17th Chaos Communication Congress HOWTO/FAQ 1.0 ----------------------------------------------- Last-modified: 27.11.2000 Maintained-by: The FAQ slave Posting-frequency: random Change Log: ----------- 1.0 first public release ===================================== # ####### ##### ##### ## # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ##### # # # # # # # # # # ##### # ##### ##### E X P L I C I T L Y R I C S -------------------------------- 17. CHAOS COMMUNICATION CONGRESS -------------------------------- 27 28 29 DEC 2000 BERLIN - PLANET EARTH 1. GENERAL INFORMATION 1.1 What is the Chaos Communication Congress? 1.2 Where and when does it take place? 1.3 What are the times of opening? when should I arrive? 1.4 Is the Congress something for me? 1.5 Can I help out at the Congress? 1.6 Press 1.7 Language issues 1.8 Contacts 2. PRACTICAL INFORMATION 2.1 Arrival by train 2.2 Arrival by car 2.3 Once in Berlin, how do I get to the Congress? 2.4 Where can I find a car pool for my trip to the Congress? 2.5 Where can I find accommodation? 2.6 Notice to visitors with disabilities 2.7 Local swimming pool in Congress vicinity 3. ENTRY AND FEES 3.1 Entry fees and booking 3.2 Catering / prices 3.3 Can I bring my computer? 3.4 What is a "project"? 3.5 Is my stuff insured? 4. CONGRESSNET 4.1 Is there internet at the Congress? 4.2 How do I receive an ip-adress and a dns entry? 4.3 What equipment does my computer need for the Congress net? 4.4 Which services and protocols can I use on the Congress net? 4.5 Are there any codes of conduct on the Congress net? 5. MISCELLANEOUS 5.1 Where can I find up-to-date information on the Congress? 5.2 Where can I submit projects for the Congress? 5.3 There's an error in this FAQ 1. GENERAL INFORMATION =========================== 1.1 What is the Chaos Communication Congress? ---------------------------------------------- The Chaos Communication Congress is a three-day seminar on technology, society and utopia. The Congress offers lectures and workshops on a multitude of topics including (but not limited to) information technology, IT-security, internet, cryptography and the critical-creative attitude towards technology and the discussion about the effects of technological advances on society. In the Hackcenter a bunch of interesting projects and all kinds of hacking activity will be present (see 3.3) The chaos-archive offers documents from the past 20 years of computing and hacking history. There are photocopiers available for personal backups. The Congress is a meeting-point of the hacker scene, but it also addresses participants from commerce, politics and society in general. The Chaos Communication Congress (CCC) is the annual congress of the Chaos Computer Club e.V. (CCC). The Congress takes place since 1984 and has established itself as the "european hacker party" Parallel to the Congress the 4th German Championship in lock-picking will take place on-site. More information on this event can be obtained at http://www.ssdev.org/. 1.2 Where and when does the Congress take place? --------------------------------------------------- This year the Congress will take place again in Berlin at the convention center "Haus am Köllnischen Park": 17th Chaos Communication Congress December 27th thru 29th 2000 Haus am Köllnischen Park (HAKP) (Tagungszentrum Berlin-Mitte) Am Köllnischen Park 6-7 D-10179 Berlin For a more geographical description check: http://www.stadtplandienst.de/query;ORT=b;LL=13.416868x52.513585 Parking lots are available at the convention center. 1.3 What are the times of opening? When should I arrive? ----------------------------------------------------------- The entrance is open daily from 9 AM to 10 PM events begin at 10 AM and end at 6 PM. At 7 PM all workshop venues will be closed. At 10 PM the entrance will be locked. Breakfast will be available from 9 AM at the Chaoscafé which will additionally offer cooked meals until ca. 6 PM after which snacks and beverages will be on sale. Visitors bringing their own hardware and wishing to arrive early can hit the convention centre from dec. 26th onward. If you are one of these people you should definitely read section 3.3! 