Introduction:

In the realm of online security and encryption, SSL/TLS certificates play a vital role in ensuring secure communication over the internet. Understanding the different types of certificates is crucial for maintaining a robust security infrastructure. In this guide, we'll delve into the various types of SSL/TLS certificates, including root certificates, leaf certificates, CA certificates, and user certificates, providing valuable insights into their significance and functions.
SSL/TLS certificates are integral components of the public key infrastructure (PKI) that secure online communications. Below, we'll explore the key types of SSL/TLS certificates:

Root Certificate (Root CA Certificate):

Root certificates serve as the foundational trust anchors in the SSL/TLS certificate hierarchy.
They are self-signed by trusted Certificate Authorities (CAs), establishing the ultimate trust in the certificate chain.
Root certificates are essential for validating the authenticity of subordinate certificates.

Intermediate Certificate (Intermediate CA Certificate):

Intermediate certificates bridge the gap between root certificates and end-entity certificates.
They are issued by Root CAs and are used to facilitate the issuance and management of end-entity certificates.
Intermediate certificates play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity and security of the certificate chain.

Leaf Certificate (End-Entity Certificate):

Leaf certificates, also known as end-entity certificates, are issued to individual entities such as servers or users.
These certificates contain public keys and entity information, serving as the endpoint for secure communication.
Leaf certificates are signed by intermediate certificates, establishing trust in the entity's identity and encryption capabilities.

Certificate Authority (CA) Certificate:

CA certificates are issued by trusted Certificate Authorities and are used to validate the authenticity of SSL/TLS certificates.
They encompass both root and intermediate certificates, forming the backbone of the PKI infrastructure.
CA certificates play a pivotal role in maintaining trust and security in online transactions and communications.
User Certificate:
User certificates are issued to individual users for authentication, digital signatures, or encryption purposes.
These certificates contain the user's public key and identity information, enabling secure access to online services.
User certificates are commonly used in secure email communication, VPN access, and client authentication scenarios.

Conclusion:

Understanding the diverse roles of SSL/TLS certificates is essential for implementing robust security measures in online environments. Whether it's establishing trust through root certificates, securing endpoints with leaf certificates, or validating identities using CA certificates, each certificate type plays a vital role in safeguarding sensitive data and ensuring secure communication channels. By comprehending the nuances of SSL/TLS certificates, organizations can bolster their cybersecurity posture and mitigate the risks associated with online threats.

Best Free methods to Access website content like news without subscribing

Introduction:

In an era where digital media dominates, many reputable news sources have implemented paywalls, limiting access to valuable information. Subscribing to multiple services can become financially burdensome, but fear not! We've compiled a thorough guide detailing 12 effective methods to access paywalled content without a subscription.

1. Open the Article in Incognito Mode:

The simplest method involves opening links in incognito mode to prevent websites from tracking your browsing history and imposing article limits. Right-click a link and select 'Open link in an incognito window' or use Ctrl+Shift+N for quick access.

2. Reset Browser Cookies:

For those uncomfortable with incognito mode, resetting browser cookies accomplishes a similar goal. In Chrome, click the three dots, select 'More tools,' and choose 'Clear browsing data' in the advanced tab. Clear all cookies to reset article counts.

3. Use a VPN:

Change your IP address by utilizing a Virtual Private Network (VPN). This masks your location and helps bypass article limits. Numerous free and paid VPN services are available online; check out our top 10 VPN services for secure and anonymous browsing.

4. Use Postlight Reader for Chrome:

Formerly known as 'Mercury Reader,' the Postlight Reader Chrome extension declutters articles and removes paywalls. Add the extension, navigate to the desired article, and select 'Open in Postlight Reader' from the Extensions icon.

5. Use 12ft Ladder to Unlock Any Article:

When traditional methods fail, 12ft Ladder comes to the rescue. Visit https://12ft.io/, paste the paywalled article link, and click 'Remove paywall.' Refresh the article tab for unrestricted access.

