We are pleased to announce that our blog is now ActivityPub compatible, allowing our content to be shared across multiple decentralized platforms.
ActivityPub is an open protocol that enables interoperability between social networking services on the federated web. By supporting this standard, all of our blog posts can now be viewed natively on networks like Mastodon, Peertube, Lemmy and others that also utilize ActivityPub.
This marks an exciting step forward in helping more people discover and engage with our writing. Content consumers will have greater choice in how and where they access our posts, while also gaining more control over their experience through federated platforms.
We will be using the APX apt container for this tutorial which is Ubuntu. Though some prerequisites are needed to get everything working. Open console or terminal then paste the following command by holding Ctrl + Shift then press v.
Initializing an apt container:
apx enter apt
This command will enter the apt (Ubuntu) container on Vanilla OS. Next paste the following command.
This command will install common software properties needed. If this is your first time initializing an apt container, these will need to be installed. Next paste the following command. When prompted type y then enter or type yes then enter.
Installing libasound2:
sudo apt install libasound2
This command will install libasound2. Next paste the following command. When prompted type y then enter or type yes then enter.
Installing libnss3:
sudo apt install libnss3
This command will install libnss3. Next paste the following command.
Updating & Upgrading:
sudo apt update
This command will update. Next paste the following command. When prompted type y then enter or type yes then enter.
sudo apt upgrade
This command will upgrade all the needed updates.
Downloading RStudio Desktop .DEB:
Before we install R, we want to download the RStudio Desktop. This download file can be downloaded at this link here:
This is the official RStudio Desktop Ubuntu 22 download link, more information can be found here.
Installing RStudio Desktop .DEB:
Once you have downloaded the required .DEB file for RStudio Desktop, we will need to install this into our apt (Ubuntu) container. This can be done very easily be simply, pasting the following command in your previously opened Console/Terminal window.
cd Downloads
This command will make the Console/Terminal window be navigated into your Downloads folder. Next paste the following command.
ls
This command will list all the files in your Downloads folder. Next, copy the name of the RStudio file by holding Ctrl + Shift then pressing c. RStudio should be labeled similar to this “rstudio-2023.06.2-561-amd64.deb”. Once you have copied the file name of RStudio. Type the following command into your Console/Terminal.
sudo dpkg -i
Once you have typed this part into your Console/Terminal window, add one space. Then paste the file name of RStudio that you previously copied. This command will install RStudio Desktop from the .deb file.
If any issues become prominent, such as this error “error processing package rstudio (–install)” Paste the following command. Enter y or type yes when prompted.
sudo apt --fix-broken install
Now that we have fixed the installation simply repeat the step above, with the “sudo dpkg -i rstudio-2023.06.2-561-amd64.deb” command.
Installing R:
Lastly, installing R is very simple. The official installation guide can be viewed here:
This command will add the repository needed. Next paste the following command.
wget -qO- https://cloud.r-project.org/bin/linux/ubuntu/marutter_pubkey.asc | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/cran_ubuntu_key.asc
This command will add the public key for the repository. Next paste the following command. Type y or yes when prompted and press enter.
sudo apt install r-base
This command will install the R base required for RStudio. Once this is completed, refer to “Updating & Upgrading” to double-check there are no missing updates that need to be upgraded.
Utilizing RStudio:
RStudio and R are now installed and can be used via the apt (Ubuntu) container at any time. If your Console/Terminal window is still open simply paste the following command.
rstudio
This command will open RStudio in the apt container. If your Console/Terminal window isn’t open. You can simply access RStudio by opening either the Console or Terminal. Then typing “apx enter apt” then typing “rstudio”.
Useful Commands:
Some useful commands to take note of if this is your first time using a Terminal/Console window for running applications are listed below.
GonzoKnows is now proudly accepting Monero as a payment option.
Monero was created with a focus on privacy and anonymity. It hides transaction amounts, balances, and sends and receives addresses. This close alignment with privacy makes Monero a natural fit for GonzoKnows and our commitment to user security and confidentiality.
Just as cash transactions in the real world allow for privacy, Monero upholds the same ideals in the digital sphere. We feel this respect for user privacy enhances the experience of our customers.
You can now select Monero at checkout alongside our usual payment methods. We’re excited to offer this new level of privacy and security to our customers.
