Frequently Asked Questions
From 25C3 Public Wiki
[edit] General Questions
[edit] I'm 17 years old. Any problems there?
No.
Besides: Hackers should be judged by their hacking, not bogus criteria such as degrees, age, race, or position. (taken from: Hacker ethic)
[edit] Is the Congress-Center open 24/4?
Yes.
[edit] What to bring to a Lightning talk?
See Lightning_Talks#Preparation
Study how the VGA out your Laptop works. Especially if you have installed Linux only to show off during the Congress. The short periods during the Lightning Talks prohibit that you invest 5 minutes to the Settings of your Graphics card. (That's generally a good idea for all talkers.)
[edit] Will there be a CaCert (http://www.cacert.org/) auth possibility at 25C3?
There will be some CaCert assurers on 25C3. More information will follow.
[edit] Can I participate in a smoke free-environment or will smoking be allowed everywhere?
See http://events.ccc.de/2006/12/05/the-smoking-situation-revisited/. We ask participants not to smoke inside the building which resulted in a more or less smoke free environment last year.
[edit] What is the difference between this page and this page?
[edit] Food
[edit] Where to buy Mate for a normal price execpt for metro?
If you are german: Look at the Club-Mate forum and search for your town or ask for places near to you. There is also a nice list about Berlin Mate-stores. http://www.iphpbb.com/board/index.php?nxu=77421311nx15157
If you are Austrian: Look here http://www.club-mate.at/ Those people import Mate directly from Germany. Just call them, they're very friendly.
BTW, Metro currently will not sell Club Mate ("we don't cooperate with the distributor at the moment") - no Club Mate in Berlins Metros.
[edit] Will you be allowed to bring your own food into the Congress-Center?
Rule of thumb: Feel free to bring the cookies your Grandma baked - but never order pizza (or things like that) into the bcc.
The reason is that there is a company which holds the exclusive right to sell food inside the bcc. This is a standard arrangement for this kind of event which is not subject to discussion. It allows for moderate food prices and helps to avoid the incredible amount of waste which many people found quite discomforting at previous congresses.
With this in mind, please remember to treat employees respectfully! In case you experience (rather rare) problems which cannot be resolved immediately, please let Kathe know (the Angels will know where to find her).
[edit] What kinds of nearby places are good for breakfast, lunch and dinner?
We're glad you asked. Where to eat would be a good place to start. Add your own suggestions!
[edit] Network related
See also: How To Survive and the Network
[edit] Where can i get the list with MAC-Adresses of default gateways and dns?
[edit] Will there be any public FTP-servers like last year?
You can bring your own Servers and put them up, or hand them to the NOC to take care. But most Probably someone will have FTP servers up and running.
[edit] Will there be any IPv6 Content?
Theora streams are now available via ipv6. Have a look at Streaming#Theora
[edit] Will there be 802.11a wifi at the congress?
Yes. See Network#WLAN
[edit] Can I bring my own wireless equipment to the Congress?
No, please do not bring any wireless access points with you and please do not operate a wireless access point at the 25C3.
See Network#WLAN too.
[edit] Can I run my own network or my own DHCP server at the Congress?
No, please do not ever configure your laptop to run in Ad-Hoc mode nor otherwise create a network and please do not run DHCP servers.
[edit] Is it okay to use unencrypted protocols (http, telnet, smtp, pop3, imap, irc et al) on the congress network?
While you certainly can use those protocols, expect others to see everything you transmit including usernames, passwords, your email, your dirty talk with your partner and anything else you transmit and make appropriate fun of you.
You are advised to use either the secure counterparts to those protocols (https, ssh, pop3s, imaps et al) or create an encrypted VPN tunnel to the outside world if you really want to use insecure protocols. There is a HowTo on doing this with OpenSSH available in English.
Also note that simply using Tor to encrypt your insecure protocols is an even worse idea. The exit node of your Tor connection can read everything you transmit in the clear. Including everything mentioned above. Also, the Tor exit node may happen to be within the congress network again and you'll have the same problem as before.
[edit] Secure Messengers
Which messengers are logging in secure? Can i use for example Skype or Jabber without giving someone the chance to sniff my password?
