LYNX Setup

Raspberry Pi 4

Our blockchain is specifically tailored to allow low-powered devices to completely rule our network thus allowing everyone an equal chance to participate and win! In fact high-powered mining is strictly discouraged through a responsive difficulty level combined with our low block reward model.

Auto-Install From The Pi Terminal...

If you are familiar with operating your Raspberry Pi, a simple method for easily installing, compiling, and syncing the latest Lynx wallet is to use our one line BASH install script . Run this command from the terminal as ROOT user:

wget -qO - https://getlynx.io/install.sh | bash

WARNING: This script overwrites system and user data! ONLY use this on fresh Raspberry Pi OS Lite installs!

...Or Set Up A New Raspberry Pi

LynxCI is an automated installation script created by the Lynx development team to help get your Raspberry Pi set up and running as quickly as possible. It can be run as a single line BASH script or flashed as an ISO to be run in a Raspberry Pi. Here we will manually flash the ISO.

Step 1) Download & Install The Raspberry Pi Imager App

This is as easy as it sounds! Just visit the official Raspberry Pi software page and download the correct version of the Pi Imager app for your operating system. Install it as you would any other app. No special instructions needed!

Step 2) Download The Latest LynxCI ISO Image File

Here you only need to download our latest LynxCI ISO file for use in the next step.

Step 3) Flash The LynxCI ISO File to Your MicroSD Card

Open the Raspberry Pi Imager app that you installed in Step 1. You will notice only a few options available:

CHOOSE OS -- Click this button and select the LynxCI ISO file that you downloaded in Step 2.

CHOOSE STORAGE -- Insert your MicroSD card into your card reader then click this button and select that drive.

WRITE -- This is disabled until you complete the first two sections. Once you do, this button lights up. Press it!

Now sit back and relax while the Imager app does its work!

Step 4) Insert The MicroSD Card Into Your Raspberry Pi

Once the Imager app finishes flashing the card, remove it from your computer's card reader and insert it gently into the slot on your Raspberry Pi. Be sure that your Pi is powered off at the time. This card is now the "disk drive" of this Pi.

Step 5) Power On Your Raspberry Pi -- Automatic Setup & Sync

Simply plug in your Raspberry Pi and ethernet cable once again to turn it back on. From here the LynxCI boot script will take control and set everything up for you automatically as well as fully sync your node to the Lynx blockchain. It takes about 30 minutes total for everything to finish up so this is a good time to take a small break while the script does all the work!

Log Into Your Pi For The First Time

For the very first time booting up a Pi, the easiest thing to do is just plug in a USB keyboard and HDMI monitor. Classic computer style. From there it's a matter of powering on the device and entering the default login credentials:

USER: lynx
PASS: lynx

You will immediately be prompted to change the password.

Enable WiFi

Why be tethered to an ethernet cable when you don't have to be? By enabling WiFi your Raspberry Pi will only require its power cable allowing you the freedom to place it anywhere convenient while still participating in the LYNX network!

1. Scan and list all available WiFi networks by typing:
   

   sudo iwlist wlan0 scan

2. Find your own network and copy the SSID name for use in Step 4.
3. Next, edit the wpa_supplicant.conf file by typing:
   

   sudo nano /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf

4. Add the following lines of code to the bottom of the file:

   network={
       ssid="Your SSID Name"
       psk="Your WiFi Password"
       key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
   }

5. Press Ctrl+O then Ctrl+X to save and exit, then reboot your Pi by typing:
   

   sudo reboot

Claiming Your Block Rewards

Once your Raspberry Pi is set up, synced, and running it will actually start mining right away; however, the block rewards will be going to others in the community by default. This is because our Hybrid Proof of Work rules require a certain number of addresses to be stocked with a minimum amount of LYNX to successfully win blocks. In order to have your node functioning immediately we have included a community-supplied list of pre-stocked addresses.

The following instructions will help you get set up to receive your own block rewards. We have developed a few methods over time and we highly suggest the newest Discord-based TipsyLynx method. You will still be solo mining but you will earn far more LYNX than normal plus have access to them instantly. There is also a friendly competition leaderboard for who is mining the most blocks. We will also occasionally hold mining competitions for big LYNX prizes!

Method #1 - Connect Your Miner(s) to Tipsy via Discord (recommended)

The latest and greatest way to mine LYNX coins! Not only is it incredibly easy to get started but the whole process becomes way more fun and profitable thanks to the community-funded rewards lottery and leaderboard. It also keeps your LYNX safely off of your mining node and away from potential attackers! To participate in this method you must join our Discord server . It's a free, user-friendly chatroom app where you can interact directly with the Lynx team!

1. Open the LYNX Discord server and register with our bot Tipsy by typing:

   !begin

2. Next, simply issue the bot one more command to receive your own Tipsy ID:

   !lynx miner id

   (This same code can be used on multiple mining devices.)

3. If you would like to see the mining leaderboards, just type the command:

   !lynx top

4. You should receive a direct message from Tipsy containing your Tipsy ID.

   If you do not, click the server name at the top of the app to open the main menu, then select Privacy Settings. Be sure the Allow direct message from server members option is enabled and try the above command one more time.

