Notes & write-ups

Blog

2021.06.09
Downgrade MacOS without second mac (M1)

Learn how to successfully downgrade from MacOS 12 to Big Sur when your Mac softbricks, with a step-by-step tutorial provided. Discover how to overcome the limitations of the restore mode and reinstall the desired MacOS version, thanks to helpful resources and guidance. This post is a lifesaver for those facing similar challenges and needing to quickly switch back to an earlier MacOS version.

Read
2020.10.16
Reverse engineering TP-Link TAPO

This blog post details the use of plain HTTP and a custom encryption method in the TAPO app for controlling TP-Link devices. It covers the handshake process, encryption implementation, securePassthrough request, and achieving the goal of turning a plug on/off using HTTP requests. The post provides insights into decrypting requests and authentication tokens, with a potential for creating a library to control TP-Link TAPO devices.

Read
2020.09.25
How to use Google Pay on WearOS in unsupported country

This blog post guides you through setting up a virtual machine in a supported country, installing Permanent Proxy on your watch, and creating a Google account in the same country for access to Google Pay. Learn how to configure squid, set up your proxy, and troubleshoot common issues. Tested on Google Pixel 4 XL and Fossil Carlyle Gen 5.

Read
2020.04.05
Deploy TravisCI builds via SSH

A step-by-step guide to automatically deploying successful TravisCI builds to a remote VPS over SSH. Covers generating an SSH key pair, encrypting the private key with the travis CLI so it can be committed safely, registering the public key on your server, and wiring up the before_deploy and deploy steps in .travis.yml — including how to handle GitHub 2FA tokens during travis login.

Read