FAQ

From Bitmessage Wiki
Revision as of 16:23, 9 April 2013 by Dok (talk | contribs)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

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. Several examples of how to install Bitmessage on *nix and OSX platforms can be found in the forums.

How do I become a node to help the network?

If your connection indicator is green then you are already accepting incoming connections and helping the Bitmessage network.

If your connection indicator is yellow, check your firewall settings and port forwarding to make sure incoming connections are allowed to your machine on the correct port (Default TCP 8444).

You can click on the indicator for more information about each color.

Why is my Connection Indicator Yellow?

Bitmessage will work normally with a yellow indicator. If your indicator is yellow, you can have up to 8 connections and you are not acting as a relay node for the network. To make your indicator green and act as a relaying node for the Bitmessage network, please forward TCP port 8444 (default).

How do I setup Bitessage to work with Tor?

Tor

If you are using the Tor Browser Bundle skip to the next section. In order for Bitmessage to use Tor as a proxy follow these steps.

  • 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.


Tor Browser Bundle

  • 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 '9150'.
  • Select ok.
  • Restart Bitmessage.

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.

Can I send a message to someone that is offline?

Yes. However, if you go offline then they must come back online within 2 days of the message being sent. Nodes delete data, and do not accept data, older than 2 days.

How does Bitmessage work?

Startup

When you first start Bitmessage, your client connects itself to the network and starts downloading a list of known nodes. Each new node that you connect to shares its list of known nodes. In addition to the known nodes, you will also start receiving person-to-person messages, broadcasts, and public keys. If any of these messages are bound for you, they will be shown in your inbox. All of this data is exchanged between all of your connections to make sure that everyone has a copy.


Sending a Message

When you send a message, your client must first compute a Proof of Work (POW). This POW helps mitigate spam on the network. Nodes and other clients will not process your message if it does not show sufficient POW. After the POW is complete, your message is shared to all of your connections which in turn share it with all of their connections.

Where can I find more documentation about Bitmessage?

How does Bitmessage compare to other messaging methods?

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 No 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
Freenet + FMS No Yes No No Yes No Application Yes No
Freenet + Freemail 0.2 No Yes GPL No No No No Application No Yes No
Freenet + FLIP Yes Yes No No No No Application Yes No


Troubleshooting

My Connection Indicator is Red

Check your connection settings. Can you access the internet? Have you allowed Bitmessage through your firewall? Have you tried a different port number under Settings > Network Settings? Sometimes Bitmessage takes time to connect to the network. Please allow at least 30 minutes for it to connect before posting to the forum.

If none of that works, please visit the forum here.

I have not received a reply from the Echo Server

  • Your connection indicator should be yellow or green.
  • Make sure that your POW is complete and the message has been sent. You should see an acknowledgement under "Status" on the "Sent" tab.
  • On average it should take 8 minutes from the time you click the send button to the time you receive a response. Be sure to allow extra time in the event that the server is under heavy traffic.
  • You can always send a message to another echo server. Here are two additional echo addresses:
    • BM-orkCbppXWSqPpAxnz6jnfTZ2djb5pJKDb
    • BM-omXeTjutKWmYgQJjmoZjAG3u3NmaLEdZK

If you still do not receive a response, visit the forum to see if there is a current technical issue or to submit a new request for assistance.