[ANNOUNCE] Dot-BIT project / Namecoin website

[khal]

Just a little news to announce the dot-bit project (dot-bit.org and dot-bit.bit).

Why dot-bit ?
Namecoin.com/org/net are not free. So...

Dot-BIT goal is to spread .bit domains by providing ressources and tools for the developpers and the end users (and avoid to flood the bitcoin forum too much with a derivated project).

You can :
- download the namecoin software,
- register to the development mailing list,
- find active namecoin sellers
- find a list of current dns servers,
- follow the project progress with current and future tasks.


This is a wiki, so you can add your own dns server (like gsan does :p), complete and re-organise it, because there is still much to do (separate end user and developpers in two pages, create a FAQ, detail other tasks, etc).

[khal]

Some updates :
- homepage has been split into sub pages
- first version of "how to browse .bit domains"
- updated list of namecoin sellers
- updated list of tasks

[khal]

Added the forum : http://dot-bit.org/forum/

[khal]

I've compiled the namecoind binary for linux 64bits with latest patches.
It's available on http://dot-bit.org/

It corrects disappeared domains and adds two rpc calls if problems are not corrected automatically : name_clean & deletetransaction (you'll need a transaction id, obtained with listtransactions [make backup before !]).
It uses new namecoin addresses starting with N instead of 1
Example : N3345eoPuzXH8nsGqtDUKM5Wts1HgU5r2f

[gigabytecoin]

When I visit this page http://dot-bit.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/namecoin-dev-dot-bit.org to sign up to the dev mailing list, it's all in french. Ce n'est pas un probleme pour moi... But when I click to translate the page into english, I am met with a scary "THIS CONNECTION IS UNTRUSTED" by firefox.

Any way you could make it "trusted"?

I'm considering setting up an experimental mining pool on the .bit infrastructure so I am indeed interested in the dev mailing list sign up!

[khal]

When I visit this page http://dot-bit.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/namecoin-dev-dot-bit.org to sign up to the dev mailing list, it's all in french. Ce n'est pas un probleme pour moi... But when I click to translate the page into english, I am met with a scary "THIS CONNECTION IS UNTRUSTED" by firefox.

Any way you could make it "trusted"?

It is switching from http to https, so you have a warning because of the ssl certificate... (a solution would be to have a dedicated ip and a new ssl certificate, or to avoid the redirection to https)

[gigabytecoin]

When I visit this page http://dot-bit.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/namecoin-dev-dot-bit.org to sign up to the dev mailing list, it's all in french. Ce n'est pas un probleme pour moi... But when I click to translate the page into english, I am met with a scary "THIS CONNECTION IS UNTRUSTED" by firefox.

Any way you could make it "trusted"?

It is switching from http to https, so you have a warning because of the ssl certificate... (a solution would be to have a dedicated ip and a new ssl certificate, or to avoid the redirection to https)

Might I suggest you avoid the redirection to https then? Until you get a properly signed certificate?

That warning alone might scare away a few new users.

Edit: I just signed up to your forum and made a few posts, but it seems as though you have some heavy spam protection on there! Good on you!

Coming from a former forum poster however... it would be much more beneficial to your forum and your community if you simply created your own question to be answered when registering - using a plugin for phpbb like this one: http://boonedocks.net/mike/archives/143-PHPBB-Anti-spam-Registration-Question.html

Simply changing that question once per month will keep your forum spam free forever.

[Ryland R. Taylor-Almanza]

So, are domains registered through namecoin anonymous, seeing as it's just a modified bitcoin? Would this be considered a darknet, like .onion or .i2p sites? I don't quite know what I'm talking about, but I'm just wondering.

[Nefario]

AFAIK to use this service you need only add the namecoind dns server to your list of dns server on your network/internet connection.

No it's not a darknet (nothing is encrypted), it's just an easy way to handle dns ownership.

[khal]

So, are domains registered through namecoin anonymous, seeing as it's just a modified bitcoin? Would this be considered a darknet, like .onion or .i2p sites? I don't quite know what I'm talking about, but I'm just wondering.

Domains are registered anonymously, but the webpages they point to are not hidden.
Advantages of namecoin are :
- censorship-resistant domains
- owner of domain is anonymous


Edit : gigabytecoin > fixed the https redirection. Thanks.
Edit2 : captcha has been replaced by a Q&A

[Ryland R. Taylor-Almanza]

So, I registered a domain, and set the nameservers to ns1.slicehost.net, ns2.slicehost.net, and  ns3.slicehost.net. How do I add a dns record for a .bit website?

[BitLex]

like this

namecoind name_update d/yourname '{"map": {"": {"ns": ["ns1.slicehost.net", "ns2.slicehost.net"]}}}'

anything else can be done on slicehost

[Ryland R. Taylor-Almanza]

like this

namecoind name_update d/yourname '{"map": {"": {"ns": ["ns1.slicehost.net", "ns2.slicehost.net"]}}}'

That's what I did, but how do I make it go to my server specifically? Normally, after I set nameservers on a domain, I have to log in to my server management page and add dns records to my server as well.

[BitLex]

yeah, can't you do that on slicehost?
i do so on afraid.org

you can also set your IPs in namecoin though
should look like

Code:

namecoind name_update d/yourname '{"map": {"": "1.2.3.4", "www": "4.3.2.1"}}'

[Ryland R. Taylor-Almanza]

yeah, can't you do that on slicehost?
i do so on afraid.org

you can also set your IPs in namecoin though
should look like

Code:

namecoind name_update d/yourname '{"map": {"": "1.2.3.4", "www": "4.3.2.1"}}'

Well, I tried to, but everytime I pressed submit, it just dissapeared. I think it doesn't want to recognise the .bit extension. But you say I can just map it directly to my server's IP, instead of going through the slicehost nameservers first?

[khal]

I've update this page to show how to configure a domain :
http://dot-bit.org/HowToRegisterBitDomains#How_to_configure_your_domain

Choice 1 : use ns and configure things like you usually do it on slicehost.
Choice 2 : map to the ip of your webserver

[Ryland R. Taylor-Almanza]

Well, mapping directly to my server's ip still gave me the "server not found" error. But I tried using ns with slicehost again, and adding a dns zone with my domain, and this time I got some output:

Code:

Origin invalid

Anyway I could trick it, maybe?

[doublec]

But you say I can just map it directly to my server's IP, instead of going through the slicehost nameservers first?

It's easier just to do this. What's the point of using an alternative to DNS when you're just forwarding to an existing DNS?

[khal]

Well, mapping directly to my server's ip still gave me the "server not found" error. But I tried using ns with slicehost again, and adding a dns zone with my domain, and this time I got some output:

Code:

Origin invalid

Anyway I could trick it, maybe?

Replace :
"{\"map\": {\"\": {\"ns\": [\"ns1.slicehost.net, ns2.slicehost.net, ns3.slicehost.net\"]}}}"
With :
"{\"map\": {\"\": {\"ns\": [\"ns1.slicehost.net\", \"ns2.slicehost.net\", \"ns3.slicehost.net\"]}}}"

Your domain should appear in the "Configured full domains" after some minuts :
http://opennic.bit/#dom


Edit : your domain is not configured on slicehost, or slicehost does not support .bit maybe ?

[khal]

Here is a domain price calculator :
http://dot-bit.org/tools/domainCost.php

Enter the current block number (default one is an estimation, good enough) and you'll have the result.

Price will be 25NC on block 8196, and 12.5NC on block 16392, etc.