Computer just for coin transactions.

[Skinnkavaj]

What linux dist is best for bitcoin transactions?

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[grue]

Snowden spilled the beans. I always suspected. Mostly common knowledge at this point. Hear is a sample of a quick search.

http://macdailynews.com/2013/07/11/how-microsoft-handed-u-s-nsa-fbi-cia-access-to-users-encrypted-video-audio-and-text-communications/

That article simply states Microsoft handed NSA communications from its communication products. It does not in any way prove Microsoft has a NSA backdoor in windows.

http://infowars.net/articles/march2008/310308Google.htm

I hate to engage in ad homiem attacks, but infowars kind of sucks. Also, the info wars article isn't related to snowden at all, because it was published 5 years ago.

Aside from that, a quick skim of the article reveals that it only alleges google of selling equipment and the "Intellipedia" to the NSA. There's nothing in either of the articles to suggest that windows 8 or chrome has some sort of 3 letter government agency remote backdoor capable of compromising anything related to bitcoin. If you're extra paranoid, you can always turn off the wifi. NSA can't get you with their backdoors if you have no Internet, right? Unless... they use HAARP for NSA spying as well :p

[CIYAM]

If you use something such as the CIYAM Safe (http://susestudio.com/a/kp8B3G/ciyam-safe) then you just make sure your tx computer is *permanently* offline (by that I mean *remove* the WiFi card and disable/destroy any other standard way to get network connectivity such as plugging in an ethernet cable).

It is a LiveOS and doesn't even access the HDD of the machine being used so it doesn't matter how infected its OS is.

It also doesn't require you to use a USB for comms (that can be all done via QR codes for 100% "air-gapped" safety).

[dexX7]

I love the idea and I'm thinking about this for some time now.

You could either use a live system with persistent storage on an USB stick or maybe set up an Rasperry Pi or something similar with more power (e.g. Cubieboard 2, though I've never done this).

[Vivisector999]

If your that worried that the CIA will be using a backdoor to watch your Bitcoin transactions, you do know they can monitor your ISP, or just look at the Blockchain and see where you have been spending your coins without ever having to look at your computer. 

I don't think you have anything to worry about from Big Brother.  Now if you're worried about theft of your coins from keyloggers ect.  Then I would say use a virtual computer, and make sure you rebuild it everytime you do a transaction, or boot off a Boot CD.  Then only plug your wallet USB key in when you are about to do a transaction.  Is it overboard, I would say yes, but it should be the safest way to keep from anyone stealing your coins.

[justmyname]

If your that worried that the CIA will be using a backdoor to watch your Bitcoin transactions, you do know they can monitor your ISP, or just look at the Blockchain and see where you have been spending your coins without ever having to look at your computer. 

I don't think you have anything to worry about from Big Brother.  Now if you're worried about theft of your coins from keyloggers ect.  Then I would say use a virtual computer, and make sure you rebuild it everytime you do a transaction, or boot off a Boot CD.  Then only plug your wallet USB key in when you are about to do a transaction.  Is it overboard, I would say yes, but it should be the safest way to keep from anyone stealing your coins.

That's to complicated. I'm just getting a simple little clean notebook. It will only be turned on for a short time when using for Bitcoin. their will be no chance of Trojans etc. I just don't want the computer screwed up and compromised from the very beginning.   I don't want anyone from the "egg stealer species" having any control of my personal info. 

[grue]

That's to complicated. I'm just getting a simple little clean notebook. It will only be turned on for a short time when using for Bitcoin. their will be no chance of Trojans etc. I just don't want the computer screwed up and compromised from the very beginning.   I don't want anyone from the "egg stealer species" having any control of my personal info.  

take any computer, disable the wifi/internet and you'll be virus-free forever. Tinfoil hat approved!

[cp1]

Cheapest new laptop on newegg is $275, so go for that or get a raspberry pi.

