Author: cseeeceim

How to add a repository in F-Droid

For many who don’t know what F-Droid is, it is a platform full of free and open-source applications for Android devices and it has many useful apps that are both free and privacy friendly that requires minimum user permissions.

What you don’t get in Google play store you get here. Moreover you also have an option to add the repository (apps from unlisted trusted sources) that are unavailable by default. You can get the F-Droid app from its website www.f-droid.org and install on any Android phone regardless of its version but for now we are only going to focus on how to add a repository inside the F-Droid app as the installation part needs a separate article.
I have provided the screenshots of each and every step below for the reader’s convenience. So let’s jump in
First open the F-Droid app from your home page as shown below
Next inside the app choose settings
Once inside tap on repositories 
Then tap on add repository at the bottom right of the app
By default only F-Droid is available and enabled but you can add other repositories as discussed earlier.
Now we will see how to add a repository from a website of our choice
In our example we are going to add a repository called IronFox OSS from the website www.ironfoxoss.org 
Head on to the above website by typing it in on your browser’s address bar as shown below
Once in scroll below to find the apps repository link and click on it as shown below
Now you have two options either click on that link that shows a pop up like shown below or click and hold to bring a popup menu that shows an option to open that link in a private tab or copy the same, for ease of use we are going to choose the first option and click open
This will open the apps repository link inside our F-Droid app as shown below once in choose add repository 
This will show up on your app like this telling us that the repository has been added to our app. 
Confirm the same by visiting the repository section like we saw earlier.
That’s it we have now successfully added a repository inside our F-Droid app.
Now you can teach this to your friends and other people who need the most and let them know the geeky side of you. 🙂
So I hope you have learned and liked what I taught you in this blog see you all in another interesting post until then it’s bye from me. Cheers.

Do not update apps for better hardware performance – is it true? – maybe

Going by the title many people would bombard me with criticism for misleading people with such statement as it is not heard by many. Instead contrary to this statement people and experts would say it is not true that is because countless times even the manufacturers would ask the users to upgrade the software if any update is released by them for fixing a bug either hardware or software related.

