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diff --git a/doc/README b/doc/README index a4df4c227b..f72bca01f7 100644 --- a/doc/README +++ b/doc/README @@ -1,4 +1,4 @@ -Bitcoin 0.3.24 BETA +Bitcoin 0.3.25 BETA Copyright (c) 2009-2011 Bitcoin Developers Distributed under the MIT/X11 software license, see the accompanying @@ -24,6 +24,49 @@ Unpack the files into a directory and run: bin/64/bitcoin (GUI, 64-bit) bin/64/bitcoind (headless, 64-bit) + +Wallet Encryption +----------------- +Bitcoin supports native wallet encryption so that people who steal your +wallet file don't automatically get access to all of your Bitcoins. +In order to enable this feature, chose "Encrypt Wallet" from the +Options menu. You will be prompted to enter a passphrase, which +will be used as the key to encrypt your wallet and will be needed +every time you wish to send Bitcoins. If you lose this passphrase, +you will lose access to spend all of the bitcoins in your wallet, +no one, not even the Bitcoin developers can recover your Bitcoins. +This means you are responsible for your own security, store your +password in a secure location and do not forget it. + +Remember that the encryption built into bitcoin only encrypts the +actual keys which are required to send your bitcoins, not the full +wallet. This means that someone who steals your wallet file will +be able to see all the addresses which belong to you, as well as the +relevant transactions, you are only protected from someone spending +your coins. + +It is recommended that you backup your wallet file before you +encrypt your wallet. To do this, close the Bitcoin client and +copy the wallet.dat file from ~/.bitcoin/ on Linux, /Users/(user +name)/Application Support/Bitcoin/ on Mac OSX, and %APPDATA%/Bitcoin/ +on Windows (that is /Users/(user name)/AppData/Roaming/Bitcoin on +Windows Vista and 7 and /Documents and Settings/(user name)/Application +Data/Bitcoin on Windows XP). Once you have copied that file to a +safe location, reopen the Bitcoin client and Encrypt your wallet. +If everything goes fine, delete the backup and enjoy your encrypted +wallet. Note that once you encrypt your wallet, you will never be +able to go back to a version of the Bitcoin client older than 0.4. + +Keep in mind that you are always responsible for you own security. +All it takes is a slightly more advanced wallet-stealing trojan which +installs a keylogger to steal your wallet passphrase as you enter it +in addition to your wallet file and you have lost all your Bitcoins. +Wallet encryption cannot keep you safe if you do not practice +good security, such as running up-to-date antivirus software, only +entering your wallet passphrase in the Bitcoin client and using the +same passphrase only as your wallet passphrase. + + See the documentation at the bitcoin wiki: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Main_Page |