FAQ

Q: Will you teach me how to hack?

NO. Since first publishing this page, I've gotten

several requests a week (often several a day) from people to
"teach me all about hacking". Unfortunately, I don't
have the time or energy to do this; my own hacking projects take
up 110% of my time.
Even if I did, hacking is an attitude and skill you basically
have to teach yourself. You'll find that while real hackers want
to help you, they won't respect you if you beg to be spoon-fed
everything they know.

Learn a few things first. Show that you're trying, that you're
capable of learning on your own. Then go to the hackers you meet
with specific questions.

Q: How can I get started, then?

The best way for you to get started would

probably be to go to a LUG (Linux user group) meeting. You can
find such groups on the LDP General Linux
Information Page; there is probably one near you,
possibly associated with a college or university. LUG members
will probably give you a Linux if you ask, and will certainly
help you install one and get started.

Q: When do you have to start? Is it too
late for me to learn?

Any age at which you are motivated to start is

a good age. Most people seem to get interested between ages 15
and 20, but I know of exceptions in both directions.

Q: How long will it take me to learn to hack?

The depends on how talented you are and how

hard you work at it. Most people can acquire a respectable skill
set in eighteen months to two years, if they concentrate. Don't
think it ends there, though; if you are a real hacker, you will
spend the rest of your life learning and perfecting your craft.

Q: Would you help me to crack a system, or
teach me how to crack?

No. Anyone who can still ask such a question

after reading this FAQ is too stupid to be educable even if I had
the time for tutoring. Any emailed requests of this kind that I
get will be ignored or answered with extreme rudeness.</b></p>

Q: I've been cracked. Will you help me
fend off further attacks?

No. Every time I've been asked this question

so far, it's been from somebody running Windows. It is not
possible to effectively secure Windows systems against crack
attacks; the code and architecture simply have too many flaws,
it's like trying to bail out a boat with a sieve. The only
reliable prevention is to switch to Linux or some other operating
system with real security.

Q: Where can I find some real hackers to
talk with?

The best way is to find a Unix or Linux user's

group local to you and go to their meetings (you can find links
to several lists of user groups on the LDP site at Metalab).
(I used to say here that you wouldn't find any real hackers on
IRC, but I'm given to understand this is changing. Apparently
some real hacker communities, attached to things like GIMP and
Perl, have IRC channels now.)

Q: Can you recommend useful books about
hacking-related subjects?

I maintain a Linux Reading List HOWTO that you may find helpful. The Loginataka

may also be interesting.

Q: What language should I learn first?

HTML, if you don't already know it. There are

a lot of glossy, hype-intensive bad HTML books out there, and
distressingly few good ones. The one I like best is HTML : The
Definitive Guide.
But HTML is not a full programming language. When you're ready to
start programming, I would recommend starting with Python.
You will hear a lot of people recommending Perl, and Perl is
still more popular than Python, but it's harder to learn and (in
my opinion) less well designed. There are resources for programming beginners using Python in the Web.

C is really important, but it's also much more difficult than
either Python or Perl. Don't try to learn it first.

Windows users, do not settle for Visual Basic. It will teach you
bad habits, and it's not portable off Windows. Avoid.

Q: Do I need to hate and bash Microsoft?

No, you don't. Not that Microsoft isn't

loathsome, but there was a hacker culture long before Microsoft
and there will still be one when Microsoft is history. Any energy
you spend hating Microsoft would be better spent on loving your
craft. Write good code -- that will bash Microsoft quite
sufficiently without polluting your karma.

But won't open-source software leave programmers unable to make a
living?
This seems unlikely -- so far, the open-source software industry
seems to be creating jobs rather than taking them away. If having
a program written is a net economic gain over not having it
written, a programmer will get paid whether or not the program is
going to be free after it's done. And, no matter how much
"free" software gets written, there always seems to be
more demand for new and customized applications. I've written
more about this at the Open Source pages.

Q. How can I get started? Where can I get a
free Unix?

Elsewhere on this page I include pointers to

where to get the most commonly used free Unix. To be a hacker you
need motivation and initiative and the ability to educate
yourself. Start now...