How to create a vanity address?

[MTPcgr]

I've seen several people mention them in passing, but how does one go about safely creating a vanity address (ideally without using a 3rd party)?

[BlockChainLottery]

First of all download the program here. Then read this to generate a private key. Finally add the final key to your bitcoin client as stated here.

[oxfardk]

it's not free to create a vanity address however here is the "link".

[MTPcgr]

Let's assume that I use this program to generate a vanity URL using the pattern 1Bill.  What's to stop someone else from using the same program using the pattern 1Bill and ending up with the same private key that I got?  How do I know that the private key the application generated for me is unique, safe, and not also going to be generated for someone else using the same pattern?

[odolvlobo]

Let's assume that I use this program to generate a vanity URL using the pattern 1Bill.  What's to stop someone else from using the same program using the pattern 1Bill and ending up with the same private key that I got?  How do I know that the private key the application generated for me is unique, safe, and not also going to be generated for someone else using the same pattern?

In theory, the odds of someone else being able to generate the same public key are incredibly low -- virtually impossible. The difficulty of doing that is the basis of the security of bitcoin.

However, flaws in the address generation software can reduce that difficulty, and there have been flaws.

[MTPcgr]

In theory, the odds of someone else being able to generate the same public key are incredibly low -- virtually impossible. The difficulty of doing that is the basis of the security of bitcoin.

That's the hope, but what's the guarantee?  Anything?  

[BlockChainLottery]

The chance of getting the same address generated twice takes probably (citation needed) much more time than the age of the universe (with today's computers).

[energeez]

In theory, the odds of someone else being able to generate the same public key are incredibly low -- virtually impossible. The difficulty of doing that is the basis of the security of bitcoin.

That's the hope, but what's the guarantee?  Anything? 

theres no hope, no guarantee dude cause that's mathematically impossible

[odolvlobo]

In theory, the odds of someone else being able to generate the same public key are incredibly low -- virtually impossible. The difficulty of doing that is the basis of the security of bitcoin.

That's the hope, but what's the guarantee?  Anything? 

theres no hope, no guarantee dude cause that's mathematically nearly impossible

FTFY

[nerobie]

I know that the private key the application generated for me is unique