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Operating System / OS Information, How-To’s, Tips, Tools, and Guides for a variety of systems

ENCRYPTED PERSISTENT PARROT OS INSTALL ON USB-C M.2 NVMe 2280 DRIVE

From time to time, I find the need to run Parrot OS, and don’t want to keep an extra computer around to run it on, and running it from a regular USB Drive is too slow. For me to meet my needs, I have installed Parrot OS on a SANDISK USB-C Drive, and used that to create an Encrypted, Persistent USB-C NVME M.2 2280 Drive. Here is how I created the system

Purchase the following:
USB Drive:  
https://amzn.to/3lic3X5

NVME M.2 Drive & USB-C Enclosure:
Western Digital 500GB WD_Black SN750 NVMe
https://amzn.to/3nZ5pH4

Plugable USB C to M.2 NVMe Tool-free Enclosure
https://amzn.to/3lflV3L

Once the hardware arrives you will need to download Parrot OS to your Windows 10 computer
https://www.parrotsec.org/download/

At the time of writing, this is the most recent version of the software:
https://download.parrot.sh/parrot/iso/4.10/Parrot-security-4.10_amd64.iso

Once Parrot OS is downloaded, you will need a way to write it to the SANDISK Usb Drive above using Etcher
Download Etcher from https://www.balena.io/etcher/
Install Etcher onto your Windows 10 computer
Plug your SANDISK USB Drive into the Windows 10 Computer
Open balenaEtcher
Click Select Image
Select your Parrot OS image
Your SANDISK USB Drive should be automatically found and selected by Etcher
Click Flash
The image will now be written to the SANDISK USB Drive
When the image has completed writing you will see the message Flash Complete!
Close Etcher

Assemble your USB-C NVME Drive, and Plug it into a USB-C port on your Windows 10 Computer
Format this drive as ExFat
Once the formatting is complete, Shutdown the computer
And here, I recommend unplugging your Windows drives, to ensure they do not get overwritten

Now, Boot your system to the SANDISK, you can usually do this by pressing F12 during bootup and selecting the SANDISK Drive

From the Parrot OS boot menu, select Encrypted Persistence
Press Enter
Once you are on the Parrot OS Desktop
Double Click Install Parrot
Click Next 3 times
Select Storage Device should show your NVMe Drive
Select it, and click Erase Disk
Place a Checkmark in the box that says Encrypt System
Set the Passphrase, and Confirm it
Click Next
Click Install
Click Install Now
Once it is finished, click Done
Shutdown the system
Remove the Sandisk
AND Finally, boot from the NVMe USB Drive

You are now Running Parrot OS from a removable, and FAST Drive! Congrats!

After you are done using parrot, simply shut it down, unplug the USB-C drive, and boot your computer normally

Make sure you go back and plug back in your Windows drives.

You can now insert the USB-C drive into any computer, and fire it up. Make sure you boot from a USB-C port, instead of the normal SSD/HDD. Most computers will allow you to choose it if you keep tapping F12 during boot.



DISABLE LIGHTS ON GIGABYTE MOTHERBOARDS

Most of my systems are built on linux, and linux does not have the ability to install the RGB Fusion software. For me to disable the lights on the motherboard, I have to do that from the BIOS. Here are the steps I use on my Gigabyte Motherboards:

Boot the computer
Press DEL during the boot to enter the BIOS
Scroll over to the Peripherals tab
Select RGB Fusion
Click OFF
Save & Exit
Reboot and your lights are off

Thanks for reading!

PARROT OS INSTALL ON USB-C M.2 NVMe 2280 DRIVE

From time to time, I find the need to run Parrot OS, and don’t want to keep an extra computer around to run it on, and running it from a regular USB Drive is too slow. For me to meet my needs, I have installed Parrot OS on an NVME M.2 2280 Drive, that is connected to the system using a USB-C Dongle. Here is how I created the system

Purchase the following NVME M.2 Drive & USB-C Enclosure:
Western Digital 500GB WD_Black SN750 NVMe
https://amzn.to/3nZ5pH4

Plugable USB C to M.2 NVMe Tool-free Enclosure
https://amzn.to/3lflV3L

Once the hardware arrives you will need to download Parrot OS to your Windows 10 computer
https://www.parrotsec.org/download/

At the time of writing, this is the most recent version of the software:
https://download.parrot.sh/parrot/iso/4.10/Parrot-security-4.10_amd64.iso

Once Parrot OS is downloaded, you will need a way to write it to the NVME USB Drive
Download Etcher from https://www.balena.io/etcher/
Install Etcher onto your Windows 10 computer
Plug your USB-C NVME Drive into the Windows 10 Computer
Open balenaEtcher
Click Select Image
Select your Parrot OS image
Your USB-C NVME should be automatically found and selected by Etcher
Click Flash
The image will now be written to the USB-C Drive
When the image has completed writing you will see the message Flash Complete!

