This tutorial will teach you how to create a network share in Windows 10. You can use any hard drive or folder on your computer to share. This will easily allow you to access any files you want on your local network. This allows you to avoid using USB flash drives or portable hard drives to transfer files. We will be using the file sharing feature built into the operating system. You will be able to successfully share your files by reading below.
Open File Explorer
First, you will want to open your file explorer by clicking on the folder icon on your taskbar, or pressing Windows+E simultaneously on your keyboard.
Choose Drive or Folder to Map
Next, you will navigate to the folder you are trying to share. If you are sharing a full hard drive, click on “This PC” in the left column.
Open Properties
Right click on the folder or hard drive, and click on the ‘Properties’ option.
Navigate to Sharing Tab
Once the folder or hard drives property tab opens, click on the ‘Sharing’ tab.
Advanced Sharing
Click on the advanced sharing button.
Open Permissions Dialog
Click on the ‘Share this folder’ checkbox, then click the ‘Permissions’ button.
Set the Permissions
Select what file permissions either everyone accessing the folder has available, or certain users by clicking ‘Add’ and adding in new users. If you want full access to read and write files, select all of the check boxes on the left. Then click the “OK” button to continue.
Close Advanced Sharing
Click on the OK button to close the advanced sharing dialog window.
Open Share Dialog
Now that you have set up the sharing permissions you need to setup the share. To begin click on the “Share…” button.
Choose User(s) to Share With
Type in the user you want to use when accessing the folder from the network. You can also add other users if you have different users you would like to have access to the folder.
Confirm Network Discovery Dialog
After you click “Share” you will get the above dialog. This is asking you to turn on network discovery for file sharing. You need to enable this for the network share to function. Click on “Yes” to continue.
Network Sharing Completed
Congratulations! You have now completed all the steps towards sharing a folder within your network. You can now access it from other computers by mounting a network share or accessing it directly by typing the above link to the folder. In this case, the folder URL would be:
In this tutorial you will learn how to create your own custom alias commands in Linux. Setting up a Linuxalias is a very easy thing to do. Aliases are very beneficial as they save a lot of time, such as remembering long or complicated commands. We will be adding our own aliases by editing the “.bashrc” file. This tutorial will work on virtually all Linux distributions. Continue reading below to get started.
Open the Terminal
The first thing you need to do is open a new Terminal window in Linux.
Edit the .bashrc File
Once you have the new terminal window open, enter the command nano~/.bashrc and press Enter. This will open your .bashrc file using the nano text editor. The .bashrc file is a script that runs every time you launch Bash. You can add commands here for customizing and automating your Linux environment. If you open the file and it is blank it means you do not already have it (the file). The file will be created once you save using Ctrl+X, press the Y key, then press Enter.
Add the Command Alias’s
Towards the top of your bashrc file you will want to add a few new lines. Afterwards you can begin typing your alias commands. The format to use is alias aliasname=”Linux Command”. For example one of my aliases is ‘alias pg=”ping google.com”‘. When the command “pg” is ran, it will ping Google. The possibilities with aliases are endless. After adding your custom aliases simply save and close the file.
Reload the Bash Configuration
Next you will have to reload the .bashrc file to reload the changes you just made. To do this type “source ~/.bashrc” and press Enter. The alias is now ready to be used.
Test the Linux Alias’s
To use your custom Linux aliases type the command that was written for it. In my example I used “pg” to ping google.com. Above is an example of the custom alias command running.
Additional Questions?
If you have any additional questions or thoughts feel free to comment them below.
In this tutorial you will learn how to create a deepfake video using DeepFaceLab. This application uses machine learning to swap almost any face from a video for one that you choose. DeepFaceLab is currently the best software by far for making deepfakes. In this tutorial we will be using the Windows 10 operating system. However the steps are pretty much the same if you are using Linux. So you should be able to utilize this tutorial with either operating system. It is advised that you have a powerful GPU such as a Nvidia GTX 1060 or better for creating deepfakes. If you want the best experience possible I would recommend you use a RTX 3080 or RTX 3090 graphics card. The software will still work with a low end GPU, but it could take multiple weeks to train your model. Having a high end GPU will also allow you to render the face swaps in a higher resolution. To learn how to create a deepfake continue reading below.
Download DeepFaceLab
The first step is to download the latest version of DeepFaceLab. You can do so by going to the DeepFaceLab Github page and scrolling down to releases. Click on the Windows (Mega.nz) link to download the correct release for your graphics card. If you are installing in Linux you will have to follow the instructions provided on the Linux (github) page.
