Siccsegv Blog

The AI Hype

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 17:30:54 IST

In a previous blog on Linux, I talk about how the commonplace ignorance towards technology is becoming more detrimental with each day. This is an idea that one of my favourite writers Niel Stepehnson introduced in his essay “In the Beginning was the Command Line”. To provide a brief summary, the essay outlines the development of major operating systems and reflects on how since the inception of the “GUI”, end users have come to increasingly relinquish the control they have over computers. Ease of use always entails a certain amount of ignorance and sometimes it is warranted. But when this interface, which is supposed to facilitate unmitigated communication, falsifies or subtly leads you towards performing a specific task, it becomes something else entirely.

I have found this frame of reference extremely useful in discerning between good and bad software. If a particular program strives to be transparent and fulfills its task as effectively as possible, I usually consider it well written. Recently I have been exposed to a fair bit of discourse surrounding AI which prompted me to evaluate it along these lines. While some regard the technology to be revolutionary, others dismiss it altogether on the basis of describing AI to be nothing more than a glorified auto complete.

I personally err towards the latter side of the debate for both personal and general reasons. In my experience using AI, properly called LLM, I have found it useful in certain respects. It can rearrange text quite efficiently and might even be useful for looking up syntax or documentation for commands. But when you engage the LLM with more sophisticated tasks, even if it is strictly confined to programming, it is needless to say that it fails rather miserably. This limitation of LLMs and its inability to generalize in any meaningful sense arises because LLMs do not understand. They simply predict the next word in a given prompt, creating a feeble illusion of intelligence that crumbles almost instantly with scrutiny.

I find this predictive nature of LLMs problematic for many reasons but mostly because of how it deceives someone of what it actually offers. As you enter a prompt in ChatGPT or Gemini, what you get in response gives you all the impression of some rudimentary intelligence at work but the truth couldn’t be farther from it. However there’s an even more alarming concern. With the rise of “Vibe Coding” and the general practice of using LLMs to sidestep any serious writing, especially in Academia, this technology also appears to be a fuelling a culture of mediocrity.

Under the pretense of letting AI do all the “hard work”, its users become increasingly detached from a particular task, settling either for sloppy code that just works or content that barely passes off as human. In the context of our interface analogy, its not just that AI throws a veil on the machine you use but rather on life itself as it removes you from fully engaging in pursuits that are of inherent value. Both in education and perhaps even in the world at large, AI is assuming the role of an interface for living in a culture that cares more about appearance and quantity than anything else.

A good tool is always marked by an ability to bring you closer to the work at hand. It doesn’t just make things easier but also provides a conduit through which you can understand and derive lasting value from whatever you are doing. In our pursuit of seeking expedience, I believe we have reached a point where mindless work is being praised as technological breakthrough. And if it is anything that LLMs presage, it is our credulity to unthinkingly accept any novel innovation in the name of progress.

A Case for CTFs

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 00:00:00 UTC

During my initial forays in trying to acquaint myself with Linux, I was highly disenchanted by the fact that the users who had Linux as their primary operating system predominantly relied on the command line to navigate their machine and to perform general operations for which I had heretofore only used the GUI ( Graphical User Interface ). I felt that this Operating System was only reserved for those with the utmost technical expertise in computing and remained far from reach to a plebian like myself, who perceived the notion of interacting with machines through commands in utter perplexity. Isn’t it needlessly laborious to type a long string of commands to perform tasks as trivial as moving files or changing directories (called folders in Windows)? The benefits of this seemingly archaic mode of interaction weren’t apparent to me at first sight, but perhaps I was too new to this frontier to arrive at an unprejudiced conclusion.

Despite the innumerable difficulties I had faced in using theterminal, a zeal for mastering the command line sustained me through the misery of deserting my proclivity for clicking and dragging. But most importantly, a discovery I made that helped me immensely in the course of this venture was something called CTFs.

CTFs or Capture the Flags are programming challenges designed to test your abilities in a technical area of your choosing. The challenges, although trying to model real-world problems, contain avenues of ingress that can only be discerned if you have a reasonable grasp of the various domains in which the challenge intersects. So not only does it require an understanding of programming and computers but also equally imposes a demand for distinguishing how your technical knowledge manifests itself in subtle circumstances.

When I first discovered such elaborate intellectual puzzles contrived for nothing but the sheer delight one obtains from solving them, not only was I taken aback by the complexity of the problems but was also positively surprised to learn that the challenges often required more than just intelligence and technical rigour. What was needed most of all was the insatiable thirst for knowledge and the perseverance to attain it. This perhaps was one of the most important realizations I had during this endeavour, and I believe a few words are in order for me to explain why.