5. Finally, log into your Raspberry Pi as the lynx user and type a single command:
   

   tipsy YOUR_TIPSY_ID

Your Raspberry Pi will restart on its own. Now just sit back and wait for your block reward notices in Discord! This method supersedes all others, if using Tipsy you can disable the internal wallet and clear out the miner addresses or simply ignore them both as well.

Method #2 - Supply a List of External Miner Addresses

Before the Tipsy integration mining LYNX required users to satisfy the first two rules our Hybrid Proof of Work protocol. This is done by having at least 60 different addresses all stocked with at least 1000 LYNX each.

If you choose to mine on your own in this way, anonymously and with less rewards, here's what you'll need to do:

1. Install and sync another Lynx Core or Lynx QT wallet to actually store your coins.
2. Purchase a little over 60,000 LYNX from one of our supported exchanges.
3. Deposit 1000 LYNX into 60 separate addresses within your new coin storage wallet.
4. Copy all 60 of those new addresses into a list using this format:

   mineraddress=ADDRESS_GOES_HERE
   mineraddress=ADDRESS_GOES_HERE
   mineraddress=ADDRESS_GOES_HERE
   ...

5. Log into your Raspberry Pi as the lynx user and edit your config file by typing:

   sudo nano ~/.lynx/lynx.conf

6. Locate and remove any existing mineraddress= lines then paste your own list into this file.
7. Press Ctrl+O then Ctrl+X to save and exit, then reboot your Pi by typing:
   

   sudo reboot

Method #3 - Use Internal Wallet Addresses

We DO NOT recommend this method for Raspberry Pi. This is by far the least secure way to store your seed and reward LYNX, especially on a Raspberry Pi. The main issue is that your MicroSD card has to be completely wiped and reflashed on every wallet update. That means your wallet.dat file is vulnerable to being erased and if that goes, well so goes all your funds.

LYNX Setup

Linux (Debian & Ubuntu)

Linux offers a ton of system control so Lynx offers a few ways to get the wallet set up. Download pre-compiled binary files for quick use or compile the wallet natively from open source code on Github. And much like the Raspberry Pi our LynxCI one line installer script works perfectly for Debian and Ubuntu as well!

Auto-Install From the Command Line...

You can use LynxCI to automatically install and configure a regular Linux node as well by using our one line BASH install script . This can be run from the command line terminal on any Debian 10+ or Ubuntu 20+ node. Be sure to run this command as the ROOT user only:

wget -qO - https://getlynx.io/install.sh | bash

WARNING: This script overwrites system and user data! ONLY use this on fresh Debian and Ubuntu OS installs!

...Or Download Our Pre-Compiled Wallet...

While you can certainly do this yourself if you wish, the Lynx team pre-compiles and releases all the necessary binaries which can be easily downloaded and used on any Debian 10+ or Ubuntu 20+ node.

NOTE: Create a lynx user for the rest of this. DO NOT use root! To add a new user, log in as root and type:

adduser lynx
usermod -aG sudo lynx
su lynx

Step 1) Download and Extract the Compressed Files

First navigate to a temp folder then download and extract the latest tar.gz file containing the Lynx Core binaries.

cd /tmp

wget https://github.com/getlynx/Lynx/releases/download/v0.16.3.11/lynx-linux64-wallet-0.16.3.11.tar.gz

tar -zxvf lynx-linux64-wallet-0.16.3.11.tar.gz

This creates a folder called lynx-linux64-wallet-0.16.3.11 containing the binary files. Navigate into the folder:

cd lynx-linux64-wallet-0.16.3.11

You could now type ls to see the folder's contents. It contains 3 binary files: lynx-cli, lynx-tx, and lynxd.

Step 2) Move the Uncompressed Files to Your Local PATH

Next let's make it so these files can be executed from the command line without having to specify the full path every time. You can do this for all three at once:

mv lynx* /usr/local/bin/

Step 3) Update Permissions on the Files

Navigate to the new file location and set the permissions on the binaries so they can be executed.

cd /usr/local/bin/

chmod 700 lynx*

... Or Compile The Wallet Files Yourself

Sometimes you just want full control over everything in your life and that's okay, too. The source code is always available and easily compiled into working binaries. NOTE: You must have at least 2 GB of RAM!

Step 1) Download Necessary Package Libraries

This will install all the tools we will be using during the compiling process.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get -y install build-essential libtool autotools-dev autoconf cmake pkg-config bsdmainutils git
sudo apt-get -y libssl-dev libboost-all-dev libevent-dev libminiupnpc-dev

Step 2) Git the Wallet Source Code

This pulls the latest Lynx wallet source code down from Github, removing any previous installations.

cd ~
rm -rf lynx
git clone --branch master --single-branch https://github.com/getlynx/lynx.git lynx

Step 3) Compile the Wallet Binary Files

Here's the magic! This will configure, compile and install lynxd, lynx-cli, and lynx-tx.

If you want to compile the lynx-qt wallet as well, just remove --without-gui from the configure line below:

cd lynx
./autogen.sh
./configure --without-gui
sudo make -j$(nproc)
sudo make install

At this point you should have working wallet files, but don't start them up just yet! There's a bit more to do first.

Reduce Sync Time With the Bootstrap

Lynx provides a way to automatically quick-sync your node to the blockchain. Without the bootstrap syncing the wallet can take nearly 10 hours, but with it you will be fully synced within 30 minutes on a good network connection.

