Fellow Forum Members,
I have a clean install of Ubuntu 18 on a brand new 2TB hard drive I bought for my new ARMORY ONLINE PC setup. The time has come to install the latest version for both Bitcoin Core and Armory. I hope someone would be so kind to clarify for me if it is best to install both Armory and Bitcoin Core using the PPA install process or is it better to use the traditional DEB install process?  Mainly, I would like to know if using the PPA install process will make my life easier as it relates to installing Armory and Bitcoin Core updates in the future?  In short, are Armory and Bitcoin Core designed to take advantage of the PPA install process?  Does PPA have any negatives?  

From what I gather the PPA install process requires I use the terminal commands shown below:

Do I need to make any changes to the code shown above?

Thanks in advance and I look forward to reading any opinions if the PPA installation process is the best installation process to use or if the traditional DEB install process is the best way to go.  

Fellow Forum Member,
I have the update I promised. After many hours of time spent syncing my bitcoin core app and Armory app I hit a brick wall relating to not enough hard drive space. In short, I was never able to see a wallet balance in my outdated Armory v93.1 and bitcoin core v0.15.1.0 apps due to some low disk space error messages that appeared. I was really disappointed and somewhat perplexed. Upon checking I learned the following:

• My 500GB hard drive is really 465GB after it is formatted.

• My .bitcoin file size is 213GB

• My Armory data base size is 180GB.

• My disk space app tells me I have 20GB left. However, my Bitcoin Core app is telling me I only have 350MB left of hard drive space. This has me perplexed.

Long story short, I picked up a new 2TB Sandisk SSD hard drive today for my new Ubuntu version 18 LTC Online PC build. I intend  to rebuild my Armory Online PC and then transfer over the necessary files both Armory and Bitcoin Core app need to work correctly.  I would really be grateful if anybody in this forum can clarify for me the following:

• Is transferring this 213GB blockchain data a good idea or is it smarter to just re-download all 213GB  blockchain data from scratch? In other words, does the Bitcoin Core app prefer one way or the other? Additionally, what is the source path and destination path to this blockchain data if transferring it is the best approach? In other words, does the new Bitcoin Core v18 app use a different blockchain data folder location compared to my old v15 Bitcoin Core app?

• What are paths to the critical Armory files I need to transfer?

• Besides blockchain data, what are the paths to other critical Bitcoin Core files I need to transfer?

• My plan is to install the latest Armory version 0.96.5. What not included dependencies do I need to look out for so Armory works correctly?

• I'm not sure about installing the app called QT. Do the latest Bitcoin Core and Armory versions require I install QT?

• Is there any great online training content that already has answers to my questions?

My focus right now is to get my ONLINE PC back up. I will focus on rebuilding my OFFLINE PC at a later time. Thanks in advance for any help relating to setting up an Online Armory PC.

One last thing I would like to share. For those buying a laptop from Craigslist as an Ubuntu offline PC, you should make sure it can accept a 2.5" / 15MM height form factor internal hard drive. Laptops that only accept internal hard drives with a 9.5MM height will prevent you from buying inexpensive 2TB or 4TB mechanical hard drives. And force you to instead buy expensive 9.5MM height 2TB and 4TB SSD drives. In short, NewEgg and Amazon do not have for sale 9.5MM height, 2TB, 7500RPM 2.5" internal laptop mechanical hard drives because hard drive manufacturers are only now making 15MM high ones for mechanical hard drives that match such specs. 

Carlton,
Thank you very much for your post. I was surprised to learn I was looking at the wrong website.

Question regarding the two Ubuntu download links below:
Armory 0.96.5 Ubuntu/Debian 64-bit with GCC 4.9
Armory 0.96.5 Ubuntu/Debian 64-bit with GCC 7.2

Which download is the one that applies to the Offline PC?  I'm asking because I want to know if the .deb file for the Offline PC includes all needed dependencies.  I plan to setup an Offline PC with the latest Ubuntu 18 LTS. Therefore, it would be helpful to know which download is the correct one to setup an Offline PC.  Any help will be greatly appreciated.