The qualities generally cultivated in contemporary institutions are obedience and the capacity to effectively understand and implement what is being told. In the process of this conditioning, intelligence coupled with subservience to authority becomes the most desirable trait for an ideal working man. As knowledge becomes too specialized, the general delight in questioning and solving problems of personal concern is abandoned at the behest of an abstract entity upon which we confer our responsibility to learn and to grow. We forsake the capacity to seek out our own questions and settle for those which are handed down to us regardless of how dreary they might appear.

CTFs, I think, are quite salutary in this regard because they helped me realize that there were questions in this world that are worthy of solvingnot for academic validation or for the gratification of being intellectually superior to your fellow peers but for the sheer pleasure of expanding the frontiers of human understanding. In addition to the technical knowledge one might accrue in solving CTFs, the unspeakable joy of comprehending what was formerly inexplicable renders the need to derive motivation from an external recourse to be entirely superfluous. Instead of solutions being the only purpose of learning, one comes to regard the pursuit itself to be intrinsically valuable because, in his attempt to demystify the unknown, he finds himself engaged in the most primordial of human ventures. And the fact that we can discover such veritable truths through programs consisting of long strings of 1s and 0s perhaps indicates that computers might not be as mechanical as they may seem.

Is a career in cybersecurity open to everyone?

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 00:00:00 UTC

Making cybersecurity a job has been more popular in recent years. As a cybersecurity practitioner, I am interested in sharing my practical knowledge of the industry and the challenges one must be prepared for when choosing cybersecurity.

Why you want to work in cybersecurity is the most crucial factor to consider while choosing a career route. I want to explain why. When I was younger, I was naturally curious and eager to utilise computers and discover new things. When I first gained access to a desktop, there was little internet availability. I would frequently engage in CD-ROM gaming or investigate the vast aspects of the operating system. I soon found various openings to take advantage of.

After some time had passed, I had a reliable internet connection. In my life, this was a crucial turning point. I was only a few clicks away from having access to a wealth of knowledge. My first ever “hack” occurred when I had to change my admin password after forgetting it. Due to a minor operating system glitch, I was unable to discover a legitimate method, soI found some tutorials and followed a method to reset the admin password. This was a significant development. Over theyears, I have learned a great deal about cybersecurity and the incredibly complex information it requires, thanks to that experience.

I pursue cybersecurity because I enjoy continuing my education and engaging in friendly competition with my peers, especially when I am passionate about it. It is always rewarding to assist a person in need and feel that satisfactioneffectively. Many people are still unaware of the dangers that the cutting-edge technology they utilise daily poses. With the correct motivation, a user with malevolent intent may quickly discover an exploit. It is necessary to promoteawareness and impose essential guidelines for user protection.

Now that we’ve discussed cybersecurity briefly, most people believe it to be a method of learning how to hack, which they may then utilise for themselves for any reason they choose. This is a terrible and depressing notion. Many people have contacted me asking that I teach hacking. When I question them, “Why do you want to learn?” they give me general comments while acknowledging that they would use it for malicious intent. Most of them asked, “Can you show me how to hack a Facebook account?” This style of thinking is the worst approach to entering the cybersecurity field. Hacking isa creative problem-solving technique, and those who engage in it are known as hackers. It is not done to breach the law or do harm to others, which is what crackers do.

To sum up, entering this profession is simple, but maintaining the required pace is exceptionally challenging and can only be achieved with enormous enthusiasm and enjoyment for what you do. Let’s say you are interested in cybersecurityfor reasons other than those I’ve suggested. It will be depleting and harmful to you and the people around you becausethat is how cybersecurity works. With that, it is up to you to decide if it is a route that everyone can take.

Cybersecurity in the Modern World

Sat, 08 Mar 2025 00:00:00 UTC

Intro

The world is awash in the sea of data. Sources and types of data are increasing rapidly, driven by the ubiquitous use of computing in science, commerce, engineering and even the humanities. Protecting crucial data, now more than ever, is an omnipresent concern for top companies across all industries (banking/finance, tech, government/military, entertainment, healthcare), with privacy slowly becoming an unattainable privilege.

Why is cybersecurity critical?

