Dan's Landing

Custom SSL Certificate for Security Onion Web UI

Thu, 16 Dec 2021 23:30:46 -0500

TL;DR These steps assume a certificate signed by your certificate authority of choice has already been generated. To install the certificate on the web UI of Security Onion (SO) you will need a certificate file and a private key file. Not that if you are accessing the web UI by IP address instead of FQDN, the IP address will need to be declared in the certificate. Follow the steps below to install the certificate on the SO manager node; all commands are run as root.

Getting around Dell iDRAC Java SSLHandshakeException

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 14:46:20 -0400

TL;DR The steps below assume network connectivity to iDRAC has been established. Follow the steps below to get past this error and launch the iDRAC console. Read on for the analysis that lead to these steps. Download avctKVM.jar from https://<your iDRAC IP/hostname here>/software/avctKVM.jar Edit the java.security policy file and comment out the lines referring to jdk.tls.disabledAlgorithms. On my Linux machine the file is at the following path /etc/java-11-openjdk/security/java.security. Run the following command to start the console viewer application java -cp avctKVM.

hack-a-sat 2021: iq writeup

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 19:22:21 -0400

Hack-A-Sat is a capture the flag style event with challenges related to space, space operations and space craft. The 2021 edition is the second time this challenge ran and its qualification round took place on the weekend of June 2021. Our team participated for fun and we were able to solve a few challenges. This post talks about the challenge named IQ and presents my solution to it. Accessing hack-a-sat challenges is done with netcat or similar.

Transmission container auto-add magnet links

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 21:13:01 -0400

LinuxServer.io provides a docker image for the Transmission torrent client. The client can be configured to watch a directory and add torrents from files placed in that directory. Unfortunately transmission does not pick up torrents from *.magnet files stored in the watch directory. I wanted a quick way to drop a magnet link info into a *.magnet file and have Transmission pick it up automatically. After some research to see how others have solved this issue I decided to implement this functionality myself.

Getting started with the SDK & Project Editor in MSFS 2020

Wed, 26 Aug 2020 14:46:15 -0400

Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) is the latest release in the franchise which spans some 37 years. This release boasts impressive graphics employing satellite imagery from Bing maps acallylong with AI assisted automati generated scenery and buildings. I’ve sunk quite a number of hours into it already and it blows its predecessor, FSX, out of the water. The simulator has been release with a Developer Mode and tools which allow users to expand beyond its already impressive feature set.

Enabling HTTPS on GitLab plugin for FreeNAS

Wed, 12 Aug 2020 18:17:27 -0400

FreeNAS is a free and open-source operating system intended to be used on Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices. Based on FreeBSD, FreeNAS combines the features and services of a regular Unix-like operating system with the robustness of the OpenZFS filesystem. I built a FreeNAS box nearly five years ago and it has been running smoothly ever since. One of the useful features of FreeNAS is its plugin system which allows applications to be installed and run in FreeBSD jails without requiring an additional server.

Raspberry Pi SSH over Bluetooth

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 11:50:07 -0500

This post was inspired by the write up about PITA from evilsocket where they describe a way to connect and SSH into a Raspberry Pi using Bluetooth. I decided to try to reproduce that part of the write up, ran into some issues but finally got it working. This has only been tested on a Pi Zero W so far but should work fine on other models as well. Let’s start by installing some dependencies:

Deploying Buscador on ESXi

Fri, 24 May 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Buscador is a Linux distribution created by David Westcott and Michael Bazzell of IntelTechniques to help with OSINT investigations. What Kali Linux is to penetration testing, Buscador is to OSINT and you can read abot the tools included on their site linked above. Both VirtualBox and VMWare images are provided in OVA format however the latter is only compatible with VMWare workstation out of the box and not ESXi. The manifest file within the OVA contains a SHA-256 checksum to verify the integrity of the virtual machine and virtual disk files within the OVA.

Start flight simulator with higher priority

Thu, 04 Dec 2014 21:03:06 -0500

A peculiar issue of Microsoft’s Flight Simulator X is that at times ATC forgets to vector me in to my final destination leaving me cruising at 2000′ burning fuel going away from the airport. There are other troubles with the FSX ATC but this one will be the focus of this quick article. Before we go on please make sure you understand what you are doing and what the consequences can be.

Saitek X55 Rhino conflicts with TeamSpeak client

Sun, 30 Nov 2014 23:39:08 -0500

I ran into some issues tonight with my Saitek X55 HOTAS: each key press was repeated instead of showing up just once. This made the aircraft systems uncontrollable and at least once it caused my computer to lock up. I couldn’t figure out what had changed since last week when everything was fine until I realized I had just gotten my TeamSpeak setup up and running again. At least one forum post had mentioned multiple key presses from the X55 when the TeamSpeak client is running.