You can now insert the USB-C drive into any computer, and fire it up. Make sure you boot from a USB-C port, instead of the normal SSD/HDD. Most computers will allow you to choose it if you keep tapping F12 during boot.

After you are done using parrot, simply shut it down, unplug the USB-C drive, and boot your computer normally

DISABLE WINDOWS FIREWALL NOTIFICATIONS THROUGH GROUP POLICY

There are a number of reasons you will need to disable your windows firewall. Some are valid, others can be concerning. If you had to disable the firewall, and you want to prevent the annoying chime plus the notification popup, which happens every single time you boot your computer and start using it….the fix is simple. Disable windows firewall notifications through group policy objects.

Begin by going to the
Type here to search bar
Enter gpedit.msc and press Enter

Navigate to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Network > Network Connections > Windows Defender Firewall > Domain Profile
Open the object named Windows Defender Firewall: Prohibit notifications
Set to Enabled
Click Ok

Then Navigate to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Network > Network Connections > Windows Defender Firewall > Standard Profile
Open the object named Windows Defender Firewall: Prohibit notifications
Set to Enabled
Click Ok

Then Navigate to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Network > Windows Components > Windows Security > Notifications
Open the object named Hide All Notifications
Set to Enabled
Click Ok
Reboot your computer and the notifications disappear!

SET A STATIC IP ON YOUR RASPBERRY PI 4

This guide assumes that you are running the latest version of Raspbian on your Pi. If you are not, you can follow this guide to get it setup.

How to install Raspbian on your Raspberry Pi 4
https://tacticalware.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1240&action=edit

My build also uses a FAST M.2 drive instead of the slow Micro SD card:
https://tacticalware.com/boot-raspberry-pi-4-from-m-2-usb-drive/

Now that we have both those straightened out, to set a static IP is simple. Just perform the following:

Open a Terminal
Type:
sudo bash
nano /etc/dhcpcd.conf
Replace hostname with the name of the Pi, I set mine to tacticalware1
Then you will want to
uncomment the following lines and set your address(to uncomment, remove the # from the beginning of them)
#interface eth0
#static ip_address line and set the ip
#static routers line and set it
#static domain_name_servers line and set it
Note that if your local network is 192.168.1.xxx or 192.168.0.xxx use an ip scheme that matches your setup
Ctrl x to save
y
Press Enter
nano /etc/hostname
Make sure you set it to tacticalware1 or whatever your pi’s name is
ctrl x
y
nano /etc/hosts
make sure tacticalware1 is listed in there as well at the bottom of the file, next to 127.0.0.1
ctrl x to save
reboot

Your system will now reboot and your static ip address will now be in effect.

Hardware that I used:
Raspberry Pi 4 (4gb)
https://amzn.to/3q551IO

SanDisk 32GB Ultra microSDHC UHS-I Memory Card with Adapter
https://amzn.to/2Vfvo0y

CanaKit 3.5A Raspberry Pi 4 Power Supply (USB-C)
https://amzn.to/3fNTYPu

CanaKit Raspberry Pi 4 Micro HDMI Cable – 6 Feet
https://amzn.to/33u5hr9

Western Digital 500GB WD_Black SN750 NVMe
https://amzn.to/3nZ5pH4

Plugable USB C to M.2 NVMe Tool-free Enclosure
https://amzn.to/3lflV3L

Thanks for reading…….


ENABLE SSH ON THE RASPBERRY PI 4

Enabling ssh on the Raspbian Operating system for the Raspberry Pi 4, is simple and quick. Here is a quick rundown on the steps for it.

Once you are on the Desktop

Click the Raspberry iscon
Select Preferences
Click Raspberry Pi Configuration
Navigate to the Interfaces tab
Select Enable next to SSH
Click OK
Reboot

Now you can SSH into the Raspberry Pi using Putty from another computer. All you need to know if the IP Address on the Pi

Hardware that I used:
Raspberry Pi 4 (4gb)
https://amzn.to/3q551IO

SanDisk 32GB Ultra microSDHC UHS-I Memory Card with Adapter
https://amzn.to/2Vfvo0y

CanaKit 3.5A Raspberry Pi 4 Power Supply (USB-C)
https://amzn.to/3fNTYPu

CanaKit Raspberry Pi 4 Micro HDMI Cable – 6 Feet
https://amzn.to/33u5hr9

Western Digital 500GB WD_Black SN750 NVMe
https://amzn.to/3nZ5pH4

Plugable USB C to M.2 NVMe Tool-free Enclosure
https://amzn.to/3lflV3L

Thanks for reading…….