According to the Allianz Risk Barometer, cyber perils are the biggest concern for companies globally in 2022. Asia-Pacific companies receive 6 cyber threats every minute, according to Cisco. A Frost & Sullivan study commissioned by Microsoft revealed that the potential economic loss across the Asia Pacific due to cybersecurity incidents could hit a staggering $1.745 trillion (USD).

Statistics

95% of cybersecurity breaches are caused by human error. (Cybint)
The worldwide information security market is forecast to reach $170.4 billion in 2022. (Gartner) 88% of organizations worldwide experienced spear phishing attempts in 2019. (Proofpoint)
68% of business leaders feel their cybersecurity risks are increasing. (Accenture)

On average, only 5% of companies’ folders are adequately protected. (Varonis)Data breaches exposed 36 billion records in the first half of 2020. (RiskBased) 86% of breaches were financially motivated, and 10% were motivated by espionage. (Verizon) 45% of breaches featured hacking, 17% involved malware and 22% involved phishing. (Verizon) Between January 1, 2005, and May 31, 2020, there have been 11,762 recorded breaches. (ID Theft Resource Center) The top malicious email attachment types are .doc and .dot, which make up 37%; the next highest is .exe at 19.5%. (Symantec)

An estimated 300 billion passwords are used by humans and machines worldwide. (Cybersecurity Media). These numbers are only growing by the day with new technologies like 5G emerging, unawareness of the rising threats, the massive rush to cloud computing, the move formwork to home networks, high profile IoT(Internet Of Things) hacks, the widespread use of social media, etc. Unpatched system and architecture weaknesses are much more susceptible to attacks as vulnerabilities are much easier to identify.

Cybercrimes are vastly undercounted because they aren’t reported — due to embarrassment, fear of reputational harm, and the notion that law enforcement can’t help (amongst other reasons). Some companies are forced to pay large amounts of ransom money to the hacker(s) to keep the “hack” out of the public eye. The demand for cybersecurity professionals, therefore, increases exponentially.

References:

Gemini: A Refuge from the Bloat of the Modern Web

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 00:00:00 UTC

Gemini, in its most technical sense, can be described as an internet protocol which serves files through a lightweight hypertext format. It was designed to replace its more antiquated predecessor the “gopher protocol” that worked on similar mechanisms. To elaborate on these technologies in less technical terms, they were both designed simply for the sharing and linking of textfiles that were interconnected and served as precursor to the modern web.

Although Gemini is a fairly recent innovation, gopher has existed for a long time but was eventually deserted because the protocol was not designed for most of the complicated tasks that current websites require for its functioning. Displaying embedded images and videos or creating an elaborate presentation for you work was not entirely feasible in a protocol that was simply designed to share textfiles. One could also share videos and other kinds of files through gopher but a framework for presenting an elaborate visual interface that most users found appealing was, however, non-existent.

Therefore the modern web grew both in size and prominence because it afforded users with an appealing interface through which they could discover any kind of information. Newer iterations of the web, building on top of the http and tcp protocol, came to incorporate full blown applications a user could interact with. The more elaborate and complex the web became to address the needs of users, the less necessary it was for anyone to ever leave the browser for their day to day tasks.

Such a chain of events, although seemingly innocuous, has paved way for an internet that is now largely controlled by tech corporations who not only provide the means to access information but have also come to decide what kind of information we have access to. Mechanisms which enabled the web to create monolithic applications, guised under the pretext of improving user experience, were perverted in order to track and mine user data for profit. Unlike the early stages of the internet where every site represented the values, experiences and ideas of an individual, the modern web is a seething mass of disparate, useless and fundamentally misleading information designed mostly for the purpose of hoarding your attention.

In order to provide a place for users disgruntled by their experience with the modern web, project Gemini took form. The project essentially hoped to create a protocol that valued the privacy and autonomy of users. Bereft of technologies like javascript that contributes to much of the bloat in modern web applications, Gemini took inspiration from the design of the gopher protocol by emphasizing on the sharing of text documents. However, it also introduced new features like “gemtext” modelled after markdown that allowed for a clean formatting of gemini pages, often called capsules. Unlike normal websites, creating a gemini capsule is quite easy with gemtext because there’s very little to learn. A lot of tilde communities offer shell accounts with a gemini capsule.

Just like how you need a browser to access the web, accessing “geminispace” requires a dedicated gemini client. For Linux, amfora is a popular terminal client. Lagrange is a cross platform gemini client that supports Windows, Mac OS, Linux and even mobile platforms like Android and IOS. I think browsing geminispace through these clients is bound to instill a sense of refreshment in anyone who remembers or yearns for an internet that is truly free and open.