6. Use Sci-hub to Read Articles Without a Subscription:

Access academic journals and research papers without subscribing using Sci-hub. Copy the article link or DOI code, paste it on Sci-hub's website, and click 'Open' to unlock the content.

7. Use Your Library Account:

Leverage your local library membership to access a wealth of paid content. Many libraries subscribe to leading newspapers, journals, and magazines. Sign in using your library account to unlock articles.

8. Use the Wayback Machine:

Explore Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, a repository of billions of archived pages. Visit the websites of major newspapers to find and read articles without encountering a paywall.

9. Search for the Headline on Google:

Paste the article headline on Google to discover mirrored content from various sources that offer free access. If the exact article isn't found, look for the same story from alternative, free-to-read sources.

10. Use Reader Mode on Safari:

If you're an iPhone or Mac user, activate Reader Mode on Safari. This feature eliminates clutter, hides ads, and, for some websites, removes the paywall.

Here's how you can enable Reader Mode on MacBooks:

• Open Safari and navigate to the page you want to read.
• Click on the Reader Mode icon on the right side of the address bar. (Note: The icon looks like a small box with horizontal stripes.)
• Wait for Safari to reformat the page for easy reading.
•  Open the article and click the reader icon in the address bar.

11. Save the Article as a PDF:

On certain websites, saving an article as a PDF can bypass paywalls. Open the article on your PC's web browser, press Ctrl+P, select 'Save as PDF,' and click 'Save.'

12. Disable JavaScript:

Prevent paywall pop-ups by disabling JavaScript. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Site Settings > JavaScript. Add the website URL under 'Not allowed to use JavaScript' for uninterrupted access.

Conclusion:

With these 12 proven methods, accessing paywalled content without a subscription becomes a breeze. From VPNs to browser settings, these techniques cover a broad spectrum of websites and journal libraries. Share your success stories in the comments, and empower others to break free from paywall constraints. Unlock a world of knowledge today!

Disclaimer: This article is only for educational purpose.

RTSP Streaming: A Comprehensive Guide

Streaming audio and video content over the internet has become increasingly popular, and Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) is one of the most commonly used protocols for this purpose. In this article, we will provide a comprehensive guide to RTSP streaming, including its definition, how it works, its advantages and disadvantages, and its applications.

What is RTSP Streaming?

RTSP is a network control protocol used for streaming audio and video content over the internet. It was developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and was first introduced in 1998. RTSP is designed to work with a variety of streaming protocols, including RTP, RTCP, and HTTP.

How Does RTSP Streaming Work?

RTSP works by establishing a connection between the client and the server. The client sends a request to the server, asking for a particular audio or video stream. The server responds with a description of the stream, including its format and location. The client then sends a second request to the server, asking for the stream to be delivered.

Advantages of RTSP Streaming

There are several advantages of using RTSP for streaming audio and video content:
Real-time delivery: RTSP enables real-time delivery of audio and video content, which is essential for live events such as sports, concerts, and news broadcasts.
High quality: RTSP supports high-quality audio and video streaming, which is ideal for delivering high-resolution content.
Interactivity: RTSP enables two-way communication between the client and the server, allowing for interactive applications such as video conferencing and online gaming.
Security: RTSP supports encryption and authentication, providing secure delivery of audio and video content over the internet.

Disadvantages of RTSP Streaming

There are also some disadvantages to using RTSP for streaming:
Complexity: RTSP is a complex protocol that requires specialized software and hardware to implement.
Bandwidth requirements: RTSP requires a significant amount of bandwidth to deliver high-quality audio and video content, which can be expensive for some users.
Latency: RTSP can introduce latency, which can be a problem for live events where real-time delivery is critical.

Applications of RTSP Streaming

RTSP is used in a variety of applications, including:
Live events: RTSP is commonly used for live events such as sports, concerts, and news broadcasts.
Video conferencing: RTSP enables two-way communication between clients, making it ideal for video conferencing and other interactive applications.
Security systems: RTSP is used in security systems to stream video from surveillance cameras to central monitoring stations.
Gaming: RTSP is used in online gaming to enable real-time multiplayer games.

