Difference between revisions of "FAQ"

From Bitmessage Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
(→‎How does BitMessage compare?: transpose table to better fit for smaller monitors (its too wide))
Line 32: Line 32:
 
|+ Comparison of Messaging Services
 
|+ Comparison of Messaging Services
 
!  
 
!  
−
 
+
! Trustless
 +
! P2P
 +
! Open Source
 +
! Requires Proof of Work
 +
! Hide Sender?
 +
! Hide Receiver?
 +
! Mobile Version
 +
! Application or Web Based
 +
! Text Only Messages
 +
! Attachments
 +
! Acknowledge delivery
 +
|-
 
! Bitmessage
 
! Bitmessage
−
! Standard Email
 
−
! Email + GPG
 
−
! [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off-the-Record_Messaging OTR]
 
−
! [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TorChat TorChat]
 
−
! [http://www.skype.com/en/ Skype]
 
−
! [http://www.scayl.com/ Scayl]
 
−
! [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I2P#E-mail I2P Bote]
 
−
! [https://crypto.cat/ CryptoCat]
 
−
! [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Relay_Chat IRC]
 
−
! SMS
 
−
! [http://retroshare.sourceforge.net/ RetroShare]
 
−
! [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freenet#Tools_and_applications Freenet+Frost]
 
−
|-
 
−
! Trustless
 
 
| Yes
 
| Yes
−
|
 
 
| Yes
 
| Yes
 +
| MIT
 
| Yes
 
| Yes
 
| Yes
 
| Yes
−
| No
 
−
| No
 
 
| Yes
 
| Yes
 
| No
 
| No
 +
| Application
 
|  
 
|  
−
|  
+
| Small only
−
|
 
 
| Yes
 
| Yes
 
|-
 
|-
−
! P2P
+
! Standard Email
−
| Yes
+
|  
 +
| No
 +
| Depends
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
 
| Yes
 
| Yes
 +
| Both
 
| No
 
| No
 
| Yes
 
| Yes
 +
| No
 +
|-
 +
! Email + GPG
 
| Yes
 
| Yes
 
| No
 
| No
 +
| Depends
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
−
|  
+
| No
 +
| Yes
 +
| Application
 
| Yes
 
| Yes
 +
| No
 +
| No
 
|-
 
|-
−
! Open Source
+
! [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off-the-Record_Messaging OTR]
−
| [http://opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php MIT]
+
| Yes
−
| Depends
+
| No
−
| Depends
 
 
| GPL V2.1
 
| GPL V2.1
−
| GPL
 
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
−
| GPL V3
+
| No
−
| GPL
+
| Yes
 +
| Application
 
| Yes
 
| Yes
 
| No
 
| No
 
|  
 
|  
−
| GPL
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
! Requires Proof of Work
+
! [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TorChat TorChat]
 +
| Yes
 
| Yes
 
| Yes
 +
| GPL
 
| No
 
| No
 +
| Yes
 +
| Yes
 
| No
 
| No
 +
| Application
 +
| Yes
 +
| Yes
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
! [http://www.skype.com/en/ Skype]
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
Line 102: Line 116:
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
 +
| Yes
 +
| Application
 
| No
 
| No
−
| No
+
| Yes
 
|  
 
|  
−
| No
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
! Hide Sender?
+
! [http://www.scayl.com/ Scayl]
−
| Yes
 
−
| No
 
−
| No
 
 
| No
 
| No
 
| Yes
 
| Yes
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
−
| Yes
 
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
 +
| Alpha
 +
| Application
 
| No
 
| No
 +
| Very Large
 
|  
 
|  
 +
|-
 +
! [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I2P#E-mail I2P Bote]
 
| Yes
 
| Yes
−
|-
 
−
! Hide Receiver?
 
