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 is now below 10.

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

- 3000 valid domains names reached today ! (for a total of 3030 names).

- a php script (NamecoinToBind) is available if you want do make your own bind server with .bit support

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 is now below 10.

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

- 3000 valid domains names reached today ! (for a total of 3030 names).

- a php script (NamecoinToBind) is available if you want do make your own bind server with .bit support

My .bit DNS server has changed his hostnames to easier ones :
- http://dns.bit/
- http://dns.dot-bit.org/

He is still available at the same ip addresses :
- ipv4 : 178.32.31.41 (http://178.32.31.41)
- ipv6 : 2001:41d0:2:a5d9::101 (http://[2001:41d0:2:a5d9::101])

Glad to know you try to build another DNS server, to add it on the list :p (http://dot-bit.org/HowToBrowseBitDomains#Replace_your_DNS_server_with_a_compatible_one)

I've just released NamecoinToBind v2.0 (a php script that generates bind zones for .bit domains from the namecoin blockchain) and http://namecoin.bitcoin-contact.org has been updated to use it.


More infos here : http://dot-bit.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2203#p2203


ps : near 3000 domains are currently registered :p

This is a generic warning for the whole "Tools, GUI & other softwares" forum, which makes sense.
So, it's up to you to check sources (i haven't done it for that software but i did for voicedotbit) and build from them, or directly use the binary with all the risks it has...

I've tested this new version of the patch (thanks sipa for continuing the work :p).

I noticed 2 things :

- it generates a different sign each time you launch the signmessage command. Is it a wanted feature ? (i did not see the nonce/random part in the code, sorry if i missed it).

- if i change a bit (but not too much) the second part of the sign (not the pub key, which is at the beginning), for example, by replacing a 'x' by a 'y' or 'z', the verifymessage still validate the sign :
=> valid from k to n, but o not valid.
Is it a normal behavior ?

Added on the  testnet explorer.

You can search for the domain names without .bit.

First update to support "merged mining" on testnet :
=> http://testnet.explorer.dot-bit.org/

A lot of people don't wan't to pay for a second web hosting because they already have one. So they chose the redirect/external hosting function i provide on http://register.dot-bit.org (and can't or don't know how to configure a vhost on their current web hosting). So, almost all reserved .bit domains are configured to redirect to another domain, or they are available for sell.

Example of .bit with "direct content" i know :
http://forum.bitcoin.bit
http://dot-bit.bit
http://hosting.bit / http://register.bit
http://ns.bit
http://dns.bit / http://opennic.bit/

Non related namecoin (i test some domains starting with a, b or c letter and excluded "It works pages" :p) :
http://2fast2bcn.bit
http://apps.bit
http://blacksun.bit
http://china.bit
http://coupons.bit
http://craigslist.bit

If the owner hasn't added the virtualhost blacksun.namecoin.us, it will not work. So, you may use the "full proxy" by adding .bit :
- http://blacksun.bit.namecoin.us

There are several solutions to browse .bit domains : http://dot-bit.org/HowToBrowseBitDomains

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

Price update due to recent difficulty decrease : 1.5BTC/domain.
It'll only stay like that during 2 or 3 days, so...

Some recent domains :
http://chevron.bit
http://phonesomeone.bit
http://lenovo.bit
http://icoin.bit
http://cz.bit
http://duffey.bit
http://joostpjotr.bit
http://slaithe.bit

Support of bitcoin like addresses added in search.
When you type a bitcoin address, it'll transform it to the matching namecoin address and search for it.
Ex : http://explorer.dot-bit.org/q/1FxdfgpghcewGZPPTxQvQYoKFMT3oR8qmk
=> http://explorer.dot-bit.org/a/NBXzsLKfczkVo6dtjmjVd4xDyar6makj14

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.

4 times faster.

Domain Cost Tool is uptodate if you want to do some tests.

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).

- fees will decrease faster after block 24k, to avoid the past situation where registering a name cost near 40$ (current price : 7.5$).

- 2000 domains names are currently reserved for a total of 2020 names. 44 names have expired and are free again (see also expiring soon).

- namecoin difficulty 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 still needs your comments to be finalized.

To the people who had their bitcoin/namecoin stolen, have you looked into the debug.log file to find RPC commands or SelectCoins ?
Search for the first 10 letters of the transaction hashs.

Here is a GUI send :

Here is a RPC sendtoaddress :

Receiving your own tx or crafted by someone else :

There is several ways to steal money :
1. Copying the wallet
Requires a physical access to the wallet. This can be a trojan (or an infected bitcoin/namecoin binary) that sent your wallet.
No trace in logs, except you receive "your" transactions (like any others) that are created on another computer...

2. Using the RPC command : sendtoaddress
Requires a local or remote access with an infected binary (bitcoin/namecoin/trojan/remote flaw/hole/etc)
You should find "method=sendtoaddress" in your logs.

3. Using the internal send functions
Requires a local or remote infected bitcoin/namecoin binary.
You should find a SelectCoins with a tx hash matching.

4. You put a backup of your wallet on dropbox (with the same login/pass as mtgox, or you wallet was stolen during the "no password" bug of dropbox)


We have a first response here :
http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=22937.msg288852#msg288852

This prove the full wallet file was stolen. Coins are sent to the same address as yours, so, we can deduce this is the same case...
=> never use that wallet again, because it contains a lot of other pre-generated and currently unused keys.


There is another case, for namecoin :
http://dot-bit.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=715#p715
Wallet file was stored on a secured linux box, and accessed remotely with a windows.


Edit :
Binary releases on dot-bit are compiled by :
- linux 32/64 : myself (all versions)
- windows : grue (all versions) - http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=6017.msg251017#msg251017
- mac osx : lebish (first mac release) - http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=6017.msg268981#msg268981

Update :
- namecoin addresses can now be added and verified like bitcoin addresses
- you can add them to your identity

My bitcoin ID :
https://bitcoin-contact.org/identity/khal

I've created this web page to help people to make a choice (for short term choices) :
http://dot-bit.org/tools/nextDifficulty.php

Compare the current BTC/NMC ratio with the market price.

Difficulty has been added on block page :
- http://explorer.dot-bit.org/b/14906
- http://explorer.dot-bit.org/b/0
- http://explorer.dot-bit.org/b/2016

Fixed :
- adding verified OTC members with their gpg key


TODO :
- add namecoin addresses
- allow people to sign their identity (with gpg and/or the sign and verify patch for bitcoin/namecoin)