diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index 49183fe..394538b 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -1 +1,164 @@ -# Learning Bitcoin from the Command-Line +# Learning Bitcoin from the Command-Line # + +> NOTE: This is a draft in progress, so that I can get some feedback from early reviewers. It is not yet ready for learning. + +The best way to learn to learn deeply about bitcoin is to avoid GUIs (even bitcoin-qt), and instead learn it from the command line. This tutorial assumes that you have some minimal background of how to use a command line. If not, there are many tutorials available, and I have one for Mac users at https://github.com/ChristopherA/intro-mac-command-line + +## Installing a PRUNED Bitcoin Node on a VPS ## + +A pruned bitcoin node is a full node (in particular, a pruned node is NOT an SPV node), but it is smaller as doesn’t have all the history. + +In addition, the bitcoin.conf settings suggested here will minimalize the initial and ongoing bandwidth requirements, allow a $5 a month VPS to be great for learning and testing with bitcoin. + +This info works with both Linode and Digital Ocean, so should work with more VPSs and local virtual machines. + +> NOTE: Don’t use a VPS for a bitcoin wallet with significant real funds— see http://blog.thestateofme.com/2012/03/03/lessons-to-be-learned-from-the-linode-bitcoin-incident/ — it is just very nice to be able experiment with real bitcoin transactions on a live full node without tying up a self-hosted server on a home network. I’ve also found it useful to be able to use an iPhone or iPad to communicate via SSH to my VPS to do some simple bitcoin tasks. +> + +If you don’t have a Linode or DG account, signup using these codes will give you roughly a month of free time. + +* Linode Referral Code: https://www.linode.com/?r=3c7fa15a78407c9a3d4aefb027539db2557b3765 +* Digital Ocean: http://www.digitalocean.com/?refcode=a6060686b88a + +I slightly prefer Linode, because there is a scripting capability called a "StackScript" for creating VPS'es that I plan to use to automate some of these installation functions. + +> IMPORTANT: First, you’ll should to copy the httpS URL for most recent bitcoin linux distribution from https://bitcoin.org/en/download as well the most recently httpS URL for the signatures for that release, and you will need the URL for the bitcoin signing keys for versionpast v0.11.+ . I have included what they were as of writing this tutorial, but you should not rely on them — always verify your bitcoin distribution! + +On the the VPS, create the minimal (~$5/m) VPS with Debian 8. Startup the VPS and use the IP address that your VPS dashboard shows you. + +``` +ssh root@162.243.130.224 + +uname -a # Should be "Linux debian", and give distribution release "4.8.6-x86_64-linode78" +lsb_release -a #Should report 8.6 or better (this script tested on debian 8.6) + + +hostnamectl set-hostname bitcoincore-pruned.local # You may not need to do this on Digital Ocean + +nano /etc/hosts #add "127.0.0.1 bitcoincore-pruned.local" to hosts file. + +dpkg-reconfigure tzdata + +date # confirm that this shows your correct time zone + +# we should update debian to latest security fixes + +apt-get update; apt-get upgrade; apt-get dist-upgrade + +# keep debian updates +echo "unattended-upgrades unattended-upgrades/enable_auto_updates boolean true" | debconf-set-selections +apt-get -y install unattended-upgrades + +# we need to update iptables to use bitcoin ports + +iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 22 -m conntrack --ctstate NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT +iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8333 -j ACCEPT +iptables -A INPUT -m conntrack --ctstate ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT +iptables -A INPUT -i lo -j ACCEPT +iptables -P INPUT DROP +iptables -P FORWARD DROP + +ip6tables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 22 -m conntrack --ctstate NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT +ip6tables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8333 -j ACCEPT +ip6tables -A INPUT -m conntrack --ctstate ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT +ip6tables -A INPUT -i lo -j ACCEPT +ip6tables -P INPUT DROP +ip6tables -P FORWARD DROP + +echo "iptables-persistent iptables-persistent/autosave_v4 boolean true" | debconf-set-selections +echo "iptables-persistent iptables-persistent/autosave_v6 boolean true" | debconf-set-selections +apt-get -y install iptables-persistent + +adduser user1 + +adduser user1 sudo + +reboot + +ssh user1@162.243.130.224 + +sudo apt-get install rng-tools # Installs random number tools — otherwise gpg will not have enough randomness on a VPS + +sudo /usr/sbin/rngd -r /dev/urandom # Initialize randomness pool +gpg --gen-key # create a key for this VPS (I don't the name of this machine as the email address — all other questions I press return + #TODO: I'm not absolutely sure that we need to do this — it is only required for fully qualified --verify if an --lsign is done of the import. + +# get current values for these URLs from https://bitcoin.org/en/download — make sure that they are HTTPS not HTTP urls. + +wget https://bitcoin.org/bin/bitcoin-core-0.13.2/bitcoin-0.13.2-x86_64-linux-gnu.tar.gz +wget https://bitcoin.org/bin/bitcoin-core-0.13.2/SHA256SUMS.asc +wget https://bitcoin.org/laanwj-releases.asc + ## TODO: validate the release key, for instance, it is the same as in the keyserver i.e. gpg --recv-keys 0x01EA5486DE18A882D4C2684590C8019E36C2E964 +gpg --import laanwj-releases.asc + gpg --list-keys + gpg --lsign 36C2E964 # laanwj's bitcoin release key just imported ## +gpg --verify SHA256SUMS.asc +# You should see a 'good signature', for example: +# gpg: Signature made Tue 03 Jan 2017 12:20:59 AM PST using RSA key ID 36C2E964 +# gpg: Good signature from "Wladimir J. van der Laan (Bitcoin Core binary release signing key) " + +cat SHA256SUMS.asc +sha256sum bitcoin-0.13.2-x86_64-linux-gnu.tar.gz +# SHA256 hashes should match + +tar xzf bitcoin-0.13.2-x86_64-linux-gnu.tar.gz +sudo install -m 0755 -o root -g root -t /usr/local/bin bitcoin-0.13.2/bin/* +rm bitcoin-0.13.2-x86_64-linux-gnu.tar.gz +rm -rf bitcoin-0.13.2/ + +mkdir ~/.bitcoin +echo -e "server=1\npar=1\nblocksonly=1\nprune=550\nmaxuploadtarget=137\nmaxconnections=16\nrpcuser=bitcoinrpc\nrpcpassword=$(xxd -l 16 -p /dev/urandom)" > ~/.bitcoin/bitcoin.conf +chmod 600 ~/.bitcoin/bitcoin.conf +more ~/.bitcoin/bitcoin.conf + +bitcoind -daemon #start bitcoin + +``` +Note: it may take up to several minutes for Bitcoin Core to start, during which it will display the following message whenever you use bitcoin-cli: + `error: {"code":-28,"message":"Verifying blocks..."}` + +Also useful is this command, the same number (your local getblockcount = the remote blockchain.info's getblockcount) then your pruned node is ready (about a day). + +``` +echo `bitcoin-cli getblockcount 2>&1`/`wget -O - http://blockchain.info/q/getblockcount 2>/dev/null` +``` + +### Useful aliases to add to .bash_profile + +``` +alias btcdir="cd ~/.bitcoin/" #linux default bitcoind path + # alias btcdir="cd ~/Library/Application\ Support/Bitcoin/" #mac default bitcoind path +alias bc="bitcoin-cli" +alias bd="bitcoind" +alias btcinfo='bitcoin-cli getinfo | egrep "\"version\"|balance|blocks|connections|errors"' +alias btcblock="echo `bitcoin-cli getblockcount 2>&1`/`wget -O - http://blockchain.info/q/getblockcount 2>/dev/null`" +``` + +### Useful commands + +``` +bc help +bc getblockchaininfo +bc getnetworkinfo +bc getnettotals +bc getwalletinfo +bc stop +``` + + +### Some tutorials once you've got bitcoin installed and up-to-date + +- Bitcoin.org's developer examples https://bitcoin.org/en/developer-examples#transactions +- Jonas Nick's "How to Run a Bitcoin Node" https://github.com/jonasnick/bitcoin-node +- David DeRosa's "A Developer Oriented Series about Bitcoin" http://davidederosa.com/basic-blockchain-programming/ + +Videos + +- Bitcoin JSON-RPC Tutorial 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygNit44dQHA +- Bitcoin JSON-RPC Tutorial 2 - VPS Setup https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygNit44dQHA +- Bitcoin JSON-RPC Tutorial 3 - bitcoin.conf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W54aRszkEOI&t=65s +- Bitcoin JSON-RPC Tutorial 4 - Command Line Interface https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmdYD7vutTI +- Bitcoin JSON-RPC Tutorial 5 - Your First Calls https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARL_PvDEBtU + + +