How Do You Get a Bitcoin Address? Where do I go?

[Arkaknight]

I'm finding this very interesting, but I just do not understand how to get a Bitcoin Address. You know, the 27-34 character address?
I got the Bitcoin Qt Wallet, but there is no information on how to get the address itself - it is very vague, and they should make it
more clearer as to how this is done. They really should - because as it is, it's hard to find out how. Even the wiki doesn't really cover it,
talks about everything else but a direct way to do it. How is this matter taken care of so that I can do some mining?  

Also, what wallet should I use? I downloaded Armory, thinking this Bitcoin Qt looks better. I guess I will try Multibit too and make a decision.
I click "New Address" in Qt, but I can't just create the address on my own, pretty sure of that. I guess I gotta choose just one wallet and stick
with it too. Maybe you can import stuff to other wallet programs though, I don't know. I mostly just want to find out how to get an address,
they really need to make that easier to find for new people.

[Gabi]

Just run bitcoin qt, clic Receive coins and there you can see your addresses, as you said, clic New Address and a new one will be generated.

You seems confused, do you know how addresses are created? They come from private keys, so you can't "choose" your address, the client randomly generate a private key, wich is saved in the wallet.dat file, and tell you the address. If you lose the keys, in this case, the wallet.dat file, you lose your coins.


On this website for example you can generate paper wallets, to be printed https://www.bitaddress.org/bitaddress.org-v2.6.0-SHA1-4f1fea4620287f863473193b8d93a8f3877ba972.html Same as before, in case you use that address to receive coins, you need to have the private key to spend them, otherwise they are lost

[pliznau]

the best wallet is bitcoin-qt.

[timz]

You can also generate address like 1YOURNAME... using Vanitygen and import private key to your wallet.

[chevdor]

Make sure you backup your wallet after generating/creating a new address.
This is required for most Wallets including Bitcoin-qt.
Some Wallets however such as Armory have a deterministic way to generate addresses.
That means that once you backed up your wallet, you don´t need to re-do it, even if you generated new addresses.

The security may not be the highest but to get started and play, you may want to use a 'light' wallet such as multibit or the bitcoin wallet for android.
Those do NOT check all the transactions from the beginning of time and do not participate the bitoin 'effort' but to discover bitcoin, they make it easier and faster to get started.

Later on, you can always send you bitcoins from one address to another, just keep in mind that small fees will then probably apply.

I found the documentation of Armory wallet *really* useful and very clear.

[DannyHamilton]

I just do not understand how to get a Bitcoin Address. You know, the 27-34 character address?

Click the "New Address" button.

I got the Bitcoin Qt Wallet, but there is no information on how to get the address itself

There is a button.  It is labeled "New Address"  You need more information than that?

- it is very vague, and they should make it more clearer as to how this is done. They really should - because as it is, it's hard to find out how.

It really isn't.  Just look in the "Receive" section of the wallet.  That has the information that you need for receiving bitcoins (such as bitcoin adresses)

Also, what wallet should I use? I downloaded Armory, thinking this Bitcoin Qt looks better. I guess I will try Multibit too and make a decision.

All three of those are good wallets.  Armory allows you to keep your wallet offline for added security if you have a computer that you can keep permanently disconnected fro the internet. You should learn a bit about each, and then choose the one that best fits your needs.  Each has its own benefits and issues.

I click "New Address" in Qt,

Oh. Ok. So you figured out where to get a bitcoin address then?

but I can't just create the address on my own, pretty sure of that.

Not sure what you mean by that.  When you clicked the "New Address" button, the wallet should ahve given you a new address.  Didn't it?

I guess I gotta choose just one wallet and stick with it too.

Depends on your needs.  I use several wallets, each for its own purpose.

Maybe you can import stuff to other wallet programs though, I don't know.

Most of the wallets provide a way to import private keys, but in many of the wallets it is an advanced function. You might want to avoid trying to do that until you better understand what you are doing.  You can still create transactions to send bitcoins between wallets without trying to import anything though.

I mostly just want to find out how to get an address, they really need to make that easier to find for new people.

I'm not sure how much easier you want it to be, or who this "they" is that you are talking about.

[Arkaknight]

Ohh, I didn't even see the address under the "receive" button in Bitcoin Qt. That's where it is! Now I do. Thank you soo much all for the answers.
So the address is totally connected to the wallet, it isn't something separate. I guess there is no "they" Dan, I thought the address was actually
given out to people by some entity, not generated as it is. Thanks again all!

And thanks for this:

https://www.bitaddress.org/bitaddress.org-v2.6.0-SHA1-4f1fea4620287f863473193b8d93a8f3877ba972.html

Although I probably won't need it now, thanks.

[DeathAndTaxes]

I thought the address was actually given out to people by some entity, not generated as it is.

The power of Bitcoin is there is no entity controlling it.  If there was an entity which assigned addresses Bitcoin would be about as revolutionary as a very complicated PayPal 2.0