Flashing Arduino firmware (Part 2)

Wed, 20 Aug 2014 09:00:25 -0500

In the first part of this series I explained what software and hardware you will need to get started with flashing your Arduino board so that it can emulate other devices. In this post I’ll show you how to do it. Please note that while I’ve done this many times successfully, there is always the chance that something may go wrong. I am willing to help but I can take no responsibility if the steps below render your Arduino board unusable.

Flashing Arduino firmware (Part 1)

Tue, 19 Aug 2014 19:36:07 -0500

The Arduino platform is quite useful for making a quick prototype or when you’re getting started with embedded programming as a hobby. There are a number of shields available to extend a board’s capabilities but there is also a lot that can be done without any extra peripherals. In this series I will demonstrate how you can flash the Arduino Uno with new firmware and have it emulate another type of device belonging to the USB Human Interface Device class (i.

Hamilton Airshow Airspace Restrictions (NOTAM)

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:12:10 -0500

NOTAM stands for Notice To Airmen and is used to warn pilots of hazards or restrictions put in place. In the case of the Hamilton Airshow it is used to inform pilots that the airspace around Hamilton airport (CYHM) will be restricted and that they need special permission to enter. You can find the NOTAM on AWWS and currently it reads: 1110390 CZYZ TORONTO FIR 2CZYZ PURSUANT TO SECTION 5.1 OF THE AERONAUTICS ACT, AIRSPACE IS RESTRICTED WITHIN 7 NM RADIUS OF HAMILTON AD (431023N 795606W) SFC TO 6000 FT MSL.

Tips for a great day at the Hamilton Air Show

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 12:11:59 -0500

The Hamilton Air Show takes place on Father’s Day weekend, June 18th and 19th, 2011 at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum at John C. Munro, Hamilton International Airport (CYHM). I’ve written about the show before and provided links to the air show site for all official information. This post is intended to give you a checklist of things to do before, during and after the air show to help you enjoy your day.

Hamilton Air Show Map and Information

Sat, 28 May 2011 09:56:25 -0500

The Hamilton Air Show is only three weeks away and the folks at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum have released a map of the lay of the land for the two days of the air show. I’ve taken the liberty of overlaying it on a Google Earth shot of the airport to give those of you familiar with the airport a better idea of where things will be and rough estimates of distances.

Deduct flight training on your taxes

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:07:31 -0500

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) offers a tax credit for costs incurred by a student during flight training through its TL11B – Tuition, Education, and Textbook Amounts Certificate – Flying School or Club form. Let’s take a look at some of the eligibility criteria! The tuition fees you claim must be more than $100. Pretty straightforward there. Tacked on to that point though is the claiming of private licence instruction time.

Getting a Canadian pilot licence [Part 6: Extra Endorsements]

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 04:00:34 -0500

_This is a guest post written by my good friend PC (Papa Charlie in the NATO phonetic vocabulary). He is currently finishing the Seneca College Flight Program Degree.
Make sure to read the previous posts in the series to get the whole picture about what it takes to get a Canadian Pilot’s Licence:

- *With a private pilot licence in hand, you can add ratings or endorsements to it, expanding the number of aircraft you can fly and the time of day and weather conditions in which you can operate those aircraft. I will tell you about some optional ratings you can get to expand your flying skills. The ratings I’ll mainly discuss are:
- Night
- VFR Over The Top (VFR OTT)
- Instrument

Getting a Canadian pilot licence [Part 5: The Flying]

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 20:00:25 -0500

This is another installment in my guide to Getting a Canadian pilot’s licence series. Make sure to read the previous posts to get the whole picture:

You’re finally at the good stuff: the flying! Here’s a picture of me taking off on my first solo back in September 2008.

After a few lessons this will be you!

Getting a Canadian pilot licence [Part 4: The Cost]

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 04:00:11 -0500

Other posts relating to getting a Canadian pilot’s licence:

Aviation is not a hobby for the light-wallet-ed. While the ground school portion has a fairly standard price, the cost of flying is a different story.

Getting a Canadian pilot’s licence [Part 3: The tests]

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 04:00:44 -0500

Welcome to my series on becoming a licenced Canadian pilot. The information below and in previous posts refers to the Private Pilot Licence training as this is the one I am most familiar with.
Check out the whole series:

In this post I discuss the tests you are expected to write and pass before getting your licence. Some of them will need to be written and passed before going solo (PSTAR and Radio).

Getting a Canadian pilot licence [Part 2: Ground School]

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:00:30 -0500

For the rest of this series I will refer to the Private Pilot Licence as this is the one I am most familiar with. Feel free to post any questions you may have about higher levels of training as well. If I don’t know the answer I’ll do my best to find it out for you.

