The proponents of this scheme have given it names such as "trusted computing" and "palladium". We call it "treacherous computing", because the effect is to make your computer obey companies instead of you. This was implemented in 2007 as part of Windows Vista; we expect Apple to do something similar. In this scheme, it is the manufacturer that keeps the secret code, but the FBI would have little trouble getting it.
Hacking
What they say about kung-fu is true..
It can be attained by anyone through hard work over time. You can become as good as the amount of work you put in. Here's a short look at a basic technique that I use. Simply reverse engineering the source code and taking notes along the way...
static void php_session_send_cookie(TSRMLS_D)
if (SG(headers_sent)) {
if (output_start_filename) {
php_error_docref(NULL TSRMLS_CC, E_WARNING, "Cannot send session cookie - headers already sent by (output started at %s:%d)",
output_start_filename, output_start_lineno);
} else {
php_error_docref(NULL TSRMLS_CC, E_WARNING, "Cannot send session cookie - headers already sent");
}
return;
}
/* URL encode session_name and id because they might be user supplied */
e_session_name = php_url_encode(PS(session_name), strlen(PS(session_name)), NULL); PHP PHP Session Session ID
With a rating of 8.58, this marks the highest rated DreamHost Site Of The Month Winner in the History of the Contest!
Hosting
Tor is a network of virtual tunnels that give you a very good level of anonymity, using Tor with privoxy and FoxTor for firefox gives you privacy at the touch of a button.
Software
DreamHost has a contest every month nicknamed "DHSOTM" or DreamHost Site Of The Month, that lets the customers rank websites hosted on DreamHost.
By winning the contest you get to put a graphic designed in the 90's on your site. I want it so bad!
Hosting
Google AdSense calles their AdSense Ads, "Sponsored Links", while Text-Link-Ads.com recommends "Sponsored By". Of course it is against the Google Adsense TOS to rename your ads, but in general, for non-adsense, what do you like to call your sponsored links?
SEO
While testing the exploitability of your target and mapping out vulnerabilities it is important to gain access inside the targets defenses so that you can establish an internal foothold like a owned box or switch. This is so you can use a tool to discover the packet-filtering being used, and literally map out the firewall/IDS rules. Needless to say that really provides you with a lot more complete vulnerability assessment to help discover more weak spots in the system.
Security
.htaccess and php example serves .pdf files to give visitors the choice to open in an external program or save to disk without having to open it in the browser
PDF Before and after Fix - Firefox


Htaccess
Want to block a bad robot or web scraper using .htaccess files? Here are 2 methods that illustrate blocking 436 various user-agents.
Htaccess
If you have a Powweb Webhosting account, you will appreciate this simple skeleton .htaccess file for use on their systems.
Htaccess Htaccess Powweb skeleton
Host Google Analytics ga.js file locally for increased speed! Makes web pages load faster.
Google
Learn about the 7 different HTTP response codes specifically reserved for redirection. 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, and 307.
SEO
I've put up a new tool to check the strength of your password hash, that locates weak passwords by searching Rainbow Tables for md5 or sha1 hash match. Locate and fix this common security vulnerability before being exploited.
Security
SetEnv, SetEnvIf, and SetEnvIfNoCase directives conditionally set environment variables accessible by scripts and apache based on HTTP Headers, Variables, and Request information.
Htaccess Environment variable FilesMatch Header Htaccess SetEnvIf SetEnvIfNoCase
Htaccess AddDescription Apache bash
.htaccess Topic vs htaccess Keyword
Google, Htaccess, SEO Apache Google Google Trends Htaccess SEO
So, here's what I hacked together last night, that is being used today. It's essentially 2 files.
- A php file that scrapes uses curl to scrape all the urls for the page (favicon, css, images, pdfs, etc..)