NOTE: LynxCI auto-configures this section for you.

Method #1 - Download the Actual Chainstate Folders

(FASTEST METHOD) Download the chainstate and blocks folder data:

wget -q -P /tmp https://github.com/getlynx/LynxBootstrap/releases/download/v5.0-mainnet/chainstate.tar.gz
wget -q -P /tmp https://github.com/getlynx/LynxBootstrap/releases/download/v5.0-mainnet/blocks.tar.gz

Unzip these folders into the Lynx data folder:

sudo mkdir -p ~/.lynx/
sudo chown lynx:lynx ~/.lynx/
tar -xzf /tmp/chainstate.tar.gz -C ~/.lynx/
tar -xzf /tmp/blocks.tar.gz -C ~/.lynx/

Remove the original downloaded files to save space:

rm -rf /tmp/chainstate.tar.gz
rm -rf /tmp/blocks.tar.gz

Method #2 - Download the Bootstrap.dat File

You can also use the more traditional method of downloading the one .dat file then placing it into your Lynx data folder to be indexed and scanned. Same process as above but it will take slightly longer to load up.

wget -q -P /tmp https://github.com/getlynx/LynxBootstrap/releases/download/v4.0-mainnet/bootstrap.tar.gz
sudo mkdir -p ~/.lynx/
sudo chown lynx:lynx ~/.lynx/
tar -xzf /tmp/bootstrap.tar.gz -C ~/.lynx/
rm -rf /tmp/bootstrap.tar.gz

Configure the Lynx.conf File

One of the most important system files is lynx.conf which contains all the LYNX wallet's startup settings.

NOTE: LynxCI auto-configures this section for you.

Create the initial lynx.conf file by typing:

sudo nano ~/.lynx/lynx.conf

Then copy and paste the following lines into it:

debug=miner

listen=1
daemon=1
listenonion=0
upnp=1
dbcache=450

addnode=node01.getlynx.io
addnode=node02.getlynx.io
addnode=node03.getlynx.io
addnode=node04.getlynx.io
addnode=node05.getlynx.io

Now press Ctrl+O then Ctrl+X to save and exit.

Keep The Wallet Running Indefinitely

With the config file above, the wallet will now run in the background in --daemon mode without having to be held open with a local console window. However sometimes it is forced to stop, whether the node restarted or maybe just a memory issue but it happens. So instead of having to constantly monitor it and restart it when it goes down, just copy and paste the block of code below into the command line to create an automatic process to do that for you!

NOTE: LynxCI auto-configures this section for you.

echo "#!/bin/bash
[Unit]
Description=lynxd
After=network.target
[Service]
Type=simple
User=lynx
Group=lynx
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/lynxd -daemon=0 -conf=$dir/.lynx/lynx.conf -datadir=$dir/.lynx/ -debuglogfile=$dir/.lynx/debug.log
ExecStop=/usr/local/bin/lynx-cli stop
Restart=always
RestartSec=30
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
" > /etc/systemd/system/lynxd.service

You can relax now! You will now have a live service running which will constantly monitor lynxd every 30 seconds to make sure it is still running.

Now Start Your Lynx Wallet!

It's finally time, you champion! Fire up that Lynx node and go celebrate with a gourmet sandwich and some fine spirits!

NOTE: Yep... LynxCI handles this part automatically, too!

Start The Lynxd System Process

Remember that big block of code you copied and pasted just above? Well here's how to start it:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable lynxd

That's it! Now that you're up and running come join our official Discord server to chat directly with the project developers and other community members.

Claiming Your Block Rewards

Once your Linux wallet is set up, synced, and running it will actually start mining right away; however, the block rewards will be going to others in the community by default. This is because our Hybrid Proof of Work rules require a certain number of addresses to be stocked with a minimum amount of LYNX to successfully win blocks. In order to have your node functioning immediately we have included a community-supplied list of pre-stocked addresses.

The following instructions will help you get set up to receive your own block rewards. We have developed a few methods over time and we highly suggest the newest Discord-based TipsyLynx method. You will still be solo mining but you will earn far more LYNX than normal plus have access to them instantly. There is also a friendly competition leaderboard for who is mining the most blocks. We will also occasionally hold mining competitions for big LYNX prizes!

Method #1 - Connect Your Miner(s) to Tipsy via Discord (recommended)

The latest and greatest way to mine LYNX coins! Not only is it incredibly easy to get started but the whole process becomes way more fun and profitable thanks to the community-funded rewards lottery and leaderboard. It also keeps your LYNX safely off of your mining node and away from potential attackers! To participate in this method you must join our Discord server . It's a free, user-friendly chatroom app where you can interact directly with the Lynx team!

1. Open the LYNX Discord server and register with our bot Tipsy by typing:

   !begin

2. Next, simply issue the bot one more command to receive your own Tipsy ID:

   !lynx miner id

   (This same code can be used on multiple mining devices.)

3. If you would like to see the mining leaderboards, just type the command:

   !lynx top

4. You should receive a direct message from Tipsy containing your Tipsy ID.

   If you do not, click the server name at the top of the app to open the main menu, then select Privacy Settings. Be sure the Allow direct message from server members option is enabled and try the above command one more time.