An Introduction to SSH

Sat, 01 Mar 2025 00:00:00 UTC

SSH is a word that you might often see thrown around when talking about servers and connections. It is sometimes used as a noun in sentences but also as a verb. Its colloquial and sometimes unconventional usage in certain contexts might leave you confused on what exactly it means. Is it a program or does it denote an action that we do? Well, its technically the former. SSH abbreviates to “Secure Shell” and it is a program written by Tatu Ylonen to serve as a replacement to the telnet program. Ever since the early days of computing, users often found it necessary to connect to another computer from their local machine. This computer, often called a server, had specific pathways or ports open for users to establish a connection if they had the proper credentials. Telnet was widely used in these early stages but one of its biggest problems was that it transmitted all data in clear text.

This essentially meant that any malicious actor sniffing the traffic could not only intercept the credentials of the user but also any information that was being passed to and fro. Telent had to be relegated to the past primarily for this reason which made way for its faster and more secure replacement, SSH. The Secure Shell program brought in several mechanisms to address the limitations of telnet. It introduced asymmetric encryption so that all the traffic remained indecipherable. It also protected the integrity of the data that was being transmitted, while also providing alternate ways of authentication. Within a few years of its inception, ssh was adopted worldwide as the de facto standard to establish connections to servers. However unlike its daunting capabilities, using ssh is quite straightforward.

If you have ssh installed on any operating system, you can access it by opening the terminal and simply typing “ssh”. You would most likely see an output quite similar to this:

usage: ssh [-46AaCfGgKkMNnqsTtVvXxYy] [-B bind_interface] [-b bind_address] [-c cipher_spec].....

This enumerates all the different parameters that ssh provides. You would not be needing most of this when you simply want to connect to a server. The syntax for establishing an ssh connection in its generic sense is “ssh user_name@domain_name/ip”. If for example I want to connect to the server jetbrains.org with the username martian the syntax would be:

ssh martian@jetbrains.org

Depending on the server, this would prompt for a password or directly drop us into a shell if public key authentication is configured. The ip of the server can also be used instead of the domain.

ssh martian@100.54.11.24

This is all the syntax you would need most of the time when connecting to a server. There can be instances where a server is not running its open ssh daemon (a background process listening for connections) on port 22 and the aforementioned commands assume this port when establishing a connection. In cases where the server is listening for ssh connections in a different port the syntax will have to be slightly modified with the -p flag.

ssh martian@jetbrains.org -p 2121

The flag slightly modifies the behaviour of the command so that it connects to the ssh daemon running on port 2121 in the server. Most users who regularly connect to servers through ssh find it tedious to enter their passwords each time. As I had fleetingly mentioned, SSH also allows for a form of authentication called Public Key and this is mostly what is used. This form of authentication works on the basis of assymetric encryption. On their local machines, users generate a key pair using the command

ssh-keygen -t ed25519

The -t flag specifies the kind of keys you want to create which in this case is “ed25519” but ssh also provides other formats. After issuing the command, the user will be prompted to decide the location of the key and a passphrase. Although the passphrase can be left empty, using one provides better protection as it requires the user to enter the passphrase everytime the keys are used. After this stage, two keys will be generated with the designated name and one of the keys will have a “.pub” extension. For instance:

secure_ssh_key secure_ssh_key.pub

Any kind of information encrypted by one key can only be decrypted by the other and this is the foundation of assymetric encryption. Once both the keys are generated the “ssh-copy-id” command can be used to copy the public key to the server.

ssh-copy-id -i secure_ssh_key.pub martian@jetbrains.org

The -i flag denotes the path to the public key that is to be copied to the server. This command only works if the secure_ssh_key.pub file is in the current directory. If the keys are stored elswhere, change to that directory or simply provide the full path to the -i flag. Once the command is executed, the user will be able to authenticate to the server without a password using the command

ssh -i secure_ssh_key martian@jetbrains.org

The -i flag denotes the path to the private key that was generated. If the name of the key was left to the default, the -i flag is most likely not required. However if the name has been changed, -i must be specified to instruct the command which private key to use. Some users might copy the same public key for all their server while others might generate a new one for each of them. Regardless of your choice, it might be wise to use the ~/.ssh/config file to manage all your different servers and keys. Each entry in the file takes the form of:

Host jetb
        HostName jetbrains.org
	User martian
	Port 22
	IdentityFile ~/.ssh/secure_ssh_key

Host refers to the term I would use to connect to the server. Hostname is the actual domain or the ip of the server. User and Port are self explanatory and IdentityFile is the path to my private key. With this entry in ~/.ssh/config I can simply connect to jetbrains.org with the following command:

ssh jetb

This would automatically look for the host “jetb” in config file and apply all the specifications required to make the connection. Although programs like anydesk allow you to perform similar functions through a GUI, using ssh is certainly more immersive. With a few keystrokes you are literally inside a computer that could be millions of miles away and any initial experience of that is nothing less than magical.

