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    1. Components involved for flashing a custom Android ROM. Am I understanding things correctly?

      I'm going to be flashing a custom ROM on my Nexus 5X device, and I was just curious if I'm understanding all the components involved. I currently have CopperheadOS on my device, but that ROM may...

      I'm going to be flashing a custom ROM on my Nexus 5X device, and I was just curious if I'm understanding all the components involved. I currently have CopperheadOS on my device, but that ROM may be dead based on current events. I'm not switching because of this news, but mainly because I just want to try something else for the hell of it. I think I'm going to make the switch to Lineage, but there are way more options involved versus flashing CopperheadOS.

      It seems the main components to consider when flashing are the following:

      • The ROM itself (CopperheadOS, Lineage, PureNexus, etc.)
      • The custom recovery (TWRP, etc.)
      • The kernel (ElementalX, Franco, etc.)
      • root (magisk, etc.)
      • Play Services (OpenGApps, etc.)

      CopperheadOS was kind of it's own package, so I didn't have to consider all of these other options.

      My understanding is the minimum decisions I need to make if I want a custom ROM, is picking the ROM itself, and a custom recovery. In my case I'm going for LineageOS and TWRP.

      Choosing a custom kernel seems to be optional. I think I might go with Franco on this one based on the little research I've done. But to flash a custom kernel, I think I need root, right? So now I'll need to get root access which requires another tool. I was going to go with Magisk based on not much. Just seems to be common. So that's 4 main things there. The ROM (LineageOS), the recovery (TWRP), the kernel (Franco), and root (Magisk). I personally don't want any Google services on my device, so I'm fine with skipping that part. I currently don't have any installed, and I'm doing fine without them.

      So does my view on this seem correct? Are all the things I mentioned necessary for what I want to do? If I want LineageOS then I need a custom recovery right? If I want a custom kernel, then I need root which requires a separate tool, right? Just making sure I'm not doing more than I need to if I decided to go through with this. As a side convo, please recommend whatever ROMs, kernels, or root tools that you want. I have a Nexus 5X, and I'm hoping it doesn't bootloop after I'm done doing all this flashing =)

      9 votes
    2. Bitcoin Phishing Attack

      Got this phishing SMSmessage today. I spun up a VM and investigated the domain provided in the message. Found the provider and reported it to them. The phishing page is a replica Coinbase login...

      Got this phishing SMSmessage today. I spun up a VM and investigated the domain provided in the message. Found the provider and reported it to them.

      The phishing page is a replica Coinbase login page.

      https://imgur.com/a/ZSzNKO7

      10 votes
    3. Why doesn't Common Lisp see more usage?

      Hey all, I've been studying Common Lisp recently, and as far as I can see, this is a pretty capable, mature language. Moreover, Lisp has been around since the 60s and it doesn't see much usage (as...

      Hey all,
      I've been studying Common Lisp recently, and as far as I can see, this is a pretty capable, mature language. Moreover, Lisp has been around since the 60s and it doesn't see much usage (as far as I'm aware) outside of Emacs Lisp and AutoLISP. What gives?

      17 votes
    4. Feedback wanted on website/dev project

      Hello ~comp, I've been learning web development in my spare time with the hopes of one day becoming a professional web developer. This is my latest project:...

      Hello ~comp,

      I've been learning web development in my spare time with the hopes of one day becoming a professional web developer.

      This is my latest project: https://github.com/farleykreynolds/toptenify. It's a small static site that pulls your listening data from the Spotify API.

      I welcome any feedback on the design, code, or any other aspect of the project. Thank you!

      6 votes
    5. Are Python virtual environments comparable to Docker containers?

      I've been trying to understand Docker and while also learning Python it occurred to me that virtual environments seem to be the same thing. They're probably not, but can anyone shed some light on...

      I've been trying to understand Docker and while also learning Python it occurred to me that virtual environments seem to be the same thing. They're probably not, but can anyone shed some light on this?

      6 votes
    6. Best for Privacy: Local Recursive DNS vs Cloudflare's DNS over HTTPS

      I'm trying to decide what option I prefer here in terms of privacy. I'm curious of other's opinions on the issue, and if anyone has a better solution to offer more privacy. Option 1: Hosting a...

      I'm trying to decide what option I prefer here in terms of privacy. I'm curious of other's opinions on the issue, and if anyone has a better solution to offer more privacy.


      Option 1: Hosting a local recursive DNS


      I currently have a device running Pi-hole on my local network. I recently set it up as a recursive DNS server using unbound. This allows me to no longer rely on a public DNS such as GoogleDNS, OpenDNS, Cloudflare, etc. for my queries, and just point straight to the root servers.