Lockdown browser and Safe Exam Browser (SEB) are software applications designed to enhance the security of online exams by restricting access to certain features and websites. Lockdown browser is a proprietary program developed by Respondus, while SEB is an open-source software supported by a community of developers. Both applications prevent students from accessing external web pages, copying and pasting information, taking screenshots, or using other programs during an online exam. In addition, SEB allows instructors to set specific exam configurations, such as disabling certain keyboard keys or requiring a webcam to monitor the exam-taker. Lockdown browser and SEB provide a secure and reliable way to administer online exams, ensuring academic integrity and minimizing the risk of cheating.
These software programs are malicious, here’s why…
These applications act as malware, as they install themselves as browser extensions or software onto users’ devices without their explicit consent. Moreover, these applications track users’ activity and collect personal information, which could be a violation of their privacy. Even when an exam is not in the process of being taken. They have a system process that runs 24/7 in the background that cannot be shutdown due to it having a recurring startup process. Meaning, if you were to quit the process via task manager it’ll just start up again, which is exactly what malware does…
Bypass Introduction (Educational Purposes Only)
Let me begin by emphasizing that the following information is intended solely for educational purposes, and I strongly discourage any use of it for academic dishonesty. If you are a student who is hesitant to install these software programs on your personal device, I recommend informing your dean. They should be able to address your concerns by providing you with a school device. If they are unable to do so, simply inform them that you use Linux, as these software programs are not fully compatible with the Linux operating system.
How to Bypass
If you dive into the core functionality of how these software programs work. You will quickly come to realize they are relatively simple pieces of software that are easy to circumvent. In none technical terms, they run with elevated permissions on your operating system. Think of a work environment chain which follows as such employee → management → owner, it’s quite obvious management has more permissions than a typical employee and the owner has the most permissions. In our case these software programs are the managers while any other software on our system is just an employee. Meaning, if we want to circumvent these software programs, we have to make them either have an equal amount of permissions on our operating system or make them have more permissions than a typical manager. With this information now you should be able to come up with a quick and easy bypass to efficiently circumvent these software programs, but if not. I have my bypass available for purchase below for experimental and educational purposes only!
My Bypass
I have created a bypass that is quite unique as it’s fully undetectable to all root level safe exam & lockdown browsers. It works on all operating systems including Windows, macOS & Linux! My bypass allows the full use of any desktop applications, including remote access to the machine that is locked down. You heard right, full remote access. I understand many individuals might not want to purchase this bypass from me as who would even want this, but I’ve had a surprising number of individuals reach out waiting for this post. As I know this isn’t the traditional way of shopping, it’s going to be the way. I do things as if you want it, you will get it cause it works every time.
How to Purchase
Purchasing is very simple for those willing to acquire.
ProtonMail is an end-to-end encrypted email service based in Switzerland. It was founded in 2014 by a group of scientists from CERN and MIT who were concerned about online privacy and security. ProtonMail is designed to provide secure and private email communication, with features like end-to-end encryption, two-factor authentication, and self-destructing messages. The service is available as a web-based application and as mobile apps for iOS and Android. ProtonMail has gained popularity among users who are concerned about their online privacy and want to protect their communications from surveillance and hacking. Proton aims to offer an honest and reputable email service by upholding themselves above industry standards when compared to other companies such as Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo. Who sell their customer’s data (emails) to advertisers to get targeted advertising. This is also why many government officials host their own email server.
Proton Mail Reputation
Proton Mail holds a very high reputation as they are not only rooted in Switzerland a neutral country, but they have been around since 2014. Proton also keeps all their services open source, which is when the background code of products is publically available for anyone to look at. "Transparency is the only way to earn the trust of our community" – Proton. In which this transparency has earned the communities trust, at the time of writing this post for access to my exclusive code for one month of Proton Mail Plus. PrivacyGuides.org as ranked this email provider the best for all around security and privacy.
The free exclusive promotional code is linked above. This post isn’t a paid advertisement, but rather one of just sharing to display there are better products than mainstream email providers out there. Just cause your email provider that you use or maybe this is your first email, you’re about to create is free doesn’t mean it’s something to trust. As free in the digital era means you are paying for your data. Having a secure and reliable email is the same as having a secure and reliable bank. Your email in today’s day in age is your digital bank for all things including personal finance, social media, careers, and even government documents. So why wouldn’t you want that stuff to be encrypted? I personally use this email since transitioning from Yahoo back in 2017, and it’s been great. As I have mentioned previously, this isn’t a paid review. As I have to pay for it with my own money.
