I’m sure you’ve heard that all the cool kids are playing with orchestration automation these days. But what about using something quick and dirty to get the job done? Pssh allows you to manage multiple hosts in parallel. Read this great guide for a quick how-to:
https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/running-commands-linux-hosts-using-pssh/.
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In today’s detailed article we are going to discuss about how we can use ‘Rainbow Table’ to crack password hashes easily on our Kali Linux system. We also learn the use of RainbowCrack tool. RainbowCrack is really faster like Barry Allen.Rainbow table is a pre-computed table for caching the output of cryptographic hash functions, mainly for cracking password hashes. Rainbow table was invented by Philippe Oechslin.We know that our passwords are stored on a website or WiFi. There is isn’t stored as a plain text. The stored passwords are hashed in various methods like LM, NTLM, MD5, SHA1 etc. This type of encryption is one-way encryption, that means we can encrypt it from a plaintext but we can’t decrypt it in a plaintext from it’s hash.Then how brute-force attack works?Well, as we know brute-force uses a list of passwords. In the brute-force it creates a hash of a password and match it hash with the target hash (if they are same or not). It did same process for the all passwords one by one in the list. That’s why this attack is very time consuming and computer resource consuming also, but brute-force didn’t uses much storage as compared to rainbow tables.Rainbow table works on the principle of time-memory trade-off, using less computer processing time and more storage than a brute-force attack. Rainbow crack is much faster then brute-force. For more about rainbow table works we can check this. For the computer with low processing power rainbow table is batter is than brute-force.We can create a rainbow table at once and use it, or we can download rainbow tables from internet. There are some types of rainbow tables depending on type of hashes, characters and length of password.For an example a rainbow table is for SHA1 and uses all lowercase (a,b,c…z) and for password length 1 to 7, will be different from a rainbow table for SHA1, lowercase password with length of 1 to 9.We can see or download (free and paid) rainbow tables on this website.Here rainbow tables are divided by hashing algorithms (LM, NTLM, MD5, SHA1), charset (numeric, lowercase etc), length of the password (in plaintext). We can download rainbow tables from this website or we can create our own rainbow tables as per our own requirements. Here we should keep in mind that rainbow tables are large (from 20GB — more than TB).We can create our own rainbow table by using ‘RainbowCrack’ tool. This tool comes pre-installed on our Kali Linux system.Creation of rainbow table takes much time and storage space on system, but after creating a table we are able to use it to crack passwords faster every time.For an example we are going to create a rainbow table to crack a MD5 password which have plaintext length 4 and using only lowercase alphabets.To do this we need to open our Kali Linux terminal window and use rtgen command. rtgen stands for rainbow table generation.First we run it with -h to see the options as following:rtgen -hThen the help menu of rtgen will open in front of us, as we can see in the following screenshot:On the above screenshot we can see how to use rtgen with some example.To generate a rainbow table for a MD5 hash of a 4 plaintext length (containing only alphabets) we use following command:sudo rtgen md5 loweralpha 1 4 0 1000 1000 0In the above command rtgen md5 is for generating rainbow table for MD5 hash, we have set it for lowercase alphabets only by using loweralpha. Then 1 is for minimum length of plaintext password and 4 is for maximum. Then we use left everything default. 0 for table index, chain length & chain number set to 1000, part index is 0.Then our rainbow table will be generated as we can see in the following screenshot:This is a small rainbow table so generated in secondsWe can see the used character set, plaintext count and plaintext length on the above screenshot.This rainbow table will be stored in /usr/share/rainbowcrack directory.Now we can use this rainbow table to crack four (4) characters password’s MD5 hash.Here we have a md5 hash which have 4 characters plaintext length in lowercase.d6ca3fd0c3a3b462ff2b83436dda495eWe are going to crack it using our created rainbow table. Before that we need to sort our rainbow table by using the following command:sudo rtsort .Then the rainbow table will be sorted as we can see in the following screenshot:Now we can use RainbowCrack tool to crack the password hash. to crack it we use following command:rcrack . -h d6ca3fd0c3a3b462ff2b83436dda495eHere we call rcrack aka RainbowCrack to crack the hash, then use used -h flag for hash, then we use the password hash to crack.Then it will crack the password in seconds as we can see it on the following screenshot:We also can use a hash list stored in a txt file. Here we have a hash.txt file on our Desktop.To crack all hashes inside it, we use -l flag for list, as shown in following command:rcrack . -l /home/kali/Desktop/hash.txtThen RainbowCrack will crack the the hashes in seconds as we can see in the following:This is about rainbow tables and how to crack passwords using RainbowCrack on our Kali Linux system.This is not ends here. We are giving a practice task.Create a md5 rainbow table for 6 characters plaintext password (lowercase only) and crack hashes of this file.Share the screenshot of the practice on Twitter and mention us @kali_tutorials or comment down in the comment section.Love our article? Make sure to follow us on Twitter and GitHub, we post article updates there. To join our KaliLinuxIn family, join our Telegram Group & Whatsapp Channel We are trying to build a community for Linux and Cybersecurity. For anything we always happy to help everyone on the comment section. As we know our comment section is always open to everyone. We read each and every comment and we always reply.
