Server-Side » Hacking

Creating Portable Games for Flash Drives

Brak — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:32:06 +0000

One of the keys to creating portable games is the ability to maintain a small file size (or at least as much as possible) and an easy way to extract and run the game. Another factor in portable game creation is making sure that administrative rights on the local computer are never needed.

The easiest way to build a file like this is creating a self-extracting .zip file. With this installation type, we can set it to load all the games files into the local users’ temporary folder and launch the game from there. This helps both slow flash drives and slow computers, and also making distribution and launching that much easier.

The utility itself

DOWNLOAD: ZIP 2 Secure EXE (900 KB)

This wonderful utility by chilkatsoft holds the key to creating self-extracting archives. Of course, the main part of that utility is the fact you can secure the executable, but it has many things that we can use to create a portable game launcher. (Heck, maybe you DO want to password protect the game.) Some things we can do is allow/disallow choosing where to extract the archive, set to default location or automatically extract to the users’ temporary directory, add/remove buttons and text (immediately start extract on starting the .exe or wait for Unzip to be clicked? Totally up to you.)

Once you package your portable game or application, archive it in a .zip file. Open it with this utility and set your settings accordingly. Some important things that you will want to set will be where to unzip the archive to, and ‘Run this “setup” file after extracting.’ The “setup file” is actually what you will want to point for whatever executable or shortcut link launches your game from inside the extracted directory. Make sure this will extract to a common directory that everyone has if you disable the users’ ability to choose where it will be extracted to.

If you’re building something for being run on computer that will not have administrative rights for the local user, you’ll probably want to pick the temporary directory and launch it from there.

Hopefully, this helps some people get started on creating self-extracting, portable games. Feel free to try out any I have posted here or leave a comment.

Saving Pandora.com Songs

Brak — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:37:08 +0000

Using a program developed by a member of the hak5.org forum, PandoraSaver, you can rip out Pandora.com songs free and easily.

Download here : http://zzj.itf-inc.com/downloads/SProxy1003dPS1008e.zip

Don’t forget to donate to the developer himself if you like his work! Here is his Paypal link.

Directions:

1. Download PandoraSaver from above URL.
2. Extract the contents, run the SProxy executable.
3. Configure your browser to use SProxy. (Default settings are http://127.0.0.1:8888/ )

You can also use a firefox extention like FoxyProxy to create a whitelist filter of “*.pandora.com*” to use the SProxy IP/Port. If you want, you can also use the developers proxy script (http://zzj.itf-inc.com/BrowserPAC.js) in the “automatic proxy configuration url” setting in your prowser.

Jailbreak AT&T iPhones to 3.0 (2G and 3G)

Brak — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 04:14:28 +0000

Download these files:
iPhone 3G (Legit AT&T) – http://www.demonoid.com/files/details/1965353/2325666/
iPhone 2G (Legit AT&T) – http://www.mininova.org/tor/2700484

Put your iPhone in DFU mode:

1.) Sync your phone/back it up with iTunes one last time.
2.) Turn off the phone.
3.) Turn the phone on holding both the Power and Home button. Once it powers on, continue holding the Home button until you see the graphic that says you need to plug the phone into iTunes.
4.) Shift-Click Restore in iTunes for the iPhone, select the custom firmware that you downloaded.
5.) iTunes will guide you from there. Good Luck!