How To: Installing BackTrack 4 R1 to a USB Flash Drive

Introduction:

In this tutorial you will learn how to install the latest version of BackTrack (BackTrack 4 R1) to your USB flash drive. Not only will you be able to boot BackTrack off of a flash drive, but it will also allow you to have persistent changes. This tutorial will also work for previous versions of BackTrack.

Tools and Material:

• USB Flash Drive – 8GB minimum
• DVD of BackTrack 4 R1 (or previous version)

The reason why we recommend an 8GB flash drive is that after everything is installed from the disk, you wouldn’t have much room for installing anything additional if you were to using a 4GB flash drive.

Partitioning the Flash Drive:

All of this tutorial will be done from the command line. So the first step is to pop in the disk and flash drive and select the first option when you are greeted by the BackTrack boot up menu. This will eventually leave you with a command prompt, which is where we will begin.
Now that we have a prompt, we must determine which drive our flash drive is. We accomplish this by running the command:

dmesg | egrep hd.\|sd.

This will give us a list of all drives on the machine. From there you need to select which one is yours. I will use sda in my examples, but yours may be different and you should substitute as necessary.
We will be using fdisk to create the partitions for our Flash Drive.

fdisk /dev/sda

Delete the existing partitions, there may be more than 1. Input the commands that are bolded.

Command (m for help): d
Partition number (1-4): 1

Create the first partition

Command (m for help): n
Command action
e   extended
p   primary partition (1-4)
p
Partition number (1-4): 1
First cylinder: <enter>
Using default value 1
Last cylinder, +cylinders or +size{K,M,G}: +2000M

Create the second partition:

Command (m for help): n
Command action
e   extended
p   primary partition (1-4)
p
Partition number (1-4): 2
First cylinder: <enter>
Last cylinder, +cylinders or +size{K,M,G}: <enter>

Set the partition type of the first partition to vfat/fat32

Command (m for help): t
Partition number (1-4): 1
Hex code (type L to list codes): b
Changed system type of partition 1 to b (W95 FAT32)

Set the partition type of the second partition to Linux

Command (m for help): t
Partition number (1-4): 2
Hex code (type L to list codes): 83

Set the first partition to active

Command (m for help): a
Partition number (1-4): 1

Write out the current partition table to the disk

Command (m for help): w

Format the partitions, substituting your drive for sda as neccessary

mkfs.vfat /dev/sda1
mkfs.ext3 -b 4096 -L casper-rw /dev/sda2

Mounting and Copying Files:

Next we need to mount the flash drive that we just made partitions on

mkdir /mnt/sda1
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/sda1

Then we will use rsync to copy the files from the DVD to the flash drive.

cd /mnt/sda1
rsync -r /media/cdrom0/* .

Installing grub:

Now that we’ve copied all of the files over, we must now install a bootloader on the flash drive.

grub-install –no-floppy –root-directory=/mnt/sda1 /dev/sda

Persistent Changes:

Now that grub is installed, we are technically done, but I like to make some changes to the grub boot menu so that it picks persistent changes mode by default.

cd /mnt/sda1/boot/grub
nano menu.lst

You will need to change the default to 4.

Tweaks:

One thing I like to do is enable networking by default as it is normally disabled. To accomplish this, you need to boot from the actual flash drive and then run the command:

/usr/sbin/update-rc.d networking defaults

Closing:

BackTrack is a great resource for checking the security of your home network.  It really provides you with pretty much every tool to audit your home network. Now you will be able to take you flash drive and audit any network.

Update:

The public version of BackTrack R1 has been released and can be found here: http://www.backtrack-linux.org/downloads/

ubuntu Installation

Table of contents
- Install from CD
- Install with Wubi
- Install in EXT3 Partition
- Install from USB
When it comes to installing popular Linux flavour  Ubuntu, there are so many useful snippets of information on blogs and guides all over the internet. If you Google “How to install Ubuntu”, you’ll see what I mean.
For an Ubuntu beginner or curious Windows intermediate user however, there’s no single, simple source of information when it comes to trying out your first Ubuntu installation. One thing I have noticed is that there’s a lot of technical jargon and sometimes unnecessary terminal commands in lengthy forum posts, but no simple “how to” guides, which I think  might put some people off! A shame, when you think about how easy Ubuntu is to install, use and tweak to look really cool!
This post will talk you through your first Ubuntu installation, hopefully teaching you everything you need to know to give Ubuntu a try without breaking or removing your existing Windows installation. The end result will be a “vanilla” Ubuntu Installation running simultaneously with your Windows installation using either the GRUB bootloader, or WUBI, depending on how far you’d like to go on your first Ubuntu experience.
I hope my guide makes installing Ubuntu an enjoyable, simple experience. By the end of the guide you should have a dual boot Windows / Ubuntu machine that happily plays music, video, and acts as a perfectly usable home office computer with Openoffice 3.0. For the really adventurous you could even run Windows XP inside Virtualbox, which is linked to later on in the guide.  The Ubuntu OS is unique and seriously cool, so, enjoy the trip.

