Linux:
Linux is a hacker’s choice when it comes to hacking in general, but Linux isn’t exactly use friendly for beginners. The point of Section 1 in this series is the Linux Operating System in general. Once the basics are down then we can move on to more complicated subjects, but we all have to start at the beginning.
Flavors:
There are many flavors of Linux, to name a few; Kali Linux, Parrotsec, Ubuntu, Gentoo, Debian, etc. But for the sake of all our sanities please at least live boot either Kali Linux, Parrotsec, or Ubuntu.
I am not gonna go into detail how to install Linux on a computer because of the many different flavors and the variety of devices used, but some preferred setup that I favor are as follows:
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Dual booting: What I mean by dual booting isn’t putting two OS on the same hardrive, but what I mean is putting a OS on one hardrive and putting another on another hardrive. I also suggest having a external third hardrive for extra memory. This setup is my favorite , but if for some reason there’s lack of two hardrives or not comfortable with installing two different OS on two hardrives please don’t try it unless you know how to accomplish it or comfortable with.
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Live Boot: I use this method alot when I’m not at home. Live boot is exactly what it sounds like, this is where having Linux on a disc or a USB drive. From what I can tell and this could be wrong, but when you run a Live Boot the OS runs on the ram instead on the hardrive. This concept could be wrong, but it’s what I think goes behind the scenes. For this method I suggest a USB because it’s portable, small, and faster than a disc.
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Installing on Hardrive: This method I only suggest if you are comfortable with Linux that you could use it both for hacking and also for regular days use. Installation on a hardrive is the fastest between a dvd and a usb. The only problem with Installingon a hardrive if something happens usually the damage is extensive and unlike a Live Boot you can’t reboot and it’s fixed. I know this from my experiences. That’s why Installation on a hardrive should be reserved once you become more accustom to Linux.
Out all three of these methods that I’ve mentioned, probably the safest and more reliable is the Live Boot at least until beginners become more comfortable with Linux in general.
Environment:
Linux at first boot can be a little confusing. When I first started using Linux I couldn’t even open a terminal, but after a few boots I quickly learned how to navigate Linux. I am using Parrotsec throughout these tutorials, but the concepts are the same for most flavors.
The terminal is in my opinion the most important tool in the Linux environment and understanding how to run commands on it is just as important as learning how to hack. To open up a terminal in Parrot go to the bar on top of the screen and click a tiny rectangle icon. There are two but the one we are gonna use is the root terminal (one with a extra symbol in the rectangle). When you click on it a black “box” should open up with green lettering (watch matrix to understand the black terminal with green font color). A tiny crusor should be blinking in that “box”, if not don’t panic. Now type: apt-get update
apt-get is a command you’d be using often to install the packages that are needed to install a tool. At first boot you’ll need to run this command because if not when you run to install a tool it could fail and fixing it usually works when you run apt-get update.
So now everything is updated, now what? Type: apt-get install
After install you’d usually put in the name of the tool you want to install, but at the moment we aren’t interested in installing a tool (well, not for this tutorial).
Sometimes you don’t even need a tool to hack or at least gain information on the target. Type: ls
ls lists all the directories currently in the system. Why is this important? Let’s assume you’ve hacked a windows computer and you want to install a backdoor, but the problem is you don’t know what’s on then system. ls is great to figure out what the file structure looks like. A simple command like ls could have a huge impact on a system.
Another important and useful command is cd. Type: cd /root/Desktop
Press enter and your directory should change to the Desktop directory. Why is this important? Lets go back to the windows scenery. You’ve found the perfect directory to hide your backdoor but how do I get to it? Simple, cd. If you know the directory you can get to it by the means of cd.
Conclusion (ish):
That’s my dirty introduction to both this series and also to Linux. I like to apologize ahead if I may have said something wrong, but please point them out. Other than that, cheers.
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