Monero (XMR): A Reasonably Private Digital Currency
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Monero is a private-centric cryptocurrency launched in 2014 to allow direct and anonymous digital payments without being dependent on a central authority.
Installation[edit]
Install org.getmonero.Monero via flatpak.
1. Add flathub repository. [1]
Platform specific.
- A) Kicksecure ™: flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
- B) Kicksecure ™ for Qubes Template (
kicksecure-16): http_proxy=http://127.0.0.1:8082 flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo - C) Kicksecure ™ for Qubes App Qube (
kicksecure): flatpak --user remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
2. Install the flatpak org.getmonero.Monero package.
Platform specific.
- A) Kicksecure ™: flatpak install flathub org.getmonero.Monero
- B) Kicksecure ™ for Qubes Template (
kicksecure-16): http_proxy=http://127.0.0.1:8082 flatpak install flathub org.getmonero.Monero - C) Kicksecure ™ for Qubes App Qube (
kicksecure): flatpak --user install flathub org.getmonero.Monero
3. Done.
The procedure of installing org.getmonero.Monero is complete.
4. Upgrades notice.
Note: this procedure will not keep the software up-to-date. How to update installation installed by flatpak is also documented on the Operating System Software and Updates wiki page.
Apart from these hints, installation and usage of Monero in Kicksecure ™ does not differ from installing Monero on any Linux based distribution.
Monero Operations[edit]
Start Monero GUI[edit]
Open a terminal.
If you are using Kicksecure ™ inside Qubes, complete the following steps.
Qubes App Launcher (blue/grey "Q") → Kicksecure ™ App Qube (commonly named kicksecure) → Xfce Terminal
If you are using a graphical Kicksecure ™ with XFCE, run.
Start Menu → Xfce Terminal
monero-wallet-gui
For detailed instructions on how to use Monero, please refer to the official Monero documentation
.
Figure: Monero GUI in Kicksecure ™
Start Monero CLI[edit]
Alternatively, you could also use Monero on the command line.
monero-wallet-cli
Remote Node Security and Privacy Considerations[edit]
Using a remote node provides a quick way to set up your Monero wallet. You will not have to download the entire blockchain.
It is important to note that the remote node:
- cannot spend your XMR (you hold the keys);
- does not know your IP address (we are connecting to it over Tor);
- does not know your XMR address; and
- does not know your balance or private view key.
However, using a remote node is not without risk. To learn more about the possible attacks, see: https://moneroworld.com/
In general, if the wallet warns you about the node misbehaving, then immediately exit the wallet and connect to a different node.
Forum Discussion[edit]
Donations[edit]
After installing Monero, please consider making a donation to Kicksecure ™ to help keep it running for many years to come.
Donate Monero (XMR) to Kicksecure ™.
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Appendix[edit]
Monero Architecture[edit]
Monero works by having contributors host large files which are equivalent to a public ledger. Any time someone broadcasts a transaction, every ledger maintainer updates their copy of the ledger and ensures no cheating or fraud has occurred. As with most cryptocurrencies, transactions are sent to Public Addresses which are derived from personally created private keys.
Since transactions could otherwise be traced by watching which addresses are sending to each-other, Monero uses a Diffie-Hellman key exchange using the transaction information on the sender's side and the public address on the receiver's end of a transaction to encrypt the recipients address on the ledger. To protect the sender, spending Monero is equivalent to forwarding the output of the previous transaction, so a users address is never stored on the ledger at all - this technique is called Stealth Addressing.
Since this solution is imperfect, and allows EABE attacks and is dependent on ECC for the key exchange, Monero uses a second layer of anonymity called Ring Signatures. When signing a transaction and broadcasting it to the network, Ring Signatures take signers from previous transactions and forge a new signature with Ring Size = N, where you cannot tell which entity in the group N actually authorized a transaction. This further obfuscates the blockchain and reduces the available attack vectors on the cryptocurrency as a whole, as well as introduces several zero knowledge proofs which prevent absolute analysis of the ledger.
Ring Signatures combined with Stealth Addressing prevent many attack vectors, but since new transactions are forwarded outputs from previous ones you can still perform analysis by viewing the amounts spent on-chain. To address this potential issue, a solution called RingCT was introduced which obfuscates the amount spent in a transaction.
Further attack vectors including cross-referencing an address posted in multiple places and IP leaks when connecting to the network are further developments sought out by the Monero community. These potential issues are addressed with Subaddresses and Kovri respectively.
monero-gui Debian Package[edit]
Project Monero Debian Package Repository for 2 years has been completed. No extension request is planned. It is recommended to use the official Monero flatpak installation method which is documented above.
Footnotes[edit]
At
Kicksecure we believe in freedom and trust. That's why we fully support Open Source and Freedom Software.
Kicksecure ™ is supported by Evolution Host DDoS Protected VPS.
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2023