite a little war about this recently.
view_source.editor.external - true
and then...
view_source.editor.path - V:\PortableApps\Notepad++Portable\Notepad++Portable.exe
Set to true then specify the path to the editor you want to use when you right-click/View Page Source on a web-page.
As i run my FF portable always from a truecrypt container mounted to the V:\ drive i set my path to the very cool Notepad++, you can set it to whatever editor you would like to use.
browser.urlbar.maxRichResults - 0 (default = 12)
Turns the "awesome bar" off. Whenever i try to change anything in the URL bar my FF freezes and the HD start working hard, this is the awesome bar doing it's thing. The first thing i do with a new FF install is remove the search toolbar as i use Quicksearches so i type in the URL bar a lot and the awesome bar freeze is very annoying.
This post is also a reference for me. i have been using the same install of FF for about two years now because it is portable and i can just copy it around to new PCs. If i ever did need to make a new FF install it's nice to have a place to reference all the tweeks i made, these are my main ones.
Labels: about:config, Firefox tip, tweek
Vote up PortableApps.com #
update #
i have a friendfeed here. Friendfeed is like a RSS feed of ALL your activity on the internet, people can subscribe to one feed and see all the stuff you do online.
On a side note i am making this post from my iGoogle page with a cool little Google Gadget called Blogger, it's so simple, there is even a Friendfeed gadget. My iGoogle page is looking very cool now, i can even read my mail from there, sweet.
On a side note i am making this post from my iGoogle page with a cool little Google Gadget called Blogger, it's so simple, there is even a Friendfeed gadget. My iGoogle page is looking very cool now, i can even read my mail from there, sweet.
Labels: friendfeed, google, igoogle, mail
it's funny #
but i seem to be getting far away
Labels: from alive
Reactions to a cover letter #
OK i am on Bottom feeders again, i not feeling so bad, it's gets me to bike ride everyday, on the way home is a big hill, OK that is me looking for the positive.
i am still using the same cover letter, recap:
i had thoughts of a full blog post raging about how i never wanted to seize any day, but why bother, the only cunts who will read it are humans.
eh, he was nice tho, made me smile (:
i find it a bit funny that all these people think i actually want a job. i was thinking of changing the line "but they won’t let me just die in peace" to "but they won’t let me just drink myself to death in my scummy flat in peace", i don't know, is that to honest ?
i may add a link to this post in the cover letter, just for fun, Or i may just e-mail this post/link to those who reacted, seems a better option (:
i will *UPDATE* as i receive.
i am still using the same cover letter, recap:
Subject: THIS E-MAIL IS A WASTE OF TIME
Hello my name is Robert. At the moment I am unemployed and after a certain amount of time on benefit they send you on a soul destroying course in the hopes of depressing you back to work. I am on such a course at the moment and for the first part of the course we have to come in and “do job search” all day and prove we have at least applied for 5 job. Consequentially a lot of useless e-mails get sent out and I am afraid this is one of them.
If you found this e-mail annoying and a waste of your time please feel free to let “A4e” know (a strange company, made to inflict misery on already miserable lives, who would work for a company like that ?).
I won’t thank you for your time as I am sorry I wasted it but they won’t let me just die in peace, man this is depressing.
CV attached.
i have been getting a few different reactions to this cover letter.Hello my name is Robert. At the moment I am unemployed and after a certain amount of time on benefit they send you on a soul destroying course in the hopes of depressing you back to work. I am on such a course at the moment and for the first part of the course we have to come in and “do job search” all day and prove we have at least applied for 5 job. Consequentially a lot of useless e-mails get sent out and I am afraid this is one of them.
If you found this e-mail annoying and a waste of your time please feel free to let “A4e” know (a strange company, made to inflict misery on already miserable lives, who would work for a company like that ?).
I won’t thank you for your time as I am sorry I wasted it but they won’t let me just die in peace, man this is depressing.
CV attached.
Reaction one
Hi Robert,
You're a legend and whilst you did waste my time, your mail made me and my colleague laugh...So, in return I've attached a doc that I'm sure you'll enjoy.
Take care man...rage against the machine
This was the best reaction so far, they actually sent me a PDF called "reasons for Cameras on Mobile Phone" which was full of pix of naked ladies, HAHA cool. Apply for a job, get porn.You're a legend and whilst you did waste my time, your mail made me and my colleague laugh...So, in return I've attached a doc that I'm sure you'll enjoy.