Conclusion

RTSP is a powerful protocol for streaming audio and video content over the internet. It enables real-time delivery of high-quality content and supports interactive applications such as video conferencing and online gaming. However, it is a complex protocol that requires specialized software and hardware to implement and can introduce latency. Despite these challenges, RTSP remains a popular choice for streaming audio and video content over the internet. 

 Please also take some time to read other article on Free Test RTSP Samples URLs and streaming links.

How to use ChatGPT?

AI and ML have been the buzz words for a while now and so many interesting usage has been found using these. Before we start, let's learn a bit about , what is AI, OpenAI and ML.

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn like humans. AI can be divided into two categories: narrow or weak AI, which is designed to perform a specific task, and general or strong AI, which has the ability to perform any intellectual task that a human can.  Examples of narrow AI include Siri, Alexa, and self-driving cars, which are designed to perform specific tasks such as recognizing speech, answering questions, and navigating roads. Strong AI, on the other hand, is still in the early stages of development and is the type of AI that can think and learn like a human. It has the potential to revolutionize many industries and change the way we live our lives.  Some of the key technologies that are used to develop AI include machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and robotics. 

OpenAI is an artificial intelligence research laboratory consisting of the for-profit OpenAI LP and its parent company, the non-profit OpenAI Inc. The company is focused on developing and promoting friendly AI in a way that benefits all of humanity. They have developed a number of widely-used AI technologies, such as the GPT natural language processing model. OpenAI's mission is to ensure that artificial general intelligence (AGI) benefits all of humanity.

Machine learning (ML) is a subfield of artificial intelligence that gives systems the ability to learn and improve from experience without being explicitly programmed. It involves the use of algorithms and statistical models that enable a system to automatically improve its performance with experience.  There are different types of machine learning, including:  Supervised learning: where the system is trained on a labeled dataset, with input-output pairs, and then makes predictions on new, unseen data. Unsupervised learning: where the system is not given labeled data, but instead must find patterns or features in the input data on its own. Reinforcement learning: where the system learns to make decisions by interacting with an environment and receiving feedback in the form of rewards or penalties. Machine learning is used in a variety of applications such as natural language processing, computer vision, speech recognition, recommendation systems, and many more.

ChatGPT: It is a large language model that can perform a variety of natural language processing tasks, such as:

• Text generation: generating human-like text based on a given prompt or context

• Text completion: completing a partially written text

• Text summarisation: summarising a given text to a shorter version

• Text classification: classifying a given text into predefined categories

• Text translation: translating a text from one language to another

• Text answering: answering questions based on a given context

• Text generation of code, poetry, song lyrics and many more.

Additionally, ChatGPT can be fine-tuned on specific tasks or domains, such as customer service, technical support, and creative writing, to improve its performance on those tasks.

It's important to note that while ChatGPT can generate human-like text, it is not a human and may make mistakes or misunderstand certain prompts. It is important to verify any information generated by the model before using it.

ChatGPT is a variant of the GPT (Generative Pre-training Transformer) model, developed by OpenAI.

GPT was first introduced in 2018 by a team of researchers at OpenAI, who trained the model on a large dataset of text from the internet. Since then, OpenAI has released several versions of the GPT model, including GPT-2 and GPT-3, with ChatGPT being one of the most recent versions.

The team behind GPT and its variants includes several prominent researchers in the field of natural language processing, such as Ilya Sutskever, Alec Radford, and Jeff Dean, among others. The development of the GPT model has been led by OpenAI, a research organization founded by Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, Ilya Sutskever and Wojciech Zaremba.

OpenAI, the organisation that developed ChatGPT, has made the model available for use through a commercial API, which allows users to access the model's capabilities through a web-based interface. The API requires a subscription and usage fee, which varies depending on the usage volume, the type of usage, and other factors.

However, OpenAI also provides some free access to the API, through a free-tier program, or through some partnership or research program, which allows developers and researchers to test and experiment with the model at a lower cost or even for free.