For a novice user ssh might be his first introduction into the world of UNIX so the syntax might seem a little cryptic at first. I think it is important to understand that each command and its syntax have a clear underlying logic to them that can be applied to other commands. The arguments and flags might vary but the essential structure itself remains the same. So this is partly not just an introduction to ssh but also to how commands themselves are in the UNIX world.

Should You Use the Command Line?

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 UTC

A large part of Linux might seem daunting to a novice user because it involves the command line. Unlike Windows or MacOS where the graphical interface is intertwined with the operating system itself, Linux’s GUI is simply another package that is installed. The system can function just the same without it because at its core it relies on something called “tty” to communicate with the user. Essentially ttys are virtual emulations of an old device called teletype which was used as one of the first input/output mechanism for computers. Although originally users communicated with computers primarily through text, we have come to replace this with a more appealing visual interface as it was easier to learn and navigate.

This course of events merits little explanation because using the tty required a reasonable grasp of commands and how the system itself functioned. The general public would not have been particularly enticed by the necessity of having to learn commands and syntax just so that they could use these machines. Most operating systems, as a result, have come to entirely replace this mechanism with a visual interface, making tty, even if it existed in certain systems, only a vestige of the past. Linux, on the other hand, still retained this part of history. One of the first things you would see when you install a minimal Linux distribution is just a black screen with a blinking white cursor, patiently waiting for you to programmatically express your will. Graphical interfaces are installed on top of this but you could still communicate with your system even in the absence of such mediation just like how you would 60 years ago.

Coming from a world where immersive visual experience is heralded as the biggest achievement of technology, this kind of decision appears a little strange. One would generally expect the whole practice of using ttys to be relegated into the past once computers became capable of rendering visual graphics. However, with Linux the command line continued to survive. Although users still preferred to use a “terminal emulator” within a graphical environment, the necessity to communicate with computers textually did not wane in the least. On the contrary, most Linux users prefer to use the terminal over GUI despite the latter’s aesthetic appeal. Why exactly might this be?

From a purely technical perspective, using the terminal to interact with the operating system provides more control. A certain subset of users like programmers and developers might prefer this fine tuned approach because for their use, textual interactions are far more salutary. However, as I had implied, Linux users regardless of their technical expertise come to develop a particular affinity towards the terminal, eventhough it appears painfully tedious. My initial experience with Linux provoked similar feelings and as I had grown to nurture that very affinity, the reasons behind it had only become more inexplicable. I constantly found myself asking, and perhaps still do, that why exactly did I use the command line?

Answering this question, at the outset, brought into consideration all the different ways terminals are better than GUIs. Although learning commands and their syntax might prove to be difficult initially, with a little persistence any task you perform with a computer becomes blazingly fast. From copying files to downloading programs, whatever effort you expend typing commands stays more or less the same regardless of the magnitude of the task itself. And this scalability of commands is, in my opinion, one of its biggest advantages. And with shell features like aliasing and scripting almost any series of tasks can be automated. Given the fact that you are willing to learn and forsake expedience for some time, the possibilities of this world are endless.

Although mastering the command line requires years of practice, obtaining a fair understanding of it can be done rather quickly. And unlike the general impression, learning commands does not require any kind of formal expertise as a programmer. However it does demand sustained curiosity and here is where the ways of men part. Some users might regard computers as simply a means to an end so they might not be inclined for such adventures. For such people the GUIs in Linux are good enough for most of their use.

However it is important to remember that the visual interface as much as it simplifies also veils what is underneath a system. It limits the possibilities of what a user can or cannot do, sometimes making errors themselves virtually undiagnosable. As much as Linux mitigates this, it is a problem that arises with the creation of GUI itself as simplification entails relinquishing control over to someone who does the simplifying. A subset of users, I believe, are fundamentally disenchanted by this process, making ttys the means through which they peer into the visual facade.

