NoobHowTo [A soup to nuts newbee system for a secure, portable USB wallet]
The Goal:
If you follow these steps in order within a few hours you too will have:
A Portable and Reasonably Secure BitCoin Wallet System.
I'll hereby offer few options for anyone to own a secure wallet with Linuxcoin:
1) $8.00; Buy a 4GB Sandisk Cruzer at Walmart for $8 and follow the instructions in my sig on Noob How To
2) $8.00 + 2btc; you download the linuxcoin 2.1b, Unetbootin, at least one persistence file and install Unetbootin. Buy a Sandisk Cruzer at Walmart for $8. I will LogMeIn to your computer and prepare the USB for you.
3) $8.00 + 3btc; Buy a Sandisk Cruzer at Walmart for $8. I will LogMeIn to your computer download the files onto your computer and prepare the USB for you.
4) 4btc; I will send you by USPS Standard mail a prepared and tested 4GB Linuxcoin USB ready for you to create your encrypted folder and build your new wallet in that encrypted folder.
5) 5btc; I will send you by USPS Standard mail a prepared and tested 4GB Linuxcoin USB with an encrypted wallet that contains 1btc. Prefer that you supply the Password or I will prepare a random 12 digit password that is emailed back to prior to shipping.
Other options available. Just post/PM.
So far it looks like a USB can only be "Reasonably Secure" due to current technology.
Kind of like your front door of your house any locksmith can pick it, but it keeps the amateurs out. In my opinion this document will allow your wallet to be more secure than your house door but not quite a Ft Knox...yet.
Huge Additional Benefits:
The ability to have a BitCoin Miner operating system on cheap, removable media thereby makng a hard disk not necessary.
The Ability to Surf the Net that leaves no trail on your computer.
Smalleyster's slight enhancements to Dr Green's LinuxCoin is reasonably secure for the average user.
It's as easy as; Plug it in, Turn on your computer, Make the right selection, Type in your Password, view your wallet and/or send payments.
Uh Oh! You misplace your USB! - No Problem.
Get your backup, transfer your funds to a new wallet. The person who finds/steals your wallet technically can crack if they are an expert, but you have plenty of time to move your funds before they have any hope of cracking your password.
If an amateur tries to access your USB it will show a wallet with no funds. If you ever load your USB and it shows no funds you know someone tried to use it and you take the steps to recover your wallet. You should then move your funds and discard that wallet file as it has an extremely remote possibility of having been compromised.
The Secret?
CryptKeeper, and the simple knowledge of how to use its quick and easy GUI.
NOTE:
This will be a work in progress until my wife and mother can make it all work. 8^)
Any and all constructive criticism is appreciated.
NoobHowTo:
Before you get started:
Have *literally* dozens (hundreds if you ignore this post and "go it alone") of hours at your disposal. *Everything* takes forever, especially if you have to "redo", which happens far more often than you might expect, especially when you start typing in Linux commands (the part I detest).
I hope I have eliminated most if not all of that in this list of instructions and on the USB sticks that I provide to my clients. It seems I can now get a reasonably technically competent person up and running in about 2 hours of instruction.
These instructions will give you all of the necessary steps to create your own
Smalleyster Linuxcoin Reasonably Secure Bootable USB Wallet
(that can also mine and surf the web securely).
Before you Start:
Have at least one computer that can boot to a USB memory stick.
Have at least one USB stick that is 2mb or greater AND IS ABLE TO BOOT!
NOTE:
Of the 8 USB's in my possession (on 7/12/11) only two actually work.
* The SanDisk 4GB Cruzers! *
All of the used ones and the *new* PNY 4GB do not boot. GRRRR!
Summary of steps you will be taking, in order.