1.4 Is the Congress something for me? ---------------------------------------- The Congress addresses all life-forms of this galaxy with a tendency towards or an interest in a critical-creative approach to technology. The Congress addresses freaks and beginners equally and offers suitable workshops and lectures for everyone. A number of events address beginners, others again are intended for advanced experts. All lectures offer a high degree of interactivity and audience participation. *you* are the Congress! Should you be interested in holding a lecture or organising a workshop, please contact the hosts of the Congress to arrange the necessary space, hardware and time-slot. 1.5 Can I help out at the Congress? -------------------------------------- Indeed! We're looking for "chaos angels" to support us with regular tasks for the entire period of the Congress. As a chaos-angel you won't end up constantly stuck with work: we simply will ask you from time to time to help with particular tasks. We expect from participants registered as chaos-angel that they commit themselves for at least one of the days of the Congress, so that we are able to set up timetables and plan ahead. There are various topics and/or areas for which participants wishing to register as chaos-angel can apply for. In return, chaos-angels will have a reclining area of their own set aside where they can hang out and have fun away from all of the hussle and bussle. You will also receive one of our excellent Congress t-shirts for free. Should you be interested, please register in advance with our nifty web-form at . Specific requests should be addressed to . 1.6 Press ----------- A special entry fee has been arranged for members of the press. In return a designated press room will be made available for preparations, relaxation, access to documenation, interviews etc. Filming and taking of photographs is possible on day #1 (dec. 27th 2000) during the time of 10 AM and 2 PM only. However, no photographs or films are allowed at _any_ time in the _lower_ part of the hackcenter and in the cafeteria. Visual recordings of lectures are permitted, if explicit approval has been granted by the lecturer in question. In any case, no visual recordings of the audience are permitted. The participants of the Chaos Communication Congress insist on their right to their own image. Therefore even when events are recorded no pictures of participants maz be taken unless explicit permission is granted. On Tuesday, Dec 26th 2000 at 12:00h a press conference will be held by the CCC in the press room. To participate no pre-registration is necessary. If you want interviews in addition to the press conference please contact presse@ccc.de to negotiate a date. Events hosted by the SSDeV are governed by separate regulations concerning the entry to their venues. Members of the press wishing to cover any of these events are advised to check these regulations at http://www.ssdev.org/ Further details for members of the press are available from a dedicated press-faq hosted on the Congress web server at http://www.ccc.de/congress/press All members of the press wishing to cover the Congress are kindly requested to register _in advance_, in order to enable effective coordination. A registration-form is available at http://www.ccc.de/congress/press 1.7 Language issues -------------------- In general, all lectures, discussions and workshops will be held in german. Unfortunately there will be no translation or dubbing services available. Lectures and workshops of international participants will partially be held in english. Such events will receive a special notice in the Congress itinery. Previous proceedings of the Congress suggest a significant percentage of international participants. Especially European visitors from the Netherlands, Austria, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Switzerland and Hungary have expressed lively interest and participation in the past. Numerous requests for information regarding the Congress have also been received from France, Italy, Spain, Denmark and Sweden. Communication shouldn't poise any unsurmountable problems. However: here at the Congress everybody can speak english. As of now, further versions of this faq in other languages are planned but haven't been realised yet. An up-to-date listing of all language-versions of this faq can be found at 1.8 Contacts ------------- All information regarding the Congress (including this FAQ) are available at the CCC web site at http://www.ccc.de/congress/ Should you wish to receive updates to this FAQ via email, please register at the chaos update mailing list. To do so, send a mail to You will receive an automatic response for confirmation. To get on the list, simply reply to that mail. If you wish to conduct a workshop or lecture of your own or to act as co-lecturer on an existing one or if you have organisational questions send mail to Please send errata, supplements, enhancements etc. to this faq to 2. PRACTICAL INFORMATION ============================ 2.1 Arrival by train ------------------------- The probably best way to travel to Berlin by train is from Hannover, Nürnberg