Jabber is secure when using SSL (you can check this in your client usually). Skype is a somewhat obfuscated, not easy to sniff, protocol. This is most likely security by obscurity, you have to decide whether you think that noone has tools to decrypt skype messages or whether you want it really secure (use SSL). In general, you can test this at home using a tool like tcpdump (on Linux/BSD/OS X, start it with tcpdump -A -s 2048) or Wireshark (former Ethereal) on Windows -- if you see your password/username in plaintext, everyone could.
[edit] Is my iPhone secure at 25c3?
[edit] Will there be an Echolink/PR gateway or a repeater for HAM Radio ?
[edit] How can I setup my laptop to tunnel all network traffic through SSH?
The "How to Survive"-article doesn't cover this yet. So far I just found hints on tunneling a single port. Some good hints anyone? try portforwarding via iptables, or give Secure Network Forwarding Tunnel a try. maybe there are better solutions.
-> You can twist ssh to act like a SOCKS-Proxy, see below.
HowTo on doing this with OpenSSH
The HowTo above requires OpenSSH 4.3 - properbly not all people will upgrade...
A workaround/nice trick for older SSH-Versions:
0. Install pppd on your server & client
1. Enable IP-Forwarding and NAT/Masquerading on the machine your SSH-Server is running on. (in Linux, as root)
echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -s 10.0.0.2 -j MASQUERADE
2. On your client add a dedicated route to your SSH-Server via your default gw: (in Linux, as root)
route add InsertYourSshServerAddressHere gw `route -n | grep -E '^0.0.0.0' | awk '{ print($2) }'`
3. run pppd-over-ssh (one line, in Linux, as root)
pppd nodetach noauth defaultroute replacedefaultroute pty "ssh root@InsertYourSshServerAddressHere pppd updetach noauth passive notty 10.0.0.1:10.0.0.2"
Authenticate using password or better using keys.
Have a lot of fun! :)
Do you want a clean solution? Setup openvpn - oder openssh 4.3, of course.
[edit] Use ssh as an secure network tunnel
You can use ssh to act like a SOCKS-Proxy. Setting up an ssh SOCKS-Proxy is very easy. Just type in
ssh -fND 4223 user@server
where user@server is your login at the server you want to use as the tunneling endpoint. The command establishes a connection to your server, logs in as "user" and starts a little SOCKS-Proxy on it. The -f command tells ssh to go into the background so you can continue working at the terminal. On your computer, all connections to port 4223 will be forwarded over the secure SSH channel and then by the proxy to the destination. You have to configure the program you want to connect through that tunnel to use localhost:4223 as it's SOCKS server. (Like Firefox' proxy-configuration.) For using software that doesn't support SOCKS try out tsocks.
[edit] How can I get a hostname for my server?
<dhcp-submitted-hostname>.visitor.congress.ccc.de (or ask the NOC, I suppose)
[edit] Proceedings/Documentation
[edit] Are there guidelines concerning videotaping/taking still pictures at 25C3?
Of course, yes. But same rules apply for private videotaping and still pictures as for the press. See the Guidelines for press at the Congress for details.
[edit] Can I buy a printed summary of most of the congress (conference proceedings) like last year?
Yes, the Proceedings are containing this year even an abstract and a description of every event held on 25C3. Besides that we await academic papers of ca. 20 lectures, which are included, too. It will be for sale at the Infotresen.
[edit] Will there be a free PDF of the conference proceedings like last year?
Get a hardcopy first, in which you will find a link to the DRM'ized eBook in the iTunes store ... Ok, I'm joking: Yes, there will ba a PDF, but the printing company hasn't leaked it yet.
[edit] Is it possible to get the presentation slides for all the talks?
You should find any slides at the website of the particular lecture in the Fahrplan - as long as the speaker uploaded it. If he or she didn't you may probably should kindly ask for it.
[edit] When will Recordings be available?
Exactly five days, 23 minutes and 45 seconds after the closing event. Or, if we cannot make that: when they're ready.
Yes, have a look on the detailed website to the talk. Most will be available at the time of the talk, some will be available after the congress. A minority of speakers decided to not submit their slides.
[edit] Tickets
See also Tickets
[edit] When should I get my tickets?
It is a good idea to buy the ticket at Dec 26th or the night from Dec 26th to 27th, because then you don't have to wait in the line for hours in the morning of Dec 27th.