In cybersecurity, Linux stands out as a solution known for its open-source nature, adaptability, reliability, and robust security measures. One distinguishing characteristic of Linux is its distribution model, which allows various communities and organizations to create their own versions or distributions.Linux’s success and widespread adoption have made it a foundational element in the open-source security ecosystem. Its influence extends beyond just operating systems to various tools, platforms, and applications built upon it. As such, the security practices, challenges, and lessons learned from Linux often spread throughout the open-source world, setting standards and expectations for other projects.This article explores the role that Linux plays in the open-source security ecosystem by delving into its core principles, advantages, and challenges.Security Foundations of LinuxLinux has always prioritized security since its inception. Several features in the operating system’s architecture make it inherently secure, which include:User Access ControlLinux enhances its security measures by implementing user IDs and passwords. Each user is assigned access levels, with root level access being the highest and granting privileges. In general, users are given access rights that limit their reach within the system, effectively preventing the spread of malware. Even if malware infiltrates a Linux-powered device, it cannot obtain root access, thus preventing any damage. Furthermore, Linux design separates users to minimize the spread of malware.Open SourceThe Linux Kernel thrives on its open-source nature. While some may view this transparency as a security risk, it ultimately becomes one of Linux’s strengths. The source code is divided into subsystems and undergoes thorough scrutiny. All modifications undergo this rigorous review process to ensure they are approved. The openness of its code also means that a larger community can promptly detect vulnerabilities and provide security patches and enhancements.Active Logging Linux maintains a log that records all interactions involving the system and files. This log captures activities such as failed login attempts, system modifications, and potential security concerns. It serves as a tool for administrators to monitor their systems closely and take actions to reinforce the defenses of Linux.SELinuxSELinux, developed by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), serves as a security enhancement for Linux. It introduces a Mandatory Access Control (MAC) mechanism within the Linux kernel. With SELinux, administrators can precisely define access privileges for each application, process, and file. The system then ensures compliance with these rules by rejecting any activity that deviates from the established guidelines.Role Of Linux In Open Source SecurityLinux plays its role in showcasing the strengths of open-source software and its security implications. Linux’s widespread adoption and success have made it a crucial element in the open-source security ecosystem. Its influence goes beyond operating systems, extending to tools, platforms, and applications built upon it. As a result, security practices, challenges, and lessons learned from Linux impact the open-source community by setting standards and expectations for projects.Here are some of the notable developments in Linux in open-source security:Role of Linux in open source securityUnlike those controlled by an entity or corporation, Linux relies on collaboration among thousands of developers worldwide. This diverse community ensures code review, refinement, and updates. Linux’s extensive developer community contributes to identifying and resolving vulnerabilities effectively. In contrast, closed systems often lack this level of scrutiny.Moreover, Linux benefits from security communities and initiatives like the Open Source Security Foundation and the Linux Kernel Security Subsystem. These groups focus on identifying, addressing, and communicating security concerns within the Linux ecosystem to keep the operating system at the forefront of cybersecurity.Robust Security Model The availability of Linux source code allows global developers, academic researchers, and cybersecurity professionals to review it thoroughly. This collaborative