(detailed instructions follow below)
Download bitcoin client
Record your payment address
Get free bitcoin(s)
Create Secure passwords (lots of them)
Create Mining account
Create Mining worker
Download GUIMiner
Set GUIMiner to Account
Set GUIMiner to Worker
Start Mining
Check to see if you have any bitcoins yet
Create MtGox Account
Create CampBX Account
Format USB to FAT32
Download LinuxCoin (takes forever)
Download Installer
Install LinuxCoin on USB
Download Persistence
Extract persistnece to USB (takes forever)
Boot to USB
Create secure Password
Open bitcoin client
Record payment address
Shutdown USB
boot USB
enter password
Open bitcoin client
verify same payment address, if not persistence did not work
go back to first bitcoin client and send bitcoin to new USB address
BACKUP wallet.dat NOW!
Diving In:
Download bitcoin client
http://www.bitcoin.org/ Record your payment address
on paper, in a file, and/or emailed to yourself
Get free bitcoin(s)
https://freebitcoins.appspot.com/ http://www.facebook.com/freebitcoins http://freebitcoins.net/Create Secure passwords (lots of them, 10 or more IMHO)
http://www.pctools.com/guides/password/ Create Mining account
http://mining.bitcoin.cz/accounts/register/ Create USERNAME
Create Mining worker
http://mining.bitcoin.cz/accounts/profile/worker-edit/ Create WORKER
Create Worker's Password
Download GUIMiner
http://forum.bitcoin.org/?topic=3878.0 Set GUIMiner to Account.Worker and use Worker's Password
Start Mining
Check to see if you have any bitcoins yet every so often.
You will do this a lot 8^)
Create MtGox Account
Create CampBX Account
Format USB to FAT32
Download LinuxCoin
http://www.linuxcoin.co.uk/downloads/LinuxCoin_0.2.1b/Download Installer
http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/ Install LinuxCoin ISO file on USB using Unetbootin
Pick Disk Image
Pick "..." (for browse, programmers can be so stupid sometimes)
Pick "linuxcoin...iso" from whatever directory you downloaded it to earlier
Pick THE CORRECT USB DRIVE LETTER!
Pick "OK"
Download Persistence
http://linuxcoin.co.uk/downloads/persistence/Extract persistence file to USB
Boot to USB
Turn computer off, insert USB,
Alternate tapping F11 and F12 as you turn the computer on
Choose USB at the prompt
Choose Persistence at the prompt
Pick (B) on lower left
Point at [Accessories]
Pick [Bitcoin Client]
Relax this can take a *long* time
Record payment address
Shutdown USB by Picking the Power (|) icon on the lower right
Relax this can take a *long* time
Boot USB
Open Bitcoin client
verify same payment address,
(if not persistence did not work)
Go back to first bitcoin client (on the other computer, booted on to hard disk...) and send bitcoin to new USB address
Now that you have confirmed that the two wallets are communicating time to get Reasonably Secure with CryptKeeper.
(I hope to add photos of these steps soon, how does one screen capture in linux?)
In [Accessories] Pick [Root Terminal]
Open Terminal and either type or cut and paste these three lines in order:
(Relax each of these can take a *long* time)
sudo apt-get install cryptkeeper
sudo apt-get install sshfs
sudo adduser user fuse
Reboot
Just before you do the next function look at the lower right of the screen at the blank just to the left of the time.
In [System Tools] Pick [Cryptkeeper]
Now you see the image of a key just to the left of the time.
In [Accessories] Pick [File Manager]
You should be in the directory: /home/user
On the top menu bar of the File Manager Pick [View] then Pick the box for [Show Hidden]
Some more directories should come into view.
RightClick on the directory .bitcoin and Rename it to ..bitcoin (or any other name you like)
Pick the Key Symbol to the right of the time then Pick [New Encrypted Folder]
In [Name] type in .bitcoin
[Save in folder:] should stay set to user
Pick [Forward]
Enter a secure password into the two boxes and Pick [Forward]
Two new directories will appear ".bitcoin" and "..bitcoin_encfs"
DoubleClick .bitcoin it will be empty
Start another File Manager and Open ..bitcoin which has the original files
Pick [Edit] Pick [Select All] Pick [Cut]
Select the other File Manager window for .bitcoin Pick [Edit] Pick [Paste]
After the move process finishes (~3 mins) there should be no files in ..bitcoin and everything should be in .bitcoin
You can delete ..bitcoin if you like, I leave mine there to confuse anyone who finds and fiddles with my USB.