PhoenixFire and Carlton Banks,
Thank you very much for contributing to this thread. Your answers are very helpful. My Bitcoin Core app is still syncing up. It shows it has 1year and 13weeks left to be in total sync with the Bitcoin blockchain. Once syncing is done, I will launch my outdated Armory app and cross my fingers it shows me a wallet balance after it syncs up to Bitcoin Core. As for broadcasting, I don't plan to do that. I just plan to keep it in cold storage for another 7 to 10 years and see what happens to the price in the future.

I will make sure to post if I do see or do not see my wallet balance once this process is done. This way I can make sure I can help others in the same boat I find myself in which is bringing back to life an Ubuntu laptop which has been dormant for a very long time.

Additionally, Carlton has convinced me to keep using Ubuntu since it has better privacy compared to Windows. One thing I forgot to mention is  I only have like 75GB left on the hard drive running my Ubuntu OS, Armory, QT, Bitcoin Core and blockchain data. In short, I believe it is time to get a new laptop from Craigslist and leave my old laptop as is.

This time I will be buying a Western Digital 4TB 2.5" laptop hard drive so I can have plenty of space to continue syncing up to the blockchain for years to come. On this new laptop I will install the latest Armory, Bitcoin Core and Ubuntu software. The bridge I will eventually have to cross is learning how to transfer the entire blockchain data from the old hard drive to the new 4TB hard drive and also figure out how to migrate my Armory wallet over to the new 4TB hard drive.  However, I think maybe it may be smart if I wait for Armory version .97 to come out before I go about on building a new Ubuntu Armory laptop.

Lastly, I will reword one of my questions a different way.  The Armory download site (https://www.bitcoinarmory.com/download/) has the download links shown below:

DOWNLOADS:
0.96.0
#1 Armory 0.96.0 Installer for Windows 64-bit
#2 Armory 0.96.0 Zip package for Windows 64-bit
#3 Armory 0.96.0 for Ubuntu/Debian 64-bit with GCC 4.7
#4 Armory 0.96.0 for Ubuntu/Debian 64-bit with GCC 5.3
#5 Armory 0.96.0 Signed Hash File

Only options #3 and #4 seem to be Ubuntu related. Given that, which download (#3 or #4) applies to the Offline PC? And which one (#3 or #4) applies to the Online PC?  Also, what is the GCC 4.7 and GCC 5.3 difference about?  Thanks in advance for any help.

Fellow Forum Members,
My online bitcoin laptop is setup with bitcoin core v0.15.1.0 and Armory v93.1. I have not turned it on for years. However, I managed to update it to the latest Ubuntu v18 bionic beaver. My question is simple. After bitcoin core finishes syncing up in about another 3 weeks and then I launch my v93.1 Armory software am I still going to be able to see my wallet balance of one original bitcoin? In other words, are the versions of Armory and Bitcoin Core I'm using just too old to still successfully work and show me a correct wallet balance? 

Additionally, I hope somebody can clarify for me the following. In the old Armory v93.1 software there was an Armory download to install onto the Online PC and a second Armory download to install onto the Offline PC where the private keys are kept. Now for Armory v96.5 I see there is only a single Armory download. What happened to the Offline PC Armory download?  I am confused about this change and I am hoping someone out there can clarify to me why has the OFFLINE PC Armory download been eliminated? Are we now expected to keep are private keys on the Armory installed on the ONLINE PC?  That would be a big change in security because keeping them on an Offline Armory PC setup seems a lot safer to me. Or are we expected to use the same v96.5 Armory software download and install them on both an ONLINE PC and OFFLINE PC? 

Lastly, I have never really felt comfortable with the Ubuntu Linux OS. I am seriously thinking of setting up an entirely new system under the Windows10 OS which I master a lot better. In my head I see this workflow:

1. Download bootstrap file via torrent file link.
2. Install Bitcoin Core 18.1 and sync it up.
3. Install Armory v96.5 and allow it to sync up with Bitcoin Core data.