5. Finally, you need to edit your lynx.conf file once more:

   nano ~/.lynx/lynx.conf

   and add this one line, replacing your own Tipsy ID where indicated:

   tipsyid=YOUR_TIPSY_ID

   then press Ctrl+O then Ctrl+X to save and exit then restart lynxd by typing:

   sudo systemctl restart lynxd

The wallet will read your ID and configure its mining method accordingly. To switch back to other methods, simply remove this line. Now just sit back and wait for your block reward notices in Discord! This method superscedes all others, if using Tipsy you can disable the internal wallet and clear out the miner addresses or simply ignore them both as well.

Method #2 - Supply a List of External Miner Addresses

Before the Tipsy integration mining LYNX required users to satisfy the first two rules our Hybrid Proof of Work protocol. This is done by having at least 60 different addresses all stocked with at least 1000 LYNX each.

If you choose to mine on your own in this way, anonymously and with less rewards, here's what you'll need to do:

1. Install and sync another Lynx Core or Lynx QT wallet to actually store your coins.
2. Purchase a little over 60,000 LYNX from one of our supported exchanges.
3. Deposit 1000 LYNX into 60 separate addresses within your new coin storage wallet.
4. Copy all 60 of those new addresses into a list using this format:

   mineraddress=ADDRESS_GOES_HERE
   mineraddress=ADDRESS_GOES_HERE
   mineraddress=ADDRESS_GOES_HERE
   ...

5. Log into your node as the lynx user and edit your config file by typing:

   sudo nano ~/.lynx/lynx.conf

6. Locate and remove any existing mineraddress= lines then paste your own list into this file.
7. Press Ctrl+O then Ctrl+X to save and exit, then restart lynxd by typing:
   

   sudo systemctl restart lynxd

Method #3 - Use Internal Wallet Addresses

We DO NOT recommend this method. This is by far the least secure way to store your seed and reward LYNX, especially on a remote node. Your node's IP address is exposed to the network so you can expect some unwanted knocks on your back doors. Below we will outline some basic security measures but if anyone is ever successful in breaching your defenses, kiss your coins goodbye! Either of the methods above are FAR MORE secure than this!

Managing Your Disk Space

If there is one thing in this world that will fill up your hard drive faster than anything it's unmanaged log files. So let's configure the system crontab to simply clear your debug log after a certain amount of days. This technique can apply to all log files honestly, use it where necessary!

NOTE: LynxCI auto-configures this section for you.

Use The Crontab To Truncate Log Files

The crontab is the perfect tool for keeping the Lynxd log files trimmed so that your disk space doesn't fill up too quickly. To begin just type:

crontab -e

If this is your first time editing the crontab it will first ask you to select a text editor. If you are unsure, go with the first option: Nano. Once you are in the file (which very well may be blank) add the following line:

0 0 */7 * *    sudo truncate -s 0 ~/.lynx/debug.log

That says: "At 12:00 AM, every 7 days, run the truncate command and clear out the debug.log file."

Now press Ctrl+O then Ctrl+X to save and exit. The crontab will auto reload and work going forward. Done!

LYNX Setup

Windows 10

The Lynx-QT wallet is the traditional desktop wallet for transacting with LYNX and is built upon the work of the Litecoin (LTC) team and the Bitcoin (BTC) team before them.

Install the Lynx Core Wallet

Click the button below to download the Lynx Core installer:

Download Lynx Core v0.16.3.9

Navigate to the file you just saved and run it.

When you see the prompt that says "Do you want to allow this app from an unknown publisher to make changes to your device?" please press the YES button.

1. You will be greeted with a welcome splash screen, press the NEXT button.
2. It will ask you where you want to install the wallet. Set the path then press the NEXT button.
3. Decide on your Start Menu options and press the INSTALL button.
4. Once the installation is complete press the NEXT button.
5. Uncheck the Run Lynx Core checkbox and press the FINISH button.

Before launching the wallet, download the bootstrap data (see below) to cut your initial sync time WAY down!

Reduce Sync Time With the Bootstrap

Lynx provides a way to automatically quick-sync your wallet to the blockchain. Without the bootstrap syncing the wallet can take nearly 10 hours, but with it you will be fully synced within 30 minutes on a good network connection.

Step 1) Download and Install 7-Zip

This is a free, lightweight app for Windows that handles compressed files of any type like a champion. It will be necessary for you to unzip the gunzipped tarbals you're about to download. And if the phrase "gunzipped tarbals" sounds strange to you, all the more reason you need 7-Zip to handle this stuff for you.

Visit 7-Zip.org

Step 2) Download the Actual Blockchain Data

You need both the chainstate and blocks folders below. These are gunzipped tarbals but once uncompressed using 7-Zip they are simply folders full of files to be dropped into the Lynx wallet data folder.

Download Chain State Folder (400 MB)

Download Blocks Folder (1.8 GB)

Step 3) Uncompress the Data Using 7-Zip

Once 7-Zip is installed you can simply right-click on any compressed file and on the context menu that appears you will see a little "7-Zip" subsection. Open that section and select Extract Here.

This will create chainstate.tar and blocks.tar files. Repeat the above step once more for each .tar file.

This will produce the actual chainstate and blocks folders that you will be moving in the next step.