- A simple bash shell script acting as a cgi that creates a zip file of all the urls, and a self-extracting exe file for those without a winzip tool
PHP Htaccess HTTP PHP
This past week I updated my sites apache.css file for a site-redesign. I wanted to make changes to the .css file that only I could see, so that my regular traffic and site-visitors would still see the old version. Here's the elegant solution I came up with using .htaccess and mod_rewrite that works so well I'm sharing it with all you wonderful and incredible people reading my blog :)
Htaccess
How to password-protect, Allow or Deny a visitor based on a condition. If you are having trouble getting htaccess-based password protection to work see: Troubleshooting htaccess Authentication: Getting it to work
Htaccess AuthName AuthType FilesMatch Htaccess Password Password Protection Require
Apache has the best SSL/HTTPS support and can be controlled by the httpd.conf file or other HTTPD server configuration file. This htaccess tutorial has htaccess example code to make it easy to secure and use HTTPS and SSL with Apache.
Htaccess
High Performance Web Site list of the best and newest methods to make web pages super fast using caching, compression, cache-control, etc. Optimization
Hosting, Net DNS
On-Demand WordPress MySQL database Backup Shell Script for DreamHost Shell Scripting
Every month a contest called DHSOTM is held for the highest rated website on DreamHost. By winning the contest your site gets SEO and traffic benefits, which I hope to measure soon.
SEO
Hosting
Htaccess mobile devices mobile proxy server Mobile web analytics
Turns every 404 Not Found error into a SEO traffic generating event! Help your site visitors find what they were looking for automatically by leveraging both Google and WordPress. It's one of about 6 plugins I use on every WP site I run. Highly recommend you try it for a few months.
«Take My 404 for a Test-Drive
SEO 404 Google 404 SEO wordpress WordPress Plugin
Advanced Web Development by AskApache is a Firefox Collection I created since I'm always trying new Addons out and using multiple computers and I wanted a quick and easy way to install my favorite's and keep a running list. Firebug, YSlow, LastPass, and Web Developer are the only ones I always use regularly.
I like the idea of the last.fm but it's not as powerful as the site, which is awesome. Lately listening to Kings of Leon Radio...
Software Addons Firefox Mozilla
I've tried 100's of Anti-virus, Anti-Rootkit, and Anti-Spyware tools over the last 10 years, but it's always good to re-examine your system's security every couple of months.
Security
The goal is to add the HostGator server to be an exact mirror of the s.askapache.net domain, then to add that server as a 2nd A record to my DNS zone. That way half the visitors to the size will be taking up resources and bandwidth on the HostGator server instead of mine.
Round Robin A records in DNS are intended to evenly distribute queries between each host of the same name. Using some tricks straight out of a hackers toolbox we can verify if the distribution is taking place. (It is.)
Optimization DNS HostGator Rackspace Round-Robin WiredTree

3-Part article covering practical implementation of 3 advanced .htaccess features. Discover an easy way to boost your SEO the AskApache way (focus on visitors), a tip you might keep and use for life. Get some cool security tricks to use against spammers, crackers, and other nefarious sorts. Take your site's error handling to the next level, enhanced ErrorDocuments that go beyond 404's.
Htaccess SSI
It shows a semi-transparent box on the document you are viewing that tells you if its a page, single, feed, category, etc..
WordPress
CSS is one of the most useful tools I have in my toolbox as a Web Developer. Having a CSS Toolbox containing good CSS Classes that you repeatedly use is quite helpful for us XHTML / web-standards / best-practices developers. Check out 10 of my favorite CSS classes.
CSS
The following is a transcript of a chat I had with a company called tektonic, and at that time I was looking for a cheap linux host to use for some redundancy/failover operations. I generally contact a new hosting company like this every few months.. I like to have options available in case of some kind of failure or network attack, so it's always a good idea to have a few ace linux servers in your back pocket.
If you've read any other articles on AskApache, you can see a certain obsession towards optimization, speed, and security -- so that is the purpose of the following questions.
Hosting HostGator Rackspace WiredTree