Choose Version
After navigating to the Mega.nz download link you will need to select a version of DeepFaceLab. This is based on which graphics card you have installed. In this tutorial I am using a GTX 1080 so I will download “DeepFaceLab_NVIDIA_up_to_RTX2080Ti_build_11_20_2021.exe”. Choose the version that is correct for your system.
Open the Workspace
After downloading the application, extract the zip file and open the folder. Your folder should look similar to this.
Collect source videos
This is by far the most important step of getting a good result from the process. You need to select a video of your source (persons face you want to copy). As well as a destination video (where you want your source face copied to). You want to find a clip for each that is 5-10 minutes long with multiple angles of the faces. A good source for these videos are interviews on YouTube. Below are the two videos I am going to use. After you download the videos rename the source video to “data_src.mp4” and the destination video to “data_dst.mp4”. Then move both MP4 files into the “workspace” folder.
Source face:
Destination Face:
Extract images from source video
To start we will need to extract the image frames from the source video. Double click on “2) extract images from video data_src.bat”, you will then see the above window open. Type in 7 or 8 and press “Enter”.
Next type in “png” and press “Enter”.
Wait for the extraction process to complete.
Once you see this screen the process is complete and you can close the window.
Extract images from destination video
Next you need to extract every frame from the destination video as an image. Double click on “3) extract images from video data_dst FULL FPS.bat”. You will see the above window open. Type in “png” and press “Enter”.
Wait for all of the destination images to be extracted.
Once you see this screen the process is complete and you can close the window.
Extract the source video’s faceset
Next you will need to extract the source video’s faceset images. To begin double click on “4) data_src faceset extract.bat”. It will open the window you see above. Select your GPU device and press “Enter”.
Afterwards you will be asked which face type to use. Type in the default option “wf” (whole face) and press “Enter”.
Then you will select the faces image size. Type in “512” and press “Enter”.
Next set the jpeg quality to “90”. Once you press “Enter” the face extraction process will start.
Wait for the extraction process to complete.
You will see this screen once the source face extraction is complete. Press “any key” to exit and close the window.
Extract the destination video’s faceset
The destination video face extraction process will be similar to the source extraction. To begin double click on “5) data_dst faceset extract.bat”. Once the window opens, select the GPU device and press “Enter”.
Type in “wf” and press “Enter” to use the whole face.
Set the face image size to “512” then press “Enter” to continue.
Finally set the jpeg quality to “90” and press “Enter”.
Wait for the destination face extraction process to complete.
At completion you will see this screen. You can press “any key” to save and exit. At this point you have both of your videos faces extracted and ready for use in the deepfake video.
Sort the source and destination faceset’s
In this step we will be sorting the faces by similarity to make it easier to remove blurry and unwanted faces. To sort the source faces double click on “4.2) data_src sort.bat”. You will see the above screen. Type in “5” and press “Enter”.
Wait for the sorting process to complete.
The source faces are now sorting by similarity. You now need to sort the destination faces. Double click on “5.2) data_dst sort.bat”. After the terminal window opens repeat the same steps above that you used to sort the source face.
Remove unwanted face images
This is the last step before beginning to train the model. It is very important to complete this step to obtain a good result. Open the “workspace” folder and navigate to the “data_src” folder. Finally open the “aligned” folder and delete all images that do not contain a face, are blurry, or have hands in front of the face. After you complete this step, repeat the same by navigating to the “data_dst” then the “aligned” folder. Above are some examples of bad photos that I would remove. Use your best judgement when deciding which photos to remove.
Train the deepfake model
Now you will need to train the model. There are a few training batch files to choose from. If you are new to making deepfakes I would recommend the Quick96 model. To get started double click on “6) train Quick96.bat”.
Select the GPU device to use for training. If you have multiple GPU’s you will see them here. Unfortunately you are currently only able to use one GPU at a time. Once you press “Enter” the model training will begin. Now you will need to wait for the model to train. Within 24 hours you should start to see the faces in the preview window. I recommend you train the model for at least 7 days to get high quality results. If you need to use your computer for something else you can press “CTRL+C” to save and exit. The next time you open the Quick86 trainer it will resume from the last saved iteration.
Preview at 1 iteration.
Preview at 643 iterations.
Preview at 2,569 iterations.
Preview at 403,891 iterations.
Merge the deepfake video
Next you will need to merge the faces into each frame of the video. This replaces the destination face with the source face for each frame. The merging process will also allow you to adjust the blur, erode mask, and color matching profile. This will allow you to get a more realistic final result. “Double click on “7) merge Quick96.bat”. Then type “0” and press “Enter” to load the model.
Select the GPU device to use for the merging process.