Take care man...rage against the machine
Reaction two
Hi Robert,
Sorry but we don’t have any roles suitable for you at the moment – have you considered a career in comedy?
Your cover letter had a spattering of a young Jack Dee…
All the best and Good luck!
Oz.
This one made me smile to, not nasty, i think i made him smile, as i find myself in this shit, that is all i can ask for.Sorry but we don’t have any roles suitable for you at the moment – have you considered a career in comedy?
Your cover letter had a spattering of a young Jack Dee…
All the best and Good luck!
Oz.
Reaction three
Hi Robert
I am sorry that things are so depressing for you and they are making you do something you so obviously don't want to do.
I wish you the best of luck in the future and I hope that you will one day find your perfect job as you obviously have some good skills under your belt.
Kind regards
Mary-Kate
The first female to react, seems concerned, still nice.I am sorry that things are so depressing for you and they are making you do something you so obviously don't want to do.
I wish you the best of luck in the future and I hope that you will one day find your perfect job as you obviously have some good skills under your belt.
Kind regards
Mary-Kate
Reaction four
Robert,
If this is a joke, then stop it, as it actually does waste my time reading it, not that it probably bothers you. However, looking at your cv it seems that you do have a lot of computer and design skills. If you applied these in the right way there shouldn't be a reason you can't find work in this field. I expect thought that this is more of an attitude issue.
Regards
Simon Pilkington
Recruitment Consultant
BetRecruit (shite web-site)
So lets recap, we have had: the cool guy, comedy guy, concerned girl, now we get to the cunt. First let me point out he actually wasted his time to e-mail me to tell me i wasted his time, OMG what a twat. Can you imagine working for this guy, BetRecruit i feel sorry for everybody there. "then stop it" who the fuck does this wanker think he is. Simon Pilkington you are nominated as the biggest cunt i have come into contact with recently, and i'm on a course at A4e, those cunts are worms beyond belief. Where is your god now ?If this is a joke, then stop it, as it actually does waste my time reading it, not that it probably bothers you. However, looking at your cv it seems that you do have a lot of computer and design skills. If you applied these in the right way there shouldn't be a reason you can't find work in this field. I expect thought that this is more of an attitude issue.
Regards
Simon Pilkington
Recruitment Consultant
BetRecruit (shite web-site)
Reaction five
Hi Robert,
That's the funniest thing I've read for a while. At least you've got a
sense of humour. If I have anything available I'll give you a call.
I recruit for Beds, Oxon, Bucks, Berks.
Many thanks
Craig
Another nice one, that i can make someone smile somewhere, my job is done (:That's the funniest thing I've read for a while. At least you've got a
sense of humour. If I have anything available I'll give you a call.
I recruit for Beds, Oxon, Bucks, Berks.
Many thanks
Craig
Reaction six
Hi Robert
whilst your email made me laugh, the truth is that you obviously need to get some employment of any kind just to break your depression, and the cycle you find yourself in.
Some tips ( if your vaguely interested)
Work on your CV, capital letters etc and for someone of your age and experience a single side of A4 just doesn't cut it.
Your a better person than that.
that's the sort of rubbish I get everyday from foreign applicants who don't even know what job they are applying for.
You can do many more things with computers than I can ever imagine doing. sell yourself. Sell the brand 'Robert Booth Hudson'
infact technically you have all the skills I was looking for when I posted this job. presented in a professional way, and with more back ground included I would have interviewed you.
As an employee you would have needed to bring some oomph to the office, not dragged everyone down!
Do you do volunteer work? do you have hobbies? a family? a dog?
what do you fill your days with?
these things are important to prospective employers, ( and over burden tax payers)
I wish you luck in the future Robert, but you are in control of your destiny.
Carpe Diem my friend, Carpe Diem.
Chi Chi
i can't even be bothered to blog how much i hate humans at this point, RAGE ?whilst your email made me laugh, the truth is that you obviously need to get some employment of any kind just to break your depression, and the cycle you find yourself in.
Some tips ( if your vaguely interested)
Work on your CV, capital letters etc and for someone of your age and experience a single side of A4 just doesn't cut it.
Your a better person than that.
that's the sort of rubbish I get everyday from foreign applicants who don't even know what job they are applying for.