It's worth noting that the research version of the GPT-3 is open-source, meaning it is publicly available for anyone to download, use, and modify. However, the model is very large and requires considerable computational resources and expertise to train and fine-tune for specific tasks. So, it's not recommended for general usage.

Will ChatGPT be free?

ChatGPT, like other large language models such as GPT-2 and GPT-3, requires a significant amount of computational power to train and run.

The original version of GPT-2, which had 1.5 billion parameters, required 4 days of training on 8 NVIDIA V100 GPUs, with a batch size of 2048. This implies that a computational power of about 2 Petaflops is required for training.

GPT-3, which has 175 billion parameters, required several months of training on several thousand of high-performance GPUs, which is not accessible for most of the users.

While the exact computational requirements for ChatGPT may vary depending on the specific architecture and configuration of the model, it's safe to say that it requires a significant amount of computational power and resources to train and run.

It's worth noting that the computational power required to run a pre-trained model like ChatGPT is much lower than what is required to train it. The pre-trained model can be loaded into memory and run on a single high-performance GPU or even a standard CPU, which makes it more accessible to a wider range of users.

 How to login to ChatGPT?

 Open https://chat.openai.com/ on your web-browser.

 Click on Sign up.

Use any account, if you have already a logged in Google account , it makes it more easier. Just click on Continue with Google.

Enter your Name

Provide your phone number. You will receive a verification SMS on you mobile.

Enter the code and you are good to go.

The UI is very simple and easy to use.

Just type in Queries that you want to ask the AI and wait for the AI to get you the answers.

One thing to note in particular. The knowledge date cut off for ChatGPT is marked as 2021. So if you are looking for any new information, refrain yourself from asking it to ChatGPT instead, Google it!!!

Command to get the Signature Checksum of any APK on Mac machine

What are signature checksum:

Let's start with, what is a checksum? CheckSum is a sequence of letters n numbers that is obtained from a data for detecting errors that can get introduced in the data while it is being saved or transmitted. If you have a checksum of actual file, using that checksum you can find that the file that you have downloaded or saved is actually the same or was their any tempering done in-between transmission or before it was shared to you.

Now, coming to APKs, SHA-256 / SHA-512 / MD5 are hashing algorithm used while signing a file. The file can be .apk , .txt

A file is signed so that its authenticity can be known. If the apk is tampered, the checksum would change and by comparing the original and the file checksum you can confirm if the apk was modified or not before you start using it.

For Android APK, a tool called apksigner.jar is used to sign and verify the checksum. That binary would be available in the Android SDK usually under build-tools. 

Running alone the apksigner tool gives below output:

USAGE: apksigner <command> [options]

       apksigner --version

       apksigner --help

EXAMPLE:

       apksigner sign --ks release.jks app.apk

       apksigner verify --verbose app.apk

apksigner is a tool for signing Android APK files and for checking whether

signatures of APK files will verify on Android devices.

COMMANDS

rotate                Add a new signing certificate to SigningCertificateLineage

sign                  Sign the provided APK

verify                Check whether the provided APK is expected to verify on

                      Android

lineage               Modify the capabilities of one or more signers in an existing

                      SigningCertificateLineage

version               Show this tool's version number and exit

help                  Show this usage page and exit

I will not go into details of what each command does but if you are interested to read further and want to learn more on Apksigner, you can take a look at developers.android.com.

Check for the SDK build tools path. It would look something like below:

/Users/<YourUserName>/Library/Android/sdk/build-tools/29.0.2/

Signature checksum command for Windows Machine:

apksigner verify -print-certs [apk] | grep -Po "(?<=SHA-256 digest:) .*" | xxd -r -p | openssl base64 | tr -d '=' | tr -- '+/=' '-_'

Signature checksum command for Mac Machine:

But on Mac machines, the "Grep" command with -Po  does not work as it is not supported and throws "invalid option -- P" error.