Step 4) Move the Data Into Place

Open another Explorer window and navigate to the Lynx data folder:

C:\Users\[YOUR_NAME]\AppData\Roaming\Lynx\

Move the new chainstate and blocks folders into the Lynx data folder, replacing any that may already exist.

Configure the Lynx.conf File

One of the most important system files is lynx.conf which contains all the LYNX wallet's startup settings.

Navigate to the Lynx data folder:

C:\Users\[YOUR_NAME]\AppData\Roaming\Lynx\

Create a new file called lynx.conf, open it in Notepad or some other text editor, and add the following lines:

debug=miner

listen=1
daemon=1
listenonion=0
upnp=1
dbcache=450

addnode=node01.getlynx.io
addnode=node02.getlynx.io
addnode=node03.getlynx.io
addnode=node04.getlynx.io
addnode=node05.getlynx.io

Now just save and exit.

OK Now Run the Lynx Core Wallet!

Time to fire up that bad boy and get cooking...

Mining and Block Rewards

The Windows wallet is perfectly capable of mining and winning blocks. Once your wallet is set up, synced, and running it will function perfectly as a wallet however you will need to complete a few more steps before you can begin mining. This is because our Hybrid Proof of Work rules require certain criteria to be met.

The following instructions will help you get set up to receive your own block rewards. We have developed a few methods over time and we highly suggest the newest Discord-based TipsyLynx method however currently the Windows wallet does not currently support this feature -- it is coming next release! You will still be solo mining but you will earn far more LYNX than normal plus have access to them instantly. There is also a friendly competition leaderboard for who is mining the most blocks. We will also occasionally hold mining competitions for big LYNX prizes!

Method #1 - Connect Your Miner(s) to Tipsy via Discord (recommended)

CURRENTLY NOT SUPPORTED IN WINDOWS -- COMING SOON!

The latest and greatest way to mine LYNX coins! Not only is it incredibly easy to get started but the whole process becomes way more fun and profitable thanks to the community-funded rewards lottery and leaderboard. It also keeps your LYNX safely off of your mining node and away from potential attackers! To participate in this method you must join our Discord server . It's a free, user-friendly chatroom app where you can interact directly with the Lynx team!

1. Open the LYNX Discord server and register with our bot Tipsy by typing:

   !begin

2. Next, simply issue the bot one more command to receive your own Tipsy ID:

   !lynx miner id

   (This same code can be used on multiple mining devices.)

3. If you would like to see the mining leaderboards, just type the command:

   !lynx top

4. You should receive a direct message from Tipsy containing your Tipsy ID.

   If you do not, click the server name at the top of the app to open the main menu, then select Privacy Settings. Be sure the Allow direct message from server members option is enabled and try the above command one more time.

5. Now just edit your lynx.conf file using Notepad:

   C:\Users\[YOUR_NAME]\AppData\Roaming\Lynx\lynx.conf

   and add this one line, replacing your own Tipsy ID where indicated:

   tipsyid=YOUR_TIPSY_ID

   now save and exit then restart the Lynx wallet.

The wallet will read your ID and configure its mining method accordingly. To switch back to other methods, simply remove this line. Now just sit back and wait for your block reward notices in Discord! This method superscedes all others, if using Tipsy you can disable the internal wallet and clear out the miner addresses or simply ignore them both as well.

Method #2 - Supply a List of External Miner Addresses

Before the Tipsy integration mining LYNX required users to satisfy the first two rules our Hybrid Proof of Work protocol. This is done by having at least 60 different addresses all stocked with at least 1000 LYNX each.

If you choose to mine on your own in this way, anonymously and with less rewards, here's what you'll need to do:

1. Install and sync another Lynx Core or Lynx QT wallet to actually store your coins.
2. Purchase a little over 60,000 LYNX from one of our supported exchanges.
3. Deposit 1000 LYNX into 60 separate addresses within your new coin storage wallet.
4. Copy all 60 of those new addresses into a list using this format:

   mineraddress=ADDRESS_GOES_HERE
   mineraddress=ADDRESS_GOES_HERE
   mineraddress=ADDRESS_GOES_HERE
   ...

5. Now just edit your lynx.conf file using Notepad:

   C:\Users\[YOUR_NAME]\AppData\Roaming\Lynx\lynx.conf

6. Locate and remove any existing mineraddress= lines then paste your own list into this file.
7. Save and exit then restart the Lynx wallet.

Method #3 - Use Internal Wallet Addresses

This method is identical to the one above except you deposit your 1000 LYNX into 60 addresses within your local wallet and there is no need to add anything to your lynx.conf file. It is also the least secure way to store your seed and reward LYNX. Method 2 was created as a means to keep your LYNX coins secure always and Method 1 was created on top of that underlying principle to make the entire process even easier.

LYNX Setup

Mac OSX

The Lynx-QT wallet is the traditional desktop wallet for transacting with LYNX and is built upon the work of the Litecoin (LTC) team and the Bitcoin (BTC) team before them.

Install the Lynx Core Wallet

Click the button below to download the Lynx Core installer:

Download Lynx Core v0.16.3.9

Navigate to the file you just saved and run it to install.

Before launching the wallet, download the bootstrap data (see below) to cut your initial sync time WAY down!