Type “y” and press “Enter” to use the interactive merger tool. The interactive merger allows you to visualize the changes you are making.
Set the number of workers to “16” and press “Enter”. If you have any issues with the interactive merger opening you should reduce the number of workers.
The above screen will open. These are the different shortcut keys for the merge tool. You are able to adjust many parameters, but we will be changing just a few of them. To begin click anywhere in the gray box and press “Tab”.
You will then see the videos first frame as well as different values in the terminal. If you just see a black screen use the less than symbol “>” until you get to the first frame to show the face. Now you will have to change the erode_mask_modifier as well as the blur_mask modifier. This will help the face seem more realistic during scenes with heavy movement. To do this press the “W” key 20 times. Then press the “E” key 100 times. After doing this your values will be set. To start the merge press shift plus forward slash “SHIFT+/”, then press shift plus the less than key “SHIFT+>”.
You will see the “merging” progress bar fill up. Once it gets to 100% the merge is complete.
After the video has finished merging click on the video output window and press “Escape” to save and close the merge.
Export the video file
The final step is to export the video as a MP4 file. Double click on “8) merged to mp4 lossless.bat” to begin the process. Once you see the above screen you have completed the deepfake tutorial. Navigate to “workspace” to find your video file. It will be saved as “result.mp4”.
This is the result of the process after training for 1,000,000 iterations. If you want a better result you can train for longer, use a RTX 3090 graphics card, and or provide more source video material to improve the models quality.
Questions?
If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them below.
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Affiliate Disclaimer:
This website may contain affiliate links. This means we may receive a small commission if you purchase through our links. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons, as we only promote products we personally believe in. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.
In this tutorial you will learn how to create bootable USB drives using Rufus. One of the main benefits of using Rufus is that it is free, open source, and easy to use. Rufus is a good lightweight alternative to Unetbootin. Additionally with this universal USB installer you can easily create installation drives for Linux, Mac OS, and Windows. It is compatible with most .ISO files and bootable image formats, as well as raw disk image file support. Rufus also supports the creation of bootable FreeDOS installations.
Download Rufus
The first step will be to download Rufus. You will want to navigate to the Rufus Download Page. Then scroll down to the Download section and click on “Rufus 3.20” to download the application.
After you download Rufus, double click on “rufus-3.2.0.exe” to launch the application. At this point you will also want to plug in your USB flash drive.
Select Installation ISO File
Next you will select the iso file that you want to flash to the USB drive. Click on the “SELECT” button. You will then get a file selection dialog, navigate to where your iso is and select it. In this example I will be using “ubuntu-22.04-live-server-amd64”. If you wish to download the ISO you can do so on the Ubuntu website.
Select Storage Device
Afterwards you will need to select the storage device you want to use. This will be the flash drive that you plugged in a few moments ago. Select it from the drop down list then continue. *WARNING* be careful to select the right drive as all of the data will be deleted.
Set Boot Selection
Now you will select the “Boot selection” I recommend keeping this option at the default “Disk or ISO image”.
Choose Partition Scheme
Next choose the partition scheme. Usually you can keep this at the default unless you have a very old PC. If you end up having issues change this option and re-flash. We will be keeping it at “MBR”.
Choose Target System
The next option is the “Target system” I would leave it at “BIOS or UEFI” unless you have a specific reason to change it. This option will work for almost every PC.
Create a Volume Label (optional)
This step is optional but if you want to give your flash drive a name just type it in this box. This name will show up in the file explorer after you complete the process.
Set Cluster Size
For the cluster size you can keep it and the default of “64 kilobytes”. This will work for most flash drives.
Set File System
Finally select the file system. Most people use either NTFS or FAT file formatting. I will be using FAT for this tutorial.
Start Flashing Process
Finally we can start the ISO flashing process. Click on the start button to begin flashing your USB drive.
Confirm Rufus Drive Flashing Process
This window will ask you to confirm that you really want to flash the USB drive.
Wait for Flashing to Complete
Now you will have to wait for the flashing process to begin. This can take a while so go make yourself a cup of coffee while you wait.
Rufus Flashing Complete
When the flashing process completes you will see a green bar at the bottom, as well as the word “READY”. Your installation media is now ready to be used. You can now eject your flash drive and close Rufus.
Additional Questions?
If you have any additional questions or thoughts feel free to comment them below.
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Affiliate Disclaimer:
This website may contain affiliate links. This means we may receive a small commission if you purchase through our links. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons, as we only promote products we personally believe in. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.
