For more information see the https://github.com/libbitcoin/libbitcoin-explorer[Bitcoin Explorer home page] and https://github.com/libbitcoin/libbitcoin-explorer/wiki[Bitcoin Explorer user documentation].
----
=== Examples of bx command use
Next, we look at some examples of using Bitcoin Explorer commands to experiment with keys and addresses.
Let's look at some examples of using Bitcoin Explorer commands to experiment with keys and addresses:
Generate a random "seed" value using the((("Bitcoin Explorer","seed command")))((("seed command (bx)"))) +seed+ command, which uses the operating system's random number generator. Pass the seed to the((("Bitcoin Explorer","ec-new command")))((("ec-new command (bx)"))) +ec-new+ command to generate a new private key. We save the standard output into the file _private_key_:
To decode this hex string, use the +decoderawtransaction+ command. Copy and paste the hex as the first parameter of +decoderawtransaction+ to get the full contents interpreted as a JSON data structure (for formatting reasons the hex string is shortened in the following example):
That looks correct! Our new transaction "consumes" the unspent output from our confirmed transaction and then spends it in two outputs, one for 25 millibits to our new address and one for 24.5 millibits as change back to the original address. The difference of 0.5 millibits represents the transaction fee and will be credited to the miner who finds the block that includes our transaction.
As you might notice, the transaction contains an empty +scriptSig+ because we haven't signed it yet. Without a signature, this transaction is meaningless; we haven't yet proven that we _own_ the address from which the unspent output is sourced. By signing, we remove the encumbrance on the output and prove that we own this output and can spend it. We use the +signrawtransaction+ command to sign the transaction. It takes the raw transaction hex string as the parameter:
As you might notice, the transaction contains an empty +scriptSig+ because we haven't signed it yet. Without a signature, this transaction is meaningless; we haven't yet proven that we _own_ the address from which the unspent output is sourced. By signing, we remove the lock on the output and prove that we own this output and can spend it. We use the +signrawtransaction+ command to sign the transaction. It takes the raw transaction hex string as the parameter:
[TIP]
====
@ -1010,7 +1029,7 @@ The +signrawtransaction+ command returns another hex-encoded raw transaction. We
Now, the inputs used in the transaction contain a +scriptSig+, which is a digital signature proving ownership of address +1hvz...+ and removing the encumbrance on the output so that it can be spent. The signature makes this transaction verifiable by any node in the bitcoin network.
Now, the inputs used in the transaction contain a +scriptSig+, which is a digital signature proving ownership of address +1hvz...+ and removing the lock on the output so that it can be spent. The signature makes this transaction verifiable by any node in the bitcoin network.
Now it's time to submit the newly created transaction to the network. We do that with the command +sendrawtransaction+, which takes the raw hex string produced by +signrawtransaction+. This is the same string we just decoded:
@ -1153,15 +1178,11 @@ The bx commands offer many of the same capabilities as the bitcoind client comma
===== Installing Bitcoin Explorer
((("Bitcoin Explorer","installing")))To use Bitcoin Explorer, simply download the signed executable for your operating system. Builds are available for mainnet and testnet for Linux, OS X, and Windows.
((("Bitcoin Explorer","installing")))To use Bitcoin Explorer, simply https://github.com/libbitcoin/libbitcoin-explorer/wiki/Download[download] the signed executable for your operating system. Builds are available for mainnet and testnet for Linux, OS X, and Windows.
Type +bx+ with no parameters to display the list of all available commands (see <<appdx_bx>>).
Bitcoin Explorer also provides an installer for building from sources on Linux and OS X, as well as Visual Studio projects for Windows. Sources can also be built manually using Autotools. These also install the ((("libbitcoin library","installing")))libbitcoin library dependency.
Bitcoin Explorer also provides an installer for https://github.com/libbitcoin/libbitcoin-explorer/wiki/Build[building] from sources on Linux and OS X, as well as Visual Studio projects for Windows. Sources can also be built manually using Autotools. These also install the ((("libbitcoin library","installing")))libbitcoin library dependency.
[TIP]
====
@ -1170,9 +1191,7 @@ Bitcoin Explorer offers many useful commands for encoding and decoding addresses
===== Installing Libbitcoin
((("libbitcoin library","installing")))The libbitcoin library provides an installer for building from sources on Linux and OS X, as well as Visual Studio projects for Windows. Sources can also be built manually using Autotools.
((("libbitcoin library","installing")))The libbitcoin library provides an installer for https://github.com/libbitcoin/libbitcoin/wiki/Build[building] from sources on Linux and OS X, as well as Visual Studio projects for Windows. Sources can also be built manually using Autotools.
@ -929,8 +929,11 @@ In <<ch01_intro_what_is_bitcoin>>, we introduced Eugenia, a children's charity d
[[table_4-11]]
.The range of vanity addresses starting with "1Kids"
|=======
| *From* | 1Kids11111111111111111111111111111
| *To* | 1Kidszzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
| *From* | +1Kids11111111111111111111111111111+
| | +1Kids11111111111111111111111111112+
| | +1Kids11111111111111111111111111113+
| | +...+
| *To* | +1Kidszzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz+
|=======
Let's look at the pattern "1Kids" as a number and see how frequently we might find this pattern in a bitcoin address (see <<table_4-12>>). An average desktop computer PC, without any specialized hardware, can search approximately 100,000 keys per second.
The peer node responds with +verack+ to acknowledge and establish a connection, and optionally sends its own +version+ message if it wishes to reciprocate the connection and connect back as a peer.
How does a new node find peers? The first method is to query DNS using a number of ((("nodes","seed")))((("DNS seed")))"DNS seeds," which are DNS servers that provide a list of IP addresses of bitcoin nodes. Some of those DNS seeds provide a static list of IP addresses of stable bitcoin listening nodes. Some of the DNS seeds are custom implementations of BIND (Berkeley Internet Name Daemon) that return a random subset from a list of bitcoin node addresses collected by a crawler or a long-running bitcoin node. The Bitcoin Core client contains the names of five different DNS seeds. The diversity of ownership and diversity of implementation of the different DNS seeds offers a high level or reliability for the initial bootstrapping process. In the Bitcoin Core client, the option to use the DNS seeds is controlled by the option switch +-dnsseed+, which is set to 1, to use the DNS seed, by default.
How does a new node find peers? The first method is to query DNS using a number of ((("nodes","seed")))((("DNS seed")))"DNS seeds," which are DNS servers that provide a list of IP addresses of bitcoin nodes. Some of those DNS seeds provide a static list of IP addresses of stable bitcoin listening nodes. Some of the DNS seeds are custom implementations of BIND (Berkeley Internet Name Daemon) that return a random subset from a list of bitcoin node addresses collected by a crawler or a long-running bitcoin node. The Bitcoin Core client contains the names of five different DNS seeds. The diversity of ownership and diversity of implementation of the different DNS seeds offers a high level or reliability for the initial bootstrapping process. In the Bitcoin Core client, the option to use the DNS seeds is controlled by the option switch +-dnsseed+ (set to 1 by default, to use the DNS seed).
Alternatively, a bootstrapping node that knows nothing of the network must be given the IP address of at least one bitcoin node, after which it can establish connections through further introductions. The command-line argument +-seednode+ can be used to connect to one node just for introductions, using it as a seed. After the initial seed node is used to form introductions, the client will disconnect from it and use the newly discovered peers.
Andreas M. Antonopoulos
9 years ago