approach leads to the identification and patching of security flaws, resulting in a stronger security posture.Kernel SecurityThe Linux kernel incorporates security mechanisms such as SELinux, App Armor, and sec comp. These mechanisms play a role in providing access controls, sandboxing, and process isolation. They are continuously refined to address emerging threats and ensure that Linux-based systems have state-of-the-art security measures at their core.User Privilege ModelAnother important aspect is Linux’s user privilege model. By default, users operate with privileges that prevent actors from easily making system-wide changes or accessing sensitive data without elevated permissions. This model significantly reduces the impact of breaches.Challenges and ConsiderationsWhile it incorporates features that enhance its security, it’s important to acknowledge that no operating system is entirely resistant to threats. This is true not just for Linux but for other popular operating systems like Windows 10. For those using Windows 10, it’s crucial to have robust antivirus software. However, it’s important to consider some challenges associated with Linux despite its security features. The decentralized development approach means that although many people review the code, there can sometimes be an authority overseeing security matters. This can sometimes lead to differences in prioritizing and resolving security issues. Additionally, due to the range of Linux distributions, if not properly maintained by individual distributors, vulnerabilities may be introduced even if the core kernel is secure. Here are some of the major ideas to address those challenges:Enhancing Security: Implementing ideas such as Lateral Movement Protection, Zero Trust, and Microsegmentation is vital for bolstering Linux cybersecurity. By employing these strategies, we can reduce attack areas, effectively detect threats, and enforce access controls.Agents in Linux Security: Agents are software components installed on systems that play a role in maintaining cybersecurity. For instance, True Fort agents collaborate with provider agents to ensure protection within Linux environments.Final WordsLinux has certainly established a presence in cybersecurity due to its open-source principles and strong security foundations. Moreover, a major reason for Linux’s popularity in the open-source security ecosystem is its community-driven development, security measures, user privilege, and kernel security. However, given the evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats, taking an approach becomes essential. By incorporating security strategies like Lateral Movement Protection, Zero Trust, and Microsegmentation and leveraging agents to enhance security measures, we can ensure that Linux remains resilient against emerging threats.
TL;DR: pip install is on the way out. Installing Python packages must be done via APT, aka. Kali Linux’s package manager. Python packages coming from other sources should be installed in virtual environments.Long story below.Some backgroundBack in February this year, for a few days, some of you might have tried (and failed) to install Python packages with Pip, aka. Python’s package manager. Suddenly it didn’t work anymore, and it gave this error message instead:┌──(root㉿kali)-[~]
└─$ pip install xyz
error: externally-managed-environment
? This environment is externally managed
╰─> To install Python packages system-wide, try apt install
python3-xyz, where xyz is the package you are trying to
install.
If you wish to install a non-Debian-packaged Python package,
create a virtual environment using python3 -m venv path/to/venv.
Then use path/to/venv/bin/python and path/to/venv/bin/pip. Make
sure you have python3-full installed.
If you wish to install a non-Debian packaged Python application,
it may be easiest to use pipx install xyz, which will manage a
virtual environment for you. Make sure you have pipx installed.
See /usr/share/doc/python3.11/README.venv for more information.
note: If you believe this is a mistake, please contact your Python installation
or OS distribution provider. You can override this, at the risk of breaking
your Python installation or OS, by passing –break-system-packages.
hint: See PEP 668 for the detailed specification.