RASPBERRY PI – NORDVPN INSTALL

This is a quick how to on setting up NORD VPN on a Raspberry Pi.

First you are going to want to make sure you are on the same platform as me, for these directions to apply, line by line.
https://tacticalware.com/install-ubuntu-desktop-20-10-64-bit-os-on-raspberry-pi-4/

Open a Terminal
sudo bash
Enter your password
apt-get update
apt-get upgrade
y
mkdir /installs
cd /installs
mkdir nordvpn
cd nordvpn

wget -qnc https://repo.nordvpn.com/deb/nordvpn/debian/pool/main/nordvpn-release_1.0.0_all.deb

sudo dpkg -i nordvpn-release_1.0.0_all.deb
apt-get update
apt install nordvpn
y
nordvpn login
Enter username
Enter password
nordvpn connect

You are now connected to the VPN!

Hardware I used:
Raspberry Pi 4 (4gb)
https://amzn.to/3q551IO

SanDisk 32GB Ultra microSDHC UHS-I Memory Card with Adapter
https://amzn.to/2Vfvo0y

CanaKit 3.5A Raspberry Pi 4 Power Supply (USB-C)
https://amzn.to/3fNTYPu

CanaKit Raspberry Pi 4 Micro HDMI Cable – 6 Feet
https://amzn.to/33u5hr9

SanDisk MobileMate USB 3.0 microSD Card Reader (Only needed if you dont have a Micro SD Reader/Writer slot in your computer)
https://amzn.to/39toi0G

BESTBUY BOT RUNNING ON RASPBERRY PI

I have been trying for weeks, if not months, to get my hands on the new AMD and NVidia video cards, and just cannot. They are always sold out on bestbuy.com, amazon and many other sites. So I had taken a deeper dive into why this is happening….and it is one simple word…bots.

Thankfully one user on github was sick of it too, so they wrote an open source bot, and released it to everyone, to help level the playing field. Below you will find the info on how to setup this bot to help you, do your normal holiday shopping, against these bots.

First you will need to follow this guide:
https://tacticalware.com/install-ubuntu-desktop-20-10-64-bit-os-on-raspberry-pi-4/

Once you set your Raspberry Pi up, you can pick up the rest here:

From the Desktop of your Raspberry Pi
Open a terminal and type the following:
sudo bash
Enter your password
apt- get update
apt-get upgrade
y
Your Pi will update

Once it is updated, run the following
apt-get dist-upgrade
y
The distribution will upgrade now

After it finishes updating, type the following
mkdir /installs
chmod 777 /installs
cd /installs
apt install git
git https://github.com/Hari-Nagarajan/fairgame.git
reboot

After your system reboots, from the desktop
Open a terminal
sudo bash
Enter your password
cd /installs/fairgame
apt install python3-pip
pip install pipenv
pipenv shell
pipenv install
This will probably fail with an error, however the major dependencies have been satisfied, so your bot will work.

Now time to test the bot
python3 app.py bestbuy –sku [6440913]

Success!

From here you will want to refer to the Readme in your /installs/fairgame directory to see exactly how you will want to run the bot now that it works.

Hardware I used:
Raspberry Pi 4 (4gb)
https://amzn.to/3q551IO

SanDisk 32GB Ultra microSDHC UHS-I Memory Card with Adapter
https://amzn.to/2Vfvo0y

CanaKit 3.5A Raspberry Pi 4 Power Supply (USB-C)
https://amzn.to/3fNTYPu

CanaKit Raspberry Pi 4 Micro HDMI Cable – 6 Feet
https://amzn.to/33u5hr9

SanDisk MobileMate USB 3.0 microSD Card Reader (Only needed if you dont have a Micro SD Reader/Writer slot in your computer)
https://amzn.to/39toi0G

INSTALL UBUNTU DESKTOP 20.10 64-BIT OS ON RASPBERRY PI 4

This guide shows you how to install an Operating System on a Raspberry Pi 4. The one I chose for this guide is Ubuntu Desktop 20.10 64-BIT, so if you are installing that, you can follow along easily. If you are wondering which hardware I used, the exact items are linked at the bottom

On a Windows computer
Insert your SD Card into the Windows computer
Open a web browser
Navigate to https://www.raspberrypi.org/software/
Download the Raspberry Pi Imager

Once it is downloaded, double the imager.exe file
Select Yes
Click Install
Checkmark Run Raspberry Pi Imager
Click Finish