Proton Mail Plus Features
Proton Mail Plus includes many features by default such as email encryption (OpenPGP), data security (zero-access encryption), account security (TOTP – two-factor authentication), and all the features listed below.
Fun fact is Proton is one of the few email providers that still accepts cash by mail
Offline communication is a valuable tool as it doesn’t depend on internet connectivity. This makes it more reliable and secure compared to online communication.
In scenarios where personal, face-to-face interaction is not possible, such as while snowboarding in a remote area or traveling on a flight without access to stable Wi-Fi, offline communication becomes a convenience or even necessity for some. For example, during a flight, if you are seated away from your friends or family, offline communication can be used to communicate with them.
What Is Briar?
Briar is a free, open-source, secure, and decentralized messaging app designed for use in environments where the internet is unavailable or unreliable. It uses a mesh network to route messages between users, meaning that messages can be sent even if no direct connection exists between the sender and the recipient. Briar is intended for use by journalists, activists, and other people who need secure and private communication, especially in areas where the internet is censored or monitored.
Briar uses both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to route messages between users in its mesh network. The Bluetooth feature is used for short-range communication, allowing for direct communication between two devices that are close to each other. Distance varies device to device view limitations of this post.
The Wi-Fi feature is used for longer-range communication, allowing messages to be sent between devices that are further apart. Briar uses Wi-Fi Direct, a Wi-Fi standard that allows devices to communicate directly without the need for a central router. When two Briar devices are within Wi-Fi range of each other, they can exchange messages directly, without relying on an internet connection.
By using both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, Briar provides a robust and versatile communication network that can work in a variety of situations, from crowded public spaces to remote areas with limited infrastructure. This makes it a valuable tool for individuals and organizations that need secure and private communication in challenging environments.
Use Cases
While Briar is mainly designed for activists, journalists, and anyone else who needs a safe, easy and robust way to communicate. I’ve identified some practical use cases that are a result of Briar being designed this way.
Camping
Airplanes
Ski Resorts
Natural Disasters
Search and Rescue
Concrete Buildings
Underground Buildings
Saving Data or Using Fewer Amounts of Data
Limitations
Currently, as of writing this post, Briar is a great instant messaging app… if you are running an android device. It does many things right such as reliability, Briar will work no matter if you have an internet connection or not which is huge for communication reliability. Though it doesn’t come with its downsides listed below
Features:
Messaging Only
No Audio Calls
No Video Calls/FaceTime
Platform Support:
Android (Windows & Linux in beta)
App Requirements:
Must be running in the background on all devices.
Hardware Limitations:
Bluetooth & Wi-Fi Direct offer limited range.
Apple
Short Answer: As mentioned above, Briar doesn’t support Apple’s mobile platform iOS, this is mostly due to Apple and their restrictions they have on their apps. I’ve gone ahead and linked some open issues on Briar’s developer platform GitLab
Briar is currently in beta phase on Windows and Linux with macOS support soon to come. If you plan on using the beta release which can be downloaded here, be sure to expect bugs.
If you live in the US, you probably use an Apple product, as Apple dominates the US market. However, globally, Apple’s market share is not as dominant. In fact, the leading software worldwide is Android, due to its universal and open-source nature, which allows it to be installed on phones from various brands such as Samsung, Google, and Blackberry.
iOS vs Android Market Share (Global)
Competition makes cross-platform instant messaging challenging, mainly due to Apple’s reluctance to open its iOS software to new messaging protocols. Although these protocols are more secure, Apple prioritizes its US market dominance over security. As a result, many people opt for social media apps like Snapchat, Instagram, or Facebook (now called Meta) for ease of communication, but these apps lack encryption and are not as secure as end-to-end encrypted instant messaging apps. A list of insecure apps is provided below.
Insecure Social Medias:
Why?
The primary purpose of social media is to generate revenue through advertisements, so why would they prioritize keeping your personal messages secure when they could sell them for profit? Just search for any social media platform followed by “data breach” or “privacy court case” for evidence.