You can do many more things with computers than I can ever imagine doing. sell yourself. Sell the brand 'Robert Booth Hudson'
infact technically you have all the skills I was looking for when I posted this job. presented in a professional way, and with more back ground included I would have interviewed you.
As an employee you would have needed to bring some oomph to the office, not dragged everyone down!
Do you do volunteer work? do you have hobbies? a family? a dog?
what do you fill your days with?
these things are important to prospective employers, ( and over burden tax payers)
I wish you luck in the future Robert, but you are in control of your destiny.
Carpe Diem my friend, Carpe Diem.
Chi Chi
i had thoughts of a full blog post raging about how i never wanted to seize any day, but why bother, the only cunts who will read it are humans.
eh, he was nice tho, made me smile (:
i find it a bit funny that all these people think i actually want a job. i was thinking of changing the line "but they won’t let me just die in peace" to "but they won’t let me just drink myself to death in my scummy flat in peace", i don't know, is that to honest ?
i may add a link to this post in the cover letter, just for fun, Or i may just e-mail this post/link to those who reacted, seems a better option (:
i will *UPDATE* as i receive.
Labels: A4e, bottom feeders, cover letter, CV, dole, unemployed
underneath #
i'm not one for looking into the past but i found two lost streets under the housing estate i live on (Curnock Street Estate). i was playing with a Google Earth overlay called Rumsey Historical Maps. This takes old maps and overlays them onto your Google Earth, warping them into the correct placement.
This is my housing estate in GEarth.
This is the map with the B.R. Davies 1843 London map overlay.
There you have it, Archer Street and Queen Street. i always thought there would be an old street under here called Curnock Street, seems logical.
It is a beautiful map, amazing detail. B.R. Davies seemed to working under the supervision of the "Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge", how cool is that name.
i wondered about those lost streets, the people who were born, grew up, and died calling them home. A few google searches later turned up A London Policeman's arrest book, funny. Of interest here is Henry Lealand of 50 Archer St fined £30 for Street Betting in 1920 and Alfred Pierce of 49 Queen St bound over for Frequenting Premises in 1920, seems Alfred was under 18 in a pub, made me smile.
i found few more references to the streets and i could of gone on searching but as i said, i am not really one for looking back. i suppose now those two streets are a little less lost because of this blog post (:
A quick guide to getting Rumsey Historical Maps enabled:
This is my housing estate in GEarth.
This is the map with the B.R. Davies 1843 London map overlay.
There you have it, Archer Street and Queen Street. i always thought there would be an old street under here called Curnock Street, seems logical.
It is a beautiful map, amazing detail. B.R. Davies seemed to working under the supervision of the "Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge", how cool is that name.
i wondered about those lost streets, the people who were born, grew up, and died calling them home. A few google searches later turned up A London Policeman's arrest book, funny. Of interest here is Henry Lealand of 50 Archer St fined £30 for Street Betting in 1920 and Alfred Pierce of 49 Queen St bound over for Frequenting Premises in 1920, seems Alfred was under 18 in a pub, made me smile.
i found few more references to the streets and i could of gone on searching but as i said, i am not really one for looking back. i suppose now those two streets are a little less lost because of this blog post (:
A quick guide to getting Rumsey Historical Maps enabled:
Labels: Curnock Street Estate, Google Earth, London, Past
so called #
Stab me in the heart, i can't remember any of the girls i loved...
Labels: nothing
Firefox3 download day #
Firefox is having a Download day, trying to set a world record for most software downloads in 24 hours. i hope everyone who reads this blog uses Firefox (friends don't let friends use anything else). Click the pic on the left for info. The exact date is not known yet but i am sure you will hear about it.The fox in that pic BTW is the Japanese Firefox mascot Foxkeh, i've got an avatar of him in SL, very cool, everyone smiles when they see me (even the people on Microsoft Island, lol).
