[ANNOUNCE] Bitmessage - P2P Messaging system based partially on Bitcoin

[phelix]

I doubt that because I can use your public key from the blockchain to encrypt messages against your will.

But then you can see whether or not I could successfully decrypt it and in some cases you can also see the plaintext (like if Bitmessage is being used on a server for some sort of communication). This additional information could be utilized. Cryptographers will tell you that it is bad practice to use the same key for encryption and signing. And if there are people on the forum telling everyone else that it is unsafe to share keys between Bitcoin and Bitmessage then no one is going to do it (not that I would want them to).

I agree things are simpler and cleaner, thus potentially safer with separate keys. But it might be highly beneficial to be able to send encrypted messages directly to a BTC address, so this concept deserves some thought.

[...]
Actually I suppose that a bitcoin private key could be used to sign a message saying that they assert that new_pub_key_1 is to be used for signing and new_pub_key_2 is to be used for encryption. That would work. Then users could use their Bitcoin addresses in Bitmessage. This would require that users import their wallet keys into Bitmessage (or vise-versa).
[...]

Sounds like a plan 

[HostFat]

0.2.7
- Added API. See API Reference.
- Added error handling for the case where the client tries to send a message from an address for which the human has deleted the keys.
- Improved GUI messages when doing work (or pending work) for broadcast messages.
- Added error handling for the case where the proof of work takes practically no time.

[stevegee58]

When I start the new version 0.2.7 it displays this error pop-up:



If I click OK the GUI appears and eventually connects to the network and appears to work normally.

[Atheros]

That's a known issue that happens when you rename the EXE. It will happen with this version and possibly versions going forward unless I can find a work-around or unless pyinstaller fixes this rather common problem.

http://www.pyinstaller.org/ticket/522

EDIT: I was able to find a workaround. The currently published EXE should function like normal.

[nimda]

I doubt that because I can use your public key from the blockchain to encrypt messages against your will.

But then you can see whether or not I could successfully decrypt it and in some cases you can also see the plaintext (like if Bitmessage is being used on a server for some sort of communication). This additional information could be utilized. Cryptographers will tell you that it is bad practice to use the same key for encryption and signing. And if there are people on the forum telling everyone else that it is unsafe to share keys between Bitcoin and Bitmessage then no one is going to do it (not that I would want them to).

I agree things are simpler and cleaner, thus potentially safer with separate keys. But it might be highly beneficial to be able to send encrypted messages directly to a BTC address, so this concept deserves some thought.

For example, to tell someone why you're donating to their signature without bloating the blockchain.

[jgarzik]

Peer address issue...

Code:

Trying an outgoing connection to 10.10.10.1 : 8444
[...]
Could NOT connect to 10.10.10.1 during outgoing attempt. timed out

The code should not be distributing and connecting to peer addresses for internal / site-specific / unrouted addresses.

[Atheros]

The code should not be distributing and connecting to peer addresses for internal / site-specific / unrouted addresses.

You're right; it shouldn't. I will patch it appropriately tomorrow.

Thank you

[HostFat]

Two feature request (if they are possible):

- Can you divide the address book and messages? So that we can have: addressbook.dat and messages.dat

- Right now if I receive a message, it disappears from the network.
I mean that I'm not able to receive it from another client.
Is it possible to set a time expiration before deleting it from the network?
Something as it is now with the mail settings, where you can set to leave message on the server for X days.

So I can also have two different installation of Bitmessage (ex: in two different computer)
With installation A, I'll set to receive and maintain messages on the network for 10 days.
With the installation B, I'll set to receive the messages and delete them from the network.
If I'll open the installation B before the first one, then I won't be able to receive again messages on the installation A.

I know that messages that are older than X weeks will be deleted anyway from the network, I'm not asking to change this rule.

[Atheros]

Yes, it would be possible to separate the address book from the messages.dat file. I'll add it to the list of requests although there are other priorities.