or Hamburg via the ICE (Inter City Express) routes. Most trains stop at "Zoologischer Garten" in the western part of town, as well as at "Ostbahnhof" (you guessed it: in the eastern part). To check connections you can use the online timetable of the Deutsche Bahn at http://bahn.hafas.de/ Participants planning to travel directly to the Congress by train, should get off at "Ostbahnhof" and take the bus no. 240 to "U Heinrich-Heine-Straße" from where it's only a couple of meters to the HAKP (Congress Center "Haus am Köllnischen Park"). The bus leaves the station every 20 minutes (every 10 minutes during rush-hour). Alternatively, you may take the S-bahn *back* (in relation to the direction you took by train) one station to "S Jannowitzbrücke" from where it's ca. 150 meters to the HAKP. (see also section 2.3) If your train ends at "zoologischer garten", take the U-Bahn U2 to "Märkisches museum" (trains running to "Vinetastrasse") from where it's ca. 100 meters to the HAKP. Maps of the Congress vicinity are available at: http://www.ccc.de/congress/travel 2.2 Arrival by car ------------------------- The best way to reach Berlin by car is to use one of the "Autobahn"-routes, any of which will lead you onto the "Berliner Ring" (A10). Depending on which section of the A10 this approach leads you to, we advise different routes. Hint: Berlin is notorious for its numerous construction sites and a rather lively activity in the area of street renaming. We therefore strongly suggest to use a fairly _recent_ edition of a city map, in order to avoid confusion and frustration due to "missing" or "unexpected" buildings, stations, streets etc. -> Arrival via A24 or A11 (the direct route) In this case, it is best to use the A114 from "Autobahndreieck Pankow" (exit 32). The A114 turns into "Prenzlauer Promenade" after a while, then into "Prenzlauer Allee". Continue until "Alexanderplatz". Turn left at the "Forum Hotel", immediately right, then left again. Now you're on "Alexanderstraße" leading towards an S-Bahn bridge. Drive underneath this bridge onto "Brückenstraße". Take the second turn right (Rungestrasse), then the first left which incidentially is named "Straße am Köllnischen Park". Voila! -> Arrival via A2 or A9 (the scenic route) Driving eastward, exit the A10 at "Dreieck Drewitz" and take the A115 ("Avus") towards Berlin central. After several kilometers straight onward you'll reach the big Autobahn-shebang where you need to take the 100 towards _Hamburg_ (!); but only for a little while - after a few hundred meters take the exit "Kaiserdamm". Once on the "Kaiserdamm" itself (a large town road) follow it eastward, straight ahead towards the "Brandenburger Tor" (yup, you're doing the "tourist thing" :-) As of this writing, the Brandenburger Tor is closed for motorized traffic, so you need to take a right when you reach it. After this detour you'll find yourself back on track (street signs should now resemble something like "Unter den Linden"). Continue eastwards yet again, past the former "Palast der Republik", then turn right onto "Spandauer Straße". Continue past the "Rote Rathaus" (the city hall) past two intersections onto "Stralauer Straße" until you reach the S-Bahn bridge. Continue underneath the bridge and take a right at the next intersection (this will lead you underneath the S-bahn for a second time). You are/should be now on "Brückenstrasse". Turn into the second street (Rungestrasse), then immediately left again into the "Straße am Köllnischen Park". Presto! -> Arrival via A12 or A13 (the unspectacular route) If you arrive on the A12, simply ignore the A10. Instead locate the A113 and take it straight into town. In case you arrive on the A13, enter the A10 until "Schönefelder Kreuz" where you exit onto the A113. Either way you'll end up on the A113. After a while the A113 turns into the B96, leading - eventually - to Berlin central. Be stubborn, play hard: stick straight to the B96 (don't let that little detour around the "Treptower Park" upset or deter you) until you reach a S-bahn bridge. Drive underneath it. Brace yourself. Continue dead straight ahead. The road you're taking will change its name several times en-route: Puschkinallee, Schlesische Straße, Köpenicker Straße. Towards the end of "Köpenicker Straße" you'll intersect "Brückenstrasse" resp. "Heinrich-Heine-Straße" at the U-Bahn station "U Heinrich-Heine-Straße". Continue for one more intersection, then turn right into "Straße am Köllnischen Park". Bingo! 