*UPDATE 1*
Next Tuesday (17 June) is Download Day, see ya there.*UPDATE 2*
YAY, i win:
Labels: browser, download day, Firefox
Running password unsafe programs safely (sort of) #
i discovered a very nice security side effect from the post below (especially for laptops). In the first paragraph i talked about how Pidgin stores all your IM passwords in plane text (in XP look in "C:\Documents and Settings\your name\Application Data\.purple\accounts.xml" to see for yourself), not good. Also Firefox and it's remembered passwords, let me paint a really bad picture for you. You lose you laptop, hopefully you have everything backed up but what about all your info on it. The theft/finder connects to the internet with it and goes to http://mail.google.com and look, he is logged on to your google account, eek. Then he goes to Facebook/MySpace, sees the log-on e-mail, clicks "Forgot Password" and gets your Facebook/MySpace password sent to your GMail address, now he has you Facebook/MySpace accounts. Thunderbird for all your pop3 accounts. You can see how someone with access to your laptop could really mess up your on-line life.
In the last paragraph of the post below i said how i have backed up the truecrypt encrypted file (v) on my desktop PC, well i got to thinking, in that file are "portable" versions of Pidgin/Firefox/Thinderbird. These version are no different that the standard versions except they are made to run everything from one folder. FirefoxPortable and ThunderbirdPortable even update the same as the standard versions. Your Firefox profile is in the same folder as FirefoxPortable, same with the PidginPortable (including the plane text password file), all from one folder.
i showed how easy it is to use a *.cmd file to mount a truecrypt volume and run a program and i thought why don't i just have my shortcut to say... Pidgin point at a *.cmd file to mount/run instead of pointing at the installed program. So now i have runP.cmd (Pidgin), runFF.cmd (firefox), you get the idea.
This is runP.cmd:
The "IF EXIST" line is easy to understand, if "v:\StartPortableApps.exe" exists (which it only could if the V:\ drive is already mounted) then bypass the TrueCrypt mount line and GOTO ":runProg" which just runs the start Pidgin line. If "v:\StartPortableApps.exe" doesn't exists it runs the TrueCrypt mount line, simple. That's how i do it because i use my USB back-up file.
Download truecrypt and run, pick extract and copy TrueCrypt.exe, TrueCrypt Format.exe, truecrypt.sys and truecrypt-x64.sys to "C:\Program Files\unsafePrograms\", that's TrueCrypt in "traveler mode", i.e. portable. Run TrueCrypt.exe and make an encrypted file called something like "programs", 500MB should be OK (you can make a bigger one later if need be), don't matter where you make it, you can copy to unsafePrograms later. You can delete "TrueCrypt Format.exe" now, that was just there so you could create the "programs" file.
Now download the portable programs you want (Pidgin, Firefox, Thinderbird). Run the *.(paf).exe files, when they ask where to install to, browse to ya desktop (remember these are portable programs, they can run from anywhere, you can copy them anywhere).
All extracted now run TrueCrypt.exe and mount the encrypted file "programs" as P:\ (p for programs, of course pick your own drive letter). Copy all the folders from the desktop to the P:\ drive (P:\PidginPortable\, P:\FirefoxPortable\, P:\ThunderbirdPortable\). Now unmount the P:\ drive.
Make C:\Program Files\unsafePrograms\unmount.cmd:
Now make three quick *.cmd files...
Thunderbird (runTB.cmd):
Firefox (runFF.cmd):
Pidgin (runPID.cmd):
Now just make shortcuts to the *.cmd files (right-click on a *.cmd file and drag & drop to the desktop, pick "Create Shortcuts Here"). Pidgin icon, Thunderbird & Firefox icons (direct links).
Now you switch on ya laptop, click the Firefox icon, you get asked for a password, give it, and firefox runs. Now if you want to run Thunderbird or Pidgin you will not be asked for a password because the p:\ drive is already mounted. Switching off the laptop unmounts the P:\ drive.
OK now lets look again the the nasty picture i painted before. A theft nicks ya laptop, runs it and sees the Firefox icon, his little mind lights up thinking of all your accounts he is going to own. he clicks the icon and is like WTF, why is firefox asking for a password, weird. OK he sees the Pidgin icon so he thinks he owns all your passwords, goes and has a look at "C:\Documents and Settings\your name\Application Data\" but finds no ".purple" folder so he clicks the icon, again he is asked for a password. He right-clicks the shortcut, goes the the folder it points to and sees TrueCrypt.exe and understand he is never going to see any of your stuff, all he can do now is format the laptop and start again. It's bad you lost your laptop but you can feel safe in the knowledge all your accounts are safe.