This change came about without a notice, and judging by the early reports that we received, it was clear that it would impact many users. So we reverted it, and therefore pip install still works in Kali Linux these days. But not for long: when Python 3.12 hits Kali (around end of 2023 or beginning of 2024), it will stop working, this time for good. There’s not much we can do about it, it’s an upstream change, we have to go with the flow.So why this change? Running pip install as root, in order to install Python packages system-wide, has never been a great idea. In a Linux distribution such as Kali, Python packages are already installed and managed via APT. If you bring in another package manager (pip in this case), it is likely to break packages and programs that were installed by APT, sooner or later. Then APT might break again what was installed by pip. Both package managers will endlessly step on each other’s toes.One could also run pip install –user to install packages in the user’s home directory, but the problem is the same. Those packages will be picked up by Python applications as they run, and might not be compatible with other packages installed by APT, causing programs to misbehave or break.The issue is not new, but it doesn’t impact all users equally. Seasoned users of Linux distributions already know what to do, and NOT to do, and they can fix their system when it breaks. However, unexperienced users don’t know, so they are likely to shoot themselves in the foot. And nobody can blame them, there are so many web pages out there recommending to run sudo pip install without providing enough context.We (Kali developers, and more generally distro developers), are well aware of the issue: bug reports for Python applications that don’t work are a common occurence, and we often can’t reproduce the issue, and we often find out that it doesn’t work because some packages or applications were installed with pip, and interfere with other packages installed with APT. These recurring bug reports are not actionable, there’s nothing we can fix on our side. Users get burnt and they learn from it, but it’s no fun.What’s changingNow, back to the upcoming change: in Kali Linux, starting with Python 3.12, pip will refuse to perform system-wide installs (sudo pip install) as well as user home directory installs (pip install –user). This is good news, because it will make it harder for unexperienced users to break their system. This is a welcome change, and we are thankful to those who drove this change and made it happen. Long-term, it will be less pain for everyone. But short-term, some users won’t like it, of course, we know.So if you’re one of those who run sudo pip install, who have it hardwired in your fingers… well, you’ll have to adjust. You might want to have a look at pipx, get more familiar with Python’s virtual environments, and spend some time reading PEP 668: Marking Python environments as externally managed to better understand the issue at hand.To finish, and to give a bit of a broader context: the PEP 668 proposal came about as a coordinated effort from various software distributions to fix this long-standing issue of pip breaking other package managers too easily. The change is already effective in other Linux distros (like the latest release of Debian). In Kali Linux, we just delayed it a bit, so that we can warn you in advance, so that you can adjust your workflow and scripts. But the change is coming with Python 3.12, there’s no point delaying it further.Thanks for reading!
Pano, a next-gen clipboard manager for GNOME Shell, has been updated with some major improvements such as user interface customization options, the ability to favorite items, content-aware notifications, as well as support for GNOME Shell 44.This is a clipboard manager implemented as a GNOME Shell extension that displays previews of your clipboard items, with support for text, images, code blocks, color codes, links, files, and with the latest release, Emoji. It supports GNOME 42, 43 and 44.The all-new Customization tab in Pano’s settingsFor the latest release, its developer has focused on implementing the most popular user requests. One such request was the ability to customize the look of Pano. So in this release, users can now customize many aspects of Pano’s UI: window height, background color, active or hovered item border color, and the style of each item type (including colors, font face, etc.). It’s not yet possible to move the Pano clipboard previews from the bottom of the screen though, this being a feature I’d like to see in Pano.Another much requested feature was the ability to favorite items – this feature has now been included in the latest release of Pano clipboard manager. You’ll now see a star in the upper right-hand side corner of each clipboard item:With it, there are a couple of new keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl + S key will favorite/unfavorite the selected item, and Alt will switch between favorites/all items. You can also favorite/unfavorite items using your mouse.Another important new features is the addition of notification support. What’s more, the notifications are content-aware:The notifications are enabled by default, but they can be disabled from the Pano settings. As a side note, to access the settings, right-click the Pano notification icon (left-clicking it opens the visual clipboard).Other new noteworthy features:Gnome Shell 44 supportadded support for Emojihistory can be filtered based on the item typelinks can be now be opened in the default browserexpose window operation dbus methodsmany navigation improvements (support for activating items with Ctrl + 1-9 keys, Tab / Ctrl + Tab key cycles through item types, etc.)Install Pano Clipboard Manager extension for GNOME ShellPano is available for install on the GNOME Shell extensions website. You can install it from there either using a web browser, as long as you have the GNOME Shell connector package and browser extension installed (instructions here), using a GUI such as GNOME Shell Extension Manager, or using a command line tool such as gnome-extensions-cli. You can also install it manually, by downloading it from GitHub.Important! To get Pano Clipboard Manager to work, you’ll also need to install a few packages from your Linux distribution’s repositories. Read the Pano description from its GNOME Shell Extensions website page.via r/gnome
Despite writing so many tutorials on hacking with Kali Linux, I often get stuck and have to consult other resources. My blog has a lot of things but since I myself don’t know everything, there’s no way I can provide all the resources that you guys need. Here’s a list of top 5 websites about hacking with Kali Linux that have enough resources to answer 99.9% of your queries, and have enough tutorials to teach you most of the stuff you need to know to get to a level where you can read the more complex stuff on any website.