$grep -Po

grep: invalid option -- P

usage: grep [-abcdDEFGHhIiJLlMmnOopqRSsUVvwXxZz] [-A num] [-B num] [-C[num]]

[-e pattern] [-f file] [--binary-files=value] [--color=when]

[--context[=num]] [--directories=action] [--label] [--line-buffered]

[--null] [pattern] [file ...]

To resolve that, we need to replace the way we do 'grep', by using the perl command. 

The following Perl command is replacement for grep -  

perl -nle 'print $& if m{(?<=SHA-256 digest:) .*}'

So below is the final command to find the checksum of Android apk : 

/Users/<YourUserName>/Library/Android/sdk/build-tools/<BuildToolVersion>/apksigner verify -print-certs <PATH_TO_APKFile> | perl -nle 'print $& if m{(?<=SHA-256 digest:) .*}' | xxd -r -p | openssl base64 | tr -d '=' | tr -- '+/=' '-_'

In conclusion, using checksums is crucial in ensuring the authenticity of APK files. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can find the checksum of an APK file on a Mac machine.

[Solved] How to Fix "__rvm_make -j10" error while installing Ruby on Mac machines

We often have to switch from one machine to other or sometimes we go for an upgrade. In my case, I moved from Mac Pro 2016 Intel based chip to Macbook Pro 16 inch,  Apple M1 Pro based chipset and got stuck with this error.

You must have a prior experience, Installing Ruby has always been hassle on Mac/Ubuntu machines but moving away from Intel Chip to M1 Pro added few more challenges. 

RVM is Ruby Version Manager which is command line tool which helps in install, manage and work with different Ruby environments. RVM can also help in switching between different version of Ruby on your computer.

While installing Ruby via RVM, I was constantly getting below error.

> rvm install 2.6.5 

Error running '__rvm_make -j10',

please read /Users/<username>/.rvm/log/1652946926_ruby-2.6.5/make.log

There has been an error while running make. Halting the installation.

Because of the above error, I was not able to Install the Ruby and the installation was halted. My initial assumption was, it is due to OpenSSL lib on machine but it was not. Looking at the make log file, I found that there were many errors and was not able to figure out how to resolve this error. 

Finally after few trial and error, I could resolve the error with this guide.

Here are easy steps to Install Ruby on Macbook Pro with Apple M1 Pro chipset

PreRequisites:

- Brew should already be installed on your machine.

- And change the architecture of your terminal to "arch -arm64 zsh" OR "arch -arm64 sh"

1. Download  the ruby file given in below link

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rbenv/homebrew-tap/e472b7861b49cc082d1db0f66f265368da107589/Formula/openssl%401.0.rb

2. Save the file to your machine

3. Run brew install <pathWhereFileIsDownloaded>/openssl@1.0.rb

4. Add below path to your shell's rc file

echo 'export PATH="/opt/homebrew/opt/openssl@1.0/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc

echo 'export LDFLAGS="-L/opt/homebrew/opt/openssl@1.0/lib"' >> ~/.zshrc

echo 'export CPPFLAGS="-I/opt/homebrew/opt/openssl@1.0/include"' >> ~/.zshrc

echo 'export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="/opt/homebrew/opt/openssl@1.0/lib/pkgconfig"' >> ~/.zshrc

5.  Close the terminal and reopen new OR run source ~/.zshrc to reload the config

6.  Confirm the OpenSSL lib being used by running command:

     openssl version

     

    which returns:

    OpenSSL 1.0.2u  20 Dec 2019

7. Run below command to Disable RVM autolibs 

  rvm autolibs disable 

8. Run below export commands: 

    export RUBY_CFLAGS=-DUSE_FFI_CLOSURE_ALLOC

  export optflags="-Wno-error=implicit-function-declaration"

9. rvm install 2.6.5 --with-openssl-dir=/opt/homebrew/opt/openssl@1.0

 (you can choose any ruby version here)

The final Step #9 should install Ruby and you should see below line confirming Ruby is installed

Install of ruby-2.6.5 - #complete

You can also run :  rvm list  to confirm the ruby version installed status.