TikTok
Discord
Snapchat
Facebook
Instagram
Insecure Messengers:
Why?
Here’s a brief overview of these messengers: they lack end-to-end encryption as standard. iMessage is unique and considered secure when neither the sender nor the recipient backs up messages to iCloud. Apple recently added “Advanced Data Protection” which encrypts iMessages in iCloud backups, so for maximum security both users must have this enabled. However, it’s not a cross-platform messenger.
GroupMe
Telegram
WhatsApp
iMessage
Insecure In General:
Why?
SMS messages (green text bubble) are insecure because they can be intercepted by hackers, service providers can access them, and they lack end-to-end encryption. This means that the data transmitted through SMS can be vulnerable to eavesdropping, tampering, and other security threats.
SMS
Signal – The Gold Standard (Recommended)
Signal is an instant messaging app created by Signal Messenger LLC that offers secure voice and video calling. With end-to-end encryption, your Signal contacts and personal profile are protected by a PIN, and the server cannot access them. Only those you chat with will have access to your encrypted profile.
Fun Fact:
On October 28th, 2021, Signal received a grand jury subpoena for Signal user data from the Central District of California. The company’s official response to this request included only three pieces of information, the users: their mobile number, last connection date (in Unix millis), and account creation date (in Unix millis). The official response can be read at the following link: https://signal.org/bigbrother/cd-california-grand-jury/
Pros:
Fast, Secure, and Private
Large Group Chats
4K Video and Photo Sharing
High Quality Video and Audio Calling
Disappearing Stories and messages (Similar to Snapchat)
Cons:
Requires Phone Number
SimpleX – The Signal Challenger
SimpleX Chat is a decentralized instant messenger that does not require phone numbers or usernames for identification. Group chats can be joined by scanning a QR code or clicking an invitation link.
Pros:
Secure and Private
Large group chats
Video/photo sharing
Video/audio calling
Cons:
Slow large group chats
Briar – The Offline Instant Messenger
Briar is a secure instant messaging app that utilizes the Tor Network to connect to other clients. It also has the option to connect through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth for nearby devices. Its local mesh mode is helpful in areas with limited internet access.
Pros:
Most secure & private messenger, but not practical
Encrypted messaging & forums
Offline messaging via Bluetooth & Wi-Fi
Messages stored on device, not in cloud
Cons:
No iOS support
Requires receiver’s app to be running to send messages
Proton AG, a Swiss-based VPN provider established in 2016, is a formidable player in the VPN industry. With a free basic tier and a feature-rich premium option, it stands out for its efficient iOS and macOS client. This makes it the top choice for Apple devices. The company also provides a student discount.
Mullvad is a low-cost, fast VPN with a strong emphasis on transparency and security. Established in 2009 and based in Sweden, it doesn’t offer a free trial. Ideal for users like me who don’t use Windows or macOS, Mullvad has the best Linux client among VPN providers. If you’re a Linux user, I highly recommend choosing Mullvad over its competitors as they prioritize Linux support.
IVPN is a top-tier VPN service operating since 2009, headquartered in Gibraltar. Although it has fewer servers than other VPNs I’ve used for more than a year, IVPN offers a comparable range of features.
My Criteria
based on Privacy Guides criteria. I feel if you are going to purchase a VPN service you might as well get the best in terms of security, privacy and technology. Privacy Guides have established a very good list of strict criteria checklists for VPN’s
Student Discounts
ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN offers a student discount upon filling out their support form found here
Another laptop connected to internet will be required
Use another laptop or computer with internet access to go to the Lenovo website.
Search for “Lenovo IdeaPad 5 (14ITL05) drivers” and download the latest Wi-Fi driver for Windows 11 or Click Here
Insert a USB drive into the other laptop and copy the downloaded driver to the USB drive.
Insert the USB drive into the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 (14ITL05) and navigate to the driver file on the USB drive.
Left double-click the .exe file to run it, it should be named “37sw0a0f43gwseb0.exe”
Once the EXE is running you might have to press yes for administrator permissions.
Follow the prompts to complete the installation of the updated driver.
Restart the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 (14ITL05) for the changes to take effect.
Note: Make sure to check the Lenovo support website for the latest version of the driver and other important updates. It is also good to back up essential files before doing this update.
