u/warwagon1979

I'm getting tired of people on a popular streaming video service that keep featuring their cats. I was watching a video, where the cat stuck his head in the shot and then he stopped talking about the topic at hand and started talking about his cat.

I think I’m just going to start un-following them.

Here is a cringy

I was watching a recorded church service video where a guy I knew was going to read some scripture during a church service.

He walks up to the Pedestal gets out a photo of his cat and says "In case anyone missed my post on Facebook, here is the photo of (cat’s name) and he shows the congregation the photo of his cat.

BARF!

 

For years while running portable Firefox it's been hit or miss if would actually install an update after going to "help / about Firefox"

It would download and apply the update, but when I would click restart Firefox, after it would restart I would go to help / about Firefox, and it would want to apply the update all over again.

In some rare cases the update would actually take but that was few and far between.

So today I was experimenting with different things trying to get the update to apply.

I found that if I navigate to (install location):\app\Firefox64 and a launch Firefox.exe which loads without a profile, then apply the update, restart Firefox, then close Firefox and launch it again using "FirefoxPortable.exe" in the root of the install folder, then your profile loads again AND it shows Firefox is up to date.

Hope this helps anyone

WireGuard 1-Click Peer Generator for OpenWrt

I use WireGuard on OpenWrt, but I create new peers so infrequently that every time I need to add one, I have to look back through my existing peer settings to remember exactly what to enter.

Yes, OpenWrt can generate a new key pair and generate a configuration, but I still found myself having to figure out things like:

• Which WireGuard IP should I use next?
• What should I put in Allowed IPs?
• What settings did I use on the last peer?

So, I decided to make the process easier.

I went over to ChatGPT and worked through creating a script that adds a new option under "Network" called:

WireGuard Peer Generator

https://preview.redd.it/qke1s2056teh1.png?width=854&format=png&auto=webp&s=865755e39dcfe88d4a344e2c62307b34e673fd67

During the install of the script it will ask you if you want to access your lan with the vpn and will add the correct ip settings based on your network.

The script will automatically look at your current WireGuard setup and fill in the important settings for you, including the server public key, your WAN/public IP for the Endpoint Host/IP, and your current WireGuard IP range.

Creating a new peer is simple. Open Network → WireGuard Peer Generator, enter a name for the new peer, and click Generate Peer.

For example, if the last peer used:

10.200.0.53/32

the next peer will automatically use:

10.200.0.54/32

Once the peer is generated, you can scan the QR code with the WireGuard app or save the generated client config file.

When you are ready, click Save & Apply.

That adds the peer to the WireGuard peer list, commits the network configuration, and restarts the WireGuard interface so the new peer takes effect.

So after the initial setup, creating a new WireGuard peer basically comes down to entering a name and clicking generate.

I’ve included the script for anyone who wants to look it over, improve it, or use it as a starting point for their own OpenWrt setup.

Last week I was at my parents’ house realized they a Wireguard config file on their TV to access my plex server.

So I connected to m VPN, opened up Openwrt, clicked on network / Wireguard Peer Generator, went straight to the name and typed in “Parents Chromecast” and clicked generate, downloaded the configuration file and clicked save and apply.

Then I added it to their Wireguard on their google Chromecast, and it connected first try!

So literally all that is required to create a working Wireguard peer is a name.

I’ve included the script for everyone to look over.

Download / look at Script

https://gist.github.com/warwagon1979/6025ff453c47150dcf314e63261e7bbe

You can save it out as a .sh file of your choice

Installation

I made this for myself so use at your own risk.