Reduce Sync Time With the Bootstrap

Lynx provides a way to automatically quick-sync your wallet to the blockchain. Without the bootstrap syncing the wallet can take nearly 10 hours, but with it you will be fully synced within 30 minutes on a good network connection.

Step 1) Download the Actual Blockchain Data

You need both the chainstate and blocks folders below. These are gunzipped tarbals but once uncompressed using 7-Zip they are simply folders full of files to be dropped into the Lynx wallet data folder.

Download Chain State Folder (400 MB)

Download Blocks Folder (1.8 GB)

Step 2) Uncompress the Data

Navigate to the files you just downloaded and double click on them to uncompress them.

This will produce the actual chainstate and blocks folders that you will be moving in the next step.

Step 4) Move the Data Into Place

Open another Finder window and navigate to the Lynx data folder:

~/Library/Application Support/Lynx/

Move the new chainstate and blocks folders into the Lynx data folder, replacing any that may already exist.

Configure the Lynx.conf File

One of the most important system files is lynx.conf which contains all the LYNX wallet's startup settings.

Navigate to the Lynx data folder:

~/Library/Application Support/Lynx/

Create a new file called lynx.conf, open it in Notepad or some other text editor, and add the following lines:

debug=miner

listen=1
daemon=1
listenonion=0
upnp=1
dbcache=450

addnode=node01.getlynx.io
addnode=node02.getlynx.io
addnode=node03.getlynx.io
addnode=node04.getlynx.io
addnode=node05.getlynx.io

Now just save and exit.

OK Now Run the Lynx Core Wallet!

Time to fire up that bad boy and get cooking...

Mining and Block Rewards

The Mac OSX wallet is perfectly capable of mining and winning blocks. Once your wallet is set up, synced, and running it will function perfectly as a wallet however you will need to complete a few more steps before you can begin mining. This is because our Hybrid Proof of Work rules require certain criteria to be met.

The following instructions will help you get set up to receive your own block rewards. We have developed a few methods over time and we highly suggest the newest Discord-based TipsyLynx method however currently the OSX wallet does not currently support this feature -- it is coming next release! You will still be solo mining but you will earn far more LYNX than normal plus have access to them instantly. There is also a friendly competition leaderboard for who is mining the most blocks. We will also occasionally hold mining competitions for big LYNX prizes!

Method #1 - Connect Your Miner(s) to Tipsy via Discord (recommended)

CURRENTLY NOT SUPPORTED IN OSX -- COMING SOON!

The latest and greatest way to mine LYNX coins! Not only is it incredibly easy to get started but the whole process becomes way more fun and profitable thanks to the community-funded rewards lottery and leaderboard. It also keeps your LYNX safely off of your mining node and away from potential attackers! To participate in this method you must join our Discord server . It's a free, user-friendly chatroom app where you can interact directly with the Lynx team!

1. Open the LYNX Discord server and register with our bot Tipsy by typing:

   !begin

2. Next, simply issue the bot one more command to receive your own Tipsy ID:

   !lynx miner id

   (This same code can be used on multiple mining devices.)

3. If you would like to see the mining leaderboards, just type the command:

   !lynx top

4. You should receive a direct message from Tipsy containing your Tipsy ID.

   If you do not, click the server name at the top of the app to open the main menu, then select Privacy Settings. Be sure the Allow direct message from server members option is enabled and try the above command one more time.

5. Now just edit your lynx.conf file using Notepad:

   ~/Library/Application Support/Lynx/lynx.conf

   and add this one line, replacing your own Tipsy ID where indicated:

   tipsyid=YOUR_TIPSY_ID

   now save and exit then restart the Lynx wallet.

The wallet will read your ID and configure its mining method accordingly. To switch back to other methods, simply remove this line. Now just sit back and wait for your block reward notices in Discord! This method superscedes all others, if using Tipsy you can disable the internal wallet and clear out the miner addresses or simply ignore them both as well.

Method #2 - Supply a List of External Miner Addresses

Before the Tipsy integration mining LYNX required users to satisfy the first two rules our Hybrid Proof of Work protocol. This is done by having at least 60 different addresses all stocked with at least 1000 LYNX each.

If you choose to mine on your own in this way, anonymously and with less rewards, here's what you'll need to do:

1. Install and sync another Lynx Core or Lynx QT wallet to actually store your coins.
2. Purchase a little over 60,000 LYNX from one of our supported exchanges.
3. Deposit 1000 LYNX into 60 separate addresses within your new coin storage wallet.
4. Copy all 60 of those new addresses into a list using this format:

   mineraddress=ADDRESS_GOES_HERE
   mineraddress=ADDRESS_GOES_HERE
   mineraddress=ADDRESS_GOES_HERE
   ...

5. Now just edit your lynx.conf file using Notepad:

   ~/Library/Application Support/Lynx/lynx.conf

6. Locate and remove any existing mineraddress= lines then paste your own list into this file.
7. Save and exit then restart the Lynx wallet.

Method #3 - Use Internal Wallet Addresses

This method is identical to the one above except you deposit your 1000 LYNX into 60 addresses within your local wallet and there is no need to add anything to your lynx.conf file. It is also the least secure way to store your seed and reward LYNX. Method 2 was created as a means to keep your LYNX coins secure always and Method 1 was created on top of that underlying principle to make the entire process even easier.