Although both GUIs and terminals coexist in most Linux systems, the latter still remains the primary channel for any user interaction. And more than providing control, such unmediated channels enlarge the possibility of creative expression. Any part of the system can be changed, erased or used in combination in any way that is deemed necessary. More than being machines that passively receive input, for these users computers become the tools through which they explore the world. Thefore every Linux system, far from being generic, unmistakbly bears the imprints of its user. Through customizations or the mere writing of scripts and programs, each system eventually becomes tailored to the needs and preferences of its user. And this kind of invovled personal computing is primarily why I use the command line but to the question of wether you should use it, I leave that entirely up to you.

Why Use Linux?

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 00:00:00 UTC

A Dismal State of Affairs

The indifference that people show towards technology has always surprised me. By indifference, I do not mean a general lack of interest. It is quite evident that people like to use the latest technology if they ever have the means to and do prefer to invest a lot of time before purchasing any electronic product. However this interest is almost never sustained when it pertains to how technology itself operates. To an end user the only thing that matters if they purchase a smartphone or a laptop is its purpose. If it lets you click a good picture or browse the internet with reasonable efficiency what more is there to know?

The underlying workings of a machine are obviously irrelevant to anyone who intends to simply use them as a means to an end. After all none of us wish to learn the principles of thermodynamics just so that we can drive a car. I think this kind of functional attitude towards technology is prevalent and arises naturally as a repose to the increasing complexity of the world. In light of the colossal advancements we have made in the last few decades on several fronts, there is a pressing need to simplify the fruits of human progress. Technology’s continued march towards the mastery of our environment is quite useless if it isn’t accessible. And what makes it accessible is commonly known as “software”

In the broadest terms, software represents an attempt to simplify and use the inherent complexity of machines, specifically computers. Any complex machine in order to be used requires a good interface. A link that establishes a connection between the way you want to use it and all the possible ways it can be used. Similar to how a car requires a steering wheel and brakes to be maneuvered properly, computers also require software to utilize its computational power. But unlike cars whose use is limited to transporting a person from one place to another, computers aren’t necessarily confined to solving mathematical problems. It could potentially solve any problem given that the problem itself can be translated mathematically and this is precisely what good software intends to do.

Although most of us are aware of software or more commonly called “applications” for our day to day use, I think the most essential of all, the beating heart of computers so to speak remains outside common knowledge. And this piece of software is the “operating system”. The most popular operating system of all, one that everyone uses regularly, has been Windows. Although operating systems as a concept itself isn’t that popular, Windows happens to be a part of the vernacular and is associated with the graphical interface you see when you open any newly purchased laptop or computer.

For a non technical user, this is where his knowledge ends. He is dimly aware of an entity called Windows that is responsible for producing an overlay he sees every time he opens his personal computer. He goes about his routine perhaps using only a fraction of the functionalities his computer has to offer until he runs into problems. A cryptic error message that usually goes like “Something went wrong” will often leave him wondering what he did. He might then consider purchasing a new product or seeking the help of a technician whilst revelling in his ignorance of what goes underneath the machine that he uses almost everyday.

Is the ignorance tenable?

As I had already suggested, it is quite implausible for all of us to know the nitty gritty details of the machines we use. Therefore a certain amount of ignorance is inevitable and perhaps even necessary. However I think computers in the last decade have grown to occupy a unique position in human life that makes the reasons for such ignorance a little more questionable. It is quite evident that computers play a far more integral role in sustaining societal infrastructure than most of our daily appliances. But more importantly, there’s no other human invention that has had such a decisive impact in the course of individual life than computers. We have become so reliant on them that our lives are almost intertwined with each other. So it seems to me that any indifference towards their inner workings also amounts to being oblivious to a significant part of our own lives.

This might seem like a really long digression from the subject of our discussion. Nonetheless, I think it is indispensable to consider the socio cultural context within which we live in order to have an informed opinion of any aspect of technology. I think it is a grave error to assume that our choice of using a specific application or software does not have deeper cultural implications and this is true specifically for our operating system of choice.

In the current landscape there are two major choices for operating systems. Windows is one of them and currently dominates the personal desktop market. Most laptops or computers that you might buy is likely to have Windows pre-installed. Windows currently holds a monopoly in personal computing partly due to historical reasons but mostly because of its intuitive GUI. Learning to use it requires no formal pre-requisite as it attempts to mimic our visual experience of reality, deceptively hiding the inner workings of what is being used.

Another operating system of stranger origins also presents an equally intriguing choice. Instead of attempting to hide the inner operations of computers, it strives to make it transparent. So transparent that one has unmitigated access to all of the essential files that comprises the core functionalities of the system. The complexity is essentially laid bare in all its glory for the users to behold, leaving the choice of either being daunted or fascinated at the sight of the beating heart to the users themselves.

