Tramcrazy's Blog

My new Photocopier Monitoring Tools!!!

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

My photocopier ran out of ink. Right when we really needed it. So I came up with a hacky solution! I wrote a Python script using Selenium and BeautifulSoup that pulls the HTML from the copier’s web dashboard and selects the ink levels. It then determines whether or not to send a text to the user based on whether or not any ink level has gone below 10%. If so, an SMS is sent using Twilio which looks like this:

Copier ink is [LOW/EMPTY] - Yel 10%, Mag 56%, Cya 2%, Bla 79%

I run the script on a weekly cronjob on my Raspberry Pi server to alert us when new ink needs to be ordered. The script is made for Olivetti/Konica photocopiers and should work for most models made in the last few years (not sure exactly, perhaps a community made compatibility list would be good 🤣). Anyway, it works perfectly on my Olivetti MF223. I have also written another script, soon to be published, which gets the meter readings from the copier and automatically emails the copier maintenance/leasing company, which will run on a monthly cronjob. The repo is here: Ink-Monitor Let me know if you would like a more detailed code breakdown/runthrough - I’ll see what I can put together for the YouTube channel. Do leave your thoughts/experiences with hacky printer scripts in the comments, I’d be interested to hear if you’ve done anything similar.

P.S sorry for not posting for ages on here, I’ve been busy and have somewhat (very much) neglected this blog, and for that matter, the YT channel.

Support Ukraine's independence with a badge

Sun, 06 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

In response to the ongoing situation in Ukraine, I’ve created a badge which you can embed in your GitHub READMEs or any website or markdown page. The badge is simple, and states that you support the independence of Ukraine. It links to the British Red Cross’s Ukraine appeal. The badge looks like this:

You can find more information, and embed it in your own site, at https://ukraine.tramcrazy.com.

Stay safe.

My Dev Setup - FT. Windows 11

Sat, 09 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0000

My Dev Setup

I’ve been using Windows 11 on my PC since its general release on Tuesday, and I’m really enjoying it so far. Here are some of my thoughts: I definitely prefer it to Windows 10 - the UI is great. There aren’t really any new dev features. I am really enjoying the dark theme.

How I code

I use VS Code (the Windows version) on my PC, and I do most of my development through Windows Subsystem for Linux (I run Ubuntu). WSL works really well for my needs and the integration with Windows is amazing. Not to mention the integration with VS Code… I’m really enjoying my new development workflow and I’m loving Windows 11! Ask me any questions in the comments below.

My PC Build

Sat, 18 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0000

My PC Build

It finally happened… I got my PC. It’s a custom build with a Ryzen 7 3700X, 16GB of Crucial Ballistix 3200MHz RGB, a Geforce GT 1030, and a 2TB NVMe SSD. It’s running super well so far, and I should be able to do loads more dev work on it. Just got to get back to the coding…

Launched: My podcast, The Tramcrazy Show

Thu, 29 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000

I just launched my podcast, The Tramcrazy Show. It’s a regular roundup of all things technology, featuring makes, projects, tech news and much more! The distribution hasn’t finished happening yet, butn it’ll be available soon wherever you get your podcasts. For now, you can listen on Anchor or Spotify. I hope you enjoy the show - I’ll post here whenever I publish new episodes.

A journey in free commenting

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000

TL;DR: Get Utterances, it’s awesome.

When I started this blog, I wanted an easy way for my readers to share their thoughts on the blog and the articles I write, as well as interacting with me. I started by installing Disqus onto the blog, and this seemed to work well. That was until I realised about the ads. As I was on the free plan, Disqus was showing tonnes of ads to my readers, which interfered with the commenting and reading experience. There were also numerous other issues for me.

Because of this, I moved to Hyvor Talk. At first, this seemed like a great alternative to Discord, with an even nicer UI. That was until I realised I was on the free trial of the service - which was actually paid. When the free trial came to an end, potential commenters were greeted with an old-fashioned widget informing them that commenting was temporarily unavailable. This probably put users off coming back later to comment.