If you’re planning on installing the latest version of Ubuntu (Jaunty Jackalope 9.04) you can install Ubuntu straight from the CD inside Windows or from a USB stick and the install process can takes care of formatting your hard drive partition for you. You might not yet have a spare partition to do this, so I’ve covered shrinking your existing Windows partition to make space for Ubuntu here.
How to install Ubuntu from CD
1) Download the Ubuntu ISO from http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download and save to your desktop
2) Burn the ISO image to a blank CD using Roxio CD creator or similar:

3) Run the CD from “My Computer” – the CD should ask permission to run at which point you’ll see this option screen:

Install Ubuntu with Wubi
4) If you’d like to install Ubuntu using Wubi, select “install inside Windows” and follow the instructions. Installing with WUBI is ideal for a first taste of Ubuntu as you can remove from add/remove programs in Windows later on. This install process is really easy but you don’t get the same performance as if Ubuntu had a separate partition running on its EXT3 file system. The following screens are all based on the Wubi installer process, so you can follow the rest of the instructions below.
If you’d like to install Ubuntu separately to Windows, then skip to point 7) below.
Here’s what you see next:

If you’ve got the space on your hard drive, go for 30gb or more for the installation size.
5) Now configure your installation using the simple settings options. You can specify the location of the Ubuntu installation on your Windows partition, the size of the Ubuntu installation, the Ubuntu flavour (Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, etc), your preferred language, and a username and password for the Ubuntu system.
When you click install, you’ll see this screen:

As soon as the files have finished downloading, you’ll see this:

6) That’s it! Click reboot now, and select “Ubuntu” on the startup screen. You now have a fully functional dual boot Windows / Ubuntu machine.
Install Ubuntu on a single (EXT3) partition (separately to Windows)
7) Click “Demo and full installation” and your computer will restart and boot into Ubuntu.
It’s worth saying at this point that you’re about to install Ubuntu on an entirely separate drive partition. That means, you need to make sure you have enough space on your computers hard drive to accomodate the new setup. Keir Thomas found that a partition less than 4gb would lead Ubuntu to crash during install in his first look at Ubuntu 9.04 over at Lifehacker.
Here’s a guide on how to resize or shrink your Windows Vista partition. Follow those instructions before you reboot into the live version of Ubuntu and you’ll have a really easy time during the following steps. Maybe you’d like to install from a USB? Let’s have a quick look at the process of installing from a USB before we continue:
Here’s how to install Ubuntu on a USB drive from Windows Vista:
Format your USB stick with a FAT32 partition from Windows. You can get to the format dialogue by opening My Computer and right mouse clicking the removable drive icon. Click “Format” and follow the settings in the image below. You need a minimum 2gb USB stick.

9) Download UnetBootin. UNetbootin allows for the installation of various Linux/Ubuntu distributions to a partition or USB drive, so it’s no different from a standard install, only it doesn’t need a CD. The coolest thing about the application is that it’s a “portable” app. You don’t need to install it into Windows meaning UNetbootin will run on your Windows PC without “admin” privileges.


The new version of Ubuntu isn’t in the Distribution list supplied with UNetbootin yet, so use the downloaded Ubuntu ISO from earlier on. Add the ISO using the “Diskimage”, make sure your USB drive is selected below and click OK.
The ISO transfers to the USB pretty quickly, so soon after you click OK you’ll see this screen:

10) That’s it – when the installation process is complete, restart your computer and make sure it’s set up to boot from USB. On my HP Laptop, pressing F9 on the boot screen shows a boot order menu. Selecting “USB Hard Drive” follows a black screen, an Ubuntu logo, and finally, your new Ubuntu desktop appears.
Completing your Ubuntu installation, step by step
Installing Ubuntu is so easy that it requires very little effort past this point. If you’ve managed to repartition your hard drive and restart your computer you’ll sail through the next few steps:
11) Click “install” on the live desktop (top left)

12) Choose your language in the welcome screen

13) Choose your location

14) Choose your keyboard layout

15) Set up your disk partition. This is probably the most “technical” part of the installation. When I shrunk my Windows Vista drive volume, I never formatted the new partition, which means the “use the largest continuous free space” option works nicely:

16) Choose your username and password:

17) Migrate your Windows documents and settings

18) You’re now ready to install your new Ubuntu installation

19) When the installation has finished, restart your computer (you’ll be instructed to remove your cd rom or USB drive). You’re now ready to begin using Ubuntu!