Where I am confused is my wallet on Ubuntu. Will an Armory Ubuntu wallet still be recognized on a Armory Windows setup? Additionally, do my private keys on my Offline Ubuntu PC stay where they are at?  Or do I need to move them to a separate offline Windows PC?  In short, is it a good or bad idea to migrate from Ubuntu over to Windows?

I hope somebody out there will be kind enough to address my questions so I can have a clearer idea of what path to follow.  Thanks in advance for any help.


 

 

Thanks to all for your post.  Jojo69 your way of explaining where one's bitcoins actually reside was especially helpful for a newbie learning this Armory software.

Fellow Forum Members,
My old Armory setup from 3 years ago resides on two desktop PCs running Ubuntu 14.  One PC is offline and the other one is online. I now got two identical Dell laptops. My goal is to setup both Dell laptops with Ubuntu 16 and install the latest and greatest Armory 0.96.3 version to both Dell Laptops.

Mainly, I feel confident about performing steps 1 through 2 listed below:

1. Install Ubuntu 16 on both Laptops.
2. On the Online Laptop install Bitcore and bootstrap file and sync up Bitcore to latest blockchain block.

However, I do not feel confident about migrating over my Bitcoins. How do I install Armory 0.96.3 version to the new Ubuntu 16 Offline laptop and migrate my bitcoins from the old setup from 3 years ago?  I must admit I'm very paranoid I'm going to do something wrong and lose my bitcoins.

Is it a matter of plugging in a USB stick to my offline Ubuntu 14 PC and copying over my bitcoins from the old Ubuntu 14 Offline PC  over to the new Ubuntu 16 Dell Laptop?

If yes, what is the folder path where my bitcoins reside in my old Ubuntu 14 Offline PC setup?  Additionally, is it possible to perform some kind of backup before I attempt this bitcoin migration?

I hope some one out there can please identify for me what files in Armory are the actual Bitcoin files I need to migrate over to my new Offline Dell Laptop Ubuntu 16 setup.  Thanks in advance for any help. 

Skza62,
Thanks for your post. When the Bitcoin Cash fork happened my bitcoins were stored in cold storage with Armory wallet software. I have still not done anything relating to claiming my BCH coins using my BTC coins because my Armory software has not been updated for 3 years. All I do is just keep my blockchain up to date using Bitcoin Core client software. I don't open my Armory software because as I mentioned it has not been updated for 3 years.  You mention we have both BTC and BCH for those owning Bitcoin before the fork. Does this mean 5 years from now if Bitcoin Cash is at $50,000 and Bitcoin is at $1,000 I could legally claim a $50,000 Bitcoin Cash with my single Bitcoin. Or would I only be entitled to a fraction of a Bitcoin Cash coin valued at $1,000?  I got my Bitcoins around 2013 and was advised to store them in Armory. I did just that, and have not done anything with them because I don't have the time to keep up with the Armory updates. But now I'm going to make the time to update my Armory.

HeRetiK,
I have private keys engraved into a piece of steel which is not as delicate as a piece of paper. You say my BCH will not expire. What I would really like to know relates to the future value of one coin over the other.  If five years from now the value of Bitcoin tanks to $1,000 and Bitcoin Cash is at $50,000 does it really mean I lost $49,000 because Bitcoin devaluation?

I hope someone out there can clarify this devalation concern I have of one coin over the other and whether I need to move my Bitcoins around to combat future devaluation.  Any comments will be greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

Fellow forum members,
I remember hearing something about a Bitcoin Cash offer which allowed one to claim Bitcoin Cash coins for Bitcoins. It was being called free money. If five years from now it turns out Bitcoin Cash soars to $50,000 and the original Bitcoin is dying a slow death and the price is $1,000 five years from now will this trade offer of one coin for the other coin still be possible? In other words, does the Bitcoin Cash blockchain history include a record of my bitcoin and therefore would I be able to cash it in for a $50,000 Bitcoin Cash coin five years from now? Or will a $1,000 Bitcoin five years from now only buy me $1,000 worth of Bitcoin Cash five years from now?  In short, do Bitcoin owners exist on both the Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash blockchain and therefore the value of our money is protected? I hope someone can clarify this concern I have. Thanks in advance.