Not dedicated to Kali, but to white hat hacking in general.
Advantages-
Lot of high quality content
Many content-creator / authors
Has a forum as well to ask questions
Active comments section
Disadvantages-
Not tailored to Kali
Navigation not very intuitive. Hard to find out stuff related to Kali.
Very old website. Most websites in this list are fairly new, and probably didn’t write tutorials for backtrack (Kali is what came after Backtrack 5 r3, instead of backtrack 6). However, this website was around before the time of Backtrack 5 R1 (when the the display manager was not started by default, and we had to use startx command just to get a GUI).
Advantages-
Lot of high quality content
Mostly articles pertain to Kali Linux or Backtrack (the old posts). The backtrack ones will work with Kali without any changes in commands/procedure.
Only one author, so all posts are from one guy, means less low quality posts.
Disadvantages-
Design looks cluttered. Too many sharing widgets.
Only one author on this website, while it had it’s advantage, there are disadvantages too. There’s only so much good stuff one person can write.
Fairly new, pretty looking and frequently updated website.
Advantages-
The homepage is quite good and has posts organized by categories.
Content is high quality (I said this for every damn website I posted here, but then they made it to the list because of the high quality content).
Has many tutorials that you may not find on other websites (most sites have redundant tutorials, all the sites I’ve mentioned here will have a post about aircrack-ng, etc., but this site has some uncommon attacks and tools covered as well).
Disadvantages-
Not well organized content. You might end up reading something whose prerequisites you don’t know and you can’t understand what’s going on in the tutorial.
Some very long posts doing stuff no one gives a rats ass about. Basically, lots of unnecessary content. I guess that comes as a side effect of having uncommon tutorials that won’t be found on other websites. There’s a reason why they aren’t on most websites. It’s because no is interested in reading them.
Not limited to Kali Linux, has a lot of hacking tutorials.
Advantages-
While it’s not limited to Kali, most of the content is focused on Kali
Again, lots of high quality content.
Navigation much easier
Disadvantages-
Some of the posts have nothing but a Youtube video, with no content to go along with it.
Some posts are news articles, instead of tutorials. Many people may not mind this, but some may.
This one has been around for ages too. However, it isn’t providing any new free content anymore (but there’s a lot of old content which is golden). The owner is now selling certified courses. (the creator is a badass, has written books, sells courses, discovered vulnerabilities and written attacks for WEP, etc.).
Advantages-
Gold mine of resources if you’re really interested in getting into hacking. No script kiddie stuff. The owner makes video tutorials and groups them up into megaprimers. Everything I know about wireless hacking I learnt from his wireless hacking megaprimer (the videos are free, the certification, if you want, will cost you).
I haven’t stressed this enough, no script kiddie stuff. He actually has two assembly language megaprimers (again, free of cost).
Disadvantages-
Megaprimers are in very old operating systems, mostly backtrack 5.
Lets be honest, not everyone wants to watch 10 hours of video to learn the intricacies of hacking. Some are happy using tools and not caring about why or how they work. Unless you want to pursue a career in security, knowing how to use the tools would often be enough.
Despite the disadvantages, it’s an awesome website. If you are really a security enthusiast, this is the go to site. All the other sites I’ve mentioned, as well as my blog, can’t give you the in depth knowledge you can get from there.
At last, I would stop pretending that I’m a selfless person who wants every one of his blog’s visitor to go to his competitor websites. The last item on the list, my own blog (yay!)-
My hobby blog. I am the main content creator. Over time, many have contributed. In one accident, all content by two of my friends was lost, and I become the sole author again. Recently, another author has joined in, and there’s two of us now, but I still have to do most of the posting.
