flywithu/Learning-Bitcoin-from-the-Command-Line
1
1
Fork 0
mirror of https://github.com/ChristopherA/Learning-Bitcoin-from-the-Command-Line.git synced 2025-06-07 16:06:26 +00:00
Code Issues Releases Wiki Activity

Merge pull request #182 from dimitris-t/dimitris-t-patch-1

Browse Source 
Fixed typos
This commit is contained in:
Shannon Appelcline 2020-12-22 15:28:52 -10:00 committed by GitHub
commit b9713a8e2e
No known key found for this signature in database
GPG Key ID: 4AEE18F83AFDEB23
4 changed files with 9 additions and 9 deletions
Show Stats Download Patch File Download Diff File Expand all files Collapse all files

4
01_0_Introduction.md
View File

@ -8,9 +8,9 @@ These centralization risks were some of the prime catalysts behind the creation
If you're one of those entrepreneurs or developers, then this course is for you, because it's all about learning to program Bitcoin. It's an introductory course that explains all the nuances and features of Bitcoin as it goes. It also takes a very specific tack, by offering lessons in how to work _directly_ with Bitcoin Core and with the c-lightning server using their RPC interfaces.
Why not use some of the more fully featured libraries found in various programming languages? Why not create your own from scratch? It's because working with cryptocurrency is dangerous. There are no safety nets. If you accidentally overpay your fees or lose a signing key or create an invalid transaction or make any number of potential mistakes, then your cryptocurrency will been gone forever. Much of that responsibility will, of course, lie with you as a cryptocurrency programmer, but it can be minimized by working with the most robust, secure, and safe cryptocurrency interfaces around, the ones created by the cryptocurrency programming teams themselves: ``bitcoind`` and ``lightningd``.
Why not use some of the more fully featured libraries found in various programming languages? Why not create your own from scratch? It's because working with cryptocurrency is dangerous. There are no safety nets. If you accidentally overpay your fees or lose a signing key or create an invalid transaction or make any number of potential mistakes, then your cryptocurrency will be gone forever. Much of that responsibility will, of course, lie with you as a cryptocurrency programmer, but it can be minimized by working with the most robust, secure, and safe cryptocurrency interfaces around, the ones created by the cryptocurrency programming teams themselves: ``bitcoind`` and ``lightningd``.
Much of this book thus discusses how to script Bitcoin (and Lightning) directly from the command line. Some later chapters deals with more sophisticated programming languages, but again they continue to interact directly with the ``bitcoind`` and ``lightningd`` daemons by using RPC or by interacting with the files they create. This allows you to stand on the shoulders of giants and use their trusted technology to learn how to create your own trusted systems.
Much of this book thus discusses how to script Bitcoin (and Lightning) directly from the command line. Some later chapters deal with more sophisticated programming languages, but again they continue to interact directly with the ``bitcoind`` and ``lightningd`` daemons by using RPC or by interacting with the files they create. This allows you to stand on the shoulders of giants and use their trusted technology to learn how to create your own trusted systems.
## Required Skill Level