MEOW LYNX

How To Claim Your Fork Rewards

On December 24, 2017 the Lynx Blockchain forked from the Kittehcoin Blockchain, allowing holders of MEOW at the time to claim a 1:1 ratio reward of some free LYNX. Part of the reason for selecting Kittehcoin at the time was the idea of a built-in community. Even today, you can easily claim your forked coins!

Claim Using the Wallet.Dat File

Honestly it could not be any easier to do this. Essentially all you have to do is open your Kittehcoin (MEOW) wallet.dat file with the latest Lynx wallet and let the wallet automatically scan and credit whatever you are owed! Simple!

Step 1) Download, Install, and Sync a Lynx Wallet

This step is pretty self explanatory. Visit our Wallets section and select what's right for you!

Step 2) Ensure both the Kittehcoin and Lynx wallets are OFFLINE

It's very important to perform the next steps while the wallet apps are NOT engaging with the wallet files.

Step 3) Copy Your Kittehcoin (MEOW) Wallet.dat File

The wallet.dat file is the only file you ever need to worry about when it comes to crypto wallets. This is where your private keys are stored, the rest is all publicly stored on the blockchain and can be resynced using your private keys.

Depending on your operating system, the wallet.dat file is located by default in these folders:

WINDOWS:

LINUX:
MAC:

It may be there or inside of one more folder named "wallets." Either way, copy this file to the clipboard.

Step 4) Paste Wallet.dat Into the Lynx Data Folder

You are essentially placing this old wallet.dat where it can be read by the new Lynx wallet. If you have opened your Lynx wallet already it will have created its own empty wallet.dat file. You can rename or delete this file first.

Again depending on your operating system, the Lynx data folder would be:

WINDOWS:

LINUX:
MAC:

Now paste the old MEOW wallet.dat file from Step 3 into this folder.

Step 5) Start the Lynx Wallet and Let It Fully Sync

You're done, just let your Lynx wallet fully sync to the blockchain! If you held any MEOW at the time of the fork you will be automatically credited with the same amount of LYNX.

WARNING: Due to a known exploit with the old Kittehcoin wallets, once your wallet is synced it is HIGHLY ADVISED that you send your entire newly forked LYNX balance to a fresh, up-to-date Lynx wallet. This will ensure the safety of your new coins!

Hybrid Proof of Work

Official Rules of the Lynx Blockchain

Sometimes algorithms aren't enough. Sometimes difficulty adjustments aren't enough. Sometimes deincentivization isn't enough. Sometimes you have to get really clever and introduce a set of interlocking rules which help keep the network secure and block rewards evenly distributed. This is the way forward.

HPoW Rule #1

A single miner cannot win a block more than once every 60 blocks.

The first rule requires the miner's address cannot have been the recipient of a mining reward in the previous 60 blocks (~30 minutes). The address supplied within the candidate block coinbase header value is checked during verification by other nodes. If a match is found in the previous 60 blocks, the candidate block is refused even if they have the fastest solve time for the hash. The verification fails and the block is considered invalid.

The way it works is that the built-in wallet miner randomly selects a miner address that hasn’t won any of the previous 60 blocks. This miner address will continue to be used by the built-in miner until it wins a block or until it is forced to rotate and use a different miner address. This helps enforce the democracy of the network shares.

The rule itself was designed to prevent a single miner with 1 or more ASICs from mining with the same address, forcing them to do the work of setting up multiples as even the most powerful mining rig can only win 1 out of 60 blocks. Also many out-of-box miner scripts do not rotate addresses so this restricts those types of tools being overused.

To exploit this rule, a hypothetical attacker could simply generate endless addresses. Easy peasy! Honestly just 60 addresses per wallet should be enough to always pass this rule as there will be more addresses than blocks required to wait until re-selection. This hole is covered by Rule 2’s per-address balance requirements.

To pass Rule 1 every time, you simply need 60 LYNX addresses that all satisfy Rule 2.

HPoW Rule #2

The miner’s reward address balance must be greater than or equal to a required fluctuating minimum amount of Lynx to win a block.

The second rule requires the address supplied for the coinbase reward must have minimum balance at the time the candidate block is submitted. The minimum amount is the difficulty value of the previous 10th block from the current one 36 being solved multiplied to the power of 4. A minimum and maximum threshold of 1,000 and 100,000,000 will be enforced.

The built-in miner checks the amount of LYNX in the selected address which must be equal to or greater than a constantly fluctuating amount between 1,000–100,000,000 LYNX that will slowly raise over time. The chosen number fluctuates in relation to the network hash rate so in these early days while the difficulty is very low having smaller amounts around 1000 LYNX is enough to pass Rule 2. As hash rate increases, however, the required number of LYNX will go up so it will be better to have more in each address than you think you’ll need.

This rule itself ensures the user is committed to the network by essentially staking a small claim in each address. This is how the Proof-of-Stake elements come into the picture. It also covers Rule 1 by preventing a random bot script from generating and mining with endless empty addresses, forcing there to be some value to each one instead. On top of all that, Rule 2 keeps the network difficulty in check by raising the minimum balance required based on the hashing levels. If it gets too high due to an overpowered miner, the minimum balance gets very expensive and the miner will quickly fail to profit and drop out causing the difficulty to lower and thus the minimum balance needed as well.