If above given steps does not resolve your issue, you can also try running below command which might resolve:

a) apt purge libssl-dev && apt install libssl1.0-dev

b)  rvm install 2.6.6 --with-out-ext=fiddle

Incase, you are seeing the issue on macOS Big Sur, be sure to run this before install a Ruby via RVM:

export warnflags=-Wno-error=implicit-function-declaration

For Reference you can visit this Github issue for RVM and scroll to the bottom of the page to confirm this answer.

Please add your comments, if it helped to resolve the ruby installation.

Incoming Searches:

Error running 'rvm_make -j16'

Error running 'rvm_make -j12'

Error running 'rvm_make -j10'

Error running 'rvm_make -j8'

Error running 'rvm_make -j4'

Error running 'rvm_make -j2'

error running '__rvm_make -j8',

Error running 'rvm_make -j16',

Error running 'rvm_make -j12',

Error running 'rvm_make -j10',

Error running 'rvm_make -j8',

Error running 'rvm_make -j4',

Error running 'rvm_make -j2',

Other Ruby error from Rubocop: https://g33ktricks.blogspot.com/2021/11/how-to-solve-c-indent-when-one-step.html

How to Resolve "You don't have permission to complete this action [ OR-AC-04 ]" while adding Blogger/Blogspot Payments

So while adding Adsense Account, I encountered this issue while adding the bank account details.

I did a research and could not find a relevant answer to this issue.

Although I was the only account holder for this Adsense account, I was not having permission to add Bank Details in the Payment Method

Even when I was moving across payment screen, I was getting this error.

"Uh oh. There was a problem.You don't have permission to complete this action [OR-AC-04]

cc7ab14e22e0f7e9"

 

To resolve this I tried to search across different Google threads but could not find much information.

Even though I had the permission for this blog and I was the only owner, it was frustrating to see that I was not able to my own account to the Google Payments.

After few trials to save the Payment settings again and again, I closed the browser and opened up Firefox.

Logged in with the same account and tried adding the Payment details.

To my surprise, it worked! 

So, here is solution you can try. You just need to login to your blogger account with another browser and you should be able save the Payment settings.

How to Edit PDF Online

In recent times, use of PDF files have been increased a lot. We use PDFs for Official purpose like filling out forms and getting the details of Bank statements. These all are being generated mostly in PDF.

Invented by Adobe Inc. and perfected over more than 25 years now, Portable Document Format (PDF) is an open standard for electronic document exchange.
To open these PDF files, Adobe also came up with PDF reader which you know with the name as Adobe Acrobat Reader. The Fun part about PDFs are, they are basically non-editable. Unlike Microsoft Word docuements (.doc file) or Text File(.txt file), you cannot edit PDF file just like that.
You need a software which is capable of doing it. The newest sofware version right now, from Adobe for reading PDFs is Adobe Acrobat Reader DC.
These are features that I see available with it.

But if you want to Edit PDF with Acorbat, you need to pay (obviously).




The "Try" version is available only for 7 days and but you would need a Credit Card to continue more than 7 days. 

So, I was looking for some alternative to Acrobat PDF Editor for editing the PDFs.

And recently found a best website to edit  PDF online which is sejda.com/pdf-editor

You just have to upload the PDF file that you want to edit. Click on Upload PDF file button and select the file. 

Once you upload , your pdf will be shown and you can start editing. 

The best option that I found very useful is the add Signature button.  You can upload the picture signature and then use it wherever the documents wants you to sign.

Point to note while adding the signature is that the signature has to be in white background. Having a photo of signature with different colour that while like pale white or yellow will make the document look fraud as the signature would look like a sticker. You can use online image editors and change the exposure, saturation , colour highlights to edit the colour of the signature picture so that the signature has clear white background.

You can edit the pdf using the text editor option and once you are done , you need to click on Apply button to perform the changes. 

On the next page you can download the edited version of the PDF and use it for any purpose.