Manage Passwords Securely in Ubuntu with KeePassX

 


With security issues becoming more and more important, the emphasis on secure passwords (as well as other methods like multiple step authentication) has never been greater.
With that in mind I recently tried out several secure password managers to try and find something secure, but also easy to use and cross-platform.
First, I went to LastPass. It’s probably the most known tool for managing your passwords, and since it’s based on the web, it’s the most cross platform of them all. However, I found the interface lacking, and the number of tools and options on offer was overwhelming.
Next, I tried KeePass 2. While this is a perfectly capable app, very similar to the tool I’m going to talk about in a minute, it doesn’t provide official Linux packages, and the community ports, while serviceable, aren’t the nicest looking apps out there. So I tried other apps.
My favourite of all those I tested was KeePassX. It started out as a Linux port of KeePass, but eventually evolved as its own app. It bests KeePass 2 with a nicer, more native looking interface.

Using KeePassX in Ubuntu

Conveniently, KeePassX already has packages in Ubuntu available for installation.
Install keepassx from the command line or install it from the Software Centre:

Install KeePassX from the Ubuntu Software Centre

When you open it, you’ll see a blank window. Use the first button on the toolbar to create a new database. You can either protect it by using key files, or a password. You probably want a password which is quite easy to remember and type — you’ll be typing it in a lot, but on the other hand you don’t want anyone else accessing your database.
Next, you need to save it somewhere. I saved mine in my Dropbox, so I can access it from multiple locations. Dropbox uses two factor authentication, so if anyone wants to get into my Dropbox to access this database, they’ll also need to have my phone, which makes the process secure enough.
Alternatively, you can use other services like Google Drive and Skydrive which both use standard Authenticator apps, or Box which uses SMS for two factor authentication.
Of course, if you’re really worried about your passwords, you probably won’t want to save it where other parties can theoretically access it.

The main screen of KeePassX in Ubuntu

Using the app is actually pretty straightforward. You can add groups, and into those groups you can add keys. KeePassX includes a handy password generator whenever you need to input a password. I tend to generate my passwords with all the basic characters and special characters selected as well, at 20 characters long, but that of course depends on what the website accepts.
It’s important to note that some websites don’t always tell you how long a password they’ll accept, and opt to just put a limit on the input box. If your pasted in password doesn’t quite look long enough, it probably isn’t. It’s happened to me a few times.

KeePassX password generator

In my everyday usage of KeePassX, I’ve noticed a few things that should make using it a bit easier:

Copy & Paste Paranoia

You might be worried about the notion of copying and pasting passwords. It sure is more efficient than typing them out manually. By default, KeePassX clears the clipboard about a minute, but you can shrink this in the settings. You don’t need to be worried about someone else pasting the password and viewing it on your computer. You can also use a feature called AutoType, which types your password automatically, but this is a bit useless since for some reason it puts the password together with the username in the same field. Apparently it just doesn’t work for me. Chris Zuber explains how to use AutoType in the comments.

Database Dilemma

If you save the database in the cloud, don’t set the password to the cloud service to something completely random. It’s no good having the password to it saved inside the cloud if you can’t access the cloud. It might seem obvious, but it’s not something I originally realised.

SECURE ALL THE PASSWORDS

Whipping out your phone constantly while at work or school to access your most commonly used accounts can be a pain, so keep that in mind when settings passwords.

The future

If you’ve looked into KeePass 2 and KeePassX previously, you might’ve noticed that they use different database formats.
KeePass 2 uses a newer version of the format, which offers things like custom fields. Even though KeePassX is not yet ready for the newer .kdbx format, a new version of it is in development which supports this format.
You can view the new version of KeePassX, with a vastly improved interface below. You can also download it to compile it yourself on GitHub.

Main screen of KeePassX 2.0

Details of a single password

Additional attributes of a single password

Entry history, most likely replacing the ‘Backup’ folder from the previous version

Settings in KeePassX 2.0

Other devices

As I said in the beggining of my post, I was looking for something cross platform. This is a great advantage of the .kdb format — there are quite a few apps currently supporting it. KeePassX is also much easier to get running on Mac OS X than KeePass 2, and runs fine on Windows too.
On Android I use KeePassDroid, which works solidly both on my phone and tablet.


#http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2013/10/manage-passwords-securely-keepassx

Ubuntu 14.04 LTS Named ‘Trusty Tahr’

The tantalising trials of taxonomy are complete: the mascot for Ubuntu 14.04 LTS has been chosen – get used to typing out the name ‘Trusty Tahr’.
“What’s a…tahr?”, you ask? Google tells me it’s a goat-like mammal found in mountainous areas in Oman, India and the Himalayas.
The sure-footed animal reflects the goals for Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, which Shuttleworth says, will see conservative choices made on the desktop as it focuses on delivering “…performance, refinement, maintainability [and] technical debt.” 
Ubuntu 14.04 LTS for servers and desktops is pencilled in for release in April 2014.