      Pro: I removed a "pair of eyes" (Public DNS) out of the equation

      Con: All my queries are not encrypted so my ISP (and potentially others) can still see my DNS queries


      Option 2: Using DNS over HTTPS (DoH) using Cloudflare's client


      With this option I would use Cloudflare's cloudflared daemon they provide on their website. This would allow all my queries to be encrypted when sending them to Cloudflare.

      Pro: Encrypted DNS queries from my local network -> Cloudflare's servers. My ISP can no longer see my DNS queries

      Security Pro: Helps prevent MitM attacks

      Con: I now have a Public DNS back in the equation, which I have to put some trust into. Also, my queries are most likely only encrypted from my local network -> Cloudflare's network. When Cloudflare has to do the recursion, those queries may be not encrypted (my assumption is they will most likely be not encrypted)

      Possible Con: Does Server Name Indication (SNI) "leaking" apply to DNS queries at all? If so, then my query is revealed anyways right?

      As a note, I am nowhere near an expert on the specifics of DNS, so some of my assumptions on how things work may be super wrong!

      6 votes
    7. On the topic of technological tribalism

      One of the things I absolutely loved about Hacker News was the technical, and generally high quality discussions about technology. That is something I also really appreciate about Tildes right...

      One of the things I absolutely loved about Hacker News was the technical, and generally high quality discussions about technology. That is something I also really appreciate about Tildes right now. But as the years progressed I went to HN less and less because I found just about any topic related to PHP, JS and Node were filled with toxic low effort comment/jokes about the language.

      I don't feel it is constructive to replay the exact same tired jokes about the exact same warts everyone has known to exist and avoided/worked around for years now. It's okay to not like these languages or technologies, but can we try to be better and a little more inclusive and constructive in our community? I feel like it's going to be a losing battle as the site grows if we're already stooping to these levels.

      7 votes
    8. Quickest way to learn C# before placement begins

      I am a university student who has just finished (survived is probably a more accurate word) third year and am going to begin a placement year at a programming company at the very start of July. I...

      I am a university student who has just finished (survived is probably a more accurate word) third year and am going to begin a placement year at a programming company at the very start of July. I have been told that I will primarily be coding in C#, and that they will also teach me coding on the job, however I would like to get some form of a head start prior. I've already done some basic C++ beforehand, but I know that C# is slightly different and was wondering if anyone could suggest some resources that would not only teach me C# properly but also quickly. Like I mentioned previously, the place I am working at does not require me to know how to code properly, but it would be nice to have some footing before the placement starts. Additionally, I am also hoping that it will impress them so that my chances of landing a graduate job with them after my fourth year are increased!

      5 votes
    9. News Desk Updated!

      A few weeks ago I posted a project I was working on to read news from the command line. I incorporated the suggestions given in that thread (license, requirements.txt, etc), incorporated...

      A few weeks ago I posted a project I was working on to read news from the command line. I incorporated the suggestions given in that thread (license, requirements.txt, etc), incorporated suggestions I've received elsewhere, and added a few features.

      Here's the updated link: News Desk

      Any feedback would be much appreciated!

      Edit: And a specific point for feedback. I store the user's API key in ~/.nd_config/key which I think is a step up from requiring the user to set their key as an environment variable (which is how I had it originally). Still though, is there some way I can not store the key in plaintext and still have it in a format that is readable by the computer and can be used to verify API access?

      7 votes
    10. How do you model complicated or tricky problems to solve them? What benefit do you get from using that model?

      Everyone has their own way of visualizing a problem they're working on, and every strategy has some reason for being used. Some people prefer text (e.g. pseudocode) while others prefer diagrams,...

      Everyone has their own way of visualizing a problem they're working on, and every strategy has some reason for being used. Some people prefer text (e.g. pseudocode) while others prefer diagrams, for example. What do you use to make problems easier to approach, conceptualize, and solve? Why that particular strategy rather than some other one? What kind of practical implementations of your strategy exemplifies the benefits of your strategy for modeling the problem?

      6 votes
    11. For any newer Linux users looking to install Arch, I wrote a quick guide for an encrypted install on UEFI

      Guide can be found here Right now, the guide assumes you aren't dual booting. This is because I've never really dual booted off a single HDD, so while I probably could include it in the guide, I...

      Guide can be found here

      Right now, the guide assumes you aren't dual booting. This is because I've never really dual booted off a single HDD, so while I probably could include it in the guide, I don't feel comfortable without first testing the process.

      This guide also sets you up with BTRFS, but you can still use ext4, just requires changing two lines.

      11 votes
    12. How well has John Perry Barlow's "Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace" Aged?

      Link: https://www.eff.org/cyberspace-independence Full Text: A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace by John Perry Barlow Governments of the Industrial World, you weary giants of flesh and...