Check out the whole series:

There are two places where you will learn to fly a plane: on the ground and in the air. While it is desireable that you have at least some ground school knowledge before heading up in the plane, it is not necessary. In fact, many schools advocate flying and doing ground school concurrently. Depending on your learning style, this may work for you. I wanted to have as much information as I could before flying so I finished ground school, then started my flight training.

Getting a Canadian pilot licence [Part 1: Licence options]

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 04:00:05 -0500

I was recently asked by a friend how to go about getting a pilot’s licence in Canada and how much it would cost. I thought this would make for an interesting multi-part series of posts so here it is: my guide to becoming a licensed pilot in Canada.

The posts in this series are as follows:

In this first part, I will talk about your options when it comes to licences and give you an idea of the advantages and limitations you can expect. Before I begin, keep in mind that I am just a student of the art of flying and this represents my understanding of the Canadian system. Please feel free to correct me where I am wrong and/or add to the information I present here.

Flight Lesson Update: I SOLOED!

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:27:56 -0500

It’s been a while, a lot of things have happened in my flying career. First and foremost: <p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pFI6qb3eLMKAC9Enpmz-Eg"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/Danny.Vacar/SOkRd1Ol2cI/AAAAAAAABQs/ZHahIEjzDqw/s400/HPIM3251.jpg" alt="" /></a> </p> </td> It was an amazing experience! Kenny and I went up for a couple of circuits then he had me practice an engine failure for the full-stop. We taxied back to Peninsulair, all the while he let the controllers know I was going up for my first solo.

Flight Lesson 11 and getting to the airport on public transportation

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:28:13 -0500

I headed up to Hamilton airport today for my 11th flight lesson. Seeing as how I don’t have a car these days, I took the Hamilton Street Railway (HSR). Getting to the airport on the HSR is a bit of an adventure. You see, I live in the west end of Hamilton so I have to take a bus into downtown, where I transfer to a bus that goes up the mountain.

Flight Lesson 10: Steep turns and spirals, oh my!

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 22:46:31 -0500

Today I had my tenth flight lesson at Peninsulair in which I got to practice steep turns and recovering from spiral dives. Our plane today was FTDS which is really nice because the trim is in the ceiling. Here’s FTDS, click the image for the bigger version: {.aligncenter} Steep Turns A steep turn is a turn made at a 45° bank angle. It sounds simple enough, but in practice it’s a bit tougher.

Flight Lesson 2

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:17:52 -0500

Straight and Level flight Tuesday was my second flight lesson which consisted of getting the plane into and maintaining straight and level flight. The straight part means keeping a constant heading, while the level refers to maintaining a constant altitude. While the weather wasn’t exactly great at the time of my flight, I was still able to rack up 0.7 hours of flight time. The Ground Briefing In the classroom, Bob covered the basics of this exercise.

Flight Lesson 1

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 23:27:04 -0500

Attitudes and Movements + Taxiing and miscellaneous tidbits After a first, introductory flight at the end of May (which you can read about here) I finally had the right weather for my first actual flight lesson. The wind was calm, temperature around 24 degrees Celsius and clouds were nowhere in sight for the most part and I could not wait to get behind the control column. Before that could happen though, a ground briefing was necessary.

First flight

Mon, 26 May 2008 11:21:42 -0500

Saturday May 24th, 2008 will be a day that I will remember for a long time. It is the day I first went up in a small plane, a Piper Cherokee to be exact. It is the day I began my flight training. A few months ago I signed up for ground school at Toronto Airways. I had been thinking about it for a while, since my house mate in Markham was in the Seneca College Aviation program and we spoke about flying and maneuvers and weather quite often.

Flight Training Phase 1: Complete

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:55:49 -0500

Two months ago I began my flight training with Toronto Airways at Buttonville Airport (CYKZ). I guess “flight” training isn’t exactly correct since this was actually the ground school preceding the actual flying. Over the course of eight weeks, the course covered everything from the basics of flight, to meteorology, aircraft engines and navigation. The instructors went over the important parts and left it up to the students to fill in the blanks since the amount of information is enormous in most sections.

Learning to fly

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 21:04:02 -0500

Flight has been quite the mystery to me for quite some time. I enjoy flying both as a passenger or pilot in command (while playing Microsoft Flight Simulator, of course). I’ve also purchased an E-flite Blade CX-2 RC helicopter so I could get my fix of RC flying. However this still didn’t “quench my thirst” so to speak. Two weeks ago I started ground school at Toronto Airways which operates out of Buttonville Airport(CYKZ) in Markham, Ontario.