There is currently no way to command the deletion of content from the network; all content simply expires. Adding such a feature would be a drastic change. You should already be receiving messages on both clients if they share the same keys. As long as they each go online once every two days, they'll both receive all messages. If one stays online all the time and another goes online only once every four days then that second client will only receive half of the messages (from the last two days).

[stevegee58]

Wow is it my imagination or are there suddenly more messages going over the network?

[Atheros]

Website visits spiked up by more than an order of magnitude due to some online articles.. and a also single comment on a Slashdot article about FBI spying. I had to take my BM address off of the homepage because I was getting a message about every 2 minutes.. mostly in Russian.

[jgarzik]

Website visits spiked up by more than an order of magnitude due to some online articles.. and a also single comment on a Slashdot article about FBI spying. I had to take my BM address off of the homepage because I was getting a message about every 2 minutes.. mostly in Russian.

Better get multiple streams working.  And maybe a test network...

[mindtomatter]

Hi Atheros,
There's some interest in doing a feature on BitMessage for inclusion in the first episode of Let's Talk Bitcoin!

Are you available for a brief Skype interview to answer a few questions?  This wouldn't be until early next week.

[idev]

What's the problem here 

Code:

openssl version
OpenSSL 0.9.8k 25 Mar 2009

Code:

(On Linux) Couldn't find and load the OpenSSL library. You must install it. If you believe that you already have it installed, this exception information might be of use:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "bitmessagemain.py", line 37, in <module>
    from addresses import *
  File "/root/PyBitmessage/src/addresses.py", line 3, in <module>
    from pyelliptic import arithmetic
  File "/root/PyBitmessage/src/pyelliptic/__init__.py", line 16, in <module>
    from .openssl import OpenSSL
  File "/root/PyBitmessage/src/pyelliptic/openssl.py", line 429, in <module>
    OpenSSL = _OpenSSL(find_library('ssl'))
  File "/root/PyBitmessage/src/pyelliptic/openssl.py", line 292, in __init__
    self.PKCS5_PBKDF2_HMAC = self._lib.PKCS5_PBKDF2_HMAC
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/ctypes/__init__.py", line 366, in __getattr__
    func = self.__getitem__(name)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/ctypes/__init__.py", line 371, in __getitem__
    func = self._FuncPtr((name_or_ordinal, self))
AttributeError: /lib/i686/cmov/libssl.so.0.9.8: undefined symbol: PKCS5_PBKDF2_HMAC

[Atheros]

Elliptic Curve cryptography is not included in OpenSSL compilations for Fedora, Debian, Tails, and likely others because of patent concerns.

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=319901

It appears to me that that is what you are facing.

[idev]

Elliptic Curve cryptography is not included in OpenSSL compilations for Fedora, Debian, Tails, and likely others because of patent concerns.

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=319901

It appears to me that that is what you are facing.

Thanks. I'm now trying this on another box and it's builds but won't seem to connect

Code:

bitmessagemain.py: cannot connect to X server

[Atheros]

Elliptic Curve cryptography is not included in OpenSSL compilations for Fedora, Debian, Tails, and likely others because of patent concerns.

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=319901

It appears to me that that is what you are facing.

Thanks. I'm now trying this on another box and it's builds but won't seem to connect

Code:

bitmessagemain.py: cannot connect to X server

Bitmessage doesn't use servers except, I suppose, DNS servers in order to help it bootstrap. Perhaps it is referring to the OS's GUI?

[marcus_of_augustus]

Elliptic Curve cryptography is not included in OpenSSL compilations for Fedora, Debian, Tails, and likely others because of patent concerns.

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=319901

It appears to me that that is what you are facing.

Thanks. I'm now trying this on another box and it's builds but won't seem to connect

Code:

bitmessagemain.py: cannot connect to X server

Bitmessage doesn't use servers except, I suppose, DNS servers in order to help it bootstrap. Perhaps it is referring to the OS's GUI?

No, it is trying to connect to the X server .. i.e. it can't open a display.

[Mogumodz]

Great idea, giving it a go with a few friends.

[bitpop]

Love it