Bitcoin Forum

Just a little news to announce the dot-bit project (http://dot-bit.org/) (dot-bit.org and dot-bit.bit).

Why dot-bit ?
Namecoin.com/org/net are not free. So...

Dot-BIT goal is to spread .bit domains by providing ressources and tools for the developpers and the end users (and avoid to flood the bitcoin forum too much with a derivated project).

You can :
- download the namecoin software,
- register to the development mailing list (http://dot-bit.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/namecoin-dev-dot-bit.org),
- find active namecoin sellers
- find a list of current dns servers,
- follow the project progress with current and future tasks.


This is a wiki, so you can add your own dns server (like gsan does :p), complete and re-organise it, because there is still much to do (separate end user and developpers in two pages, create a FAQ, detail other tasks, etc).

Some updates :
- homepage has been split into sub pages
- first version of "how to browse .bit domains" (http://dot-bit.org/HowToBrowseBitDomains)
- updated list of namecoin sellers (http://dot-bit.org/HowToBuyNamecoins)
- updated list of tasks (http://dot-bit.org/Main_Page)

Added the forum : http://dot-bit.org/forum/ (http://dot-bit.org/forum/index.php)

I've compiled the namecoind binary for linux 64bits with latest patches.
It's available on http://dot-bit.org/

It corrects disappeared domains and adds two rpc calls if problems are not corrected automatically : name_clean & deletetransaction (you'll need a transaction id, obtained with listtransactions [make backup before !]).
It uses new namecoin addresses starting with N instead of 1
Example : N3345eoPuzXH8nsGqtDUKM5Wts1HgU5r2f

When I visit this page http://dot-bit.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/namecoin-dev-dot-bit.org to sign up to the dev mailing list, it's all in french. Ce n'est pas un probleme pour moi... But when I click to translate the page into english, I am met with a scary "THIS CONNECTION IS UNTRUSTED" by firefox.

Any way you could make it "trusted"?

I'm considering setting up an experimental mining pool on the .bit infrastructure so I am indeed interested in the dev mailing list sign up!

It is switching from http to https, so you have a warning because of the ssl certificate... (a solution would be to have a dedicated ip and a new ssl certificate, or to avoid the redirection to https)

Might I suggest you avoid the redirection to https then? Until you get a properly signed certificate?

That warning alone might scare away a few new users.

Edit: I just signed up to your forum and made a few posts, but it seems as though you have some heavy spam protection on there! Good on you!

Coming from a former forum poster however... it would be much more beneficial to your forum and your community if you simply created your own question to be answered when registering - using a plugin for phpbb like this one: http://boonedocks.net/mike/archives/143-PHPBB-Anti-spam-Registration-Question.html (http://boonedocks.net/mike/archives/143-PHPBB-Anti-spam-Registration-Question.html)

Simply changing that question once per month will keep your forum spam free forever.

So, are domains registered through namecoin anonymous, seeing as it's just a modified bitcoin? Would this be considered a darknet, like .onion or .i2p sites? I don't quite know what I'm talking about, but I'm just wondering.

AFAIK to use this service you need only add the namecoind dns server to your list of dns server on your network/internet connection.

No it's not a darknet (nothing is encrypted), it's just an easy way to handle dns ownership.

Domains are registered anonymously, but the webpages they point to are not hidden.
Advantages of namecoin are :
- censorship-resistant domains
- owner of domain is anonymous


Edit : gigabytecoin > fixed the https redirection. Thanks.
Edit2 : captcha has been replaced by a Q&A

So, I registered a domain, and set the nameservers to ns1.slicehost.net, ns2.slicehost.net, and  ns3.slicehost.net. How do I add a dns record for a .bit website?

like this

anything else can be done on slicehost

That's what I did, but how do I make it go to my server specifically? Normally, after I set nameservers on a domain, I have to log in to my server management page and add dns records to my server as well.

yeah, can't you do that on slicehost?
i do so on afraid.org

you can also set your IPs in namecoin though
should look like

Well, I tried to, but everytime I pressed submit, it just dissapeared. I think it doesn't want to recognise the .bit extension. But you say I can just map it directly to my server's IP, instead of going through the slicehost nameservers first?

I've update this page to show how to configure a domain :
http://dot-bit.org/HowToRegisterBitDomains#How_to_configure_your_domain

Choice 1 : use ns and configure things like you usually do it on slicehost.
Choice 2 : map to the ip of your webserver

Well, mapping directly to my server's ip still gave me the "server not found" error. But I tried using ns with slicehost again, and adding a dns zone with my domain, and this time I got some output:
Anyway I could trick it, maybe?

It's easier just to do this. What's the point of using an alternative to DNS when you're just forwarding to an existing DNS?

Replace :
"{\"map\": {\"\": {\"ns\": [\"ns1.slicehost.net, ns2.slicehost.net, ns3.slicehost.net\"]}}}"
With :
"{\"map\": {\"\": {\"ns\": [\"ns1.slicehost.net\", \"ns2.slicehost.net\", \"ns3.slicehost.net\"]}}}"

Your domain should appear in the "Configured full domains" after some minuts :
http://opennic.bit/#dom


Edit : your domain is not configured on slicehost, or slicehost does not support .bit maybe ?