To exploit this rule, our hypothetical attacker would need to load up each one of their 60 addresses with as much LYNX as they can to make sure each one always passes. To be 100% sure to pass every time, they would need 100 Million LYNX each for a total of 6 Billion LYNX just to bypass Rules 1 and 2. It would be incredibly expensive, and sure it is possible, but then Rule 3 comes in to save the day!

To pass Rule 2 every time, an address must currently hold at least 1000 LYNX.

HPoW Rule #3

By using random selection, the fastest miners are not always guaranteed to win the block reward.

The third rule concerns the reward address submitted in the candidate block. After executing a single SHA256 hash on the miner’s reward address, the last 3 characters found must match the last 3 characters of the block hash value submitted by the miner in the candidate block. This randomizes who can actually win the block. Even the fastest miner can’t be guaranteed to win the block or a series of blocks in succession. The chances are 1 in 4,096 that the miner will be able to win the block.

Move over Darwin, in the case of LYNX the strongest do NOT always win! Instead all “candidates” who pass the other rules are invited to play a little lottery game of sorts. If the built in miner discovers a hash and submits a candidate block, the last digit of the candidate block hash must match the last digit of the hash of the current miners LYNX address. This is currently a 1 in 4096 chance to match.

Satoshi was WRONG about mining being like “CPU time and electricity that is expended” by failing to take into account that miners (humans) would create pools and businesses to gamify the mining process — leading to buildups of highly inefficient energy consumption and environmentally disruptive e-waste. This rule removes all likelihood that a miner can guarantee rewards for themselves.

The benefit of this rule should be apparently clear. The randomized nature of the rewards keeps any would-be attackers at bay by simply not letting the biggest, baddest, fastest mining rigs always take the cake and control the party. Rule 3 is chaos! Rule 3 is order! Rule 3 levels the playing field and allows everyone in the world to participate!

There is no way to always pass Rule 3. Its entire purpose is to keep it all fair and balanced.

HPoW Rule #4

The reward address used must have an age that fits within a fluctuating block number.

For a miner to win a block, the address used for the mining reward must have its first transaction occur on a block no older than 600,000 blocks prior and no younger than 100,000 blocks to the current respective block. This will reduce miners from mining with rewards addresses they don’t control and fly-by-night miners who start mining for the short term gain. Old addresses with large balances that fall out of range can no longer be hijacked by other miners.

HPoW Rule #5

The miner must sign the block with a private key.

In the lynx.conf file, the miner specifies a private key (instead of the public address of the wallet). The public address can easily be derived from the private key (privkey). The miner uses the public address to mine but since it has the privkey, it can sign the block. No more than 25 blocks can pass on the chain without a signed block being found by miners. If 25 unsigned blocks have passed, ONLY miners that mine with the privkey will be allowed to mine the next candidate block. The task of mining with privkey will always be handled by seed nodes, so public miner won’t be required to shoulder the additional risk of storing privkey values in the lynx configuration script.

MEOW LYNX

How To Claim Your Fork Rewards

On December 24, 2017 the Lynx Blockchain forked from the Kittehcoin Blockchain, allowing holders of MEOW at the time to claim a 1:1 ratio reward of some free LYNX. Part of the reason for selecting Kittehcoin at the time was the idea of a built-in community. Even today, you can easily claim your forked coins!

Claim Using the Wallet.Dat File

Honestly it could not be any easier to do this. Essentially all you have to do is open your Kittehcoin (MEOW) wallet.dat file with the latest Lynx wallet and let the wallet automatically scan and credit whatever you are owed! Simple!

Step 1) Download, Install, and Sync a Lynx Wallet

This step is pretty self explanatory. Visit our Wallets section and select what's right for you!

Step 2) Ensure both the Kittehcoin and Lynx wallets are OFFLINE

It's very important to perform the next steps while the wallet apps are NOT engaging with the wallet files.

Step 3) Copy Your Kittehcoin (MEOW) Wallet.dat File

The wallet.dat file is the only file you ever need to worry about when it comes to crypto wallets. This is where your private keys are stored, the rest is all publicly stored on the blockchain and can be resynced using your private keys.

Depending on your operating system, the wallet.dat file is located by default in these folders:

WINDOWS:

LINUX:
MAC:

It may be there or inside of one more folder named "wallets." Either way, copy this file to the clipboard.

Step 4) Paste Wallet.dat Into the Lynx Data Folder

You are essentially placing this old wallet.dat where it can be read by the new Lynx wallet. If you have opened your Lynx wallet already it will have created its own empty wallet.dat file. You can rename or delete this file first.

Again depending on your operating system, the Lynx data folder would be:

WINDOWS:

LINUX:
MAC:

Now paste the old MEOW wallet.dat file from Step 3 into this folder.

Step 5) Start the Lynx Wallet and Let It Fully Sync

You're done, just let your Lynx wallet fully sync to the blockchain! If you held any MEOW at the time of the fork you will be automatically credited with the same amount of LYNX.

WARNING: Due to a known exploit with the old Kittehcoin wallets, once your wallet is synced it is HIGHLY ADVISED that you send your entire newly forked LYNX balance to a fresh, up-to-date Lynx wallet. This will ensure the safety of your new coins!