From madsci@mi.net (Gated From Fido) Newsgroups: alt.2600 Subject: Learn To hack in 17 easy steps Date: Sun, 9 Apr 95 18:31:24 Content-Length: 7298 Status: RO X-Lines: 157 ---> This message gated from Fido at 1:255/9.0 ---> Original message by Doug Mclean "How do you hack"? "I want to learn hacking". "What's a FAQ"? "What does warez mean"? "Please send hacking info". "Where can I get "? "How can I get the password for "? "How do I crack "? Does this sound like you? Are you one of those AOL/Compuserve/Delphi/ Prodigy/whatever wanna-be's or lamers who needs to learn how to hack? And nobody will even speak to you much less send you any info??? Fear not!!! Here are step-by-step instructions on how to become a hacker. Simply follow the instructions given below, and when you get to the end you will be a real hacker. To everyone else (ie the people who actually belong in this newsgroup), sorry for wasting your bandwidth. You might want to skip the rest of this article... Ok, here are the step-by-step instructions. Follow them exactly and you will be a real internet hacker. Once you are comfortable with internet hacking, you can branch out into other areas... [1] If you are reading this article through one of the big online systems (ie AOL), call them up right away and tell them that you will no longer be needing their services. If you are on AOL (or other similar service), you are automatically defined as a lamer and a loser who has no hope. Do you want this label to follow you around for the rest of your life??? Get out before it is too late! Besides, as many others have told you here before, YOU CANNOT HACK THE INTERNET FROM AOL or other online service... [2] Get a real SL/IP account. If you want to hack the internet, you will need to be directly connected to the net, and SL/IP basically does this. You could use PPP instead, but I don't want to confuse your poor little brain with too much info at once. So for now, find an internet provider who will set up SL/IP access for you. [3] Now, most of the net runs on unix like operating systems, right? So naturally, you have to do the same. So run right down to your local computer store and buy a unix type operating system, and several books on unix. The easiest (and cheapest) way to go is with one of the multi-cd Linux sets. I recommend you get the Slackware release on CD. Don't have a CD ROM? Get one while you are at the store (real hackers don't mind spending a little money on computer hardware once and a while). [4] Re-partition your hard drive so you will have room for a Linux partition. You'll need, hmmm, let's say about 340 megs. This should get you started. If your hard drive isn't large enough for Dos and Windoze as well as Linux, then remove Dos and Windoze completely. They are for lamers anyway. If your hard drive isn't even big enough for just Linux, then head back to the computer store. [5] Read all the installation instructions for Linux. Then read them again, because you missed some important stuff the first time. Then read them a third time just to be sure. [6] Install Linux on on your system. Follow the instructions you read in step 5. Install everything, but especially the net stuff, the programming stuff, and the docs, FAQs, man pages, etc. Once you have everything installed, reboot and log in. [7] Read the kernel docs/FAQ/How-To. Read this stuff again, only more slowly, because you didn't understand everything the first time. Now recompile your kernel to make a custom kernel for your system. Still don't know what a kernel is or why you should recompile it? Or you don't know how to recompile the kernel??? Then you didn't read or you don't understand all the stuff i told you to read. You are still a lamer and a loser, so try again. [8] Got your new kernel compiled? Ok, install it, and re-run lilo. Re-boot with your custom kernel. If your system boots up properly to Linux, then congrats! You are 5% of the way out of lamerland! [9] Now that you are running a real OS, read all the docs, man pages, how-to's, FAQs, etc. Of course, you won't understand most of it right away, but read all this stuff anyway, so you will know where to look later. Read it all? Ok, go back and read it again. [10] Next play with your nice new OS. Learn everything you can about it. Spend a little time exploring and learning the system. You'll need, hmmm, let's say about a year. After playing with the system for about a year, go on to step 11 (if you were never on AOL etc, then you probably don't need the full year, maybe only about a month or so). [11] Now configure your system for SL/IP and accessing the net. When you installed Linux in the first place, you ran the netconfig script, but that didn't set up everything for you! You still have some text files to edit, and you need to set up DIP if you are going to be accessing the net via modem. [12] Now learn to use the basic net tools, like ftp, archie, telnet, fsp, sendmail, etc. Play with them on the net a bit. No, you still aren't a hacker (you are only 10% out of lamerland), but at this point you might possibly know enough to actually ask a partly intelligent question on the net. [13] Ok, now learn to program. Get some books on stuff like C, C++, Perl, Unix programming, etc. Read them. Read them again, because most of what you read the first time confused you. Now play with Perl, C, C++ on your system until you can actually program. Now practice programming for a while until you get at least a little good at it. Give yourself another year or two of practice. [14] Now you need to get and read all the RFCs. These contain information that is vital if you want to hack the net. Again, you didn't understand everything the first time, so read them all again. [15] Now, subscribe to a few security related mailing lists and newsgroups. Read them, ignoring all the trash (messages like the ones *you* used to post). Whatever you do, DON'T POST ANYTHING, because nobody wants to read anything you have to say yet. Just lurk for a year or two. [16] You should now have enough info to try some simple hacks, so try some simple hacks. If they work, great, you are almost a junior hacker. If they don't work, then do some more reading and try again. Don't give up, keep at it even if it takes you a few years. [17] Explore the net. Try things. Look for security holes. Read a lot of source code. Write some hacking utilities. At this point, you are now a real junior hacker. Congrats! You *might* now be welcome back in alt.2600 (as long as nobody remembers you were once on AOL). This whole process does take a little bit of time, but it is the quickest way for an AOLer to learn to hack. Some of you AOLers don't have the brain power to complete the above 17 steps, but try anyway... The most important part in all of this is to remember, DON'T POST ANYTHING ON THE NET UNTIL YOU GET TO THE END OF STEP 16. True, this might take you a few years, but it will be worth the wait. If you post anything too early, people will know that you are still a lamer and wanna-be, and everyone will laugh at you and flame you and call you nasty names, just like when you were on AOL. Send comments, flames, et cetera to madsci@mi.net