In this beginner friendly tutorial you will learn how to install Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS. Ubuntu Server is currently one of the most popular Linux based server operating system. One of the biggest advantages to using Ubuntu Server is the stability that it brings. As an LTS release it will provide you five years of security updates and support by default. This will ensure your server is always secure and has the latest software. To start this tutorial make sure you have a virtual machine, an unused hard drive, or a empty partition to be able to install the operating system. If you want to learn how how to make a bootable installation flash drive click here. You will also have to download the Ubuntu Server ISO file. You can do that by clicking this link. Download Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS
Language selection
The first step after booting into your Ubuntu Server or ISO is to select the language. Choose your language and then press “Enter”.
Update the installer
Next the installer will ask you if you want to update. I recommend updating to the latest installer. Select “Update to the new installer” then press “Enter”.
Keyboard configuration
After that you will be brought to the keyboard configuration page. If you are okay with the default (automatic) keyboard layout, select “Done” and press “Enter” to continue.
Installation type
This page will ask you if you want to do the default Ubuntu Server installation or the minimal version. I recommend the first option. Select your choice then select “Done” and press “Enter”.
Network configuration
Next we have the network configuration page. By default the installer will automatically detect your IP address settings. If you want to change it select the network adapter “ens18” and press “Enter”. I recommend just keeping it at its default settings. Select “Done” and press “Enter”.
Configure network proxy
Afterward you will be brought to the proxy configuration page. If you have a proxy you would like to use enter its information. Else just select “Done” and press “Enter”.
Guided storage configuration
Now we will need to setup the storage configuration. Luckily the installer does the hard part for us. If you are using a full physical or virtual disk, select “Use an entire disk” and press “Space” to mark it. Afterwards select “Done” and press “Enter” to proceed.
Review storage configuration
This next page will show you a review of the storage configuration changes that will take place. Review the disk and partition names, and if everything looks correct proceed to the next step.
Confirm storage configuration
Now you will be asked to confirm the storage configuration options. Select “Continue” and press “Enter” to proceed to the next step.
Setup Ubuntu user account
Afterwards you will need to setup your user account. Enter a name, server name, username, and password. Then click on “Done” and press “Enter”.
Install SSH
This step is optional. If you would like to enable the SSH server select “Install OpenSSH server” then press “Space” to mark it. Afterwards press “Done.” and press “Enter”.
Wait for system to be installed
Now the system will begin installing. This can take anywhere from 20-30 mins to fully install Ubuntu Server. Wait for it to complete.
Installation complete
Once the installation is complete you will see this screen. Select “Reboot Now” and press “Enter” to reboot the system and continue.
Unmount USB drive or ISO file
After the system reboots you will get a message telling you to “Please remove the installation medium, than press Enter”. Remove your USB drive or ISO file if you are using a virtual machine. Once you have completed this step press “Enter” one final time to reboot.
Login to Ubuntu Server 22.04
You will be brought to the Ubuntu Server login screen. Type in the credentials you created for your account. You will then be logged into the system. You have now successfully installed Ubuntu Server 22.04. If you are looking for other Linux tutorials check out our articles below.
Are you worried about your device being stolen? Do you have sensitive files to protect? If you answered yes to either of those questions then you would benefit from encrypting your drive with VeraCrypt. In this tutorial you will learn how to download, install, and setup encryption with VeraCrypt in Linux. One of the primary reasons to use VeraCrypt is that it is an opensource replacement for the now defunct TrueCrypt. Another benefit to VeraCrypt is the ability to encrypt both flash drives and hard disks. You also have the ability to create encrypted file containers. It supports the most popular encryption algorithms such as AES 256 and AES 512. All said you will get a much more robust and secure encryption solution compared to any paid encryption software you could purchase.
Add the required repository
The first step is to add the repository to your packages list.
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:unit193/encryption
Update Ubuntu
The next thing you will want do do is update and upgrade Ubuntu 22.04. To do that simply open a terminal and run the following command.
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
Download and install VeraCrypt
The last step is to install VeraCrypt. You can do so with this command.
sudo apt install veracrypt
Encrypting a volume
In this section of the tutorial you will learn how to create the encrypted flash drive partition using VeraCrypt.
Launching VeraCrypt
You can launch VeraCrypt by searching for it in your systems start menu or app folder. After you launch the program click on “Select Device…”.
Selecting a device to encrypt
A window will pop up showing all of the storage devices on your computer. Very carefully select the partition on the flash drive you want to encrypt. (warning, all data is wiped during the encryption process)
Creating the volume
Next you will want to click create volume to begin the encryption process.
Select VeraCrypt device type
After the “VeraCrypt Volume Creation Wizard” opens you want to select the second option highlighted in red. Then click the “Next” button.