      Link: https://www.eff.org/cyberspace-independence

      Full Text:

      A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace
      by John Perry Barlow

      Governments of the Industrial World, you weary giants of flesh and steel, I come from Cyberspace, the new home of Mind. On behalf of the future, I ask you of the past to leave us alone. You are not welcome among us. You have no sovereignty where we gather.

      We have no elected government, nor are we likely to have one, so I address you with no greater authority than that with which liberty itself always speaks. I declare the global social space we are building to be naturally independent of the tyrannies you seek to impose on us. You have no moral right to rule us nor do you possess any methods of enforcement we have true reason to fear.

      Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. You have neither solicited nor received ours. We did not invite you. You do not know us, nor do you know our world. Cyberspace does not lie within your borders. Do not think that you can build it, as though it were a public construction project. You cannot. It is an act of nature and it grows itself through our collective actions.

      You have not engaged in our great and gathering conversation, nor did you create the wealth of our marketplaces. You do not know our culture, our ethics, or the unwritten codes that already provide our society more order than could be obtained by any of your impositions.

      You claim there are problems among us that you need to solve. You use this claim as an excuse to invade our precincts. Many of these problems don't exist. Where there are real conflicts, where there are wrongs, we will identify them and address them by our means. We are forming our own Social Contract. This governance will arise according to the conditions of our world, not yours. Our world is different.

      Cyberspace consists of transactions, relationships, and thought itself, arrayed like a standing wave in the web of our communications. Ours is a world that is both everywhere and nowhere, but it is not where bodies live.

      We are creating a world that all may enter without privilege or prejudice accorded by race, economic power, military force, or station of birth.

      We are creating a world where anyone, anywhere may express his or her beliefs, no matter how singular, without fear of being coerced into silence or conformity.

      Your legal concepts of property, expression, identity, movement, and context do not apply to us. They are all based on matter, and there is no matter here.

      Our identities have no bodies, so, unlike you, we cannot obtain order by physical coercion. We believe that from ethics, enlightened self-interest, and the commonweal, our governance will emerge. Our identities may be distributed across many of your jurisdictions. The only law that all our constituent cultures would generally recognize is the Golden Rule. We hope we will be able to build our particular solutions on that basis. But we cannot accept the solutions you are attempting to impose.

      In the United States, you have today created a law, the Telecommunications Reform Act, which repudiates your own Constitution and insults the dreams of Jefferson, Washington, Mill, Madison, DeToqueville, and Brandeis. These dreams must now be born anew in us.

      You are terrified of your own children, since they are natives in a world where you will always be immigrants. Because you fear them, you entrust your bureaucracies with the parental responsibilities you are too cowardly to confront yourselves. In our world, all the sentiments and expressions of humanity, from the debasing to the angelic, are parts of a seamless whole, the global conversation of bits. We cannot separate the air that chokes from the air upon which wings beat.

      In China, Germany, France, Russia, Singapore, Italy and the United States, you are trying to ward off the virus of liberty by erecting guard posts at the frontiers of Cyberspace. These may keep out the contagion for a small time, but they will not work in a world that will soon be blanketed in bit-bearing media.

      Your increasingly obsolete information industries would perpetuate themselves by proposing laws, in America and elsewhere, that claim to own speech itself throughout the world. These laws would declare ideas to be another industrial product, no more noble than pig iron. In our world, whatever the human mind may create can be reproduced and distributed infinitely at no cost. The global conveyance of thought no longer requires your factories to accomplish.

      These increasingly hostile and colonial measures place us in the same position as those previous lovers of freedom and self-determination who had to reject the authorities of distant, uninformed powers. We must declare our virtual selves immune to your sovereignty, even as we continue to consent to your rule over our bodies. We will spread ourselves across the Planet so that no one can arrest our thoughts.

      We will create a civilization of the Mind in Cyberspace. May it be more humane and fair than the world your governments have made before.

      Davos, Switzerland
      February 8, 1996

      6 votes
    13. Python web developers - what is your favorite framework?

      As some of you may know, Tildes is written in Pyramid. I've done some OSS work in Pyramid and Flask, but my paid web dev work the past few years has been mostly in Django. There are some newer...

      As some of you may know, Tildes is written in Pyramid. I've done some OSS work in Pyramid and Flask, but my paid web dev work the past few years has been mostly in Django. There are some newer frameworks out there like Sanic or Falcon, and some older ones like Zope, CherryPy and Turbogears, that I've played with but have no real experience in.

      Personally, I like Django for its "batteries included" and its big ecosystem, Flask for its minimalism and Pyramid for its elegant design. There's no single framework that fits all needs and all have their share of annoyances - Django can be quite difficult to swap out things like the default ORM or template system (though these have gotten better in recent versions), Flask has some architectural issues with request and other global variables, and Pyramid perhaps suffers from a relatively small ecosystem and lack of "one way to do it".

      What are your experiences and preferences?

      9 votes