Today, I have changed my commenting system again. This time, it’s Utterances, a simple and clean system based around GitHub Issues. You’ll need a GitHub account to use the new system, but hopefully it should make commenting easier and more user-friendly. You’ll also have to authorise Utterances to access your account, but their code is open - https://github.com/utterance/utterances/. You can also check their privacy policy - https://github.com/utterance/utterances/blob/master/PRIVACY-POLICY.md.

Why not try commenting with the new system? You can even react to other people’s messages!

My thoughts on TryHackMe's awesome Pre-Security Path

Mon, 05 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction

I’ve been using the cybersecurity learning platform TryHackMe for about 7 months now, and it’s been a great way to learn new skills, in a gamified environment with a friendly amount of competition. TryHackMe’s ‘rooms’ (small course modules) cover a wide range of content, from lock-picking to authentication attacks!

The learning path

TryHackMe have numerous ‘paths’ (sequences of linked rooms which cover similar topics and give you a good understanding of topic areas). These include offensive pentesting, and a beginner’s path, amongst others. However, I was very excited to find out that TryHackMe had recently published a brand new Pre-Security path, covering everything you need to know before you start working on security topics. The path covers networking, web, Linux, and Windows, four key areas which give you a good foundational knowledge that you need to approach other areas of content on the TryHackMe (THM) platform. I enrolled in this path, and have successfully completed it - it was a wonderful learning experience.

Network Fundamentals

This section covers basic principles like what networking is, local area networks, the OSI model, packets and frames, and extending your network. This section of the path gave me a good refresher on networking topics, and taught me some new things in a fun, interesting way. It even included some games along the way! It made what is sometimes a dry topic really interesting and enjoyable to learn about.

How The Web Works

This section takes you through DNS (how your computer finds servers based on their domain name), HTTP (how your computer fetches webpages), how websites work, and it also puts all these areas together to give an overall outline of web technologies. This section really filled in the gaps for me, and gave me a more detailed understanidng of technologies, but from a beginner’s perspective, it would be an easy way to get up to scratch on some very important areas.

Linux Fundamentals

This section, consisting of 3 interactive rooms where you connect remotely to a live Linux machine, covers basic Linux commands and the different features of the operating system. It shows you common Linux practices, while not being boring or spending too long on each area. By the end of the section, you’ll have a great understanding of the Linux command line, and you’ll easily be able to navigate any Linux system you encounter.

Windows Fundamentals

The Windows Fundamentals section consists of 2 modules which get you to view and control a Windows Server machine. You learn about the desktop, the file system, the control panel, configuration, the registry and many more advanced topics, whilst still being easy to learn for any beginner. Through this section, you’ll become a real power user of the Windows OS, and unlock advanced features to help you take control of your computer.

Conclusion

I found this path really enjoyable, and I’d highly recommend checking out TryHackMe if you haven’t already - their website is here. You can find and enroll in the Pre-Security path here - you should definitely complete this before anything else on the platform. Also, TryHackMe have an amazing promotion running until 15th July, where if you complete Pre-Security rooms, you gain randomised tickets which can be used to redeem amazing prizes. Sign up for TryHackMe now!

Incoming: PC Build!

Fri, 25 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0000

PC Build: Incoming!

I’m excited to be building my friend’s PC with him very soon. I’ll probably be posting one or more blogs on here about the process, to show you how to build one, and to dispel any fears you might have about the process. The build’s key parts are a Ryzen 5 3600 and a GTX 1650. Also, I will probably post some kind of video on my YouTube; this will probably be a compilation of a few clips of the most exciting stages! Stay tuned for more, coming soon, and let me know what kind of content you want to see on this blog - I’m considering a Python tutorial… ~tramcrazy

Welcome

Sun, 13 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Welcome

Welcome to my blog! I’ve had a few blogs before but this is the latest and greatest version. I’ll be posting more soon, but why not check out my profiles? Stay tuned!