How To Become A Hacker
Tags: webdev, programming, linux, security
Published: 2022-09-09 17:57:55

[Eric S. Raymond](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_S._Raymond) one of the most important hackers in history, wrote a "how to" become a true Hacker, here is a summary of this wonderful text

## Summary of How To Become A Hacker

> [Jargon File](http://www.catb.org/jargon/) has many definitions of what a Hacker is, many have to do with the technical, with **the ability to solve problems and enjoy doing it.**

There is a community, a shared culture of programmers, experts and network wizards, its history goes back decades, the members of this community coined the word Hacker, Hackers built the Internet, they made the system [Unix](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix) what it is, Hackers make it work [WWW](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/www), if you are part of this culture, if you have contributed to it, then you are a Hacker.

The Hacker mentality does not only refer to [Software](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software), you can find them in any science or art such as electronics, music and endless activities, Hackers in Software recognize these related spirits and call them Hackers as well, some argue that **the nature of the Hacker is actually independent of the particular medium in which they operate.**

There is another group of people who are loudly called Hackers, but they are not, they have fun breaking into computers illegally and scamming the telephone system, the real Hackers have a name for these people, [Crackers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_hacker#Cracker), and they don't want to have anything with them, **being able to break computer security doesn't make them Hackers**, just like being able to start a car with a jumper on the key doesn't makes you an automotive engineer, **unfortunately most people mistakenly use the word Hacker** to describe Crackers; And **this is a cause of enormous irritation for real Hackers.**

> Hackers build things, Crackers destroy them.

If you want to be a Hacker continue reading, if you want to be a Cracker prepare for the harsh reality of discovering that you are not as smart as you think.

## Hacker attitude

Hackers build things, they believe in freedom and mutual help, if you want to be one of them you must behave like one of them, you must adopt that attitude. Therefore, if you want to be a Hacker, repeat the following until you believe it:

### The world is full of fascinating problems waiting to be solved

It's fun to be a Hacker, but it's that fun that requires a lot of effort, to be a Hacker you should feel a primitive kind of thrill when you solve a problem, **sharpen your skills, exercise your intelligence.**

Also, **you must develop a certain kind of faith in your own ability to learn,** the belief that even though you may not know everything you need to solve a problem, if you take a part of it and learn from there, you will learn what you need to know. enough to solve the next part and the next part until you solve it completely.

**No one should have to solve a problem twice**

> You shouldn't waste energy reinventing the wheel, when there are so many exciting new problems waiting.

To behave as a Hacker you must think that the time spent by other Hackers is valuable, so much so that it is almost a moral obligation to share the solution you have found to the problems you have dealt with, so that other Hackers can solve new problems. instead of perpetually facing old problems.

Don't think you're obligated to give away all of your creative product, it's considered consistent with a Hacker's values ​​to sell enough to live on, even to get rich, as long as **don't forget you're a Hacker while you're doing it.**

### Freedom is good

Hackers are naturally anti-authoritarian. **Anyone who can give you orders, can make you stop solving that problem with which you are busy,** that is why the authoritarian attitude must be fought, because if it is left, it will suffocate you and others Hackers.

**This is not the same as fighting authority, children need guidance, criminals need limits and guidelines, as well as restrictions.**

To behave as a Hacker you must develop a hostility to censorship and secrecy, the use of force or fraud to subdue responsible adults.

## Attitude is no substitute for skill

To become a Hacker you must develop these attitudes, but the **attitude alone will not transform you into a Hacker,** nor will the attitude alone transform you into an athlete, or a rock star, you also **need intelligence, patience, dedication and hard work.**

Therefore, **respect skill in all its forms,** especially good are demanding skills that few can master, the best are those that involve mental acuity, skill and concentration.

## Basic skills of a Hacker

> There is a set of basic tools that you must master, this set changes slowly over time as new technology is created, as well as new skills, this set should include the following

### Learn programming

[Programming](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_programming) is of course the **fundamental skill of the Hacker,** if you don't know any [programming language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programming_language), I recommend starting with [Python](https://www.python.org/), it's cleanly designed, well documented, and relatively nice for beginners, but do not underestimate it because it is very powerful, flexible and perfectly suited to large projects.

Do not think that you can be a Hacker or even a programmer with only one programming language, **you must think about programming problems in a general way and independent of any language.**

> Every new language you learn will educate you in very important ways

I can't explain in detail in this document how you can learn programming, **it's a complex skill**, but I can tell you that most of the best Hackers are [self-taught](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autodidacticism), I also suggest you read a lot of code and write a lot of code, this will give you the necessary skill.

Before it was difficult to find code to read, this situation has changed drastically. Free software, free programming tools and operating systems, are widely available today; Try searching [GitHub](https://github.com/)

### Get a Linux distribution and learn how to use it

> The most important step a newbie can take is to get a copy of Linux, install it on a personal machine, and learn how to use it.

You can learn to use the internet without knowing how to use Linux, but **you cannot be a Hacker without knowing Linux.** Go ahead, communicate on the Internet through it, read code, modify it, this system includes better programming tools than any operating system Microsoft can dream, you will also have fun, you will immerse yourself in knowledge of such magnitude, until, at a certain time, looking back, you will realize that you are already an accomplished Hacker master.

### Learn WWW and write HTML

**The Web is the toy of Hackers** so huge and brilliant that even politicians admit that the world is changing, for this and many more reasons you should learn how to work in the WWW.

Anyone can learn to use a [web browser](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_browser), you must learn to write [HTML](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML), the WWW language, if you don't already know it, learning it will teach you habits of mind that will help you with programming. **So create your personal page.**

But do not think that by having a personal page you are closer to being a Hacker, for it to be worthwhile, **your page must have content,** it must be interesting and useful for other Hackers.

## Status in Hacker Culture

> There are basically five kinds of things you can do to get respect from Hackers

1. Write Free Software
2. Help create and debug Free Software
3. Post useful information
4. Help maintain infrastructure
5. Do something for the Hacker culture itself

## style issues

> Again, to be a Hacker you must develop the Hacker mentality, but there are some things you can do when you are without a computer that can help you, many Hackers do them, and they feel that they somehow connect with the essence of the activity of hacking.

read science fiction
- Practice martial arts
- Develop analytical ear for music
- Develop your penchant for puns
- Learn to write correctly in your native language

Finally, a few things that you should not to do.

- Do not use fancy or silly usernames
- Do not get involved in holy wars on the Internet, or anywhere else
- Do not call yourself 'Cyberpunk' or waste time with anyone who does
- Do not write emails or articles with many typos, spelling errors or incorrect grammatical constructions

> To be a Hacker you need motivation, initiative and the ability to educate yourself. Starts now

Eric S. Raymond [esr@thyrsus.com](mailto:esr@thyrsus.com)

___

## Disclaimer

The text presented here is a summary of the article written by Eric S. Raymond in Jargon File I hope it has been useful, I leave the [Original text](http://catb.org/~esr/faqs/hacker-howto.html ) to complete this reading.

**My only objective is to spread knowledge, without offending or distorting anyone.**

Feel free to write in the comments. What do you think of this text from one of the most renowned Hackers in history? I would also like you to comment on what requirements you meet so far and what is the next one to cover on your list, if your goal is to become a Hacker.

You can read this article in Spanish [Cómo convertirse en Hacker](https://dev.to/ricardoveronica/como-convertirse-en-hacker-230k)

You can visit my website at [https://ricardoveronica.github.io](https://ricardoveronica.github.io/)