# http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2013/10/ubuntu-14-04-lts-named-trusty-tahr

Android 4.3 for Samsung I9505 Galaxy S4 now available

We've got good news for all international I9505 Galaxy S4 users. Samsung has just begun to roll out the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean firmware update for the LTE-enabled version of its flagship smartphone.
The first country to get the update is Germany, but other regions will supposedly be joining the whitelist shortly. German Samsung Galaxy S4 users can update both OTA or via the Samsung Kies computer software.
The Android 4.3 update brings quite a few new features, although most of them are part of Samsung's proprietary TouchWiz UI launcher and not the OS itself.
Here is the complete changelog for the update as compiled with SamMobile:

• OpenGL 3.0 Support
• GALAXY GEAR Support
• TRIM Support (Makes the device much faster)
• ANT+ Support
vSamsung KNOX Implementation (KNOX bootloader and dedicated application)
• Samsung Wallet comes pre-loaded
• Improved RAM management
• Improved Display colour reproduction (Display looks much sharper than before)
• Improved TouchWiz Launcher (Much less launcher redraws and less lag)
• New Samsung Keyboard
• New Samsung Browser (Full screen by default, new tab interface and more)
• New Reading Mode (Optimises display for reading, used by only a few specific applications)
• New Camera firmware
• Minor UI tweaks (Contacts app, Flashlight Widget, dialog boxes etc)

Naturally, the update rollout process is gradual so you need to be patient. You can also download and install the update via Odin, but you will be voiding your warranty this way.
Currently the Android 4.3 update is available only for the I9505 Galaxy S4 LTE-enabled model running on Snapdragon 600. SamMobile claims the octa-core I9500 will follow suit next week, the Galaxy S III will be getting its 4.3 release next month, while the Galaxy Note II will get the Android 4.3 treatment in December.
The reason why the former Samsung phablet is taking so long to reach Android 4.3 is the huge number of S Pen-related features that need to be ported to the lasest Android release.


#http://www.gsmarena.com/android_43_for_samsung_i9505_galaxy_s4_now_available-news-7000.php

Delete Temp Files With BleachBit: CCleaner of Linux

BY GUEST AUTHOR - AUGUST 14, 2012 2:00 AM - 4 COMMENTS

Every operating system, Windows, Mac, Linux, create temporary files while running. Software installations and uninstallations also create temp files. These files consume a small part of hard disk space. In addition to this, Google chrome, Mozilla Firefox like web browsers store histories, web caches, cookies etc.. Accumulation of these files also reduces the useful space.

On Windows we have many software to clean these temp files. CCleaner, Tweak Now, Tune-up utilities are of the popular clean up tools in Windows. But what about Linux users, what do they have to delete these temp files?

BleachBit is a clean up application available for all major platforms i.e. Windows, Mac and Linux. Ubuntu provides BleachBit in Software Center:

Once installed, open the application. Fill up the option and go for a clean up. Generally, it takes 5-10 mins to complete the process:

Enjoy a cleaner Ubuntu.

#http://www.computerandyou.net/2012/08/delete-temp-files-with-bleachbit-ccleaner-of-linux/

Complete Beginners Guide To Root Samsung Galaxy S2 In Ubuntu Linux

You might think it is a bit late to write on how to root Samsung Galaxy S2 in Ubuntu Linux because its been over 3 years since its release and there are already Samsung Galaxy S3 and S4 in market. But it was only recently when I decided to root my Samsung Galaxy S2 after my contract with SFR was over. At least now I won’t be violating the warranty from the manufacturer as its over 2 years now for my phone.

The other reason why I am writing this article on rooting Android phone is that I did not find any good articles that could teach a beginner to easily root an Android smartphone on Linux. I followed the steps mentioned on XDA forum, but I felt the need of improving the article with clear steps and proper screenshots and hence I came up with this article to show you how to root Samsung Galaxy S2 easily in Ubuntu Linux.

How to root Samsung Galaxy S2 in Ubuntu Linux

The tutorial was performed on Elementary OS Luna and Samsung Galaxy S2 I9100 running on Jelly Beans (Android 4.2.1). But these steps are generic and with a little modification, can be followed on any other Linux distribution and any other Smartphone with any other Android version.

Prerequisites:

Here are some of the prerequisites to root an Android phone on Ubuntu:

• A USB data cable to connect your phone to computer
• A computer running any standard Linux OS with internet connection (to download some files, mentioned later).

The procedure may seem a bit long to you, but trust me, it is not. Its really easy to root your Android phone and it won’t take you more than 10-15 minutes to follow the complete procedure. Steps are detailed so that even a beginner can easily root the phone.