2.3 Once in Berlin, how do I get to the Congress? ---------------------------------------------------- The U-Bahn station "U Heinrich-Heine-Straße" (U-Bahn U8, bus no. 240, 265) is just a few meters away from the convention centre "Haus am Köllnischen Park" (HAKP). This should be your station of choice to reach the Congress comfortably. The stations "U Märkisches Museum" (U2) and "S Jannowitzbrücke" are a bit further off, but definitely within walking distance. Time-tables of the "BVG" (the Berlin public transport authority) are available online at: http://www.fahrinfo-berlin.de/fahrinfo/de/index.htm But the Deutsche Bahn has also all of the inner-urban connections in its web-database, so you can check your connections online as well at http://bahn.hafas.de/ The precise wording of the station there is "Heinrich-Heine-Str. (U), Berlin". Yes, this web interface sucks. 2.4 Where can I find a car pool for my trip to the Congress? --------------------------------------------------------------- Links to web pages with car pools are published at http://www.ccc.de/congress/travel 2.5 Where can I find accommodation? ------------------------------------- A. NO BUDGET We offer the possibility to "sleep cheap" at a nearby gym. We charge DM 10,- per person per night. The gym will be open during the nights of dec. 26th thru to dec. 30th inclusive. The gym is located very close to the Congress venue. Tickets amd directions will be available at the info-desk at the Congress. B. SMALL BUDGET There are several backpacker hostels and inexpensive hotels in Berlin offering accommodation in single or double bedrooms for DM 22 to 38 per night. These hostels are usually available on short-term booking, however, demand is high during the Congress. We strongly recommend timely booking. The following listing is sorted by distance to the Congress. Prices are quoted without guarantee. Visitors not bringing their own sheets or yh-sleeping bags should prepare themselves for an additional one-time fee of dm 3 to 7. Jugendgästehaus des DSJ (DM 38,50 per person) Franz-Künstler-Straße 4-10, D-10969 Berlin (Kreuzberg) Tel +49 (30) 6151007, Fax +49 (30) 6146339 Frederik's Hostel (DM 22-DM 35 per person) Straße der Pariser Kommune 35, D-10243 Berlin (Friedrichshain) Tel +49 (30) 29669450, Fax +49 (30) 29669452 http://www.frederiks.de/, hostel@frederiks.de Circus The Hostel (DM 25-DM 38 per person) Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße 39-41, D-10117 Berlin (Mitte) Tel +49 (30) 28391433, Fax +49 (30) 28391484 http://www.circus-berlin.de/, circus@mind.de Backpacker Hostel Berlin (DM 25-DM 38 per person) Chausseestrasse 102, D-10115 Berlin (Mitte) Tel +49 (30) 2625140, Fax +49 (30) 28390935 http://www.backpacker.de/ Jugendgästehaus Berlin (DM 32 per person) -> ONLY FOR PEOPLE WITH YOUTH-HOSTEL CARDS! Kluckstraße 3, D-10785 Berlin (Tiergarten) Tel +49 (30) 2611098, Fax +49 (30) 2650383 http://www.jugendherberge.de/jghb/jghb0.htm Lette'm sleep 7 (DM 26-DM 45 per person) Lettestraße 7, D-10478 Berlin (Prenzlauer Berg) Tel +49 (30) 44733623, Fax +49 (30) 44733625 http://www.backpackers.de/bp/ C. RELAXED For the more affluent visitor of the Congress there are a number of inexpenisve hotels. Prices quoted in this listing represent the _minimum_ charge for single as well as double rooms. Hotel zur Reichspost (single: DM 65, double: DM 90) Urbanstraße 84, D-10967 Berlin (Kreuzberg) Tel +49 (30) 6911035, Fax +49 (30) 6937889 Conveniently located at the U8 Hotel Garni Am Anhalter Bahnhof (single: DM 80) (4/5-bedroom total for DM 40 per person) Stresemannstraße 36, D-10963 Berlin (Kreuzberg) Tel +49 (30) 2510342, Fax +49 (30) 2514897 Pension Kreuzberg (single: DM 70) Großbeerenstraße 64, D-10963 Berlin (Kreuzberg) Tel +49 (30) 2511362, Fax +49 (30) 2510638 D. DELUXE Visitors accustomed to a higher standard of living may wish to consider the following hotels within the vicinity of the Congress: Hotel Luisenhof (single: DM 210, double: DM 250) Köpenicker Straße 92, D-10179 Berlin (Mitte) Tel +49 (30) 2415906, Fax +49 (30) 2792983 art'otel ermelerhaus Berlin (single: DM 235, double: DM 275) Wallstraße 70-73, D-10179 Berlin (Mitte) Tel +49 (30) 24062-0, Fax +49 (30) 24062-222 http://www.artotel.de, berlin@artotel.de 2.6 Notice to visitors with disabilities ------------------------------------------ The Congress is of course also available and open to visitors with disabilities and/or wheelchairs. Should you require any assistance, please don't hesitate to contact the "angel coordination office" (via the info desk) where you can have a "chaos angel" assigned for your assistance. The Berlin public transport authority BVG has dedicated web-pages for people with disabilities (in german). You can find them at http://www.bvg.de/news/mobilitaet.html Likewise for the S-Bahn: http://www.s-bahn-berlin.de/index3.html Visitors with wheelchairs arriving with public transportation are advised to use the s-bahn to "s-bahnhof jannowitzbrücke", as this station is equipped with an elevator. From "Jannowitzbrücke" it's approx. 