Fellow Forum Members,
I have not gotten around to updating my Armory to the latest version. I plan to do this soon.

For now I'm in the dark regarding if Armory software support Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin all in the same Armory software environment?

More importantly, if five years from now it turns out Bitcoin Cash soars to $50,000 and the original Bitcoin is dying a slow death and the price is $1,000 five years from now will a single original Bitcoin still be worth $50,000 as long as I convert it to Bitcoin Cash?  I hope this matter can be clarified, because I would like to know if the Bitcoin Cash vs. Bitcoin price battle is something I need to worry about.  Mainly, do I need to go through trouble of selling my Bitcoin today and buy Bitcoin Cash with it?  Or will my Bitcoin trade 1 for 1 with Bitcoin Cash at $50,000 five years from now? I hope it's the later because that will be a lot less to worry about.  Any comments will be greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

Fellow Forum Members,
I read online I need to transfer my bitcoins to Coinbase.com so I can rightfully claim my Segwit2x free coins. The math as I understand it works like this. If on the day the Segwit2x fork happens a single Segwit2x coin trades for $1,000 and a single Bitcoin trades for $7,000 the net result is Coinbase will give a total of 7 Segwit2x coins for free.  

I have my bitcoins in an Armory version I have not updated for 2 years. All I have done is only update my bitcore blockchain data. In short, is it possible for me to claim my Segwit2x free coins using only Armory after I get around to updating it to the latest version?  Or am I obligated to open a Coinbase account to claim my free Segwit2x coins? I would really be grateful if anybody can clarify this for me.

For the bitcoin cash and bitcoin gold forks that recently happened I did not bother claiming those free coins. However, I'm undecided if I should also ignore the Segwit2x fork and not claim my Segwit2x coins. I would really appreciate any advice that will help me decide if I should leave my bitcoins in Armory cold storage or whether the smarter move is to take them out of Armory cold storage and upload them to a Coinbase account for the purpose of claiming my free Segwit2x coins. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Thanks for your clarification because due to the version 0.93.1 downloads links posted in the thread below:


https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=995872.0

I was under the impression both my ONLINE PC and my OFFLINE PC required they  run the same 0.93.1 version of Armory.  I'm still not sure why mixing the versions between ONLINE PC and my OFFLINE PC is necessary.  Nevertheless, I will do what you say and mix the versions between my ONLINE PC and my OFFLINE PC to get all of this to work together in harmony.

Etotheipi,
Just to make sure I understand you correctly.  For those of us running Ubuntu 14.04 LTS on a Cold Storage PC we need to install Armory Offline Bundle version 0.92.3.


And just for further clarification, for those of us running Ubuntu 14.04 LTS  on an ONLINE PC we need to install Bitcoin Core 10 and Armory 0.93.1 on the ONLINE PC.

In short, it does not matter that my Armory versions between my ONLINE PC and my OFFLINE PC do not match since one is running Armory 0.93.1 and the other one is running  Armory Offline Bundle version 0.92.3?   

I look forward to hearing back from you as to whether or not I am understanding all of this correctly. Thanks in advance.

Fellow Forum Members,
I am having some problems installing Armory Offline 0.93.1 onto my cold storage PC.

I double click on the file named, "Install_DoubleClick_RunInTerminal.sh" and a window appears showing this code: "sudo dpkg -i *.deb". After that nothing happens. In other words, no installation of Armory Offline package takes place.

Isn't a script suppose to run that automatically installs the software? 

Nevertheless, what code in the terminal do I need to use to get armory offline package installed?  Any info will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Thanks for the post Doug.