Remotely access other computers in your network

Easily and freely control multiple computers running any number of operating systems from one computer using VNC. The official VNC page can be found at http://www.realvnc.com/. Another great free alternative that works in all versions of Windows including Vista is TightVNC, which is found at http://www.tightvnc.com/.

Slow Computer Issues

Issue

My computer is running slow what steps can I do to fix it?

Cause

This issue can be caused by any of the below possibilities.

1. Not enough hard disk space.
2. Left over programs and bad files.
3. Data Corruption.
4. Missing Windows updates / Outdated drivers.
5. Computer is overheating.
6. Corrupt OS.
7. Bad Hardware.

Solution

This page only cover an overall slow computer and not a computer that has a slow boot up.

Below are steps for Microsoft Windows users that should help speed up the computer or determine why the computer is running slow.

Reboot

If your computer has not been reboot recently make sure to reboot it before following any of the below steps.

Not enough hard disk drive space

Verify that there is at least 200-500MB of free hard disk drive space. This available space allows the computer to have room for the swap file to increase in size as well as room for temporary files.

• Determining available hard drive space.
• Regaining computer hard disk drive space.

Hard drive corrupted or fragmented

• Run ScanDisk or something equivalent to verify there is nothing physically wrong with the computer hard disk drive.
• Run Defrag to help ensure that data is arranged in the best possible order.

Background programs

Remove or disable any TSRs and startup programs that automatically start each time the computer boots.

To see what programs are running in the background and how much memory and CPU they are using open Task Manager.  If you are running Windows 7 run Resmon to get a better understanding of how your computer is being used.

If you've got an anti-virus scanner on the computer, spyware protection program, or other security utility make sure it's not scanning your computer in the background. Often when these programs begin to scan the computer it can decrease the overall performance of your computer.

Scan for malware

Today, spyware and other malware is a big cause of many computer problems including a slow computer. Even if an anti-virus scanner is installed on the computer we recommend running a malware scan on the computer. Use the free version of Malwarebytes to scan your computer for malware.

Hardware conflicts

• Verify that the Device Manager has no conflicts. If any exist resolve these issues as they could be the cause of your problem.

Update Windows

• Make sure you have all the latest Windows updates installed in the computer.
• If you are on the Internet when your computer is slow also make sure all browser plugins are up-to-date.

Update your drivers

Make sure you've got the latest drivers for your computer. Especially the latest video drivers. Having out-of-date drivers can cause an assortment of issues.

Computer or processor is overheating

Make sure your computer and processor is not overheating, excessive heat can cause a significant decrease in computer performance some processors will even lower the speed of the processor automatically to help compensate for the heat related issues.

• What temperature should my processor be running at?

Dust, dirt, and hair can also constrict a proper air flow on your computer, which can also cause a computer to overheat. Make sure your computer case is clean and fans are not obstructed.

• Steps on cleaning your computer.

Memory upgrade

If you've had your computer for more than one year it's likely you're computer is not meeting the memory requirements for today. Today, we suggest at a minimum the computer have 1GB of memory.

• Determining how much RAM is installed and available.

Specific operating system basic troubleshooting

Basic Microsoft Windows XP troubleshooting.
Basic Microsoft Windows 2000 troubleshooting.
Basic Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 troubleshooting.
Basic Microsoft Windows ME troubleshooting.
Basic Microsoft Windows 98 troubleshooting.
Basic Microsoft Windows 95 troubleshooting.
Basic Microsoft Windows 3.x troubleshooting.

Or go through the other basic troubleshooting steps.

Run registry cleaner

We normally do not recommend registry cleaners. However, if you have followed all of the above steps and your computer is still slow try running a registry cleaner on the computer.

Erase computer and start over

If none of the above solutions resolve your issues, it is recommended that you either reinstall Windows or erase everything and then start over.

Old computer

If your computer is older than five years come to terms that it is likely the age of the computer that is causing it to be slow. Computers progress at an alarming rate as new programs and updates for programs come out their minimum requirements increase and will cause older computers to slow down. If your computer is older than five years we suggest purchasing a new computer or just realize it is going to run slow because it is old.

• How often should I buy a new computer?

Hardware issues

Finally, if your computer continues to be slow after going over each of the above recommendations it's possible that your computer is experiencing a more serious hardware related issue such as a failing component in the computer. This could be a failing or bad hard drive, CPU, RAM, motherboard, or other component.

Google Voice Search................................