OK what is the actual reason to upgrade?
With the advent of smartphones the internet has never been so easily accessible as before and it’s cost has been so affordable that even after 4g entry. Also with not much data cap and the ability to use unused data on weekends paved way for using other apps like Netflix, Amazon prime etc. Moreover people nowadays upgrade their apps or phone firmware after receiving any notification without giving a second thought and that too after the increase in cybercrime incidents especially early 2020 during pandemic.
But what is the real reason to upgrade our phone/pc firmware and apps in the first place and why the developers do so?
Early 2010 during the smartphones entry into the market people had the option to install the app from the app stores like play store by Google or ovi store by Nokia but some notorious users found ways to install apps from some shady websites to bypass the pro version restrictions of their favourite apps especially games that they can’t afford. But cybercriminals used this to their advantage by luring those users to download other apps too which contained their adware and spyware.
Not knowing this users when realised they have been infected went to their device service providers and asking them to get it repaired saying ‘this device behaves weirdly’ and the service providers flash those hardware chips with new firmware and then came the antivirus providers for smartphones when there is no need for them in the first place as only the user error that bought them in.
Further to protect their reputation and not to be hard on customers and for their convenience the manufacturers started providing software update both for apps as well as for firmwares they did so inorder to patch any vulnerability and to fix bugs and provide new features to existing apps but what was interesting is they started it to use it to their advantage by bundling other apps and restricting users to change permissions telling them ‘it is done so for better service ‘ but actually not. As time passed by the manufacturers started providing their devices with ‘default apps’ tying up with app providers for better revenue by selling customer data with (out) their consent. Knowing that customers found a way by blocking internet per app and uninstalling those apps the manufacturers denied the option to either uninstall or disable them. Adding to that the manufacturers also made it even worse by ‘asking users to ‘accept’ their eula’ while setting up their new phone but only to know later that their phone calls home by sending usage statistics and other data no matter what software and techniques the user uses to stop it. The only difference between a tech savvy user and a normal user is the former gives less data while the later doesn’t know how to limit.
Okay but why all this explanation when the question is why to upgrade?
Yes you are right but sorry to explain all these facts as it helps for better understanding about the big picture. I would like to explain it with an example in our case an Android Smartphone but the same goes for all other devices and their manufacturers. Nowadays Android Smartphones come with 2years security updates and that includes updates to new firmware (new version of Android with UI) from the phone manufacturer but the catch is with each update the phone becomes slow and starts heating eventually making you go for another phone within a 3years time. Thanks to the evolution of technology within a short time as service providers and phone manufacturers work hand in hand to make people buy their products again and again even if there is no reason. When you update your phone with new apps and firmware the phone requires more resources than earlier to run them that includes storage space, memory, processing as a result the phone starts behaving wierdly over a period of time as this is a common case of phone heating over time. Also with each update comes more features (even if you don’t need them) graphics and permissions (includes access to internet) with no option to disable them or go back to previous version but only to find that to move on with it.
Okay got it but experts and most of the tech people say that to upgrade for security reasons and is it not wrong to ignore them?
Agreed. But please keep in mind that security reasons change from phone to phone and from app to app so the security patch for one phone and model might not be required for another phone infact it may break the existing stable version making it even worse to update and fix the flaw caused by the current update with the next one and the same goes for the apps too. So it is recommended to read the release notes before updating the phone firmware and the apps and that too only if it is required.
Is it not safe to not update apps when the phone is connected to the internet?
Please keep in mind that except a few apps most apps do not use the internet to function and except the apps that requires login and other personal information it is safe to run the other apps as it is. To make it easy and safe when buying a new phone and running for the first time tick only the check boxes that is necessary for the phone to function properly and uninstall the apps provided by the provider that comes by default that includes disabling the apps that doesn’t have the option to remove them, second install apps only from Google Play Store and look for apps that is same in function but with less permissions especially the apps without internet. Third instead of using individual apps for each purpose use a browser like Firefox that comes with privacy settings by default by doing so you not only limit the data sent to the provider but also minimise the headache by updating all the apps you can use the built in password manager provided by Firefox and set it to update automatically by ticking the check box provided in the options provided in the Play Store app (if you are too paranoid). 
But my phone still heats up even though I don’t have many apps running what now?
If this is the case see your privacy settings especially the ones that send data to the providers or buy a new phone if you have a plan of doing so if your phone is old. New phones nowadays are better equipped by using only the required permission and with options to use only at the time of using that app. Next you can disable the mobile data to only use it when in need or turn on the battery saver so that the app will function as required with less resources and least permission by this way your phone works the way it should by consuming fewer resources and running smooth for long without heating up.

Attrib – An useful windows command for noob as well as for pros

Every computer user once in their life would have come across a file were if they have a to edit that file and save it says ‘The file you want to modify is a ‘read-only’ file, do you want to save a copy of it?’ and there were also instances were the file you look for is kept ‘hidden’ either by your sysadmin or by default if it is a system file. so what are they? and how to make your file as one for your personal use? let’s see

The very basic way to change a any file into a read only file is to locate that file and right click and choose properties and then tick the read only option and hit ok but what if you want to see the attributes of that file before modification? or what if you want to select a list of files inside a folder and set attributes to all at once? then the ‘attrib’ command in your answer.

To start with first open your command prompt by going to start menu and choose ‘cmd’ and hit enter, then type ‘attrib /?’ and hit enter

 

there are a lot of options but the most common ones we use are h (hidden), r (read only) and /S /D and hence we are going to see only these options

Now for our reference we have created two text files namely ‘one’ and ‘two’ and a folder called ‘new folder’ and placed it inside a folder called ‘desktop’ on our desktop to start with first lets change the file to read only by using the regular method by going to properties and choose read only and save it as shown below

Now if we change the content of this file even by a letter or two and when we try to save it shows the pop up menu that ‘this file already exists, do you want to replace it?’

and when choosen yes it says ‘the file is a read only file try using a different name’

This tells us the read only option is in place, now we are going to apply these attributes using the command line option as discussed earlier. Before that i have removed the read only option to start fresh

Now open the command line window and type attrib then apply the read only option to that file by typing ‘attrib +r “location of that file”‘ and hit enter similarly use the hidden attribute by typing ‘+h’ to the file as shown below

After doing so if we check the attributes of that file it shows as read only and hidden since those attributes are applied

If we go to the desktop to see the file the file which was present before is now hidden as the attributes are applied