Advantages-
Kali is our (mine really, but ours sounds so cool, almost like I have a team of authors) utmost priority. Only a few tutorials are there that aren’t related to Kali
Tried my best to make the navigation nice, and order the posts so that beginners can read them in order of difficulty.
Disadvantages-
Homepage sucks
I am the only person who replies to comments, and sometimes I can’t reply to all. So many queries go unanswered.
Site slow af.
Only two authors. The other author focuses on youtube videos so mainly it’s just me. So, not a lot of regular content.
PS: I’m looking for people who are willing to write content, mail me at admin@kalitutorials.net if you’re interested.PPS: Would love to edit advantages/disadvantages based on comments (especially for my blog, since review of one’s own work is bound to be inaccurate and biased). Let me know how you feel. This article represents my personal views, and it’d be awesome to be able to incorporate a wider perspective on the basis of comments.
Traceroute command explained
Traceroute is a built-in command with a command-line interface that you can use through the Terminal application. It serves as a diagnostic tool most commonly used to trace a route from the computer, sending the traceroute request to a hostname or IP address. It will send the query and get back a result, showing the query’s route and statistics about time and packets lost.
You can find Traceroute on Linux (almost all distros), macOS, Windows (there it is called tracert), and even Android (though you will need extra installation).
The software’s benefits are that it is free, easy to use, and serves well its purpose of tracing the route to a target.
How does traceroute work?
When you are using the traceroute, your device will send packets of data starting from your IP address, going through various hops, and reaching its target – hostname or IP address. The software will use packets with a short TTL (time to live) value and listen for the ICMP replays. The probes continue until a message “port unreachable (ICMP) or rest (TCP), which will indicate host.
As a result, you will see TTLs, addresses of the hops, and round time per probe, and extra data if you used some of the options.
If you need more detailed information about the Traceroute command we recommend you this article – Traceroute command and its options
Traceroute syntax Linux
To get to the syntax on Linux, you will need to write the following in the Terminal:
$traceroute –help
traceroute [options] host_Address [pathlength]
You will also see all the options for the traceroute command on Linux. They will help you perform better probes and get richer results.
Traceroute Linux options
This is a complete list of Traceroute options on Linux. Use it on Debian, Ubuntu, CentOS, or whatever distro you have.
Option/flagDescription-d –debugThis will allow socket level debugging in case that the kernel supports it.-4Only use IPv4. Yhe default will give results for IPv4 and IPv6 both. -6Only use IPv6.-TSpecify only TCP for the probes.-ISpecify only ICMP ECHO for the probes.-FForbid packet’s fragmentation. -f first_ttlSet, TTL value for starting (default is 1).-g gatewaySay through which gateway you want the query to pass. -i interfaceDecide which interface to use for traceroute. -m max_ttlSet the maximum hop number (default is 30).-N squeriesSet the number of queries send simultaneously (default is 16).-nDon’t map the IP addresses to the hostnames.-p portChoose the port for probing.-t tosType of service and precedence value. -w waittimeThe waiting time for probes (default is 5 seconds).-q nqueriesThe number of packets per hop (default is 3 seconds). -rSend directly to a host, bypassing the normal routing table. -s source_addrAlternative source address. -z sendwaitThe minimum interval, between sending of packets (default is 0). -eSee the ICMP extensions. -VSee the version and exit. -UUDP for the probes. -ULUDPLITE for the probes. -P protocolChoose the protocol for the probes.
Suggested article: How to use the MTR command?
Traceroute syntax for macOS and Windows?
Here we are focused on Linux-only, but not to be bad with the rest of the readers, we will tell you how to use traceroute on macOS and Windows.
Use the Terminal. Traceroute exists, and it is very similar. The syntax for macOS is:
traceroute [options] host [packetsize]
To see all the options, you can write:
Traceroute –help
On Windows, the Traceroute command has a slightly different name – tracert. The functionality is very similar.