6
01_1_Introducing_Bitcoin.md
View File

@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ Before you can get started programming Bitcoin (and Lightning), you should have
Bitcoin is a programmatic system that allows for the transfer of the bitcoin currency. It is enabled by a decentralized, peer-to-peer system of nodes, which include full nodes, wallets, and miners. Working together, they ensure that bitcoin transactions are fast and non-repudiable. Thanks to the decentralized nature of the system, these transactions are also censor-resistant and can provide other advantages such as pseudonymity and non-correlation if used well.
Obviously, Bitcoin is the heart of this book, but it's also the originator of many other systems, including blockchains and Lightning, which are both detailed in this tutorial, and many other cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum and Litecoins, which are not.
Obviously, Bitcoin is the heart of this book, but it's also the originator of many other systems, including blockchains and Lightning, which are both detailed in this tutorial, and many other cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum and Litecoin, which are not.
**_How Are Coins Transferred?_** Bitcoin currency isn't physical coins. Instead it's an endless series of ownership reassignments. When one person sends coins to another, that transfer is stored as a transaction. It's the transaction that actually records the ownership of the money, not any token local to the owner's wallet or their machine.
@ -56,11 +56,11 @@ ECC does not receive much attention in this tutorial. That's because this tutori
**_What is an Elliptic Curve?_** An elliptic curve is a geometric curve that takes the form `y`<sup>`2`</sup> = `x`<sup>`3`</sup>` + ax + b`. A specific elliptic curve is chosen by selecting specific values of `a` and `b`. The curve must then be carefully examined to determine if it works well for cryptography. For example, the secp256k1 curve used by Bitcoin is defined as `a=0` and `b=7`.
Any line that intersects an elliptic curve will do so at either 1 or 3 points ... and that's the basis of elliptic-curve cryptopgrahy.
Any line that intersects an elliptic curve will do so at either 1 or 3 points ... and that's the basis of elliptic-curve cryptography.
**_What are Finite Fields?_** A finite field is a finite set of numbers, where all addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division is defined so that it results in other numbers also in the same finite field. One simple way to create a finite field is through the use of a modulo function.
**_How is an Elliptic Curve Defined Over a Finite Field?_** An ellipitic curve defined over a finite field has all of the points on its curve drawn from a specific finite field. This takes the form: `y`<sup>`2`</sup> `% field-size = (x`<sup>`3`</sup>` + ax + b) % field-size` The finite field used for secp256k1 is `2`<sup>`256`</sup>` - 2`<sup>`32`</sup>` - 2`<sup>`9`</sup>` - 2`<sup>`8`</sup>` - 2`<sup>`7`</sup>` - 2`<sup>`6`</sup>` - 2`<sup>`4`</sup>` - 1`.
**_How is an Elliptic Curve Defined Over a Finite Field?_** An elliptic curve defined over a finite field has all of the points on its curve drawn from a specific finite field. This takes the form: `y`<sup>`2`</sup> `% field-size = (x`<sup>`3`</sup>` + ax + b) % field-size` The finite field used for secp256k1 is `2`<sup>`256`</sup>` - 2`<sup>`32`</sup>` - 2`<sup>`9`</sup>` - 2`<sup>`8`</sup>` - 2`<sup>`7`</sup>` - 2`<sup>`6`</sup>` - 2`<sup>`4`</sup>` - 1`.
**_How Are Elliptic Curves Used in Cryptography?_** In elliptic-curve cryptography, a user selects a very large (256-bit) number as his private key. He then adds a set base point on the curve to itself that many times. (In secp256k1, the base point is `G = 04 79BE667E F9DCBBAC 55A06295 CE870B07 029BFCDB 2DCE28D9 59F2815B 16F81798 483ADA77 26A3C465 5DA4FBFC 0E1108A8 FD17B448 A6855419 9C47D08F FB10D4B8`, which prefixes the two parts of the tuple with an `04` to say that the data point is in uncompressed form. If you prefer a straight geometric definition, it's the point "0x79BE667EF9DCBBAC55A06295CE870B07029BFCDB2DCE28D959F2815B16F81798,0x483ADA7726A3C4655DA4FBFC0E1108A8FD17B448A68554199C47D08FFB10D4B8") The resultant number is the public key. Various mathematical formula can then be used to prove ownership of the public key, given the private key. As with any cryptographic function, this one is a trap door: it's easy to go from private key to public key and largely impossible to go from public key to private key.

2
02_1_Setting_Up_a_Bitcoin-Core_VPS_with_StackScript.md
View File

@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ Finally, you'll need to fill in a root password, which will be the password used
### Choose Other Standup Options
Blockchain Commons is currently in the process of expandings its Bitcoin Standup Scripts with options to install Lightning and other Bitcoin apps of note. Take a look at any extra options, and see if they're things that you'd like to play with. In particular, if Lightning is an option, we suggest installing it, because it will make [Chapter 18](18_0_Understanding_Your_Lightning_Setup.md) and [Chapter 19](19_0_Using_Lightning.md) much easier.
Blockchain Commons is currently in the process of expanding its Bitcoin Standup Scripts with options to install Lightning and other Bitcoin apps of note. Take a look at any extra options, and see if they're things that you'd like to play with. In particular, if Lightning is an option, we suggest installing it, because it will make [Chapter 18](18_0_Understanding_Your_Lightning_Setup.md) and [Chapter 19](19_0_Using_Lightning.md) much easier.
### Choose a Linode Plan

2
02_2_Setting_Up_Bitcoin_Core_Other.md
View File

@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ Following are other setup methodologies that we are aware of:
* *[Compiling from Source](A2_0_Compiling_Bitcoin_from_Source.md).* If you prefer to compile Bitcoin Core by hand, that's covered in Appendix 2.
* *[Using GordianNode-macOS](https://github.com/BlockchainCommons/GordianNode-macOS).* If you have a modern Mac, you can use Blockchain Commons' *GordianNode* app, powered by *BitocinStandup*, to install a full node on your Mac.
* *[Using Other Bitcoin Standup Scripts](https://github.com/BlockchainCommons/Bitcoin-Standup-Scripts).* Blockchain Commons also offers a version of the Linode script that you used that can be run from the command line on any Debian or Ubuntu machine. This tends to be the leading-edge script, which means that it's more likely to feature new functions, like Lightnign installation.
* *[Using Other Bitcoin Standup Scripts](https://github.com/BlockchainCommons/Bitcoin-Standup-Scripts).* Blockchain Commons also offers a version of the Linode script that you used that can be run from the command line on any Debian or Ubuntu machine. This tends to be the leading-edge script, which means that it's more likely to feature new functions, like Lightning installation.
* *[Setting Up a Bitcoin Node on AWS](https://wolfmcnally.com/115/developer-notes-setting-up-a-bitcoin-node-on-aws/).* @wolfmcnally has written a step-by-step tutorial for setting up Bitcoin-Core with Amazon Web Services (AWS).
* *[Setting Up a Bitcoin Node on a Raspberry Pi 3](https://medium.com/@meeDamian/bitcoin-full-node-on-rbp3-revised-88bb7c8ef1d1).* Damian Mee explains how to set up a headless full node on a Raspberry Pi 3.