Hope you found this useful, stay safe ^_~
In the last paragraph of the post below i said how i have backed up the truecrypt encrypted file (v) on my desktop PC, well i got to thinking, in that file are "portable" versions of Pidgin/Firefox/Thinderbird. These version are no different that the standard versions except they are made to run everything from one folder. FirefoxPortable and ThunderbirdPortable even update the same as the standard versions. Your Firefox profile is in the same folder as FirefoxPortable, same with the PidginPortable (including the plane text password file), all from one folder.
i showed how easy it is to use a *.cmd file to mount a truecrypt volume and run a program and i thought why don't i just have my shortcut to say... Pidgin point at a *.cmd file to mount/run instead of pointing at the installed program. So now i have runP.cmd (Pidgin), runFF.cmd (firefox), you get the idea.
This is runP.cmd:
@echo off
IF EXIST v:\StartPortableApps.exe GOTO runProg
TrueCrypt /v v /l v /m rm /a /q
:runProg
start /Dv:\PortableApps\PidginPortable\ PidginPortable.exe
exit
IF EXIST v:\StartPortableApps.exe GOTO runProg
TrueCrypt /v v /l v /m rm /a /q
:runProg
start /Dv:\PortableApps\PidginPortable\ PidginPortable.exe
exit
The "IF EXIST" line is easy to understand, if "v:\StartPortableApps.exe" exists (which it only could if the V:\ drive is already mounted) then bypass the TrueCrypt mount line and GOTO ":runProg" which just runs the start Pidgin line. If "v:\StartPortableApps.exe" doesn't exists it runs the TrueCrypt mount line, simple. That's how i do it because i use my USB back-up file.
solution for safety
This is what i was thinking for laptop users. Make a folder in C:\Program Files\ called something like unsafePrograms (obviously you would call it something else but for this example i'll call it that).Download truecrypt and run, pick extract and copy TrueCrypt.exe, TrueCrypt Format.exe, truecrypt.sys and truecrypt-x64.sys to "C:\Program Files\unsafePrograms\", that's TrueCrypt in "traveler mode", i.e. portable. Run TrueCrypt.exe and make an encrypted file called something like "programs", 500MB should be OK (you can make a bigger one later if need be), don't matter where you make it, you can copy to unsafePrograms later. You can delete "TrueCrypt Format.exe" now, that was just there so you could create the "programs" file.
Now download the portable programs you want (Pidgin, Firefox, Thinderbird). Run the *.(paf).exe files, when they ask where to install to, browse to ya desktop (remember these are portable programs, they can run from anywhere, you can copy them anywhere).
All extracted now run TrueCrypt.exe and mount the encrypted file "programs" as P:\ (p for programs, of course pick your own drive letter). Copy all the folders from the desktop to the P:\ drive (P:\PidginPortable\, P:\FirefoxPortable\, P:\ThunderbirdPortable\). Now unmount the P:\ drive.
Make C:\Program Files\unsafePrograms\unmount.cmd:
@echo off
TrueCrypt /d p /q
exit
to quickly unmount truecrypt volumes (change p if you picked another drive letter).TrueCrypt /d p /q
exit
Now make three quick *.cmd files...
Thunderbird (runTB.cmd):
@echo off
IF EXIST P:\ThunderbirdPortable\ThunderbirdPortable.exe GOTO runProg
TrueCrypt /v programs /l p /m rm /a /q
:runProg
start /DP:\ThunderbirdPortable\ ThunderbirdPortable.exe
exit
IF EXIST P:\ThunderbirdPortable\ThunderbirdPortable.exe GOTO runProg
TrueCrypt /v programs /l p /m rm /a /q
:runProg
start /DP:\ThunderbirdPortable\ ThunderbirdPortable.exe
exit
Firefox (runFF.cmd):
@echo off
IF EXIST P:\FirefoxPortable\FirefoxPortable.exe GOTO runProg
TrueCrypt /v programs /l p /m rm /a /q
:runProg
start /DP:\FirefoxPortable\ FirefoxPortable.exe
exit
IF EXIST P:\FirefoxPortable\FirefoxPortable.exe GOTO runProg
TrueCrypt /v programs /l p /m rm /a /q
:runProg
start /DP:\FirefoxPortable\ FirefoxPortable.exe
exit
Pidgin (runPID.cmd):
@echo off
IF EXIST P:\PidginPortable\PidginPortable.exe GOTO runProg
TrueCrypt /v programs /l p /m rm /a /q
:runProg
start /DP:\PidginPortable\ PidginPortable.exe
exit
IF EXIST P:\PidginPortable\PidginPortable.exe GOTO runProg
TrueCrypt /v programs /l p /m rm /a /q
:runProg
start /DP:\PidginPortable\ PidginPortable.exe
exit
Now just make shortcuts to the *.cmd files (right-click on a *.cmd file and drag & drop to the desktop, pick "Create Shortcuts Here"). Pidgin icon, Thunderbird & Firefox icons (direct links).