150 meters to the Congress venue. At the convention center itself a toilet for disabled people and an elevator are available (keys for the elevator can be obtained at the info-desk). By these means all venues may be accessed without the use of stairs, except for workshop 1/2 and the lower floor of the Hackcenter. These are accessable via a stair with ca. 15 steps. 2.7 Public swimming pools in Congress vicinity ----------------------------------------------- There is a public swimming pool located approx. 10 min. By foot from the HAKP. It is located at Holzmarktstraße 51, 10243 Berlin-Friedrichshain, Tel +49 (030) 2492174. http://www.stadtplandienst.de/query;ORT=b;LL=13.427825x52.514053 It is open until 6 PM on Dec. 26th and until 11 PM on Dec. 27th to 29th. Entry is DM 4,- reduced and DM 6.- regular per day. 3. ENTRY AND FEES ==================== 3.1 Entry fees and booking ---------------------------- Access to the Congress is available with either a day-pass or a full ticket covering all three days. Each participant will receive a receipt upon request. Journalists and commercial visitors receive an invoice along with complete Congress documentation material. Full tickets (valid on all days of the Congress) ------------- standard DM 60,-- reduced DM 40,-- press DM 90,-- rich people DM 230,-- business visitor DM 2300,-- Day Passes ----------- standard DM 30,-- reduced DM 20,-- Reduced prices are available only to - Members of CCC e.V., SSD e.V. and C-Base e.V. - Scholars They are NOT available for students or members of civil service or military service. Kids under the age of 12 get in free. Members of the named clubs will be identified through a member list at the box office. This list will include all members who have paid their membership fees prior to dec. 15th 2000. Press may order their tickets in advance using http://www.ccc.de/congress/press Business tickets may be ordered using http://www.ccc.de/congress/tickets All other ticket types do NOT require booking in advance. Get your ticket at the entrance. You can get a receipt for your payment on request. 3.2 Food --------- The Chaoscafé offers cooked meals, snacks, tea, coffee and other beverages during the entire day. Canned jolt and Clubmate will be amply provided for. 3.3 Can I bring my computer? ----------------------------- Our experience from recent years is that many people have mistaken the Hackcenter as a LAN-Party. So we are going to we are restricting access to the Hackcenter a bit using a project model. This means that space in the Hackcenter is limited and is available only via pre-registration on our web site. Everybody who does not register and does not receive an OK from us via e-mail should expect that there might be no space for his/her equipment in the Hackcenter. If the Hackcenter is full, it is full - nobody else will be left in and no other rooms will be opened. Interesting projects and demonstrations of software or hardware are preferred. Space in the upper part of the Hackcenter is exclusively reserved for projects (see also 3.4). Registration is done only through the web site at http://www.ccc.de/congress/hackcenter If you have a Laptop/PDA with a Wireless Ethernet adapter (IEEE 802.11) can connect to CongressNet without a cable and you won't need space in the Hackcenter at all. There will be a Docking Table for Laptops outside the Hackcenter to connect to CongressNet temporarily. Any hardware larger than pocket-size (i.e. desktop computers, laptops, notebooks, monitors etc. but not mobile phones, pilots etc.) _must_ be registered at the entrance. Such items may be removed from the building only with the appropriate Congress pass and only during the main hours from 9 AM to 10 PM. If you wish, a photograph or ID-number (drivers-licence, passport) can be entered on/attached to the Congress pass to ensure the effectiveness of this method even if the Congress pass should become lost. 3.4 What is a "project"? ------------------------- A "project" is an interesting exploration of a certain technical topic which is organised by you or your group of people. This can be a demonstration of very modern or very old hardware or a software workshop (programming, installation, administration) that is of interest to other Congress participants as well. Network games or warez trading do definitely not apply for a project. 