vanitygen -- how to?

[btceic]

So I ran vanitygen and have made myself some btc addresses that I like:

example:
1BTCvwZtUbdcsuEVof42DqkmixjKdGn25a

So how do I import these into bitcoin-qt?

Also how do I get a short address out of this?

[Xch4ng3]

Vanitygen gives you a private key that you need to import for you to be able to use the address.

[pc]

Vanitygen gives you an address as well as the corresponding private key in WIF format (starting with a 5, K, or L). In order to import it into Bitcoin-Qt, go into the Console (Help, Debug Window, Console) and type in importprivkey <key> where <key> is that private key you got. It'll take a couple minutes (seriously, it could take a while) while it goes through the blockchain to see if that address ever received any coins, and then it should be a part of the wallet and show up in your list of address on the Receiving tab.

To get a "firstbits" address (which I'm assuming is what you mean by "short"), send some coins to it, wait for several confirmations, and then look them up on a site like blockchain.info. I'm not aware of a tool that finds the firstbits by looking at one's local blockchain, though there probably is one out there somewhere.

[Xch4ng3]

Vanitygen gives you an address as well as the corresponding private key in WIF format (starting with a 5, K, or L). In order to import it into Bitcoin-Qt, go into the Console (Help, Debug Window, Console) and type in importprivkey <key> where <key> is that private key you got. It'll take a couple minutes (seriously, it could take a while) while it goes through the blockchain to see if that address ever received any coins, and then it should be a part of the wallet and show up in your list of address on the Receiving tab.

To get a "firstbits" address (which I'm assuming is what you mean by "short"), send some coins to it, wait for several confirmations, and then look them up on a site like blockchain.info. I'm not aware of a tool that finds the firstbits by looking at one's local blockchain, though there probably is one out there somewhere.

Am I right in saying that anyone with the private key can import the address into their client?

[domob]

Vanitygen gives you an address as well as the corresponding private key in WIF format (starting with a 5, K, or L). In order to import it into Bitcoin-Qt, go into the Console (Help, Debug Window, Console) and type in importprivkey <key> where <key> is that private key you got. It'll take a couple minutes (seriously, it could take a while) while it goes through the blockchain to see if that address ever received any coins, and then it should be a part of the wallet and show up in your list of address on the Receiving tab.

To get a "firstbits" address (which I'm assuming is what you mean by "short"), send some coins to it, wait for several confirmations, and then look them up on a site like blockchain.info. I'm not aware of a tool that finds the firstbits by looking at one's local blockchain, though there probably is one out there somewhere.

Am I right in saying that anyone with the private key can import the address into their client?

Yes.  You need to keep it secret.  Everyone who has the key can spend any coins you have at the address.

[CIYAM]

Also how do I get a short address out of this?

That is up to the "firstbits" algo - and for the sample you gave "1btc" (firstbits are case-insensitive) is not surprisingly already taken (by 1BtCpSAJ14d64ZHTqc6uqaLMVXoovTsSXr back in 2009 by a miner and it still has 50 BTC).

To test whether a vanity address you have created is "already taken" (in regards to the "firstbits") then type in the relevant prefix (1btc in your example) into the Search in blockchain.info.

Note also that until you have sent BTC to your address (and it has been confirmed enough times) the "firstbits" are still "open" for anyone to take (first come, first served).