lbcd/docs/README.md at b580cdb7d38df6f411adbc40943025f535848a4a

Dave Collins 37938375dc docs: Update READMEs with current details.

This commit updates the main README.md and docs/README.md files to
replace the references to the now dead btcgui project with the
Windows-only Paymetheus project.

While here, it also updates some information to make it more current and
accurately describe the current status.

2016-03-11 14:53:15 -06:00

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About
Getting Started
Help
Contact
1. IRC
2. Mailing Lists
Developer Resources

### 1. About btcd is a full node bitcoin implementation written in [Go](http://golang.org), licensed under the [copyfree](http://www.copyfree.org) ISC License.

This project is currently under active development and is in a Beta state. It is extremely stable and has been in production use since October 2013.

It currently properly downloads, validates, and serves the block chain using the exact rules (including bugs) for block acceptance as the reference implementation, bitcoind. We have taken great care to avoid btcd causing a fork to the block chain. It passes all of the 'official' block acceptance tests.

It also properly relays newly mined blocks, maintains a transaction pool, and relays individual transactions that have not yet made it into a block. It ensures all individual transactions admitted to the pool follow the rules required into the block chain and also includes the vast majority of the more strict checks which filter transactions based on miner requirements ("standard" transactions).

One key difference between btcd and Bitcoin Core is that btcd does NOT include wallet functionality and this was a very intentional design decision. See the blog entry here for more details. This means you can't actually make or receive payments directly with btcd. That functionality is provided by the btcwallet and Paymetheus (Windows-only) projects which are both under active development.

### 2. Getting Started **2.1 Installation**

The first step is to install btcd. See one of the following sections for details on how to install on the supported operating systems.

**2.1.1 Windows Installation**

Install the MSI available at: https://github.com/btcsuite/btcd/releases
Launch btcd from the Start Menu

**2.1.2 Linux/BSD/MacOSX/POSIX Installation**

Install Go according to the installation instructions here: http://golang.org/doc/install
Run the following command to ensure your Go version is at least version 1.2: $ go version
Run the following command to obtain btcd, its dependencies, and install it: $ go get github.com/btcsuite/btcd/...
- To upgrade, run the following command: $ go get -u github.com/btcsuite/btcd/...
Run btcd: $ btcd

**2.1.2.1 Gentoo Linux Installation**

Install Layman and enable the Bitcoin overlay.
- https://gitlab.com/bitcoin/gentoo
Copy or symlink /var/lib/layman/bitcoin/Documentation/package.keywords/btcd-live to /etc/portage/package.keywords/
Install btcd: $ emerge net-p2p/btcd

**2.2 Configuration**

btcd has a number of configuration options, which can be viewed by running: $ btcd --help.

**2.3 Controlling and Querying btcd via btcctl**

btcctl is a command line utility that can be used to both control and query btcd via RPC. btcd does not enable its RPC server by default; You must configure at minimum both an RPC username and password or both an RPC limited username and password:

btcd.conf configuration file

[Application Options]
rpcuser=myuser
rpcpass=SomeDecentp4ssw0rd
rpclimituser=mylimituser
rpclimitpass=Limitedp4ssw0rd

btcctl.conf configuration file

[Application Options]
rpcuser=myuser
rpcpass=SomeDecentp4ssw0rd

[Application Options]
rpclimituser=mylimituser
rpclimitpass=Limitedp4ssw0rd

For a list of available options, run: $ btcctl --help

**2.4 Mining**
btcd supports both the `getwork` and `getblocktemplate` RPCs although the `getwork` RPC is deprecated and will likely be removed in a future release. The limited user cannot access these RPCs.

1. Add the payment addresses with the miningaddr option.

[Application Options]
rpcuser=myuser
rpcpass=SomeDecentp4ssw0rd
miningaddr=12c6DSiU4Rq3P4ZxziKxzrL5LmMBrzjrJX
miningaddr=1M83ju3EChKYyysmM2FXtLNftbacagd8FR

2. Add btcd's RPC TLS certificate to system Certificate Authority list.

cgminer uses curl to fetch data from the RPC server. Since curl validates the certificate by default, we must install the btcd RPC certificate into the default system Certificate Authority list.

Ubuntu

Copy rpc.cert to /usr/share/ca-certificates: # cp /home/user/.btcd/rpc.cert /usr/share/ca-certificates/btcd.crt
Add btcd.crt to /etc/ca-certificates.conf: # echo btcd.crt >> /etc/ca-certificates.conf
Update the CA certificate list: # update-ca-certificates

3. Set your mining software url to use https.

$ cgminer -o https://127.0.0.1:8334 -u rpcuser -p rpcpassword

### 3. Help **3.1 Startup**

Typically btcd will run and start downloading the block chain with no extra configuration necessary, however, there is an optional method to use a bootstrap.dat file that may speed up the initial block chain download process.

**3.1.1 bootstrap.dat**
* [Using bootstrap.dat](https://github.com/btcsuite/btcd/tree/master/docs/using_bootstrap_dat.md) **3.1.2 Network Configuration**
* [What Ports Are Used by Default?](https://github.com/btcsuite/btcd/tree/master/docs/default_ports.md) * [How To Listen on Specific Interfaces](https://github.com/btcsuite/btcd/tree/master/docs/configure_peer_server_listen_interfaces.md) * [How To Configure RPC Server to Listen on Specific Interfaces](https://github.com/btcsuite/btcd/tree/master/docs/configure_rpc_server_listen_interfaces.md) * [Configuring btcd with Tor](https://github.com/btcsuite/btcd/tree/master/docs/configuring_tor.md) **3.1 Wallet**

btcd was intentionally developed without an integrated wallet for security reasons. Please see btcwallet for more information.

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