After hours of messing with this I am guessing my problem with my laptop freezing all the time is due to Nvidia drivers that for some reason are now missing in Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS.  Nevertheless, updating video drivers in Ubuntu has to be the most demonically complex procedure ever devised by any computer programmer.  The link below shows an elementary explanation on installing Nvidia drivers but even the elementary explanation is a total pain to get it to work.  In short I hope Armory 93.1 is fixed so that those of us that were using Ubuntu 12.04.5 LTS can remain on this version.


https://elementaryforums.com/index.php?threads/howto-install-latest-nvidia-driver-on-linux-without-getting-black-screen.7/

Fellow Forum Members,
I am having a lot of bug problems with Ubuntu 14.04.2. My laptop freezes out of the blue. And my downloads crash to name a few problems. However, these problems did not exist with Ubuntu 12.04.5 LTS.

Therefore, can anyone please confirm if both the latest Bitcoin Core 10 and Armory 93.1 require without exception updating to Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS?  Because if the answer is no, I would prefer to run both Bitcoin Core 10 and Armory 93.1 on Ubuntu 12.04.5 LTS.  I was told by a friend to update my Ubuntu to  14.04.2 LTS,  but I would really appreciate it if someone very knowledgeable in this matter can confirm for me whether the Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS upgrade is 100% absolutely mandatory if the objective is to run the latest Bitcoin Core 10 and Armory 93.1 release.  Any opinion welcome.  Thanks in advance.

Southpaw0,
Thanks for your post. I researched LocalBitcoin as an option for buying a lot of bitcoins. However, I don't like how most of the people selling their bitcoins through LocalBitcoins seem to add a large spread to the price of the Bitcoin itself. My thinking is I am giving them USD for their Bitcoins and therefore no spread should be involved. Just my opinion.

Thanks to all for all of your postings. I find them all very informative.

Bitcoin_BOy$ you mention using a very secure wallet. What is your opinion about Armory? That is what I am using because I'm told it's the most secure wallet around.  Can you please tell me more about Bit-E in the link below:


https://btc-e.com/


This site interests me a lot because their bitcoin ask price seems to be five dollars lower than other sites. Let's say I want to buy two BTC blocks. This means I will be buying 20 bitcoins from BTC-E. But what I hope you can clarify is what payment options do I have to pay for the 20 bitcoins at BTC-E?  Can I pay with a credit card or does BTC-E require I link them to my bank account? Also, does BTC-E charge me a spread on the way in and also on the way out like Coinbase does? Lastly, does BTC-E have any kind buying limit or hidden charges?

Any opinions will be greatly appreciated.  

Fellow Forum Members,
My Ubuntu 14.04 crashes anytime I try to update my Armory version 93.08 to version 93.1. It makes my screen go black while the PC remains powered on.

Can anyone please post a secure download link for version 93.1. I can't find such a download link eventhough I did a forum search for it.  Thanks in advance.

Fellow Forum Members,
In my opinion the safest way to buy 50 bitcoins is to buy from a miner in a face to face transaction located in my bank where I could easily give him the cash after I see 15 confirmations on my Armory wallet for 50 bitcoins.

However, I don't know any miner wanting to sell me 50 bitcoins so this is not an option for me.

Therefore, below I have listed what I think are other options and my hope is someone out there can look at my list and provide their opinion on it:

1. Coinbase - In my opinion not a smart option because they charge you a spread on the way in and the way out. Also I hear they tend to cancel purchases a lot when large sums are involved.

2. Circle.com - No spread is charged but their buying limit makes it impossible to make a one time 50 bitcoin purchase.

3. Exchanges - After the MtGox fiasco I'm not sure about this option. Nevertheless, can anyone please share what is the best exchange to buy a lot of bitcoins without paying a huge spread?

4. Miner convention - Does a yearly convention exist for miners? I'm guessing this would be a good option to buy some bitcoins.

5. Bitcoin Forums - Find bitcoin sellers in bitcoin forums. Not safe in my opinion. However, what is the safest way to buy 50 bitcoins from a seller located in California when I am located in New York. What is the best way to fix the mistrust problem? Meaning how can I get 100% assurance that when I PayPal him thousands of dollars I will get my bitcoins in exchange?


Any opinions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.