Select VeraCrypt volume type
The next step is to select the VeraCrypt volume type. Choose the first option on the list. “Standard VeraCrypt volume”.
View devices
Afterwards you will have to click “Select Device…” to view the partitions.
Select USB devices partition
Re-select the partition of the flash drive you want to encrypt. Then press “OK”.
Volume confirmation dialog
A dialog will pop up confirming you would like to proceed. Click on the “Yes” button.
Enter the administrator password
You will receive a popup asking you to type in the administrator password. Afterwards click on the “OK” button.
Choose VeraCrypt encryption algorithm
On the next page you will be asked to choose a Encryption Algorithm and a Hash Algorithm. I recommend selecting “AES” for the first box, and “SHA-512” for the second box. After selecting your options click on the “Next” button.
Type and repeat the encryption password
The next part of the wizard will have you enter and re-enter the encryption password you would like to use for the encrypted volume. Enter the passwords and click on the “Next” button.
Select encrypted USB format options
On this page it will ask you to choose your flash drives format options. I recommend selecting “FAT”. Afterwards click on the “Next” button.
Encrypt the USB partition
For this step you will have to randomly move your mouse for 20-30 seconds to generated the Random Pool key. The longer you do it for the better the cryptographic strength will be. After the blue bar is full click on “Format” to start the encryption process.
Volume format dialog
You will be asked to confirm that you want to continue encrypting. Press the “Yes” button.
Wait for device to encrypt
The encryption process could take anywhere from 5-30 minutes. Be patient and wait for the process to complete.
Encryption successful dialog
When the device has finished the encryption process you will get this dialog telling you it is complete. Click on the “OK” button.
Exit VeraCrypt
Now that your flash drives partition is encrypted you can exit the application by clicking the “Exit” button.
Mounting encrypted volume
In this part of the tutorial you will learn how to mount the encrypted partition that you just created.
View the devices
The first step to mounting your partition is to select the device. Click on “Select Device…”.
Select an encrypted partition to mount
Next you will want to select the partition of the flash drive that you encrypted in the above steps.
Type in encrypted USB’s password
Finally type in the encrypted flash drives password.
Opening encrypted USB drive
The encrypted flash drives partition will now show up in the VeraCrypt window. To open it and browse the files double click on the highlighted light blue bar. If you want to dismount the encrypted partition just select it and click “Dismount”. You now know how to download, install, and encrypt flash drive partitions using VeraCrypt on Ubuntu 22.04.
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Affiliate Disclaimer:
This website may contain affiliate links. This means we may receive a small commission if you purchase through our links. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons, as we only promote products we personally believe in. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.
What is Nginx? Nginx is a opensource web server designed with developers in mind. It was created by Igor Sysoev in 2004. It supports reverse proxying, caching, load balancing, RTMP media streaming, and many more advanced features. In this tutorial you will learn how to install and set up Nginx on Ubuntu 20.04.
Setting up UFW Firewall (Optional – Highly Recommended)
If UFW is not enabled or configured, you will first need to enable it. You can check the status of the firewall using this command:
sudo ufw status
Then enable it with this command:
sudo ufw enable
If you are connected to your machine via SSH, make sure it is allowed through the firewall before disconnecting.
sudo ufw allow ssh
Next, we will be allowing Nginx through the firewall – there are 3 settings to be aware of when allowing the web server through. ‘Nginx Full’, ‘Nginx HTTP’, and ‘Nginx HTTPS’. ‘Nginx Full’ allows traffic through both HTTP (port 80) and HTTPS (port 443), whereas HTTP and HTTPS open only their respective ports. It is highly recommended that you only open port 80 to your local network or for non-secure pages (Does NOT process sensitive data!). You will only be able to use HTTPS if you have an SSL certificate – otherwise, your browser or any visitor to your site will get a ‘Site Not Secure’ warning. We will be using ‘Nginx HTTP’ for the purposes of the tutorial, but you may replace the text in the command with the other parameters for your respective use case.
sudo ufw allow 'Nginx HTTP'
If you have any other services running on the machine that you need external clients to have access to, such as port 8080 for a testing server, you may open them with the following command:
Finally, it’s time to set up your web server! We will be accessing the root directory for the site, where you will access and store your files. We will also be setting up the configuration for the enabled sites so you can access your site from the web. You should be able to see the default site when going to the URL/IP address of the server.
You can view the IP address of your server by typing the command:
ip a s
Your IP will be the address that is not the loopback address (127.0.0.1) and is usually the second “inet” address depending on your server’s configuration.
