JDPFu.com 2025

This is not meant for complete noobs. Hints for tools are provided only. If you don’t know the tool already, RTFM.

Most of these steps really aren’t necessary – they are included just to see if something commonly addressed automatically has been screwed by you or the network guys. It is almost never the network, so be nice before accusing others for your mistake.

Let’s get started.

In short, if it can be done in networking, then your Linux system can probably do it – within the limitations of the connected hardware.

Linux Advanced Routing & Traffic Control HOWTO documents these things.

For example (stolen verbatim):

• Throttle bandwidth FOR certain computers
• Throttle bandwidth TO certain computers
• Help you to fairly share your bandwidth
• Protect your network from DoS attacks
• Protect the Internet from your customers
• Multiplex several servers as one, for load balancing or enhanced availability
• Restrict access to your computers
• Limit access of your users to other hosts
• Do routing based on user id (yes!), MAC address, source IP address, port, type of service, time of day or content

That’s just the short list. Much more is possible and the LARTC guide has examples for all sorts of things.

UNCLASSIFIED DISA FSO STIGs

Some Ansible STIG Stuff for RHEL 6

BTW – a STIG is a Security Technical Implementation Guide.
CIS Ansible for Ubuntu 14.04

You missed it! We had a great time! A fun time for like minded people. Learned a little about some distros I didn’t know still existed. Learned a bunch about some things I knew little about – Angry Noob Syndrome – ANS, for example.

Whether you are a hard-core DevOps person, normal admin, end user, developer, or DBA, there were 4+ sessions for each and lots of interesting things you never knew about.

Ever wanted to get GigE speeds over wireless for your entire neighborhood from 40+ miles away from any other buildings? There was a session about that!

Ok – so here are the videos.

I love the smell of burning electronics in the morning. NOT!

I’ve had an HDMI splitter and Hauppauge 1512 recorder for about 2 yrs. These devices have worked well together and allowed me to push HDMI content to the 1512, a monitor, and a projector all concurrently. Worked nice, but only supported 1 input and only the 1512 only has drivers for Windows (booo).

So I picked up a J-Tech Matrix 4×2 HDMI switch/splitter to better control which inputs were sent to the different outputs without needing to swap cables anymore.

HDMI is a stateless connection, right? Perhaps not. Got everything connected and started having the matrix switch through the different inputs trying to see the output on either/both of the output devices. Didn’t appear that the handshake had worked, so I decided to disconnect the splitter and instead of it being just before the monitor, it would be in front of the matrix switch. As soon as the HDMI cable was connected to the Hauppauge device, I heard a little “Hiss” …. didn’t recognize it immediately, but then saw a little white smoke coming from the 1512 device. It sits along on the rack here – plenty of airflow around it. First unplugged the HDMI cable, but that didn’t immediately stop the growing smoke, so I pulled the power input. That stopped the smoke and hissing, but the 5 seconds probably fried the innards completely. Hopefully, no damage to other connected devices has happened. Don’t know yet.

So … I’m in the market for a

• linux compatible,
• USB-connected (can’t use card-solutions),
• HDMI video,
• HDMI 5.1+ audio
  recording device that doesn’t cost $2K.
  Any ideas?

Sometimes we just want to see what’s happening on a server. Quick and dirty.

watch -n2 ss -aptn state established
watch -n2 ss -aptr state established

Found these commands on the Ubuntu Forums, userid cogset. Nice.

I’m positive there are some great network watching commands out there. Drop your favorite into the comments, please.

I’m always confused when folks elect to put their data on someone elses computer or storage. That is what using the cloud means.

It is really easy to have a private cloud where you host all the data from your broadband connected home with about the same power use as a high-efficiency LED light bulb. Plus by doing this, you can have remote access to all the compute power inside your house, through a highly secure connection, unlike what OwnCloud or Dropbox provide. Better. More secure. Under your control. What’s not to like?

Feeling Tracked Online?

You should. Do some simple things to make it harder AND less profitable.

Why worry? After all, you aren’t doing anything wrong or are you?

Who Is Watching?

Resumes of people in the intelligence community and some tools for analysis and counting. Created from public information sources – like linkedIn, facebook, and google searches.

• Transparency Toolkit Data
• Transparency Toolkit

Do you game?
Do you Linux?

Looks like Linux is becoming a first-class gaming platform with more than 1100 games for Linux in Steam.

What’s better? Ubuntu 15.04 provides faster OpenGL performance for AMD GPUs about 14% faster using the Open Source Radeon driver. Nice.

Sadly, older, lower-end GPUs didn’t see improvements.

DVDisaster – Replacement for ddrescue for optical media?

The manpage says:

DVDISASTER – data loss/scratch/aging protection for CD/DVD media

I’ve used it here to recover a few old DVDs that couldn’t be read by ddrescue at all. It failed with a few other DVDs too, so it isn’t a magic bullet.

It was already in the Ubuntu repos.

I think we should go fishing tomorrow.