How To Install Bither On Linux
Many Bitcoin Wallets on Linux require the user to compile the source code. Going the source code route for Linux is understandable, as there are many different Linux-like operating systems. That said, it significantly reduces the number of people that will get to use the software.
If you’re in need of a good bitcoin wallet on the Linux desktop and don’t feel like compiling Bitcoin Core or anything like that, consider checking out Bither. It’s a solid wallet for Linux (and other platforms). Best of all, the program doesn’t require compiling!
Install Bither
The Bither Bitcoin wallet works so well because it’s downloadable and executable right away. All the user needs to do is download a file, have the correct permissions and go. Better still, unlike a lot of binary applications on Linux, there’s no need to jump through hoops to create a custom desktop shortcut. Instead, Bither does it automatically.
To get started with this app, first, head over to the official download page. On the download page, hover over “Desktop.” In this menu, you’ll notice that there are options to choose from other than Linux. Bither Bitcoin wallet is cross-platform, so feel free to download for Mac and Windows as well!
Inside the desktop menu, look for Linux and click on it. Clicking this option will start the download for Bither. Keep in mind that this wallet is compressed within a Tar archive, and can’t just run right away. You’ll need to extract the file from it first. To extract the binary from the downloaded Tar archive file, open up a terminal and use the CD command to move to the ~/Downloads folder.
cd ~/Downloads
Inside this folder, it’s safe to extract the contents of the Tar archive.
tar -xf Bither-linux64.tar
Running this command will quickly deflate the compressed archive and extracts all contents. Since the Bither Tar archive only contains one binary file, a new folder won’t be created. Instead, Tar will move the Bither-linux64-offline into Downloads. At this point, the wallet is usable, and you should be able to execute it. However, it’s probably a good idea to move Bither to a new location first, because you may accidentally delete it by keeping it in ~/Downloads.
For maximum usefulness, create a “Bitcoin” folder inside of your home directory. Inside here, place the Bither wallet app, along with any other Bitcoin-related information. Make a new folder in the terminal with the mkdir command.
Note: be sure to use -p when running mkdir, as it will preserve permissions and keep them correct.
mkdir -p ~/Bitcoin
Next, move the Bither-linux64.offline app into the new ~/Bitcoin folder on your Linux PC with the mv command.
mv Bither-linux64.offline ~/Bitcoin
Now that the file is in the right place, it’s safe to run the program. Note that you won’t always need to run Bither via the terminal. After the first run (aka installation) a new desktop icon will appear in your application menu that you can click on for quick execution.
./Bither-linux64.offline
Run the wallet app at any time by looking under “Other” in your application menu, and clicking on the desktop shortcut labeled “Bither.”
Need to uninstall the Bither app from your system? Look under “Other” in your application menu (or search for Bither) and click the “Uninstall Bither” shortcut. This action automatically starts up an uninstallation process. Follow the prompts to remove the program.
Note: you’ll also need to delete the ~/Bitcoin folder that has Bither-linux64.offline file inside of it.
Using Bither
To use the Bither app, you’ll first need to create a wallet. Click the + symbol to start the creation process.
In the pop-up menu, Bither will ask you to enter a new password. Create a secure password for your new wallet, and click “OK” to continue.
After entering a new password, a new dialog box will appear. Use the mouse to draw in the window. The drawing will help secure your wallet, so it’s a significant step.
When you finish drawing, Bither will be ready to use. Your Bither BTC address is located next to “Hot wallet address.”
Click “send” to send a transaction.
Mobile Companion Apps
Want to keep the same Bitcoin wallet interface you enjoy on Linux on the go? With Bither, it’s possible. It turns out that along with having a pretty good app for Linux, Mac, and Windows, Bither is also on Android and iOS.
To get the mobile version of Bither wallet, head to this link on the website. On the site, find and click on either the “Android” app button or the “iOS” app button. Clicking these menu buttons will open up the app in the respective app store.
While it’s not required for users to use Bither on mobile, along with the Linux app, it’s probably a good idea.