If everything is set up correctly, the above image should be the contents of the page.
Next, you will navigate to your site’s configuration to organize things properly and keep your install clean. First, you will disable your site’s default configuration. You can do this by typing the following command:
sudo unlink /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/default
Then, add a new configuration file for your site. We will be using nano for this example.
sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/<site-name>
And add the following text to the file.
server {
listen 80;
listen [::]:80;
root /var/www/<site-name>;
index index.html;
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
}
If you are also using SSL, you must insert the following below the first server block:
server {
listen 443 ssl;
root /var/www/<site-name>;
index index.html;
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
}
Press CTRL+X and then press Y to save the file.
The server is almost set! You will need to enable the site to make it accessible. You can do this by typing the command:
In this tutorial I will teach you how to download and install MySQL server on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. Additionally you will learn how to secure your installation and setup a root account. MySQL is vital to have installed if you want to work with storing and receiving data on your website or web application. The first version of MySQL was released on the 23rd of May 1995 by a Swedish company MySQLAB. The other popular database manager MariaDB was created by the same company. Ever since MySQL has grown to be one of the most popular database software’s on the web. Before we begin make sure you have a Ubuntu 20.04 server installed onto a computer or a virtual machine. Also don’t forget to install the openssh-server package if it is not installed. This will give you the ability to ssh into the machine to setup MySQL.
Update and upgrade Ubuntu
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
The above commands will both update and upgrade your Ubuntu install to the latest package versions.
This will install both the MySQL Server and the MySQL Client to your machine. Unlike previous versions of Ubuntu Server you do not have to add any SQL repository’s before installing. This is because Ubuntu 22.04 LTS contains the packages in the standard system repository.
Confirm the installed MySQL version
To confirm which version of MySQL you have installed run the following command. You will receive an output with the version number.
mysql --version
Update MySQL security settings
The default installation of MySQL has several security issues. We need to run the following commands to fix these issues.
sudo mysql_secure_installation
This will open the MySQL secure installation wizard. We need to answer a few questions in the wizard to continue. The first question will be:
Would you like to setup VALIDATE PASSWORD COMPONENT?
Type in “Y” on the keyboard and press “Enter”. This will bring us to the next question which will have us enter a password validation policy.
There are three levels of password validation policy:
LOW Length >= 8
MEDIUM Length >= 8, numeric, mixed case, and special characters
STRONG Length >= 8, numeric, mixed case, special characters and dictionary file
Please enter 0 = LOW, 1 = MEDIUM and 2 = STRONG:
Choose any one of these options. I will be using option #2 MEDIUM. After you type in the number press “Enter” and you will be brought to the following screen to set your password.
Please set the password for root here.
New password:
Re-enter new password:
Do you wish to continue with the password provided?
Type in the password you would like to use and press enter. Next re-enter the password you have chosen. Finally type “Y” than press “Enter” to continue with the password provided. There is the possibility you will receive the following error.
Failed! Error: SET PASSWORD has no significance for user 'root'@'localhost' as the authentication method used doesn't store authentication data in the MySQ L server. Please consider using ALTER USER instead if you want to change authent ication parameters.
If you get this error you will have to exit the script by pressing Ctrl+C. After you exit out login to MySQL.
ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED WITH mysql_native_password by 'SuperSecure1';
*Change the password SuperSecure1 to something secure* Afterwards exit the program by running exit;
exit;
Then just rerun the secure installation setup script again.
sudo mysql_secure_installation
The secure installation setup script will then ask you the following questions. Answer them as you see below.
Enter the password for user root: type your root password and then press "Enter".
Change the password for root? Press N, then press "Enter".
Remove anonymous users? Press Y, then press "Enter".
Disallow root login remotely? Press Y, then press "Enter".
Remove test database and access to it? Press Y, then press "Enter".
Reload privilege tables now? Press Y, then press "Enter".
Testing MySQL Server login
Once you have finished running the MySQL secure installation script and have set up the root password you will need to test the login. This will allow us to login as the root user and setup a database ,tables and or users to go with it. Type the following to login.
sudo mysql -u root
Enter the root password you created in the above steps.
Managing your Ubuntu 22.04 MySQL service
There are several commands worth knowing for managing your MySQL service. One of the most important is the command to check the status of the service.
sudo systemctl status mysql
This will generate an output similar to this. It will tell you if it is running or stopped. Furthermore it will also output any errors.
You will also want to know how to stop the MySQL service. You can do this with the following command.
If you are having any issues with your current version of MySQL or just want the latest features, just run the update command. This will update MySQL and your Linux system to the latest version.