Now you switch on ya laptop, click the Firefox icon, you get asked for a password, give it, and firefox runs. Now if you want to run Thunderbird or Pidgin you will not be asked for a password because the p:\ drive is already mounted. Switching off the laptop unmounts the P:\ drive.
OK now lets look again the the nasty picture i painted before. A theft nicks ya laptop, runs it and sees the Firefox icon, his little mind lights up thinking of all your accounts he is going to own. he clicks the icon and is like WTF, why is firefox asking for a password, weird. OK he sees the Pidgin icon so he thinks he owns all your passwords, goes and has a look at "C:\Documents and Settings\your name\Application Data\" but finds no ".purple" folder so he clicks the icon, again he is asked for a password. He right-clicks the shortcut, goes the the folder it points to and sees TrueCrypt.exe and understand he is never going to see any of your stuff, all he can do now is format the laptop and start again. It's bad you lost your laptop but you can feel safe in the knowledge all your accounts are safe.
Hope you found this useful, stay safe ^_~
*UPDATE*
i just had a cool thought, you could make a *.cmd file to run all these programs, like "runEVERY.cmd":@echo off
IF EXIST P:\PidginPortable\PidginPortable.exe GOTO runProg
TrueCrypt /v programs /l p /m rm /a /q
:runProg
start /DP:\PidginPortable\ PidginPortable.exe
start /DP:\ThunderbirdPortable\ ThunderbirdPortable.exe
start /DP:\FirefoxPortable\ FirefoxPortable.exe
exit
Nice, you can open all ya internet programs with one shortcut.IF EXIST P:\PidginPortable\PidginPortable.exe GOTO runProg
TrueCrypt /v programs /l p /m rm /a /q
:runProg
start /DP:\PidginPortable\ PidginPortable.exe
start /DP:\ThunderbirdPortable\ ThunderbirdPortable.exe
start /DP:\FirefoxPortable\ FirefoxPortable.exe
exit
Labels: laptop security, passwords, truecrypt
Geek Porn (USB style) #
My USB thumb drive is cool. i just recently encrypted the whole thing (well 3.50GB of the 4.00GB), i had it unencrypted for a long time and i didn't install a few plugins in Portable Firefox because of this, if i had lost the drive, the finder would have had access to all me passwords (including this blogs password) as i am quite lazy and let Firefox remember all my passwords. Pidgin stores it's password file in plain text so the finder would also have had all my IM passwords, not good.
Desktop to begin with.
The USB drive is U3 which means it pretends to be a CD when plunged in so it can autorun. i have set it to autorun a *.cmd file (XP *.bat file) so it can run a few commands. When you plug in a U3 drive there is actually two drives. the CD drive and the data drive, i installed SmithTech App Launcher (ISO for U3 drives) on the "CD" drive and set it to run "Gear/jGo.cmd" on the data drive.
This is jGo.cmd:
As you can see this runs truecrypt (in traveler mode) to mount an encrypted file called v as drive V:\ (i chose V:\ as i heard some people change all their CD drives to something like X,Y or Z so no matter how many HDs/USB keys they attach to their PC their CD letters never get messed up, V:\ seemed like a drive letter no one would choose).
jGo.cmd running truecrypt which is asking for the password.
Once the volume is mounted the next command runs another *.cmd file (vRUN.cmd) on the V:\ drive.
This is vRUN.cmd:
As you see this just runs StartPortableApps.exe (XrX Portable Apps Menu Mod) and RKLauncher.exe, (backup.exe is remarked out, more on what that is later). i could put a lot more commands in there if i wanted. That is the good thing with running a *.cmd file as opposed to running a program (*.exe), lots of commands.
XrX Portable Apps Menu Mod running (it changes the XP wallpaper, cool) with the very nice Moonito 01 theme by jorgito (dA page).
Also runs a nice little OSX like menu thing called RK Launcher which is simple and handles relative paths nicely.