Here is a domain price calculator :
http://dot-bit.org/tools/domainCost.php

Enter the current block number (default one is an estimation, good enough) and you'll have the result.

Price will be 25NC on block 8196, and 12.5NC on block 16392, etc.

Is there a good blog post that explains this project to non-bitcoin fanatics?

Not yet that I know of.

If anybody writes one, feel free to post it below!

Who will be the first to create a about page on the wiki ? :p

Here is small tool to check the json-value you submit in namecoin :
http://dot-bit.org/tools/domainCheck.php

It only says if the json-syntax is valid and tries to correct \, " and ' problems.
It may avoid some common problems when registering a domain :p

It might be too technical, but I blogged about it recently: http://www.bluishcoder.co.nz/2011/05/12/namecoin-a-dns-alternative-based-on-bitcoin.html

I've compiled the 32bits version of namecoin for linux :
http://dot-bit.org/files/namecoin_linux32.tgz

I've updated the two linux archives (32 & 64bits) of namecoind with latest patches (ex: Report immature coinbase transactions in listtransactions, and a lot more patches from bitcoins)

If someone wants to build the windows version, i would put it on the dot-bit wiki (http://dot-bit.org).

Nice, thank you!

Here are some recent questions about the design of the project :

- Storing data in a DHT ? (http://dot-bit.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=32)

- How to prevent rush on new TLD/namespace over time (http://dot-bit.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=31)

- Change the expire time of a domain (http://dot-bit.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=18)

- [SPEC] Domain name specification (http://dot-bit.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=15)


ps : we are still waiting for a recent windows build from a generous compiler :p

hardly can call something related[even as bootstrap]to notorious-namespace "p2p DNS".
not [enough]tampering/hijack-proof.

Latest news about the project :

- expiration time has been increased, as asked by a lot of people, from 12k to 36k blocks (250 days instead of 83). Change will take effect at block 24k (commit (https://github.com/vinced/namecoin/commit/e28d4fdcec5bed36b74bfb928676c65194c8b27f)).

- fees will decrease faster after block 24k, to avoid the past situation where registering a name cost near 40$ (current price (http://dot-bit.org/tools/domainCost.php) : 7.5$).

- 2000 domains names (http://namecoin.bitcoin-contact.org/q/domainnumber.txt) are currently reserved for a total of 2020 names. 44 names have expired and are free again (see also expiring soon (http://www.namecoin.us/expires.php)).

- namecoin difficulty (http://dot-bit.org/tools/nextDifficulty.php) is subject to a boomerang effect : after a x4, a x0.38 is currently expected. But, hashing power seems to increase again since several days (instant power drop to x0.20 but is now at x0.31).

- draft spec (http://dot-bit.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=15) still needs your comments to be finalized.

Damn. I forgot about the expiration, and all of my domains expired!

EDIT: On that note, who's a good namecoin seller now?

Always open for namecoin sales

https://exchange.bitparking.com/main

or here:

http://dot-bit.org/HowToGetNamecoins

Khal how much faster are the fees to buy domains going to decrease by after block 24k?

4 times faster.

Domain Cost Tool (http://dot-bit.org/tools/domainCost.php) is uptodate if you want to do some tests.

so, I thought my domains expired, but they all still work. However, when I do "./namecoind name_list" the domains show negative expire times. For example, one of them says:
What does that mean?

It's now free and somebody else can register it. You can't renew it too, you must register it again (name_new, name_firstupdate).

I must update my DNS server to ignore names with negative values (something changed, they was marked as "expired: 1" in a previous version of namecoin)
Edit : fixed.

Anyone wanna trade a NMC or two for BTC?

exchanges and sellers here

http://dot-bit.org/HowToGetNamecoins

I recommend bitparking exchange.

I don't know if you are directly involved in the project, but I'm not sure who is, and I wanted to report that I believe I may see a bug in the new nextDifficulty calculator.  I know it is supposed to be more accurate, but right now,  shows 94035.9021742 as the next difficulty citing a x4 max adjustment while the newer calculator (in your posted URL) shows it being 107608.93, which is presumably wrong because of the x4 max adjustment limit. (http://dot-bit.org/tools/nextDifficulty_old.php)

Already fixed.

And yeah, khal is the owner of dot-bit.org

Yes, thanks for reporting it (you are the second one :p). It's fixed.

Last news from namecoin / dot-bit :

- Merged Mining is active since october 8 and is working like a charm. Network power has moved from 500GHash/s to 2000/3000GH/s, and it's not finished yet ! Bitcoin / Namecoin ratio (http://dot-bit.org/tools/nextDifficulty.php) is now below 10.

- Version 0.3.24.64 has been released, please update, it's a security release.

- 3000 valid domains (http://dns.dot-bit.org/stats/domain_count.txt) names reached today ! (for a total of 3030 names (http://dns.dot-bit.org/stats/name_count.txt)).

- a php script (NamecoinToBind (https://github.com/khalahan/NamecoinToBind)) is available if you want do make your own bind server with .bit support