Sending it to openwrt

Replace filename.sh with the name of your file

From CMD

"C:\Program Files\PuTTY\pscp.exe" -scp "C:\Users\\(username)\Downloads\**filename.sh**" root@192.168.1.1:/tmp/**filename.sh**"

In Putty

sed -i 's/\\r$//' /tmp/filename.sh.sh

chmod +x /tmp/filename.sh

sh /tmp/filename.sh

To uninstall it

rm -f /usr/share/luci/menu.d/luci-app-wg-peer-gen.json

rm -f /usr/share/rpcd/acl.d/luci-app-wg-peer-gen.json

rm -f /www/luci-static/resources/view/network/wg_peer_gen.js

/etc/init.d/rpcd restart

/etc/init.d/uhttpd restart

V1.2.2

Fixed: The installer was stopping after the LAN access prompt, which prevented the LuCI files from being created. Because of that, the WireGuard Peer Generator was not being added under the Network menu. This update fixes the install process so it continues properly and installs the menu entry, ACL file, JavaScript page, and default configuration.

For a while now, I've been looking on YouTube for a video that explained passkeys to the average user, but they all go into technical mumbo jumbo.

I found a video titled "Passkeys Explained (so even a kid could understand")

But then he started talking about Cryptography and public and privates keys. The average user doesn't care.

So I came up with an analogy that I think gets the point across without any using technical mumbo jumbo.

https://preview.redd.it/0ur4l1x2y89h1.png?width=800&format=png&auto=webp&s=999a49586f294384e5dce6894a6684f2be4ee288

Imagine one of those heart necklaces that breaks into two matching pieces. One person keeps one half, and the other person keeps the other half.

With passkeys, the website has one half, and you have the other half.

If the website gets hacked and someone steals its half, that stolen piece is useless by itself. It cannot unlock your account without your matching half. This particular heart necklace is one of a kind; there is only one in existence.

Another important part is that each website gets its own special necklace.

The heart necklace for your bank is not the same heart necklace used for your email. The heart necklace for your email is not the same heart necklace used for your shopping account.

So if one website gets hacked and someone steals that website’s half of the heart, they cannot take that piece and use it on another website. It would not match anything there.

That is very different from passwords. If you reuse the same password on more than one website, and one of those websites gets hacked, a hacker may try that same password on your email, bank, shopping accounts, and other websites.

With passkeys, each website has its own one-of-a-kind match. Stealing one website’s half does not give the hacker a master key to your other accounts.

Your half of the necklace has to be stored somewhere.

It might be stored on your phone, tablet, computer, or a password manager that can sync it between all your devices. You can also use a security key as a backup.

A security key is a small physical device that you keep with you, kind of like a house key, car key, or flash drive. A recommended security key is listed at the end of the article.

I would not usually recommend a security key as the first option for the average person. For most people, it is easier to use their phone, computer, or a password manager that can sync passkeys between their devices.

A security key is more like a spare key you keep in a safe place, just in case you lose access to your other devices or your password manager.

Some security keys plug into your computer. Some plug into your phone or tablet. Some do not plug in at all and instead get tapped against your device.

The idea is simple: a security key can hold another passkey for the same website.

Think of it like creating a second one-of-a-kind heart necklace for the same account. One necklace could be paired with your password manager, while another necklace could be paired with your security key.

That means the website has more than one matching half on file. One half matches the passkey in your password manager. Another half matches the passkey stored on your security key.

So, if you lose access to your phone, computer, or password manager, you would still be able to log in using the passkey stored on your security key.

A passkey does not automatically exist on every device you own. It lives wherever you save it.

If your half is stored on one device, then that device is the one that has the matching piece.

For example, if you create the passkey on your Windows computer and it is only saved to that computer, your iPhone does not automatically have that same half. If you create it on your iPhone and it only stays on that iPhone, your Android phone does not automatically have it either.

That is where password managers come in.

A password manager can act like a protected jewelry box for your passkeys. Instead of your half of the necklace being locked to only one device, the password manager can securely sync that half to your other approved devices.

For example, Apple Passwords and iCloud Keychain can sync passkeys between your Apple devices. Google Password Manager can sync passkeys with your Google account.

But password managers such as 1Password and Bitwarden can sync passkeys between everything: your phones, tablets, and computers.

Now, you might ask: “What happens if I lose access to the device that has my passkey?”

That depends on where your passkey was saved and what recovery options the website gives you.