Programs used:
SmithTech App Launcher (ISO for U3 drives)
TrueCrypt
XrX Portable Apps Menu Mod
RK Launcher
Useful site for apps:
PortableApps.com
the Portable Freeware collection
PortableApps Theme Central
my U3 del.icio.us tag (:
The bakup.exe program that doesn't run in vRUN.cmd is interesting, is is basically a bat file that runs a few programs to swipe Windows/IM/network passwords from the PC you plugged the USB key into, and copies them to a text file, it even copies the IE/Firefox history. It is based on the USB Switchblade from the podcast Hak5. It is a *.exe file because there is also a shortcut to it on the PortableApps Menu, one problem i found with the PA menu is it's can't run cmd/bat files so a quick google search found Bat_To_Exe_Converter.exe, name says it all.
To unmount the V:\ drive i made a unmount.cmd:
Once unmounted all that is left is a 3.50GB encrypted file called v, with all me stuff safe inside it. Of course this file is backed up on my desktop PC so if i ever did lose the key i just get a new one and copy it onto that.
Stay safe (and secret) ^_~
Desktop to begin with.
The USB drive is U3 which means it pretends to be a CD when plunged in so it can autorun. i have set it to autorun a *.cmd file (XP *.bat file) so it can run a few commands. When you plug in a U3 drive there is actually two drives. the CD drive and the data drive, i installed SmithTech App Launcher (ISO for U3 drives) on the "CD" drive and set it to run "Gear/jGo.cmd" on the data drive.
This is jGo.cmd:
@echo off
TrueCrypt /v v /l v /m rm /a /q
CMD /c V:\Gear\vRUN.cmd
exit
TrueCrypt /v v /l v /m rm /a /q
CMD /c V:\Gear\vRUN.cmd
exit
As you can see this runs truecrypt (in traveler mode) to mount an encrypted file called v as drive V:\ (i chose V:\ as i heard some people change all their CD drives to something like X,Y or Z so no matter how many HDs/USB keys they attach to their PC their CD letters never get messed up, V:\ seemed like a drive letter no one would choose).
jGo.cmd running truecrypt which is asking for the password.
Once the volume is mounted the next command runs another *.cmd file (vRUN.cmd) on the V:\ drive.
This is vRUN.cmd:
@echo off
rem start /wait /d "Gear\backup" bakup.exe
start StartPortableApps.exe
start /d "Gear\RK" RKLauncher.exe
exit
rem start /wait /d "Gear\backup" bakup.exe
start StartPortableApps.exe
start /d "Gear\RK" RKLauncher.exe
exit
As you see this just runs StartPortableApps.exe (XrX Portable Apps Menu Mod) and RKLauncher.exe, (backup.exe is remarked out, more on what that is later). i could put a lot more commands in there if i wanted. That is the good thing with running a *.cmd file as opposed to running a program (*.exe), lots of commands.
XrX Portable Apps Menu Mod running (it changes the XP wallpaper, cool) with the very nice Moonito 01 theme by jorgito (dA page).
Also runs a nice little OSX like menu thing called RK Launcher which is simple and handles relative paths nicely.
Programs used:
SmithTech App Launcher (ISO for U3 drives)
TrueCrypt
XrX Portable Apps Menu Mod
RK Launcher
Useful site for apps:
PortableApps.com
the Portable Freeware collection
PortableApps Theme Central
my U3 del.icio.us tag (:
The bakup.exe program that doesn't run in vRUN.cmd is interesting, is is basically a bat file that runs a few programs to swipe Windows/IM/network passwords from the PC you plugged the USB key into, and copies them to a text file, it even copies the IE/Firefox history. It is based on the USB Switchblade from the podcast Hak5. It is a *.exe file because there is also a shortcut to it on the PortableApps Menu, one problem i found with the PA menu is it's can't run cmd/bat files so a quick google search found Bat_To_Exe_Converter.exe, name says it all.
To unmount the V:\ drive i made a unmount.cmd:
@echo off
TrueCrypt /d V /q
exit
TrueCrypt /d V /q
exit
Once unmounted all that is left is a 3.50GB encrypted file called v, with all me stuff safe inside it. Of course this file is backed up on my desktop PC so if i ever did lose the key i just get a new one and copy it onto that.
Stay safe (and secret) ^_~