Google is pushing its voice-recognition technology to Apple's iPhone first, before devices running its own Android mobile platform.
The New York Times offered photographs of Google employees Vic Gundotra and Gummi Hafsteinsoon using an iPhone for a voice search. The free application was expected to be available on Apple's App Store on Friday. Google reportedly will soon offer the technology for other devices, presumably including the T-Mobile G1, which uses Android.






"This is an expansion of types of applications Google has already been developing," said Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence. "Google has GOOG411, which is the underlying technical engine. They also have a voice-search client for the BlackBerry which is limited to maps. So this is an evolutionary step."
Inside Google Voice Search
Here's how it works: The iPhone user asks a question, such as "Where's the closest Burger King?" or "How wide is the Grand Canyon?" The user's voice is converted to a digital file and transmitted to Google's servers.
Google Search then serves up the results -- in a matter of seconds if the user has a fast wireless network, the Times reports. The search results always include any local information.
"The question with these types of technologies is how good is the speech recognition? It's getting much better, and that's why Google feels this is the right time to introduce this," Sterling said. "Google has confidence now that voice recognition is good enough to open it up to the full Web search as opposed to the much more structured search on GOOG411."
Google is playing catch-up, in a sense. Yahoo and Microsoft already offer a voice-recognition option for mobile phones. Microsoft's Tellme service offers users information in specific categories, such as movies, maps or directions. Yahoo offers voice services through its oneSearch platform.
"In one sense this is new, but it's not new, because Yahoo and Microsoft have been doing versions of voice recognition -- and so has Google -- for some time," Sterling said. "A company called Dial Directions was the first to formally introduce voice search for the iPhone, but it was limited to selected local sites through the Safari browser."
Building a Killer App
Could voice recognition be the next killer app for mobile? The market is growing at breakneck speed. Voice-recognition technology sales topped $1 billion in 2006 for the first time. Datamonitor expects that number to swell to $2.6 billion by 2009.
The market is heating up -- and going global. Voice-recognition software maker Nuance Communications earlier this month acquired Austria-based Philips Speech Recognition Systems for $96.1 million. Philips develops speech-recognition solutions in 25 languages.
Voice recognition on the mobile phone is still not completely accurate, and may not see mainstream use until it improves. But Sterling said it is ever-improving and thinks Google's voice search will be a popular mobile-phone feature.
Specifically, he sees the new Google application for the iPhone as most useful when a user might need to call directory assistance or do a simple search, but can't do it safely on a keyboard while driving. Another benefit is the ability to enter potentially long search queries that would be difficult to type. But accuracy is still a factor.
"This is an evolutionary step in the whole realm of voice search," Sterling said. "So far it has not proven to be the killer app for mobile, but it's getting there and it's very useful in selective situations."

Hack Mozilla Speed

All know that the biggest fear of microsoft is google. if u would ask me which would be the second, i would say it's mozilla. It was them who destroyed the legacy of microsoft's internet explorer. Firefox from it's starting itself have challenged it's microsoft's counter part internet explorer
It is estimated that world's 85% of people prefer mozilla firefox to browse than internet explorer.



And the latest from them mozilla firefox 3 has alrady enjoyed world record download of more than 80 lakh download within first 1 week of it's official release. It browses 10 times faster than the internet explorer.

And here i will give u a small hack software, which can boost ur internet speed(useable only for firefox)

This software is extemely functional and is having no negative effect for ur PC or net connection( i hav used this personally and hav really enjoyed it's power)

This software is called firetune from total idea software

first of all download firetune by clicking here(IT'S COMPLETELY FREE)


Click here to Download Firetune search the link above (click products when the link is opened)


After downloading open it and run the software.


1))) In welcome window
here click create bac up configuration and this will back up ur firefox orginal configuration


2))) In perfomance optimisation window


click fast computer /fast connection (if CPU speed greater than 1.5 ghz, min 512 mb ram and if ur net connection is DSL, CABLE or any having sped more than 144kbps)

fast computer/ slower connection ( if computer CPU speed greater than 1.5 ghz, min 512 mb ram and if ur net connection is dial up or any which's speed less tah 144kbps)

slow computer/ fast connection ( if speed is less than 1.5 ghz or ram less than 512 mb (either both or one) and having fast net connection having speed greater than 144 kbps)

slow computer/ slow connetion ( if computer is having ram less than 512 mb or speed less than 1.5 ghz and slow net connection less than 144 kbps)


3))) In other other optimisation click enable some perfomance tweaks common to all configuration

this will help to increase ur net perfomance

4))) In other useful setting page click optimise firefox memory usage


5))) at last click Tune it



NOTE: CLOSE FIREFOX WINDOWS( if any open) OTHERWISE IT WON'T TUNE

AND WELCOME TO FAST BROWSING WORLD