Now that the Raspberry Pi Imager is running
Click Choose OS
Scroll down and select UBUNTU
On the next Screen select Ubuntu Desktop 20.10 (RPi 4/400)
Click Choose SD
Select your SD Card
Click Write
All existing data …. will be erased. Are you sure you want to continue?
Click Yes
Data is written to the SD Card
The data is automatically verified after it is written
Once it finishes you will see the message that “you can now remove the SD card from the reader”
Remove the card
Click Continue

Now back on the Raspberry Pi
Plug in network cable
Connect the keyboard
Plug in a mouse
Connect the HDMI cable
Install the Micro SD card you just made (up above)
Plug in the power (Last step)

The Raspberry Pi installation begins
Select English
Click Continue
Select Keyboard Layout
Click Continue
Place a dot next to Connect to this network
Select Wireless Network
Click Connect
Enter your Wireless Password
Click Connect
Select Continue
Choose Time zone
Click Continue
Enter your Name, Password and other info
Click Continue
The Operating System installs now
Once it is installed your Raspberry Pi will reboot automatically
Your Desktop will appear and you are done

Your Raspberry Pi 4 is setup with the Ubuntu Desktop 20.10

Hardware I used:
Raspberry Pi 4 (4gb)
https://amzn.to/3q551IO

SanDisk 32GB Ultra microSDHC UHS-I Memory Card with Adapter
https://amzn.to/2Vfvo0y

CanaKit 3.5A Raspberry Pi 4 Power Supply (USB-C)
https://amzn.to/3fNTYPu

CanaKit Raspberry Pi 4 Micro HDMI Cable – 6 Feet
https://amzn.to/33u5hr9

SanDisk MobileMate USB 3.0 microSD Card Reader (Only needed if you dont have a Micro SD Reader/Writer slot in your computer)
https://amzn.to/39toi0G


Thanks for Reading!

BOOT RASPBERRY PI 4 FROM M.2 USB DRIVE

If you want huge performance increases, consider getting rid of the Micro SD card, and moving your data and OS over to an M.2 Drive on the Raspberry Pi. How do you do this, you ask. First, make sure you have the same hardware as me, in order to follow along. Second, run through the following guide.

If you need to do this from scratch, follow this guide to setup your Raspberry Pi: https://tacticalware.com/install-raspbian-os-on-raspberry-pi-4/

Then, make sure your firmware / eeprom is up to date. If you need assistance with it, follow this guide:
https://tacticalware.com/update-new-raspberry-pi-4-firmware-eeprom/

Once you have both steps above completed, you can move onto setting up the M.2 drive

For this, I have inserted a WD 500GB M.2 Drive into a USB 3.0 dongle, and have it connected to my Pi. If you want to get the same parts as I have, skip to the bottom of this page.

Now, you will want to connect your M.2 dongle to your Raspberry Pi 4, and boot it up.

Once you are at the Desktop:
Open a Terminal
sudo bash
raspi-config
Select option 6 – Advanced Options
Choose option A6 – Boot Order
Select option B1 – USB Boot
Press Enter
You should now be on the “Usb device is the default boot device” screen
Select OK
Scroll to Finish and select it
You will see the message:
Would you like to reboot now?
Choose NO

Back on your Raspberry Pi 4 Desktop
In the top left corner, click on the Raspberry to access the drop down menu
Select Accessories
Scroll over to and choose SD Card Copier

A dialog box will open
If you have the same setup as me, using the same hardware below, you will want to select the same options, otherwise you will have to choose the relevant settings for you
Copy from Device – Select the option for the SC32G
Copy to Device – Select the option for the WDS500G3
Select Start
Choose YES – to erase all contents
Click OK once the contents are copies over successfully
Select Close
Shutdown your Raspberry Pi 4
Remove your Micro SSD
Power the Pi back on, it should now boot from the USB M.2 Drive
Open a terminal
Type
sudo bash
raspi-config
Select option 6 – Advanced Options
Choose option A1 – Expand filesystem
Press Enter
Root File system will be resized
Click Ok
Reboot

You are done!

Hardware that I used:
Raspberry Pi 4 (4gb)
https://amzn.to/3q551IO

SanDisk 32GB Ultra microSDHC UHS-I Memory Card with Adapter
https://amzn.to/2Vfvo0y

CanaKit 3.5A Raspberry Pi 4 Power Supply (USB-C)
https://amzn.to/3fNTYPu

CanaKit Raspberry Pi 4 Micro HDMI Cable – 6 Feet
https://amzn.to/33u5hr9

Western Digital 500GB WD_Black SN750 NVMe
https://amzn.to/3nZ5pH4

Plugable USB C to M.2 NVMe Tool-free Enclosure
https://amzn.to/3lflV3L

Thanks for reading…….