Inhaltsverzeichnis für November 2023 in Linux Magazine

Using a Raspberry Pi to put a legacy printer on the network Iinherited a DYMO 400 label printer that has a simple USB connection, but it has recently lost the Windows support lottery. My goal was to convert this old standalone label printer (Figure 1) into a network label printer that all the computers on my network can access. Linux users often chafe at the need to replace hardware that is still functioning perfectly well, so keeping an old printer going is a problem that many of us have faced in the past. In this case, it actually appears that the old version of the printer might function better than the newer model (see the box entitled “DRM Woes”), so I’d prefer to keep using it. The Linux ecosystem is…

Anonymity with ProxyChains Anumber of scenarios lead to a need for online anonymity. You might wish to remain anonymous while working as a journalist in a war-torn country, for example, or when acting as a whistleblower. Perhaps you are working as a security researcher? Or maybe you just want some privacy from commercial Internet businesses. This article shows how to disguise Internet traffic using a tool called ProxyChains [1]. I came across ProxyChains while taking part in some challenges at the Try-HackMe site [2]. If there are multiple links in a chain of proxies, it is very hard to perform digital forensics on a visiting IP address. Using a number of proxies to route traffic through before the traffic makes it back to your computer is a highly effective way…

Build a clock with Blender and Python The free Blender program package for modeling, texturing, animation, and video and image editing can be found in the package repositories of most Linux distributions, and there is also a distribution-independent Snap package. Typing the snap install blender command at the command line installs the graphics suite. If you need more in the way of installation options, you can download the application directly from the Blender Foundation website [1]. While you are there, you can also access the extensive documentation, tutorials, and examples and grab the versions for Windows, macOS, and others. On top of this, because the Blender Foundation provides the source code, the program can even be adapted to run on less common operating systems. Of course, in this case you…

Programming is a major cost for many organizations – and not just development shops. Companies in all industries require custom code to support infrastructure, move product, and keep an eye on the business. Wouldn’t it be easier if building a program were more like building with Lego blocks? Next month, we take a look inside the low code movement. Preview Newsletter The Linux Magazine Preview is a monthly email newsletter that gives you a sneak peek at the next issue, including links to articles posted online. Sign up at: https://bit.ly/Linux-Update Available Starting November 3…

Rocky Linux 9.2 64-bit Rocky Linux is one of the leading community-based drop-in replacements for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). The 9.2 release can be used as an upgrade from earlier 9.x releases, but users of 8.x releases are advised to make a fresh install. Changes in Rocky Linux 9.2 mostly involve improving compatibility with RHEL, including greater reliability on RHEL 9 than on CentOS Stream 9 and changes and additions to container packages, including the images for Microsoft Azure. In addition, 9.2 features enhanced tools for creating installation images; upgrades to packages in the basic tool chain, such as GCC and binutils, and in container tools; and numerous security fixes. Like RHEL, all these changes are geared towards the enterprise, although veterans of all descriptions will find the upgrade…

Accessing ChatGPT from the desktop or the Linux command line ChatGPT [1] is a chatbot developed by OpenAI [2] based on a large language model (LLM). You can have conversations with it, get answers to your questions, or let it write texts or code. With some guidance, the answers are quite useful. However, always keep in mind that ChatGPT lacks understanding: it is purely based on statistical patterns. Therefore, it’s essential to critically evaluate the answers. To begin using ChatGPT on the web, you need to create an OpenAI account. You can sign up by entering your email address and creating a password, or you can log in with a Google, Microsoft, or Apple account. Additionally, you will need to provide your name and mobile phone number, and you will…

Editing and displaying advanced file attributes Most users are familiar with the usual file attributes. Desktop file managers often list them as properties: the name, path, size, and the dates that the file was created, last accessed, and last modified (Figure 1). Many, too, are familiar with the separate read, write, and execution permissions for a file’s owner, group, and other users. However, over the decades, new file-systems, as well as the needs of version control for developers, have developed additional optional attributes. These additional attributes are edited by chattr [1], the equivalent for chown and chmod for permissions, and can be viewed by lsattr [2]. Both commands are included in the e2fsprogs [3] package and are installed by default in most distributions. While the creation of chattr and lsattr…