[edit] How much for a company ticket? (one person)
250 euros. See Tickets
[edit] Can I buy my tickets in the night from Dec 26th to 27th all night long?
Yes. The cash desk is open from late afternoon (around 6pm / 18:00) at the 26th until the evening of the 30th.
[edit] Does "cash desk" mean that we have to pay cash? What about ec-cards or credit-cards?
Yes there is no way to pay with cards. There is a bank about 100 meters from the BCC where they accept a wide range of credit- and debit-cards.
[edit] Is there also a discount on the tickets for Students or Unemployed?
Students have to pay the usual entrance fee. The CCC grants discounts for some special supportworthy groups: Pupils (with credentials) and CCC members, as a thank for their support all the year around. You can become a CCC member now or at the 25C3.
Note: Becoming a member at Congress didn't result in a member-discount last year!
[edit] Will there be a discount for ALG2 recipients?
There is, see Tickets. Don't forget to have your Hartz IV notification with you.
[edit] Will there be a discount for anybody else?
If you really can't afford the Congress, you may talk to someone from the Orga team, maybe they can do something.
[edit] I'm a pupil, though I don't have a pupil identity card. How else can I prove at the entrance, that I'm a pupil? Can I just take my last year's report card?
No. And we don't have the time for discussion at the cash desk. There are more participants behind you, who have to wait while you try to convince the cash desk angels.
It's not our fault that you missed to update your school ID card.
[edit] But a "Schulbescheinigung" still works?
A Schulbescheinigung is a simple printout of your school record which (bears the school seal and) states that you were a student at a specific school at the time the document was printed. It can be faked relatively easily and is not intended to replace the pupil ID (which also carries your photo and has a validity timeframe). Anyway, what's the point? A pupil ID is usually issued within one day, just about as quickly as a Schulbescheinigung. Why would you carry a Schulbescheinigung but not a pupil ID? You have read the rule. If you do not have a pupil ID, prepare to pay the full price.
[edit] My school doesn't issue pupil IDs. What shall I do?
I'm pretty sure they _have to_, at least in Germany. (http://www.berlin.de/imperia/md/content/sen-bildung/rechtsvorschriften/av_schuelerausweise.pdf 1.1)
If they don't, tell them where you're heading and ask them for a confirmation (or similar) of your enrollment in school and pray the cashdesk will accept this or contact an arch angel.
[edit] What's the difference between a "student" and a "pupil?" I am attending a university in the US full time and want to know if I am eligible for the discount. If so, what documentation is acceptable? Is my school-issued ID enough?
Think "pupils" as people attending a K-12 school (up to and including highschool). People attending a university are called "Studenten", so you will have to pay the full price like many other people coming to the congress. :-) (Only pupils, who are still going to school, will get a discount)
[edit] What about apprentice (Auszubildende). They also have a school ID card. Do they also get a discount on the tickets?
At #23c3 they said: "If you got a Schülerausweis (english, "school-issued ID card"), you get the discount"
[edit] Does the entry fee include "disabled camera surveillance" like last year?
[edit] Will the "tickets" actually be tickets this year rather than scratchy wristbands that can't be removed outside the building?
No.
[edit] Participating
[edit] Who should I contact if I want to become a Chaos Angel?
You can register yourself, as soon as the so called "Engelsystem" is up and running. See the Volunteers for further information.
[edit] What about hackcenter registration?
See Projects
[edit] Fahrplan
[edit] Accomodation
See also Accommodation
[edit] Will there be a Gym for sleeping at again this year? How much will the fee be?
See The Gym. Short answers: Yes. 5 Euros per night and person.
[edit] Will there be a place to deposit luggage (such as lockers) ?
We have the Cloak_room where you can deposit your luggage for which we cannot assume liability. Real lockers are in the nearby train station ("Alexanderplatz").
[edit] Can I camp outside of the conference center again this year?
Depends on the definition of outside, but if you mean around the BCC the answer is no. We won't stop you putting up your tent on official camping.
[edit] It is possible for Chaos Angels to sleep in the Gym as from 25th December?
Sorry but that's not possible. The gym will be open during congress. (More information will follow about the 26/27th and 30th/31th)
[edit] What do I have to bring when sleeping in the Gym? Sleepingbag? Iso-matress?
Both and probably a pair of earplugs.