 
| Yes
 
| Yes
 +
| GPL V3
 
| No
 
| No
 +
| Yes
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
 +
| Application
 
| Yes
 
| Yes
 +
| Yes
 +
| Yes
 +
|-
 +
! [https://crypto.cat/ CryptoCat]
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
 +
| GPL
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
 +
| Yes
 +
| Both
 +
| Yes
 
| No
 
| No
 
|  
 
|  
−
| Yes
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
! Mobile Version
+
! [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Relay_Chat IRC]
 +
|
 
| No
 
| No
 
| Yes
 
| Yes
−
| Yes
 
−
| Yes
 
 
| No
 
| No
−
| Yes
+
| No
−
| Alpha
 
 
| No
 
| No
 
| Yes
 
| Yes
 +
| Both
 
| Yes
 
| Yes
−
| Yes
 
−
|
 
 
| No
 
| No
−
|-
 
−
! Application or Web Based
 
−
| Application
 
−
| Both
 
−
| Application
 
−
| Application
 
−
| Application
 
−
| Application
 
−
| Application
 
−
| Application
 
−
| Both
 
−
| Both
 
−
| Application
 
 
|  
 
|  
−
| Application
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
! Text Only Messages
+
! SMS
 
|  
 
|  
 
| No
 
| No
−
| Yes
 
−
| Yes
 
−
| Yes
 
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
 
| No
−
| Yes
 
−
| Yes
 
−
| Yes
 
 
| No
 
| No
−
|  
+
| No
 
| Yes
 
| Yes
−
|-
+
| Application
−
! Attachments
 
−
| Small only
 
−
| Yes
 
−
| No
 
 
| No
 
| No
−
| Yes
 
−
| Yes
 
−
| Very Large
 
 
| Yes
 
| Yes
 
| No
 
| No
−
| No
+
|-
−
| Yes
+
! [http://retroshare.sourceforge.net/ RetroShare]
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|  
 
|  
 
|  
−
| Yes
 
−
|-
 
−
! Acknowledge delivery
 
−
| Yes
 
−
| No
 
−
| No
 
 
|  
 
|  
 
|  
 
|  
 
|  
 
|  
 
|  
 
|  
−
| Yes
 
 
|  
 
|  
 
|  
 
|  
 +
|-
 +
! [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freenet#Tools_and_applications Freenet + Frost]
 +
| Yes
 +
| Yes
 +
| GPL
 +
| No
 +
| Yes
 +
| Yes
 
| No
 
| No
−
|  
+
| Application
 +
| Yes
 +
| Yes
 
|  
 
|  
 
|}
 
|}

Revision as of 09:25, 30 March 2013

The basics

Where can I find the white paper for BitMessage?

The pdf can be found Here

Where can I find the technical paper for BitMessage?

The pdf can be found Here

Installation and configuration

How do I install BitMessage?

A great write up for setting up and using BitMessage can be found Here. Currently BitMessage is Windows only. Other platform support is still under development.

How do I setup BitMessage to work with Tor?

To get bitMessage to use Tor as a proxy follow these steps. If you are using Tor Browser Bundle please skip to the next section.

  • Navigate to Settings > Network Settings and select SOCKS5 from the Type: drop down under the Proxy server / Tor section.
  • Next to 'Server hostname:' enter 'localhost' and next to 'Port:' enter '9050'.
  • Select ok.
  • Restart BitMessage.

If you are using Tor Browser Bundle, follow the steps above but use port '9150' instead.

Usage

How many connections should I have?

As long as you have at least one connection, you can communicate with the network. If your connection indicator is yellow, you can have a maximum of 8 connections.

How does BitMessage compare?

Here is a table comparing BitMessage to other common messaging services.

Comparison of Messaging Services
  Trustless P2P Open Source Requires Proof of Work Hide Sender? Hide Receiver? Mobile Version Application or Web Based Text Only Messages Attachments Acknowledge delivery
Bitmessage Yes Yes MIT Yes Yes Yes No Application Small only Yes
Standard Email No Depends No No No Yes Both No Yes No
Email + GPG Yes No Depends No No No Yes Application Yes No No
OTR Yes No GPL V2.1 No No No Yes Application Yes No
TorChat Yes Yes GPL No Yes Yes No Application Yes Yes
Skype No No No No No No Yes Application No Yes
Scayl No Yes No No No No Alpha Application No Very Large
I2P Bote Yes Yes GPL V3 No Yes No No Application Yes Yes Yes
CryptoCat No No GPL No No No Yes Both Yes No
IRC No Yes No No No Yes Both Yes No
SMS No No No No No Yes Application No Yes No
RetroShare
Freenet + Frost Yes Yes GPL No Yes Yes No Application Yes Yes
Retrieved from "https://wiki.bitmessage.org/index.php?title=FAQ&oldid=18484"