Proposal for the Site....... Bitmessage forum

After playing with BitMessage for a day, and after reading the WhitePaper, it would seem that this program has significant application, in the Monkey Culture, and Family. It provides a very SECURE Form of UnTraceable, Encrypted, and SECURE Comms, in a very simple App, with a simple GUI, that even some of near Computer Illiterate members can easily learn to Operate. No messing with KeySets, and stuff like that, just "Your Address" and the "Destination Address: is all that is needed, to send and receive messages. No Servers to configure, No KeySets to exchange, Simply one APP, that does all that, for you, behind the scenes, and a bit of bandwidth, to make the Network Connection.

So, I would propose that we ADD a BitMessage Forum to the Comms Forum, and the first thing in that forum, would be a Sticky Thread, Titled "Bit Message Addresses" Where Monkeys can Post a BitMessage Address, where they would RECEIVE SECURE BitMessages. Then I would propose that one of our smarter Documentation Guys, start a Sticky Thread, Titled "Downloading, Configuring, and Operating the Bit Message Client" that even our most Computer Illiterate Monkeys could follow, to download, configure and Operate a Bit Message client on their computer.

This would go a LONG Way toward something that has been discussed in the Passed. That being a GPG KeyServer attached to the MonkeySite, where Monkeys could leave a Public Key, for Monkey to Monkey SECURE Comms.

So What doe the Admins, and Mods, think....

 

Anything to make it easier for an old technophobe to use makes sense to me. All the PGP and GPG stuff lost me until I have time to dope it out.

 

@BTPost I agree in that we've been eagerly awaiting something like this for years now.
We can certainly create a subforum with your suggestions. I like the idea of a contact info thread and I could probably take a stab at creating a how-to with the basics. The BM UI has a lot of advanced features that are not necessary to begin encrypted messaging. As you stated: download, install, create address, paste recipient address, type message and send.

The fact that it's decentralized means that you are actually functioning as your own email server with zero configuration necessary.

I'm still having problems with Fedora and this means that I may have to move to something else unless I want to set up another box that's dedicated to BM although that's not as convenient. VMs are fine too I suppose but I really want to keep the client running all the time to help prop up the network.

 

Fedora / RHEL has hobbled a required encryption process over some legal licensing BS. As it is, one needs to spend a day or so re-compiling the OpenSSL package to add ECC (Elliptical Curve Encryption) back in. Whenever I attempt that, things break so I'm considering alternatives.

 

Bug 319901 – missing ec and ecparam commands in openssl package

 

How much disc space does the BM program want? Would it make any sense to put it on a USB stick so that hauling a computer around might not be needed? I can envision using a "foreign" machine in motel and hotel business offices or cyber cafes in a pinch.

I understand the reluctance to use Windows, but the troubles I see on SM with Linux and linux derived stuff, I'm not going there in the foreseeable future.

 

Win version is around 14.5 MBs and I'm not sure what the total folder size is after it syncs up - perhaps Bruce can tell us.
It could be put on a stick as it doesn't really 'install', you just run the .exe and it builds the directories as needed.

I'm pretty sure that a search for 'portable bitmessage' or 'bitmessage on a stick' would return some tutorials.

 

Might just repurpose a guide like this one which is VERY straightforward: Setting Up And Using Bitmessage – An Encrypted Communications Platform Based On Bitcoin

 

Apparently, f18 is still fine, just 19 and 20 have this problem.
Might drop back to 18 and give it a try.

 

the F fix
Using ECC in OpenSSL and strongSwan on Fedora | DanielPocock.com

 

@ghrit I have the Mac OSX Version on a USB Stick and it works fine. I loaded the Windows version on my MonkeyNet XP Virtual Machine in that runs concurrently on my iMac. Both versions are under 20MB, and the only issue I have found is My USB Stick is really SLOW, in launching the App, but once launched it operates cleanly. I haven't run the XP-VM Version as of yet, as I want to use the same Keys and Ident's, and need to figure out where they HID those Files, as they are Invisible Files on my iMac, so I need to find an Invisible File Finder....

According to the DOCs BitMessage is being developed on the Windows platform, and the Linux, and Mac OSX, Versions are a bit behind in the Development Cycle. So get yourself a USB Stick, and download the Windows Version, and follow the simple Config Instruction on the Wiki, and sent out some Test Messages....

 

Wouldn't that just be command+h while in finder?
Hidden files and folders on unix-like systems are prefaced with a .
So you may have a folder in /home called .bitmessage or .PyBitmessage or something like that.

Also, if you generate an address with a password rather than a random number, you can recreate the address on another (or fresh) system. Or at least that's my untested understanding.

We really should copy come of this chatter to the main bit message thread so others can learn with us.

Back to the OP. Yes, I'll create a bm subforum and we can populate it however seems best.

 

Yes, please do.

The thing about passwords is that they can become the weak link in anything encrypted. I have a 32 random character static password programmed into slot two of my yubikey(s). When I want a strong pass for something I just prefix with something like: bitmonkeymessage + (2 second press of the yubikey)
That outputs something like this:

Code:

bitmonkeymessageSH&^3m*lls9*266=265/4UJi~sh7_G.<9*!

It's an impossible pass to figure out and used Two-Factor Auth as it takes something I know (bitmonkeymessage) and something I have (Yubikey)

Once I get rolling with bm, I'll use something like the above

 

Forum created: Bitmessage

 

Is there anything in this thread that anyone would object to making public? I'd like to move it to the new forum.