You’re writing a program that connects to a server, and want to store the user’s login details for their convenience. How do you do so securely?Click here to watch the video on Odysee.Short answer: you won’t like any of the suggestions.Long answer:A surprising number of programs store the login details in plain text, and rely […]
The latest version of ZitaFTP makes it relatively easy to get your file server online, complete with its own domain. That way you can access your files from anywhere in the world, including uploading new files directly into your own machine. No detour via “the cloud,” a.k.a., someone else’s computers. The video above shows how […]
I’m pleased to announce that the first ZitaFTP Server update for 2022 is finally here! As usual, there are bug fixes and improvements. The big new feature is that you can now use proper signed SSL/TLS certificates, which is very useful when making ZitaFTP Server accessible over the internet.Click here to watch the video on […]
T’is the season of technical problems. Last time I talked about software issues that held back progress. This time, it’s bugs. Real bugs. Ants, to be precise.Click here to watch the video on Odysee.I was away for Chinese New Year, when a swarm of little ants decided to build a nest in my computer power […]
Technology. When it works, it’s great. Amazing things can be done with technology. When it fails, though, it becomes a frustrating time sucking monster. ZitaFTP’s latest update was supposed to be released today, but a simple Cygwin update killed that plan.Click here to watch the video on Odysee.The first signs of trouble came last week, […]
Last blog post I mentioned that you should never store passwords in plain text on a server. Actually, you shouldn’t store passwords in plain text on any computer, including servers. Here’s why you shouldn’t, and what you should do instead when writing a server.Click here to watch the video on Odysee.Why Not Plain Text Passwords […]
If you’re writing a network server like I am with ZitaFTP, then you may be tempted to create a custom encryption algorithm to store some data. Your reasoning would be: it’ll be secure because I’m the only person who knows the algorithm. Good old “security through obscurity.”Click here to watch the video on Odysee.I’m here […]
It’s nearly Christmas, so I’ll be taking some time off soon to celebrate Christmas, and to relax. So, from us to you: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!Click here to watch the video on Odysee.I know that many people are worse off now than they were last year, but I hope that you’ll enjoy […]
There’s no ZitaFTP Server release this week, because last week I was busy paying down some technical debt instead of making progress. Click here to watch the video on Odysee. What is Technical Debt? It’s a business/entrepreneur term for what builds up when you prioritize speed over good design and engineering. For example, you cut […]
A few months ago I started having trouble where ZitaFTP Server sometimes wouldn’t be able to bind to its data ports. The error was confusing: “permission denied.”Click here to watch the video on Odysee.Permission denied? What? The error would be “port in use” if another program was using it. What’s going on?The Problem: Hyper-VThe problem […]
