How do we define "airgap" around here?

[puck2]

So my next adventure is creating my own seed using dice. I have a coldcard, luckily skated by the most recent incident, and moved funds to an old standard wallet that I trust. Maybe I used dice rolls and I don't remember it!!! If my funds weren't stolen perhaps this is the case?

My preference for computers is old laptops. If I securely reinstall a barebones linux distro, or run Tails, do you folks consider this airgapped, even if at some point this computer was online?

I trust an old laptop with wifi disabled or removed, far more than I trust a new laptop purchased online.

Alternatively, what is the consensus around using an old Coldcard with dice rolls? Still considered untrustworthy?

I'm personally leaning towards dice rolls, but not sure yet how to convert them to a seed

iancoleman? https://github.com/sarpulhu/dicebip39? diceware ? https://github.com/taelfrinn/Bip39-diceware?

 

[LoyceV]

If I securely reinstall a barebones linux distro, or run Tails, do you folks consider this airgapped, even if at some point this computer was online?

I'd say airgapping is more about future actions than about past actions: make sure the data on it can never reach the internet in the future (including accidentally plugging in an ethernet cable).

I trust an old laptop with wifi disabled or removed, far more than I trust a new laptop purchased online.

What do you consider "old"? Anything older than Bitcoin itself will lack processing power, anything a few years old won't be much different than anything you buy new now.

Alternatively, what is the consensus around using an old Coldcard with dice rolls? Still considered untrustworthy?

Why risk it? I wouldn't trust the damn thing to use it as a coin to flip in the air.

I'm personally leaning towards dice rolls, but not sure yet how to convert them to a seed

There's software for it, but I prefer the manual solution using the BIP39 word list.
Let's use a coin, flip 1 times: 10011101001. That's binary. Make it decimal: 1257. From the list, your first seed word is "other". The last word includes a checksum, that's a bit more tricky.
Binary from a dice:
1 > 01
2 > 10
3 > 11
4 > 00
5 > 0
6 > 1

iancoleman? https://github.com/sarpulhu/dicebip39? diceware ? https://github.com/taelfrinn/Bip39-diceware?

When using any software, I'm always thinking: what if it doesn't use my own input, but instead just gives a predetermined seed? That's why I'm okay using the software, but only if I can manually verify it.

[ABCbits]

So my next adventure is creating my own seed using dice. I have a coldcard, luckily skated by the most recent incident, and moved funds to an old standard wallet that I trust. Maybe I used dice rolls and I don't remember it!!! If my funds weren't stolen perhaps this is the case?

Another possibility is you generated the seed with coldcard, but without known vulnerable firmware.

Alternatively, what is the consensus around using an old Coldcard with dice rolls? Still considered untrustworthy?

At very least, make sure you update to latest firmware. I've seen people stop using their Coldcard, either because they no longer trust the device/company or fear another undiscovered vulnerability exist.

I trust an old laptop with wifi disabled or removed, far more than I trust a new laptop purchased online.

What do you consider "old"? Anything older than Bitcoin itself will lack processing power, anything a few years old won't be much different than anything you buy new now.

Few distro also may not work properly with old laptop, at least without additional setting or installation.

[bitmover]

Alternatively, what is the consensus around using an old Coldcard with dice rolls? Still considered untrustworthy?

I would just throw them into the trash.

There is no reason to risk your funds in such bad software and device.

If I securely reinstall a barebones linux distro, or run Tails, do you folks consider this airgapped, even if at some point this computer was online?

I'd say airgapping is more about future actions than about past actions: make sure the data on it can never reach the internet in the future (including accidentally plugging in an ethernet cable).
[/quote]

I think this when a hardware wallet becomes handy. most users don't have the technical skills or patience to always be 100% offline when spending their coins safely.

I would buy a trezor, if I was going to buy a new HW.

[vapourminer]

What do you consider "old"? Anything older than Bitcoin itself will lack processing power, anything a few years old won't be much different than anything you buy new now.

"old"=32 bit to me

[LoyceV]

"old"=32 bit to me

That's old There aren't much wallets that still run on 32 bit systems. But even the oldest 64 bit PCs were very limited on RAM capacity.

[notocactus]

My preference for computers is old laptops. If I securely reinstall a barebones linux distro, or run Tails, do you folks consider this airgapped, even if at some point this computer was online?

An air-gapped device means it will not be able to connect to Internet because it lacks of necessary physical parts for Internet connection. You as the person who set up your air-gapped device proactively removed these items from your laptop for example.

[Guide] Secure air-gapped crypto wallet storage method.
What is air gap?
How to set up a Bitcoin air-gap computer?

[vapourminer]

There aren't much wallets that still run on 32 bit systems. But even the oldest 64 bit PCs were very limited on RAM capacity.

less than 4 cores?

[LoyceV]

less than 4 cores?

I think my last 64 bit desktop (before I switched to laptops only) had 2 cores, and could address up to 4 GB.

Especially for an airgapped system, I don't really care much about the number of cores. Most of the time it uses just 1, sometimes 2. More unused cores doesn't make it any faster.

[DireWolfM14]

~

I define Airgapped as relying on as little technology as possible.  No computer needed if you can convert binary into decimal on paper.  The trouble is, I don't know how to generate the last word/checksum of the seed without a computer or a hardware wallet.  The ColdCard and many other hardware wallets can do that for you.  The iancolman tool on an off-line computer as well.

Since you have a ColdCard, use it just for that purpose after turning off the USB and NFC features.  It can still safely function to sign transactions, but whether you want to trust it going forward is up to you.  

Personally, I've retired my ColdCard.  Unless they change the licensing of their firmware and attract more legitimate contributors examine and validate their code, it's gong to collect dust in my safe.  I'll rely on my Foundation Passports instead.

flip 11 times: 10011101001. That's binary. Make it decimal: 1257.

FIFY.

More unused cores doesn't make it any faster.

My current desktop has 8 cores, and I tax it regularly.  It's my home office engineering workstation, and not even my professional Dell laptop with the same processor and ram can keep up with it.  It does have an 11GB GPU, however.  Since I recently switched my main OS to Debian and I still have to run some software in a Windows VM from time to time, even my desktop has been complaining....

Excuse for an upgrade 

[dkbit98]

Airgap generally means that specific device is not connected with other devices or have any internet connection.
I would also say that having device with bluetooth (even if disabled) is not really airgapped device.
For laptops you can remove wifi/bluetooth chips, that is possible in Thinkpad or similar older devices.

Alternatively, what is the consensus around using an old Coldcard with dice rolls? Still considered untrustworthy?

I would NEVER use that crap or anything coming from nvk lying scammer lunatic.