Controlling microcontrollers over USB with the Web Serial API Microcontroller boards such as Arduino, Raspberry Pi Pico, and ESP32 can be connected to various LEDs, buttons, and sensors. Many of these boards have a built-in WiFi chip, which allows for remote control. However, sometimes WiFi is not possible, too complicated, or simply unnecessary. Fortunately, most microcontroller boards for makers are equipped with a universal serial bus (USB) connection, which can often be used to send commands to the microcontroller from your computer or to receive sensor data. In this article, I explore what you need to establish two-way communication over USB, and I guide you through writing the necessary code for both the microcontroller and the computer. USB CDC To enable communication between the microcontroller and computer, this project uses…

Let Tube Archivist organize your YouTube collection YouTube videos have become an important part of many users’ leisure and educational activities in recent years. Many videos now also end up on free video platforms such as PeerTube [1], LBRY [2], Invidious [3], or on NewPipe [4] for Android, but by no means do all of them. This is why, no matter what users think of Google, most will continue to rely on Google’s video platform. To archive videos and preempt deletions by content creators or Google, many YouTube fans download the videos to hardware they control. Downloading videos is prohibited by default in the terms of service for the free version of YouTube, however, content creators can grant permission through a Creative Commons license. Also, downloads for offline viewing are…

Using a RESTful API to get data from a music database Many network-based web services offer APIs that comply with the REpresentational State Transfer (REST) design style. APIs that comply with REST constraints are called RESTful. RESTful APIs are attractive because they leverage existing HTTP infrastructure, the same infrastructure and protocols that browsers use. As a result, a RESTful API has access to a great variety of resources (applications, libraries, developers, etc.). From an end-user perspective, you can use your existing browser as a client to access server databases. Developers like RESTful APIs because it is easy to integrate server data and resources into applications. Music services often use RESTful APIs to provide metadata about artists and musical tracks. Offering this data through a REST interface makes it very easy…

An XML, HTML, and JSON data extraction tool There are numerous ways to scrape a web page for data. In fact, the right mix of Python modules and Python logic glue could probably do the trick, but sometimes you just want a convenient tool that lets you extract data from websites. Xidel [1], a multi-platform command-line tool, offers a one-stop alternative to quickly extract, process, and save data from XML, HTML, or JSON documents. Under the Hood Xidel wraps XQuery, XPath, and JSON into one convenient front end. XQuery, a W3C Recommendation since 2007, lets you query XML or HTML files as if they were database servers, process the extracted data as desired, and save data to other files. As shown in the XQuery tutorial [2], XQuery-capable software can complete…

Everybody knows Blender is one of the coolest open source applications on the planet, but it is also one of the most intimidating. The Blender 3D graphics toolkit is a powerful tool for modeling, rendering, sculpting, animation, and story art, but how do you dip your foot in it without getting thrown in the deep end? This month we show you a modeling project that could be a good way to get started: a partially automated 3D model of a clock. And speaking of graphics, we also take a look at Tube Archivist, a handy app for organizing videos. To round out this edition of Linux Voice: Get started on backing up your data with Duplicati.…

Creating backups with Duplicati backup software It can’t be said often enough: Backups are important. This is something you painfully realize at the moment when you need to restore something and don’t have a backup. This magazine regularly presents backup applications and strategies to help readers avoid this kind of situation. Restoring the data in case of an emergency is equally as important as creating a backup, and something you definitely need to test up front. The more valuable the data, the more important it is to have a well thought out backup strategy. For example, you could store backups locally for ease of access, but at the same time keep another backup in a secure location outside your home. This can be accomplished with a wide variety of tools…