Step 1: Find the Kernel version on your phone

First thing first. You need to find which Kernel version your smartphone is currently running. On your phone, go to Settings-> About phone. Look closely for Build number.

On Android: Settings->About phone-> Build number

As you can see in the picture above, the build number for my Samsung Galaxy S2 is I9100XWLSD. Notice the LSD. This is important to download the correct “rooted Kernel” image for your phone.

Step 2: Download the rooted Kernel image

Once you have got the Kernel number, its time to download the rooted Kernel image (thanks to XDA developers). For XWLSD, download Siyah-s2-v6.0b4.tar file.

Download Siyah-s2-v6.0b4.tar

For other Kernel versions, please check on XDA developer forum or search on Google. Its not possible for me to provide the links for each of them.

Step 3: Extract the downloaded Kernel image

Once you have downloaded the tar file, extract it. The extracted file would bezImage. Copy it to your home directory (for simplicity purposes).

Step 4: Download and install Heimdall

Heimdall is a cross platform Open Source tool that is able to flash firmware on Samsung devices. You can download Heimdall form their repository. Reposiory has a number of files for different Linux distributions. Basically, you have to download the command line (heimdall) and front-end (heimdall-frontend) files for your Linux OS.

For Ubuntu and other Debian based distributions, you can see the .deb binaries there. Download and install the one for your Ubuntu version.

Alternatively, you can also try to compile the source code.

Step 5: Put your phone in Download mode

Once you have the correct rooted Kernel image and Heimdall installed on your Linux system, its time to start the rooting process. For this purpose, you have to put your phone in “download mode”. Try the following steps:

• Switch your phone off

• Hold the power key+volume down+ home key

You’ll see a warning message after few seconds on the screen. Press volume up button to continue in “download mode”.

Once you are in downloaded mode, you shall see a screen like this on your Android phone:

Step 6: Connect the phone to computer

In the download mode, connect your phone to the computer using a USB data cable. To check if it is well detected by your Linux OS, open a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and use the following command:

heimdall detect

This should show you a result like “device detected“:

Step 7: Flash the Kernel

Now is the time to replace your old Kernel with the rooted one. In the terminal, use the following command:

sudo heimdall flash --KERNEL zImage

It will be a long output. If its a success you will see the following lines at the end of the long message:

Uploading KERNEL
100%
KERNEL upload successful
Ending Session....
Rebooting Device....
Re-attaching kernel driver....

Note.

If it was not successful for some reason, you should see the message at the bottom of the log. In the first try, I saw this error message: ERROR: Partition “kernel” does not exist in the specified PIT. When I checked with sudo heimdall print-pit –verbose command, I found that there were several partition on my phone and the Kernel was on partition KERNEL and not kernel (case sensitive, you see).

Your phone will be logged in automatically.

Step 8: Check if your Android phone is rooted

Al right, it was a success for you so far. But how to verify if your phone is rooted? For this download a terminal app on your Android phone. I used Android Terminal Emulator. It is like a Linux terminal in your Android phone. Start the app and write the following command in the terminal and press enter key.

su

If you are rooted, it will prompt you like this to ask for root access:

Once you give the root access, the $su will change in #su. An indicator that you have root access now and it also means that you have successfully rooted your Galaxy S2.

I hope this guide helps you to root your Samsung Galaxy S2 in Linux. Feel free to drop your suggestions, feedback, thanks and questions in the comment box below. Subscribe to the blog for more tutorials.

#http://itsfoss.com/complete-beginner-guide-root-samsung-galaxy-s2-ubuntu-linux/

Pear OS 8 Linux Will Imitate iOS 7

Pear Linux is an Ubuntu based distribution that imitates Mac OS. Loosely it could be dubbed as the Mac OS for Linux. Even the logo of Pear OS (a missing bite from a pear) resembles Apple’s logo,  Don’t believe me, look at the screenshot of Pear OS 7below:

Like most of the other Linux OS, Pear Linux is free to use. Since it is based on Ubuntu, it is easy to use with lost of applications available (from Ubuntu repository) and thus creates a good environment for beginners. For those users who are die hard fan of Mac OS, this could be an ideal combination of Linux+Mac. The operating system does not demand a high end hardware but it is only available for 64 bit processor.

The new Pear OS 8 will look like iOS 7

As Apple has released iOS 7 last week, Pear Linux is hinting that Pear OS 8 will be based on iOS7′s looks. In a image shared on Google Plus  the new look of Pear OS has been revealed. I leave up to you to decide how good it looks:

In case you want to try your hands on Pear OS 8, you can download the image of the beat version from the link below:

Download Pear OS 8 Beta

Honestly, I don’t understand the craziness about Mac OS looks. We haveElementary OS Luna which is also hailed for its Mac-like looks. Anyways, this Linux distribution may serve a niche userbase. What you say?

#http://itsfoss.com/pear-os-8-linux-will-imitate-ios-7/