3.5 Is my stuff insured? -------------------------- All exits from the Congress and the Hackcenter will be guarded at all times and only items on the hardware list will be let out. Once again: hardware may be removed from the building only with the appropriate Congress pass and only during the main hours from 9 AM to 10 PM WE MEAN IT! However, we cannot take any responsibility for lost or stolen hardware whatsoever. Visitors wishing to insure their machinery should get a private hardware insurance policy from their insurance company of choice. 4. CONGRESSNET =============== 4.1 Is there internet on the Congress? ---------------------------------------- All computers at the hack center, workshops and venues will be connected to the internet. We will provide wireless Internet access via an IEEE 802.11 network. 4.2 How do I receive an IP-adress and a DNS entry? ---------------------------------------------------- You receive your IP-address for your computer at the hack center. Issuance follows RFC2322 using labelled clothes pegs. Once booted, you can register your machine online at the Congress nick. Point your browser of choice to http://noc.congress.ccc.de Here you can enter your nickname. You will receive a pop3/imap mailbox with @congress.ccc.de and can register a dns-entry with your ip-address .congress.ccc.de. Should you set up a name server of your own, you can run your own subdomain under .congress.ccc.de. CongressNicks are issued strictly on a first-come-first-serve basis. 4.3 What equipment does my computer need for the CongressNet? --------------------------------------------------------------- Principially, CongressNet is either offered on a 10Base-T (10 mbit/sec) or 100Base-TX (100 Mbit/sec) basis with RJ45 jacks. If 10Base-2 connectivity is required, this may be achieved with additional hubs equipped with such an interface. However, 10Base-2 will not be provided by us. You have to bring your own adapter. The number of ports available is rather limited. Please bring plenty of cables, patch-cords and hubs of your own and label them with your name and phone number/e-mail address. Visitors with IEEE 802.11-compliant hardware may use wireless ethernet (2 mbit/sec or 802.11b/802.11HR 11mbit/sec) at the Congress . Please contact the hack center and ask for special IP-addresses. Please keep in mind, that the following items might become rare rather quickly. Should you have any of them lying around at home: bring 'em! - ethernet-wiring (twisted pair/coax) (!) - RJ45 jacks - Crimps - Hubs & switches (!) - Multi-AC-outlets - Power-cord extensions We're striving to offer 100 Mbit/sec connectivity on all segments of the CongressNet, however, we can't give any guarantee. 4.4 Which services and protocols can I use on the CongressNet? --------------------------------------------------------------- In principal, all ethernet-capable protocols are usable. This means, that besides ip also AppleTalk, DECnet, IPX/SPX, SNA and netBIOS (NetBIOS/NetBEUI, NetBIOS/TCPBEUI) may be used. Internet connectivity is IP only. Alternatively to IPv4, IPv6 may also be used. IPv6 to the Internet will be tunneled. Access to the net will not be filtered. Visitors wishing for security will need to set up their own firewall. However, the Chaos Communication Congress is certainly not a good neighbourhood for sensitive data to hang out - any time of day! Or to stress the metaphor even further: your kids will definitely play in traffic! the best thing is not to bring any sensitive data on your harddisc in the first place. People wishing to read email via the CongressNet should use at least pop3/imap4 or, even better yet, secure telnet (i.e. via ssh). Passwords are game at the Congress! 4.5 Are there any codes of conduct on the CongressNet? -------------------------------------------------------- Yes. In short: live and let live. Already the previous Congress, as well as the camp have showed, that some people enjoy attacking the network infrastructure just for the sake of it. Experienced hackers frown upon such attempts and find such behaviour silly, superfluous and intolerable. Delinquents caught hacking internal machines will be sentenced to toilet-cleaning not under 23 seats. Participants who think it's a terribly good laugh to crash other machines with nukes and other niceties are risking their ethernet-card. Hacking is great sport, but nastiness will be answered accordingly. Read our lips. Unsophisticated hacking on the Internet (i.e. brute force attacks, DOS etc.) are to be avoided under all circumstances. Please keep in mind that THE PERSECUTION OF CRIMINAL OFFENCES CANNOT BE RULED OUT EVEN AT THE CONGRESS! Furthermore, you are kindly requested not to bring speakers. If you need sound, bring your own headphones.