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
If you no longer want MySQL server installed you can easily remove it with the following command.
sudo apt autoremove --purge mysql-server
When you get the message “Do you want to continue?” just type “Y” than press “Enter”. MySQL will be purged and uninstalled.
If you are sick of constant forced updates, user data tracking, and malware attacks you may want to consider making the switch to the Linux operating system. One of the benefits of switching from Windows 10 to Linux is the wide variety of distributions to choose from. A distribution is a flavor of Linux which contains the GNU shell, various preinstalled programs, the Linux kernel, system utilities and just about everything you will see in your operating system. This allows for the user to decide for themselves which distribution most closely matches what they will use their computer for. Are you looking to make the switch? Here are some reasons to do so.
1. Security
Many Linux distributions take a security first approach. This means that security settings are enabled by default. Also unlike Windows 10 and Windows 11, Linux does not collect and track user data. You are able to take full control of your data privacy. Linux has constant and automatic security updates ensuring you are always secure.
2. Price (FREE)
Another benefit to using Linux versus Windows as your operating system is that it is free. Microsoft Windows 10 and 11 are also “free”, but you pay with your data being collected and sold to advertisers. With Linux you get everything Windows offers but for free and with privacy.
3. Software
More than 15,000 developers have contributed to the Linux operating system. With this comes a robust range of great software. The best part is all of the software is free to use in Linux. This is because the operating system is opensource. This means anyone can contribute there time and code to improving Linux. More and more popular software companies are releasing Linux compatible versions of their software. This also includes the gaming industry. As of 2021 there are over 7,500 Linux compatible titles on the Steam game store.
4. Hardware Compatibility
Linux is well known for being the operating system that helps to breath new life into older computers. Linux can run on almost any hardware developed in the past 30 years. If you have an old PC in the closet you can install Linux breathing new life into it. The reason Linux works so well on low performance machines is the low resource usage of the operating system. On average Linux only uses a quarter of the system resources compared to the average Windows machine.
5. Customization
With Linux you can make your operating system truly yours with advanced customization. You are able to customize almost every aspect of the system. Most Linux distributions come with a wide range of themes that are able to be installed. You can also install new icon packs and fonts. This allows you to personalize your operating system with just a few easy clicks. Whether you are looking to customize your system for aesthetic purposes, or just productivity (or a little of both). Then Linux is for you.
Choosing the best Linux distro in 2022 can be quite daunting with all of the Linux distributions to choose from. This list of the top 10 desktop Linux distributions will help to remove any confusion. Linux distributions have many desktop environments available to choose from. A desktop environment is a collection of all available GUI interfaces the user can interact with. This includes the taskbar, icons, and almost everything a user will see on there screen. Some of the items on the list will have different desktop environments while still using the same Linux flavor such as Ubuntu, Debian, Arch, etc. This is a comprehensive list of the best and most popular Linux distributions.
Ubuntu Linux
Ubuntu Linux is a distribution based on Debian. Is is by far the most used Linux distribution available. Ubuntu’s default desktop environment is Gnome but it is also available in KDE, Xfce. Mate, and more. The LTS (Long Term Support) version of Ubuntu receives regular product and security updates every 6 months. It has become the default choice for businesses looking to use Linux. Ubuntu is one of the best choices if you are looking to play games. It has the best video card driver support of any Linux distro on this list. This makes it the best Linux distro for gaming. Ubuntu Linux is available for desktop, or for servers with Ubuntu server. Overall Ubuntu is a very beginner friendly distribution. It also has some of the most robust documentation and tutorials available to new users.
Fedora Linux is a bit different than the other distributions on this list due to being sponsored by Red Hat. This makes it one of the only mainstream Linux distributions to be funded by a large corporation. This allows for desktop support plans to be provided to businesses looking to use Linux. Linus Torvalds (the creator of the Linux kernel) uses Fedora as his primary Linux distribution. A new version of Fedora Linux is released every 13 months. The default desktop environment for Fedora is Gnome so it will have a similar feel to Ubuntu out of the box. One of the primary differences of Fedora compared to Debian or Ubuntu is the use of the DNF package manager. Another benefit of Fedora is it’s use of Security-Enhanced Linux by default. This provides a security by default approach greatly increasing the security of your operating system. Overall Fedora makes for a good choice if you want stability and security.