If your passkey was synced through a password manager, you may be able to sign in from another device that has access to that same password manager. For example, if your passkey is saved in iCloud Keychain, Google Password Manager, 1Password, or Bitwarden, another approved device may still have access to it.

If your passkey was saved only on one phone, computer, or security key, and you lose that device, then you may not have your half of the necklace anymore.

In that case, you would usually need to use the website’s backup login or account recovery options.

A lot of websites that support passkeys still let you fall back to your regular password. So if you lose access to your passkey, the site may still let you log in with your password, a code sent to your email, a text message, a recovery code, or some other account recovery process.

That is convenient, but it is also important to understand: if the website still allows password login, then your password still matters.

Passkeys are safer than passwords, but if your account still has a password as a backup, you should still use a strong, unique password and turn on two-factor authentication if the website offers it.

This is why it is a good idea to have more than one safe way back into important accounts. For example, you might keep your passkey in a syncing password manager, add a second trusted device, save recovery codes somewhere safe, or set up a backup security key.

A passkey is very secure, but just like a real key, you need a backup plan in case you lose access to it.

Now, you might ask: “What stops a hacker from copying my half of the necklace?”

That’s the important part: your half is protected. It is not something you type in, and it is not something the website gets to keep.

Think of your half as being locked inside a tiny safe on your phone, computer, security key, or password manager. That safe only opens when you approve it with your fingerprint, face, PIN, or device password.

When you log in, the website does not need to see your half. It only needs proof that your half matches its half.

Your actual half is not handed over to the website.

This is different from a password. With a password, you type the secret into the website. If you type it into a fake website, the hacker now has it.

With a passkey, you are not typing your secret into the website. Your device is proving you have the matching half without giving the half away.

This also helps protect you from fake websites, because your device checks that it is talking to the real website before it proves your half matches.

Now, could someone use your passkey if they stole your device, got into your password manager, or somehow unlocked the safe that holds your half? Yes, that is why your device password, PIN, fingerprint, face unlock, and password manager security still matter.

But a hacker cannot just steal your passkey from the website or trick you into typing it into a fake page like they can with a password.

That is why passkeys are safer than passwords. The two matching pieces have to come together, like two lovebirds who were once separated and are finally reunited.

------------------

A popular security key is called a YubiKey. You can purchase them online, including from Amazon. I recently purchased two of them myself.

YubiKeys come in different versions. Some plug into a standard USB-A port, which is the older rectangle-shaped USB port found on many computers. Others plug into USB-C ports, which are found on many newer computers, phones, and tablets.

Some YubiKeys can also work with phones or tablets using NFC, which is where you tap the key against the device instead of plugging it in.

If your computer or phone does not have the right type of port, you may need an adapter, such as a USB-C to USB-A adapter.

Yubikey Regular USB version https://a.co/d/0h7Omhd9
Yubikey USB C version https://a.co/d/03rMnQR3
USB  adapters: https://a.co/d/02adGKWP

In rare occasions when you turn your computer on you will be greeted with a Secure Boot error followed by the message "No boot device found"

If you go into the UEFI and disable Secure Boot the system boots up just fine.

Below is a method I found online to fix the issue

1. Disable Secure Boot and boot into Windows (If Bitlocker is enable you'll have to go to https://aka.ms/myrecoverykey on another device to find your bitlocker recovery key).
2. Find a flash drive and make sure it's formatted Fat32
3. Create a folder on the flash drive called EFI and a subfolder inside EFI called BOOT
4. On your computer navigate to C:\windows\boot\EFI
5. Copy the file SecureBootRecovery.efi to your flash drive\EFI\BOOT
6. Now reboot the computer and tell the computer to boot off that flash drive. You should see a black screen with some text telling you it has repaired Secure Boot
7. Turn Secure Boot back on and reboot and your computer should boot normally.

This is just a little rant that annoys me when I see it

Have you ever been to a town specific swap on Facebook, but then people post things from other towns, sometimes hundreds of miles away.

I'm always thinking "What was the is the point of calling it X swap, if you allow people to post from everywhere?"