4.4 KiB
JSON REST service for Monero
Example of using restbed to provide Monero related JSON REST service. For this purpose, a service called Open Monero was developed.
Open Monero
Open Monero is an open source implementation of backend of https://mymonero.com/. The frontend, which includes html, css, JavaScript were adapted from (and originally developed by) https://mymonero.com/.
Unlike MyMonero, Open Monero's backend is open sourced, free to use, host and modify. Additionally, the following features were added/changed:
- google analytics, cloudflare, images and flash were removed.
- transaction fees were set to zero (MyMonero also has now them zero due to problem with its RingCT).
- the wallets generated use 25 word mnemonics, fully compatible with official monero wallets (13 word mnemonics generated by MyMonero work as usual though).
- import wallet fee was reduced.
- support of testnet network and wallets was added.
- improved handling of mempool, coinbase, locked and unlocked transactions.
- added dynamic fees for testnet.
Limitations
Performance
Open Monero is not as fast as MyMonero. This is because it is basic, easy to understand and straight forward implementation of the backend. Thus, it does not use any fancy catching of txs, blocks, complex database structures and sql queries. But adding this in the future, should not be a problem once all the basic operations work.
Coinbase tranasaction
Coinbase txs are not used for making transactions. Current don't know how to process them in the backend, so that frontend correctly uses them to construct txs. Maybe frontend handling of ringct coinbase txs is buggy?
Status
Still under development.
Host it yourself
The Open Monero consists of four components that need to be setup for it to work:
- MySql/Mariadb database - it stores user address (viewkey is not stored!), associated transactions, outputs, inputs and transaction import payments information.
- Frontend - it is virtually same as that of MyMonero, except before mentioned differences. It consists of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
- Monero daemon - daemon must be running and fully sync, as this is where all transaction data is fetched from and used. Daemon also commits txs from the Open Monero into the Monero network.
- Backend - fully written in C++. It uses restbed to serve JSON REST to the frontend and mysql++ to interface the database. It also accesses Monero blockchain and "talks" with Monero deamon.
Screenshot
Scrap notes
Generate your own ssl certificate
Setting up https and ssl certificates in restbed
Based on the link above:
# Create Certificate
cd /tmp
openssl genrsa -out server.key 1024
openssl req -new -key server.key -out server.csr
openssl x509 -req -days 3650 -in server.csr -signkey server.key -out server.crt
openssl dhparam -out dh2048.pem 2048
Enable it in Firefox or Chrome
Firefox and chrome will not work with that certificate as they cant verify it.
To overcome this for development purposes on localhost, just open new tab in the browser used
and go to any link from the service, e.g., https://localhost:1984/login. Once you do this,
you should get warring about unsecured or un verified certificate. Then you just add it manually
as exception.
Also Open Monero generates uses 25 word seeds, which are fully comptabilite with monero-wallet-cli
and monero-core.
Test connection using curl
Example of curl https request to the service
curl -k -X POST -d '{"withCredentials":true,"address":"41pJD13rU5r3KZsxzS65tL9zLMpZZCer8aWSi7wj8Xm99BAgXthcj2wgazxdTX9auFAmp3czfJUGH2S3UJfLwDWXUxc3ooC","view_key":"06d1f0f0fd766c75b52b9c597592d06f4bca5cd6dcd3e9bf1859bc78d0d5f80e","create_account":true}' https://localhost:1984/login
Other examples
Other examples can be found on github. Please know that some of the examples/repositories are not finished and may not work as intended.
How can you help?
Constructive criticism, code and website edits are always good. They can be made through github.