Debian Linux is one of the oldest Linux distributions on this list. It was first released in August of 1993. Debian offers many desktop environments such as Xfce, Gnome, Mate, KDE, LXDE, Cinnamon, and LXQT. This gives you a ton of flexibility for choosing the flavor that best suits you. Debian Linux is great for both desktop and server operations alike. This is due to its increased focus on stability and security. Because of this it is one of the best Linux distros for programming Debian also has a wide range of applications to install from it’s online repositories. To date there are over 51,000 packages available. Like Ubuntu, Debian also uses the APT package manager to install packages. You can also use the GUI tool Synaptic if you want a visual way to install software. Debian is a good choice for Office work, web browsing, and gaming. This makes it a overall well rounded choice for a distribution.
Linux Mint is a great choice for those who are new to Linux or switching from Mac OS or Windows. The design of Linux Mint greatly resembles the design of Windows 7. This makes it very easy for new users to get basics down. The default desktop environment in Mint is Cinnamon. Linux mint is based on Ubuntu and provides easy access to software with the MintTools Software Manager. Linux mint comes with many applications preinstalled such as Firefox, VLC Media Player, HexChat, VirtualBox, and many more useful programs. It includes essentially almost any application you would need to switch from Windows to Linux. Linux Mint is what you will want to choose if you are new to Linux. Overall if you are looking for a Linux distribution with a lot of preinstalled packages that you can use out of the box, as well as a friendly support community. Then this is the Linux distribution for you.
Arch Linux is the operating system for someone who wants full control over there systems. By default the installation is very minimal requiring the user to install any additional software they may desire. Arch Linux uses a ‘rolling release’ schedule. This means that there are no ‘major releases’ of the operating system. All you need to update to the latest version of Arch Linux is a system update. This distribution provides bleeding edge updates for it’s packages. This means you will always have the most up to date versions of your software. This can come with both con’s as there could be bugs in the latest versions that have not been worked out yet. There is no default desktop environment on Arch as you will need to choose on yourself. I would recommend this distribution for intermediate to advanced Linux users as it takes a lot of configuration to get it usable. The benefit is once you have it fully configured it will be what you want, and only what you want. Without any additional unneeded software. If you are trying to understand how Linux works under the hood, then this distro is for you.
Latest version: Arch Linux 2022.06.01 / 2022.06.01
Manjaro is another good Linux distro to install. This operating system is based on the Arch Linux. Unlike Arch, Manjaro focuses on user friendliness and user accessibility. Unlike Ubuntu or Debian, it uses the Pacman package manager. This is used to update your system, as well as to download and install new software. The first version of Manjaro was released in July of 2012, and the first beta version was released in late 2013.There are a variety of desktop environments you can choose when installing Manjaro. You can choose from Xfce, KDE, or Gnome. Manjaro comes with both a CLI as well as a GUI installer to choose from.
Kubuntu is an Ubuntu based Linux distribution that uses the KDE desktop environment. One of its benefits is that it shares the same package repositories as Ubuntu so you will have access to the same software. The project was originally sponsored by the company Canonical LTD until late 2012. Currently Blue Systems is the main contributor and maintainer for Kubuntu releases. If you are familiar with the Windows 10 operating system you will find the KDE desktop environment to be very similar and easy to use. Kubuntu is by far one of the nicest looking distributions sporting a modern desktop layout. Another great feature of using Kubuntu is its driver support. Almost every driver for audio, video, and networking will be preinstalled.
Elementary OS is a Linux distribution that was originally released in early March of 2011. It is a Ubuntu based distribution that uses the Pantheon desktop environment. One of the main things that set it apart is its custom GTK+ icon theme, and several in house developed applications. The default window manager for Elementary OS is Gala. The latest release is Juno. It was released in October 2018. Instead of using a strict release schedule, Elementary OS uses the “release when ready” cadence. Elementary OS is a great light weight distribution to install on your laptop or desktop computer.
Lubuntu is another great lightweight Ubuntu based Linux distribution to try. The name Lubuntu is a combination of the words LXQt and Ubuntu. Lubuntu first received official recognition as a member of the Ubuntu family in May of 2011. It originally used the LXDE desktop environment, but it now uses the LXQT environment. Lubuntu aims to be a functional yet module distribution focused on letting users use their computer in the way they want to use it. Lubuntu is known as a lighter version of Ubuntu. I would recommend using Lubuntu if you have an older computer or one with lower hardware specs.
Linux Lite is a distribution that was first released in 2012. It uses a custom Xfce desktop environment, and was originally based off of Debian. It is now based off of Ubuntu. Linux Lite’s main goal is to make the transition from Windows to Linux as seamless as possible. They use many customization options to make the distribution work and look the same as Windows. Linux lite uses the “Lite Software” package manager to install new applications. The latest version of Linux lite is version 6.2 “Fluorite”. It was released in November of 2022, and is based on Ubuntu 22.04.