[justmyname]

That's to complicated. I'm just getting a simple little clean notebook. It will only be turned on for a short time when using for Bitcoin. their will be no chance of Trojans etc. I just don't want the computer screwed up and compromised from the very beginning.   I don't want anyone from the "egg stealer species" having any control of my personal info.  

take any computer, disable the wifi/internet and you'll be virus-free forever. Tinfoil hat approved!

Except for the fact that you can't download the Blockchain or move the coins.

[justmyname]

Cheapest new laptop on newegg is $275, so go for that or get a raspberry pi.

That looks like a possibility.

[cp1]

Except for the fact that you can't download the Blockchain or move the coins.

You don't need internet access for offline storage.  You can move coins just fine, you just need to be able to sign transactions.

[justmyname]

This one looks so good for so little except it's loaded with all types of questionable garbage.

http://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/devices/samsung-chromebook.html?utm_source=en-ha-na-us-gdn&utm_medium=ha&utm_content=samsung-banner&utm_campaign=en#ss-cb   

[grue]

take any computer, disable the wifi/internet and you'll be virus-free forever. Tinfoil hat approved!

Except for the fact that you can't download the Blockchain or move the coins.

that's not how you use paper wallets

[justmyname]

take any computer, disable the wifi/internet and you'll be virus-free forever. Tinfoil hat approved!

Except for the fact that you can't download the Blockchain or move the coins.

that's not how you use paper wallets

You make a paper copy of your wallet.

How do you spend coins?

How do you move coins?

Do you have to download the blockchain every so often?   

[cp1]

You download the blockchain on a separate computer that's online, so you can see your balance.  Then you create an unsigned transaction and transfer it to the offline computer where you sign it.  Then you transfer it back to the online computer to broadcast it.

[Abdussamad]

The problem with offline PCs is that you can't update them. Every OS has to be updated regularly via the Internet to keep it safe. But you can't do that with an offline computer. So if say you have to update your bitcoin client and it requires newer versions of certain libraries what do you do? What if there is a problem with the random number generator on the OS like we recently saw with Android? You will have to update the OS and that means going online. Things like these make it hard to maintain a truly offline PC.

[Dabs]

i know how this stuffs done, would you be willing to accept a computer from me and put bitcoins on it? (im the one getting rich here, not you)

I'll take it. PM me for my mailing address? Or you can do a whois on my lotto's domain and find out where I live and send the computer there.

@OP. Just format your new or old computer / laptop. Put your own OS.

The problem with offline PCs is that you can't update them. Every OS has to be updated regularly via the Internet to keep it safe. But you can't do that with an offline computer. So if say you have to update your bitcoin client and it requires newer versions of certain libraries what do you do? What if there is a problem with the random number generator on the OS like we recently saw with Android? You will have to update the OS and that means going online. Things like these make it hard to maintain a truly offline PC.

I think the point of an offline PC is you never connect it back to the internet once it is set up. If you do, you have to set it up all over again.

However, I think what the OP wants is a computer that can be connected online, and all it would have is bitcoin-qt. This is certainly possible, and while not recommended by the tin-foil-hat group, is certainly better than using your regular computer (with everything else in it, games, work, internet apps, browsers, etc.)

I've set up something like that. It has a barebones OS installed on it and just bitcoin-qt. It's connected. It downloads the blockchain. It can do transactions. And it sits behind my router. It's turned off most of the time and goes online for a few hours each day, just to sync with the network.

[joesmoe2012]

US A LiveCD distro of linux so that everytime it reboots its guarenteed to be 100% clean. 

[CIYAM]

The problem with offline PCs is that you can't update them. Every OS has to be updated regularly via the Internet to keep it safe.

Safe from what?

If it is offline it doesn't need to be kept safe at all - that is the very *point* of being offline.

[Dabs]

Speaking of which, how safe is my online computer? If it is only online about 2 hours a day, which is just enough to grab the latest blockchain data, and send out transactions, sitting behind my router, with nothing else installed on it?

I understand, I am probably not safe from some zero day worm exploits, but the router and firewall should take care of most of that.