This operating system is prevalently known as “Linux” or to put it more properly “GNU/Linux”. The history of the Linux operating system and how it came about is quite elaborate and constitutes a significant part of the history of personal computing. I think an average user would find most of it irrelevant and rightly so since it has no immediate bearing to the continued functioning of the devices he uses. A question he would find more pertinent is “What exactly does Linux has to offer that Windows cannot?”

Why Linux?

At the very outset, Linux might seem superior to Windows due to its architectural differences and undoubtedly this might be its biggest advantage. Given its modular approach towards computing, Linux is far more efficient in the way it functions compared to Windows which is monolithic by design. In addition to this, Linux also affords extreme customization and flexibility to users, a variety of GUI interfaces and the freedom to modify and distribute its code which makes Linux free and open source. Due to the technical reasons mentioned and many more, Linux dominates almost every operating system market with the exception of personal computers. But it is also true that most of these advantages, although significant enough for someone to consider switching to Linux, still might not entirely be relevant to a user who simply wants to expedite his work. So notwithstanding these technicalities, what more is there?

In my opinion, the most rewarding part of using Linux is not related to its technical superiority. All of the aforementioned advantages that Linux offers clearly improves user experience in substantial ways but the actual benefits of using it lies in its approach and philosophy towards computing. I had mentioned that how indifferent people were towards technology always surprised me because it essentially amounted to being indifferent to a significant part of one’s own life.

The philosophy of Linux views this indifference as detrimental and perhaps even down right decadent because it divorces the user from a machine he increasingly relies on for his daily functioning. This does not mean that Linux comes with an inscrutable interface that you will have to spend years learning in order to use it properly. Many Linux distributions come with a GUI that is quite intuitive but it still affords the possibility of dwelling deeper into the system. Linux at its very heart is a kind of system that engenders exploration and curiosity about itself and this difference is what sets it miles apart from Windows. Such an attitude and respect it holds for its users also partly eliminates the possibility of capitalizing on the ignorance towards a particular system. Users can either rest content with what they are presented by the interface or dive deeper, trying to understand how all of the intricate components come together as one seamless visual experience he beholds everyday. I think Linux makes evident the kind of sheer wizardry that is involved in making computers work and transforms any menial task you might do on a regular basis as an adventure of its own.

So for both technical and non technical users alike, Linux seems like an extremely intriguing choice for the reasons considered. Given the fact that a user overcomes his reluctance to entirely switch to a different operating system on the whim that the grass might be greener on the other side, I believe he would be rarely disappointed because it is.

The Lost Operating System

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 00:00:00 UTC

In recent times, almost everyone when asked what operating system they use or are familiar with, their answer is simply Windows. The wide use of this operating system is due to the fact that it is easy to use, in other words “User Friendly”. However, there are a lot of misconsceptions in the understanding of how this operating system works. I will give you a brief explaination on what it actually is and what people often assume it to be.

To begin I want to first explain why do we need an operating system in the first place. If an individual is provided with a physical device such asa laptop, and is asked to use it to perform an action on it, he needs to communicate that information to the device. It doesnt occur just by typing on the keyboard or using the mouse, in order for the hardware in the device to understand the input it needs a translator to perform what the user wants. This is nothing but the operating system which interacts with the user and the hardware of the device.

There are several operating systems available today. The most popular being Windows, OS X (Mac OS), Linux, and more. Now, how to choose the best one among these, that is a question you have to answer for yourself as each individual has their own preference; although the best way would be to use each OS and understand its applications, flaws, compatibility, convenience, perfomance, security and the overall experience.

Linux in the past was intellectually challenging to use as users could not get access to information on the instructions to complete even simple tasks as a result, an alternative OS was exposed to such audience that focused on the convenience and user friendly interface. It was no less than abreakthrough for this OS as it is still to this date a default Operating system that comes preinstalled on almost every device that is shipped to a user.

What is Cryptography?

Sat, 15 Feb 2025 00:00:00 UTC

Cryptography is the practice of secure communication through the use of codes. It involves converting plaintext (readable) messages into ciphertext(unreadable) messages and back again, using mathematical algorithms called cryptographic protocols. Cryptography is a fundamental aspect of cybersecurity and is used to protect sensitive information from being accessed by unauthorized parties.

