Bitcoin Forum

I am around for a while now and know most stuff in theory. But practically I have never used anything else than Bitcoin Core.
So I am now trying to get a more secure solution for both storing and using Bitcoins.
I heard about small Live OS, but don't remember the name of some good ones.
Things that the OS should include:

- Not even having drivers for Network connection, just USB for my printer(of course the printer should work with it)
- Creating adresses in QR-Code I can print out(Multisig adresses, where I need e.g. 2 of 3 would also be nice.
- Scanning QR-Codes via webcam( I have one in my netbook and one via usb)
- Making offline transactions(I'd also need a software or site to execute them). Do you guys see any problems about storing the transaction on the same USB-drive where the OS is on?

So basically nothing fancy.
Any suggestions?

I am looking for same solution. I heard Tails OS has the features you mentioned but now that I downloaded it, it has network drivers..
Best thing about Tails is it allowed encrypted persistence storage and you can use Electrum to sign offline transactions.

Edit:
I guess you may have the ability to disable network after you have booted into Tails.

http://bitzuma.com/posts/bitcoin-paper-wallets-from-scratch/  
Scroll down to "Better Computer Security" part

"Tails disregards any changes made to its configuration after shutdown, so hardware must be configured for each session. To generate paper wallets from a newly-booted Tails instance, be sure all network connections have been disabled and that a printer has been installed."

Edit2: you may be able to save changes on persistence USB.

Yes, we need such an OS for people really into Bitcoin. I guess for the regular person using Bitcoin this is far too complicated, they won't even know what an OS is, less how they boot one. Such an OS needs several light-weight clients, a paper wallet creator, vanity address generators, mining software, etc. And it should be rather lightweight and it would be great if it could be booted on a raspberry pi!

How does one make offline transactions?

Any linux live system will do the job, you can make a personalized setup for your particular hardware if needed.

Well you have your private keys (your wallet) on an offline system. And if you want to spend Bitcoin you create a transaction and then sign the transaction on your offline wallet. The resulting transactions gets then transacted on an online computer. Since only the transaction that has been signed can then be conducted, you don't reveal anything secret!

How do you propagate the transaction? Is there a guide? This seems the perfect way to handle bitcoin...

Well this can be done with the wallets that support signing an offline transaction. But it can also be done on several web services, for example blockchain.info: https://blockchain.info/pushtx (https://blockchain.info/pushtx)

I think that live OS is Bitkey at bitkey.io (http://bitkey.io)
I use it for brain wallet purpose.

It includes (offline mode):

• electrum wallet
• bitaddress
• qr code generator
• text editor
• file manager

I have with pictures explaining all the steps: http://www.btcguys.us/blog/how-to-create-offline-wallet-with-electrum-bitcoin-client-and-broadcast-transactions

Great, thanks!

I agree, we need some light OS, preferably bootable from a live disc, that features all the important programs needed to create wallets or even run your miner. It needs to be maintained properly and has to be compatible with all the recent miners as well!

I would recommend using an Arch linux derivative for this task, (UP to date, latest cgminer and bfgminer, etc.., well supported)
Requirements would be to set a Fixed snapshot that works and remove update possibility except for the cgminer, other miners and their dependencies, this will remove problems when update arrives, this could be ran from an USB..

It would be also possible to use Ubuntu based one that works pretty good since there's a way to store your file inside the usb and just re use it and  you'll have your file there, etc.

edit: an Ubuntu based like xubuntu would be great since its really lightweight and have lots of drivers available

One of my side projects that falls under the "if I ever get time" heading is to do exactly this.  I have quite some experience in building custom OS's and this is how I would do it;-

* Boot from CD or USB.
* Nuke and then encrypt (AES) the HDD.
* Mount the HDD with the no execute flag.
* Fire up a pile of coin wallets and download the blockchain (bitcoin, namecoin, litecoin etc..).
* Have local copies of all the various normal and SPV clients as well as the various web generators.
* Networking will of course be there but you can turn it on and off (default off).
* Built in TOR if you wish to use it.
* Screwed down so hard that the only things you can execute will be what came with the OS.
* NO root access (not even su or sudo).

Everything would be compiled by hand by me (not using a "standard" distro), I would also put up a few bounties.  One largish one if you could prove that I was up to something nefarious and another if you could find a way to steal coins from it.

Anyways, "if I ever get time" ;) .

Neil

I tried that out yesterday. I didn't really see an option to print out my private key (QR-Codes) or scan them and just create the  transaction to execute it in another online OS, which is my whole point of using an offline OS.
I also think, the Electrum Wallet way of generating adresses is way to complicated. I just want to generate a bunch of adresses to print out.

I tried that out yesterday. I didn't really see an option to print out my private key (QR-Codes) or scan them and just create the  transaction to execute it in another online OS, which is my whole point of using an offline OS.
I also think, the Electrum Wallet way of generating adresses is way to complicated. I just want to generate a bunch of adresses to print out.
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We released a new version and updated the documentation with step by step instructions for doing offline airgapped transactions, which is what we're using BitKey for ourselves. We've also included a few additional tools other than Electrum such as WarpWallet and coinbin.

Printer support is tricky to get right on a non-persistent OS (e.g., automatic configuration), so we haven't gotten to that yet. Not a feature we use personally. Also, sending to a printer is potentially quite dangerous. It's not always easy to tell what your printer is storing, where.