 
 
 

Now we are going to remove the hidden attribute by typing in ‘attrib -h “to the file we need”‘ then we can see the hidden attribute is removed as shown below

From the above we have learned to apply attributes and remove the same for the file we needed now we will see how to do the same for the folders and subfolders and the files inside it 

For this we have created two test files and one folder and placed it inside the folder named ‘desktop’ as shown below

Next we will open the command prompt and type in ‘attrib +r “folder location” /S /D’ and hit enter the /s and the /d option is used to change the attributes of a folder and also the sub folders and the files present inside it but before doing so please ensure you typed in “*.*” at the end of the command so that all the contents inside the folder will be choosen for the attributes to be applied

 

From the screenshot above we can see the read only attributes have been successfully applied to the choosen folder, files and its subfolder when the /s and /d option is used but when the read only option is removed without using the /s and /d option we can see the attribute is removed only for the choosen folder but not the contents inside them. 

Now if we try the same using the /s & /d option we can see the read only option has been removed for the choosen folder and its contents as shown below

With this we are coming to the conclusion as we have now covered all the options that were discussed and learned how to use the attrib command for our choosen files and folders.

This is especially handy when you have to apply attributes to a lot of files and folders if you are a sysadmin or if you are the mr. geek for your family at home. Hope this article was useful to you all and will see you people with another interesting post soon. 

Thanks for reading

Android app of the week#3

This week we will take a look at another awesome app called ‘shutdown’ . This app is similar in purpose like wave up but instead of waking up  the phone this app shows the power menu that you usually get while long pressing the power button.

This app is especially handy on old phones which has a worn out power button or the one that doesn’t have a floating icon that possess the power menu option.  This app can also be used on new phones so that your phone’s power button doesn’t worn out easily.
The app can be downloaded by clicking the hyperlink shown as shutdown. The app doesn’t request any permission as shown below 

further once installing this app you need to do two things one is you should add this app in the ‘do not remind list’ in the power optimisation reminder section under battery settings 

Next is you should enable this app in the accessibility menu for it to function which is important than the previous option
Once done you can use this app whenever you need to turn off or restart your phone  by tapping the icon as shown below
Once you open this app a pop up window comes up with a reminder that tells you to be careful while turning off the phone this is to ensure you don’t get stuck just incase you have a non functional power button 
You can ignore this reminder by hitting ‘ok’ and as soon as you do this the regular power menu pops up which comes up while long pressing your power button as shown below
Now you can choose any one of the above options (mostly ‘restart’ & ‘power off’) as per your need. This is really a handy app and definitely a must one to have considering its usefulness.

Android app of the week #2 – waveup

This week we will take a look at an app called waveup which helps us wake our phone screen without using the power button. This is especially handy for people who have old Android phones with worn out power button.

waveup is an easy to use app which runs in the background with very minimal resource all you have to do during set up is to enable it for it to run in the background. Just ensure that the battery optimisation is turned off for this app to function as shown below
Unlike other apps wave up has an uninstall option provides at the bottom of its app page 
which makes it easier for us to remove it incase the need for it is not required.
The app also has  device administrator privileges as an option just incase the user wants it to run in the background by default with full control 
The author behind the famous app scrambledexif is the one behind this too. There is also a paid version of this app to support the developer which is a Tasker plugin.
This app just needs phone permission to run and the only permission that it has by default 

The app works on the  no. of waves using your hand and it is set as 2 by default. It is recommended to not change this value to function in a way it should.

The app also has other options such as lock screen, pocket mode but it is just enough to run with the defaults.
Everything is just fine with this app when tested the only thing is there hasn’t been an update for a while from the developer for this app but still the last and the current version of this app v3.2.10 works without any flaw and this should do good for all.
Hope you all found this app useful will meet you with another interesting post soon. 
Thanks for reading 

YouTube channel of the week #2 – powercert animated videos

The thought of creating a post every week on the topic app and website of the week has been on my mind for a long time but not about YouTube channels so I gave a thought why not make one?

