FeatherCoin – How to get started.
To begin mining FeatherCoins (FTC) you need a few things like a FTC wallet, a computer to mine and some basic knowledge of how to even start mining.
I’ll explain how to get started:
Create a FTC wallet.
First, you need to download the FeatherCoin-qt client.
Windows: http://www.feathercoin.com/dl/FeatherCoin.zip
Mac: http://www.feathercoin.com/dl/feathercoin-mac.zip
Once you’ve downloaded the client, unzip the folder to a location you like (e.g. C:\Program Files (x86)\FeatherCoin).
FeatherCoin wont install itself, it is just an executable.
Now launch feathercoin-qt.exe located in the FeatherCoin folder. You might get a Windows pop-up asking if you want to allow feathercoin-qt to connect to the internet, you need to allow this.
The first time the FeatherCoin program starts it will download the entire ‘blockchain’ this is a file where all transactions ever made are in. Everyone who has the client also has the entire blockchain on their PC.
Every time you start up the FeatherCoin program it will receive the newer blocks since the last time you downloaded it.
Once the blockchain is downloaded (This can take some time, depending on your internet connection) you get this screen:
This is your wallet, you can now send and receive coins.
When you go to Receive coins you get this screen:
(Please don’t donate to this address since it’s not being monitored)
Here you see your ‘wallet address’ this is YOUR unique ID and only YOU can receive FTC on this address. This program doesn’t need to be online 24/7, you can just open it now and then, when the blockchain is being downloaded it will recognize if there are any transactions for you and it will add it to your wallet.
What if my computer crashes?
FeatherCoin creates a wallet.dat file where all your data is stored, be very careful with this file, threat it like your pin-code. The wallet.dat file is located in:
C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Feathercoin
If you don’t see a AppData folder do the following:
Go to Organize -> Folder options -> View -> select ‘show hidden files and folders’ -> apply. Now you will the AppData folder!
Make regular backups of this file in case your computer crashes!
Extra layer of security:
To create an extra layer of security you can encrypt your wallet, to do this open your feathercoin.exe program and go to Settings -> encrypt wallet.
You will see this:
Do as said and type a password you will never ever forget, because if you do forget this there is no way of getting into your wallet ever again!
So now, even if your wallet.dat gets stolen and you have encrypted it, the ‘thief’ won’t be able to access your wallet!