There are two main types of cryptographic techniques:

Symmetric-key cryptography
Public-key cryptography

Symmetric-key cryptography involves the use of the same key to both encrypt and decrypt the message. This means that both the sender and the recipient of the message must have the same key in order to communicate securely. One disadvantage of symmetric-key cryptography is that the key must be shared between the sender and the recipient, which can be problematic if the key is lost or stolen.

Public-key cryptography, on the other hand, involves the use of a public key to encrypt the message and a private key to decrypt it. The public keyis available to anyone, but the private key is only known to the owner. This means that anyone can send an encrypted message to the owner, but onlythe owner has the private key needed to decrypt the message. One advantage of public-key cryptography is that it allows for secure communication without the need to exchange a shared key.

Cryptography is used in a variety of applications in cybersecurity, including:

Encrypting communications: Cryptography is used to secure communication channels, such as email and messaging apps, to ensure that only the intended recipient can read the message.
Protecting data at rest: Cryptography is used to encrypt data stored on devices, such as laptops and smartphones, to prevent unauthorized access
Securely storing passwords: Cryptographic hashing algorithms are used to store passwords in a secure manner, making it difficult for attackers to obtain the plaintext password even if they gain access to the hashed version.

There are many tools and techniques available for implementing cryptography, and choosing the right one depends on the specific needs of the application. Some common cryptographic algorithms and protocols include AES, RSA, and SSL/TLS.

Introduction to Web Applications

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 00:00:00 UTC

Web applications are software programs accessed through a web browser over the internet. They have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their convenience, accessibility, and ease of updating and maintaining.

One of the main advantages of web applications is their accessibility. Because they are accessed through a web browser, we can use them on any device with an internet connection, including computers, smartphones, and tablets. This allows users to access the application from any location, making it easy to stay connected and productive on the go.

Web applications are also convenient because they do not require users to install any software on their devices. This saves users time and storage space and makes it easier for organizations to roll out updates and new features.

In the modern era, web applications are used in various industries and for a wide range of purposes. Some common examples include: Productivity tools: Web applications such as Google Docs, Trello, and Asana allow users to create and collaborate on documents, manage tasks and projects, and more.

Communication and messaging: Applications such as Slack, Skype, and Zoom allow users to communicate and collaborate in real-time, both for work and personal purposes.
Social networking: Applications such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter allow users to connect with friends and family, share updates and photos, and discover new content.
E-commerce: Applications like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy allow users to shop and purchase products online. Education and training: Applications such as Khan Academy, Coursera, and edX offer online courses and learning resources for students and professionals.

Web applications have become an integral part of our daily lives and have transformed the way we work, communicate, and access information. As technology advances, web applications will likely play a major role in the modern era.

What is the OSI Model?

Sun, 05 Jan 2025 00:00:00 UTC

The OSI model can be defined as a theoretical blueprint that defines how computers communicate with their respective protocols on a network. Thoughthis model is used comparatively less in the practical world, it has its own benefits. This seven-layered model is often used to troubleshoot. The OSI model, with each layer dissecting the network communications systems, helps individuals and major companies trace the source of the problem and troubleshoot it.

The OSI model has the respective seven abstract layers:

Typically, every time a data packet is sent from a terminal, it climbs up all the seven OSI stack layers and climbs them down again on the end users’ side. And depending on what type of packet is being sent, their respective protocol is used.

7. Application layer

This layer involves the application a user interacts with. The application layer does not include the application itself but rather only the protocols the application uses. Give some examples http ftp.

6. Presentation layer

This layer prepares the data for the application to use. The preparation includes encryption, decryption, character encodings, and compression. The presentation layer handles everything from decrypting the received data to encrypting it for the application to understand and send. This layer is mainly responsible for improving efficiency and usability for the user.

5. Session layer

From initializing a connection to terminating it, this layer manages it all. This is also the layer that reconnects when the current session is interrupted.

4. Transport layer

The host-to-host transport layer, also called the transport layer, consists of UDP and TCP. This layer is responsible for transferring data across a network.

3. Network layer

The network layer is the routing layer where the router, gateway, and all reside. This is the layer where the IP address and subnet mask are. again talk about how the ip is assigned

2. Data-link layer

Mention how the mac address is assigned through NICs. This layer holds the protocols to communicate between physical devices and establishes and terminates communication in its interval. One such example would be the PPP. Switches lie here, along with MAC address and ARP(address resolution protocol).

1. Physical layer

Physical equipment like wires come under this layer. Data is converted to raw bit streams; these are received and transmitted in this layer.