Live CD for bitcoin address generation offline

[ffcitatos]

Not sure, if this is useful to somebody besides me, but I have just built an archlinux CD (for 64bit systems) with bitcoin-daemon. This means that there is no GUI. However, if you just want to have a dedicated computer that is offline and without a hard disc to generate private keys, this should do.

I've put the ISO on rapidshare ( https://rapidshare.com/files/2824677523/new.iso?bin=1 ) and created a torrent ( https://thepiratebay.se/torrent/7775181/archlinux_with_bitcoin-daemon ).

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[kjj]

Cool, I may check it out.

But I feel much safer about my keys when I generate them using an ISO I downloaded prior to bitcoin.

[ffcitatos]

Cool, I may check it out.

But I feel much safer about my keys when I generate them using an ISO I downloaded prior to bitcoin.

Thanks!

Well, if the ISO is infected with some trojan that sends data to somebody, you should not use it independently of its age.

On the other hand, I think that using it on a computer that never goes online is the best practice.

[justusranvier]

I'd use it if it included Armory, Casacius' Bitcoin Address Utility, and printer drivers.

[ffcitatos]

I'd use it if it included Armory, Casacius' Bitcoin Address Utility, and printer drivers.

I see. Too bad, that for these things you need a GUI (desktop environment). I hope somebody will be inspired enough to go and do it (it is easy: use Archiso, read wiki and test stuff).

[Spekulatius]

Couldnt I just create any Linux Live-CD (or USB), using UNetbootin for example, that accesses the downloaded bitcoinadress.org html file from my hard drive to print out some paper wallets and maybe also encrypt the generated address files with truecrypt to store them encrypted on my hard drive? During the process, of course Wireless LAN and Internet cable are disabled.

[ffcitatos]

Couldnt I just create any Linux Live-CD (or USB), using UNetbootin for example, that accesses the downloaded bitcoinadress.org html file from my hard drive to print out some paper wallets and maybe also encrypt the generated address files with truecrypt to store them encrypted on my hard drive? During the process, of course Wireless LAN and Internet cable are disabled.

I am not exactly sure what you mean by bitcoinadress.org html file, but it seems that you generate you wallet while being connected to the net (or it is stored in an unencrypted form for some time in a computer that is online). This is fundamentally unsafe.

Moreover, there are encryption tools on this LiveCD. Namely, dm-crypt, which is the best encryption software possible IMHO. Its advantage against TrueCrypt is that dm-crypt is truly open source.

[Spekulatius]

Couldnt I just create any Linux Live-CD (or USB), using UNetbootin for example, that accesses the downloaded bitcoinadress.org html file from my hard drive to print out some paper wallets and maybe also encrypt the generated address files with truecrypt to store them encrypted on my hard drive? During the process, of course Wireless LAN and Internet cable are disabled.

I am not exactly sure what you mean by bitcoinadress.org html file, but it seems that you generate you wallet while being connected to the net (or it is stored in an unencrypted form for some time in a computer that is online). This is fundamentally unsafe.

Moreover, there are encryption tools on this LiveCD. Namely, dm-crypt, which is the best encryption software possible IMHO. Its advantage against TrueCrypt is that dm-crypt is truly open source.

Sorry, I mean "bitaddress.org" not bitCOINaddress.org. I do not need to connect to the internet to generate keys, a saved html file from the site on my hard drive does the job just fine. Its also open source and has been discussed on this forum a nuimber of times.

[ffcitatos]

Sorry, I mean "bitaddress.org" not bitCOINaddress.org. I do not need to connect to the internet to generate keys, a saved html file from the site on my hard drive does the job just fine. Its also open source and has been discussed on this forum a nuimber of times.

Oh, I see. Well, in your case you have two things: the CD and the hard drive. It is very secure the way you do it, though you still have to be sure nobody changed the contents of your hard drive.

However, if one uses just a single CD (which is read only), and one checks the checksum of the CD every time before using it (so that one knows it is her CD), I think it is as secure as it gets.

Of course, there still are threats, such as 1) somebody reads your screen, or 2) somebody tampers with the hardware of your computer.