Launch your BitCoin Client and your wallet should show as before.
Close your BitCoin Client
Shutdown USB
Boot USB
DO NOT OPEN THE BITCOIN CLIENT BEFORE PERFORMING THE NEXT STEP!
If you (or the person fiddling with your USB) do it will create a new blank wallet and
you will have some more File Manager dances to do to get your wallet working again
FIRST STEP is to [System Tools] [Cryptkeeper] then Pick the [Key]
Pick the box for /home/user/.bitcoin
Enter your Password
Open BitCoin
Ta Da!
*********test installer
http://www.ubuntugeek.com/zero-install-injector-install-software-easily-and-without-root-privileges.htmlsudo apt-get install zeroinstall-injector
*************** test gpg_gui/
http://www.garyshood.com/gpg_gui/******************* notes to myself on how to modify the initial login to be more appropriate, will clean them up soon
1) Make the LinuxCoin USB ask for a password before getting to the desktop?
edit /usr/share/gdm/defaults.conf
and change AutomaticLoginEnable=true to AutomaticLoginEnable=false.
sudo leafpad /usr/share/gdm/defaults.conf
**************
2) Make the default on boot be to Persistence?
Just open up syslinux.cfg and replace everything with
***************
root@linuxcoin:/home/user# sudo find / -iname 'syslinux.cfg'
/live/image/syslinux.cfg
sudo leafpad /live/image/syslinux.cfg
-------------change all to:
default menu.c32
prompt 0
menu title Welcome to Smalleyster's LinuxCoin
timeout 100
label linuxcoin
menu label LinuxCoin Persistent (Changes are Saved)
kernel /live/vmlinuz
append initrd=/live/initrd.img boot=live config quiet splash persistent rw vga=791
label ubnentry0
menu label LinuxCoin Transient (Private Browsing, Nothing is Saved)
kernel /live/vmlinuz
append initrd=/live/initrd.img boot=live config quiet splash rw vga=791
------------original version of sudo leafpad /live/image/syslinux.cfg------------
default menu.c32
prompt 0
menu title UNetbootin
timeout 100
label unetbootindefault
menu label Default
kernel /ubnkern
append initrd=/ubninit boot=live config quiet splash rw vga=791
label ubnentry0
menu label LinuxCoin
kernel /live/vmlinuz
append initrd=/live/initrd.img boot=live config quiet splash rw vga=791
label ubnentry1
menu label LinuxCoin (failsafe)
kernel /live/vmlinuz
append initrd=/live/initrd.img boot=live config noapic noapm nodma nomce nolapic nomodeset radeon.modeset=0 nouveau.modeset=0 nosmp vga=normal
label ubnentry2
menu label LinuxCoin Persistent (flash only)
kernel /live/vmlinuz
append initrd=/live/initrd.img boot=live config quiet splash persistent rw vga=791
label ubnentry3
menu label memtest - Run memtest
kernel /isolinux/memtest.bin
append initrd=/ubninit -
label ubnentry4
menu label hd - boot the first hard disk
kernel /ubnkern
append initrd=/ubninit -
------------------------end orig----------------------------------------
**************
guiminer
- Use Synaptic or apt-get to install python-wxgtk2.8 (I just searched python wx in Synaptic and clicked the box)
- in root terminal
Code:
git clone
https://github.com/Kiv/poclbm.git(this will create poclbm directory so don't be in /opt/miners/ when you run it)
- cd into the poclbm directory you just created and run
Code:
python guiminer.py
I have no idea how to make an icon or run it without a terminal window but it's a great program for beginners, as long as you're not using remote access.
(rename to file.sh then use chmod x)
**************
Re: how do i add program icons to the panel?
Version 7.5 of smeg will work with hoary if version 8.0 (now called Alacarte) doesn't.
Get it here
http://dev.realistanew.com/smeg/0.7....buntu1_all.debdownload to a directory and from within that directory in a terminal, run
sudo dpkg -i smeg*.deb
*** Coming Next *** Backup ****
Why should you be interested?
How can you make money?
How can you lose money?