The tracert sytax is:
tracert [-d] [-h maximum_hops] [-j host-list] [-w timeout] [-R] [-S srcaddr] [-4] [-6] target_name
It shows all the available options like –R for roundtrip, -S srcaddr source address, -4 for IPv4, and -6 for IPv6.
Conclusion
Traceroute is an easy to use, fast, and small command that you can easily use, no matter your Linux distro. Use it to monitor your servers or other network diagnostics.
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Slashdot reader unixbhaskar shared this report from Phoronix:
Larry Finger who has contributed to the Linux kernel since 2005 and has seen more than 1,500 kernel patches upstreamed into the mainline Linux kernel has sadly passed away. His wife shared the news of Larry Finger’s passing this weekend on the linux-wireless mailing list in a brief statement.
Reactions are being shared around the internet. LWN writes:
The LWN Kernel Source Database shows that Finger contributed to 94 releases in the (Git era) kernel history, starting with 2.6.16 — 1,464 commits in total. He will be missed… In part to his contributions, the Linux wireless hardware support has come a long way over the past two decades.
Larry was a frequent contributor to the Linux Wireless and Linux Kernel mailing lists. (Here’s a 2006 discussion he had about Git with Linus Torvalds.) Larry also answered 54 Linux questions on Quora, and in 2005 wrote three articles for Linux Journal. And Larry’s GitHub profile shows 122 contributions to open source projects just in 2024.In Reddit’s Linux forum, one commenter wrote, “He was 84 years old and was still writing code. What a legend. May he rest in peace.”
Learn about the new features of the nano 8.0 major release.
The console text editor GNU nano 8.0 has been released, and it brings features that will definitely make your text editing experience efficient. Nano is the default editor in many user distributions, and it’s a popular choice for developers for quick editing without any fuss.
Let’s briefly recap the new features of this version.
Nano 8.0: What’s New
Hotkeys
One of the most significant updates in nano 8.0 is the addition of modern bindings, which activates an alternative set of basic hotkeys. With the “–modernbindings” command-line option, you can now use hotkeys such as CTRL+Q to exit, CTRL+X to transfer to the clipboard, CTRL+C to copy, and CTRL+V to paste. These hotkeys make it easier to navigate and manage your text files, and they’re a welcome addition for users who prefer a more intuitive editing experience.
Navigation and search
Nano 8.0 introduces improved navigation and marking features that will make it easier to move around and manage your text files. You can now use and to move the cursor to the first or last line within the current visible area, maintaining the horizontal position. Additionally, the ‘M-” hotkey is now used to set and remove a mark, and ‘M-” moves to the next mark. These enhancements make it easier to navigate and manage your text files.
The search functionality has received a significant boost in nano 8.0. You can now use CTRL+F to start a forward search and CTRL+B to start a reverse search. The MF and MB hotkeys repeat forward and reverse searches, making it easier to find specific text within your files.
Nano 8.0
Colour Scheme, Mouse handling
In terms of aesthetics, nano 8.0 introduces a new colour scheme. Specifying equal colour components in #RGB values (e.g., “#555”) is now mapped to xterm grayscale, allowing for 14 levels of gray instead of the previous 4. This means you’ll have more flexibility when customizing your editor’s appearance.
When an error occurs, the keystroke buffer is cleared to stop macro execution, preventing any potential issues. This ensures that your editing workflow remains uninterrupted, even in the face of errors.
The mouse wheel now scrolls the visible area rather than moving the cursor. This makes it easier to navigate large files and reduces the risk of accidentally moving the cursor.
Others
Other notable features in nano 8.0 include the ability to jump to a specific line number in a file when opening a file with the command “nano filename:number” in addition to the previously supported option “+N” (“nano +number filename”). This makes it easier to navigate to specific sections of your text files.
Download/Upgrade
Most of the Linux distributions will get this version within a few weeks from now. You can get this version via the usual distribution upgrade channel.
Wrapping up
Overall, it’s a good update considering millions of users use this editor every day. It is one of the best terminal-based editors there is.
We hope to get more exciting features in the coming days, while maintaining the lightweight nature.
Via release announcement
