doc/README: word wrap into something readable

[novacoin.git] / doc / README

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@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-Bitcoin 0.3.23 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