Since I got inspired by some awesome creators who are the reasons to inspire others to get into IT and the pillars of this field one such channel is powercert animated videos. This is not only a must watch channel for beginners but also for the intermediaries and advanced users as there is always something new to learn in the videos.
The  author of this channel mostly covers about computer hardwares with other important things in IT. Most of his videos are under 10 mins and engaging which makes it easier for us to grasp the  concept clearly. Also the definition about important terms in his videos helps candidates prepare for the interview for the posts like desktop support as the answers are very straight and simple.
The author also helps out individuals by answering their questions in the comment section regarding any doubts about the terms with respect to the topic posted in his video, with addition to this the author recommends the best product to buy in relation to the videos posted EG: which lcd monitor to buy according to your need in the video about LCDs.
The author posts an average about one video per month but it is worth the wait having said all these things the subscribers count increases day by day for the quality of his videos. 
I request you all to subscribe this channel and make use of his videos for enhancing your technical proficiency.  Thanks for reading and see you all soon with another interesting post next week. 

YouTube channel of the week #1 – David Bombal

In today’s topic we will be looking at another YouTube creator Mr. David Bombal. He also has his channel in his name. People who are in cybersecurity must have come across him since he is a notable person he is also known by the name ‘cisco samurai’.

Now for people who think this channel is only for geeks or for the sec community then you are wrong he posts videos on various topics with various modulations at regular intervals. His posts include from inner workings of networking tools to interviews with popular people in the sec community. The beauty of his videos is he questions the interviewers based on common people’s perspective as a result the viewers get to have the contenet with advice that is required for them. Another thing about his videos is he posts topics for people who are new to cybersecurity or preparing to enter this field with ‘how to be successful’, ‘what is the must know topics to survive in this field’ etc and the special thing is he posts these videos for each year according to the current trend at that point of time.
Having said all he also goes further by asking the interviewers regarding the career paths for the aspiring individuals who want to enter this field. As a result people get answers for their choosen field like if they wanted to be a bug bounty hunter they get answers on ‘what being a bug bounty hunter is like’ ‘what skills you need to be successful in this field’ and whether they have it in them or not which makes it easy for them to prepare in advance with confidence since this field is vast with frequent updates.
As of this writing he currently posted a video on best certs for pentesting careers which is worth watching and to add to that this year he has also posted videos on writing a successful resume and what is chatgpt? why it is worth knowing? And what it can do to our careers? Having said all these now he  has also started posting videos on AI whichh makes his channel even more interesting. 
Readers who are interested can watch his videos by clicking the YouTube link given below
That’s it for now hope you found this article interesting, will meet you all with another interesting post soon.
Thanks for reading.

website of the week #2 – privacytools.io

Website of the week #2
*Short Intro* : privacy tools.io is the reference manual for all your privacy needs. From recommending privacy / security focused apps to best security practices this site has all. This site is updated periodically by privacy focused volunteers / authors and security experts. 
This site has apps categorised by OS like windows, Android etc. 
Incase of confusion this site also has a list of should have / use apps by needs. 
Thanks for reading.

Android app of the week #1 – shutdown

One of the common problems with our smartphones is as it ages the power button gets so weak due to several options and because of this issue it is hard for us to restart or shutdown our phone when needed and even if we do it is hard for us to turn on our phone again which makes it even worse. To encounter this issue there is an app called shutdown

The author had created two such apps in the same name, both are the same only difference is the free version comes with a prompt asking you to support this project with a donation by purchasing the paid version (which is less).
The app is just under 150kb and so it doesn’t occupy much space also it doesn’t have permission to access internet which makes it even better. The only permission it asks for is to enable this app under accessibility section under settings so that it can make use of the power menu.
Once installed just click the round red button and the app shows a prompt warning you to ensure the power button functions well as it is not possible to turn on. Next another prompt shows up asking you to support the project incase you use the free version. You can ignore both the prompts (but just check whether your power button functions well) and once it is done the power menu for your phone appears asking you to choose shutdown, restart, vr glass and emergency.
You can choose either of these options but restart and shutdown being the most used options but it is recommended to use restart as it helps increase your power button’s life since the need to use it becomes less.
When tested it operates smoothly and effectively without any hiccups. There are a handful of apps for the power menu but mostly they are heavy, paid and contains ads this one is simple, light and functional.
With this we have covered this app in detail. Hope you found this useful. Ease share this article with your friends and family members of you found this useful. We will meet again with another interesting post soon. Thanks for reading.