# Onion Monero Blockchain Explorer Curently available Monero blockchain explorer websites have several limitations which are of special importance to privacy-oriented users: - they use JavaScript, - have images which might be used for [cookieless tracking](http://lucb1e.com/rp/cookielesscookies/), - track users activates through google analytics, - are closed sourced, - are not available as hidden services, - provide only basic search capabilities, - can't identify users outputs based on provided Monero address and viewkey, or private tx key, - do not support Monero testnet, i.e., they dont work with RingCT transactions In this example, these limitations are addressed by development of an Onion Monero Blockchain Explorer. The example not only shows how to use Monero C++ libraries, but also demonstrates how to use: - [crow](https://github.com/ipkn/crow) - C++ micro web framework - [lmdb++](https://github.com/bendiken/lmdbxx) - C++ wrapper for the LMDB - [mstch](https://github.com/no1msd/mstch) - C++ {{mustache}} templates - [rapidjson](https://github.com/miloyip/rapidjson) - C++ JSON parser/generator - [date](https://github.com/HowardHinnant/date) - C++ date and time library - [fmt](https://github.com/fmtlib/fmt) - Small, safe and fast string formatting library ## Address Tor users (main Monero network): - [http://xmrblocksvckbwvx.onion](http://xmrblocksvckbwvx.onion) Tor users (testnet Monero network): - [http://xmrtestbbzl275vy.onion](http://xmrtestbbzl275vy.onion) i2p users (main Monero network): - [http://monerotools.i2p](http://monerotools.i2p) Non tor users, can use its clearnet version (thanks to [Gingeropolous](https://github.com/Gingeropolous)): - [http://explore.MoneroWorld.com](http://explore.moneroworld.com) ## Onion Monero Blockchain Explorer features The key features of the Onion Monero Blockchain Explorer are - available as a hidden service, - no javascript, no cookies, no web analytics trackers, no images, - open sourced, - made fully in C++, - the only explorer showing encrypted payments ID, - the only explorer with the ability to search by encrypted payments ID, tx public and private keys, stealth addresses, input key images, block timestamps (UTC time, e.g., 2016-11-23 14:03:05) - the only explorer showing ring signatures, - the only explorer showing transaction extra field, - the only explorer showing public components of Monero addresses, - the only explorer that can show which outputs belong to the given Monero address and viewkey, - the only explorer that can be used to prove that you send Monero to someone, - the only explorer showing detailed information about mixins, such as, mixins' age, timescale, mixin of mixins, - the only explorer showing number of amount output indices, - the only explorer supporting Monero testnet network and RingCT. ## Prerequisite Everything here was done and tested using Monero 0.9.4 on Ubuntu 16.04 x86_64. Instruction for Monero 0.10 compilation and Monero headers and libraries setup are as shown here: - [Compile Monero 0.9 on Ubuntu 16.04 x64](https://github.com/moneroexamples/compile-monero-09-on-ubuntu-16-04) - [lmdbcpp-monero](https://github.com/moneroexamples/lmdbcpp-monero.git) ## C++ code ```c++ int main(int ac, const char* av[]) { // get command line options xmreg::CmdLineOptions opts {ac, av}; auto help_opt = opts.get_option("help"); // if help was chosen, display help text and finish if (*help_opt) { return EXIT_SUCCESS; } auto port_opt = opts.get_option("port"); auto bc_path_opt = opts.get_option("bc-path"); auto custom_db_path_opt = opts.get_option("custom-db-path"); auto deamon_url_opt = opts.get_option("deamon-url"); //cast port number in string to uint16 uint16_t app_port = boost::lexical_cast(*port_opt); // get blockchain path path blockchain_path; if (!xmreg::get_blockchain_path(bc_path_opt, blockchain_path)) { cerr << "Error getting blockchain path." << endl; return EXIT_FAILURE; } // enable basic monero log output xmreg::enable_monero_log(); // create instance of our MicroCore // and make pointer to the Blockchain xmreg::MicroCore mcore; cryptonote::Blockchain* core_storage; // initialize mcore and core_storage if (!xmreg::init_blockchain(blockchain_path.string(), mcore, core_storage)) { cerr << "Error accessing blockchain." << endl; return EXIT_FAILURE; } // create instance of page class which // contains logic for the website xmreg::page xmrblocks(&mcore, core_storage, *deamon_url_opt); // crow instance crow::SimpleApp app; CROW_ROUTE(app, "/") ([&]() { return xmrblocks.index2(); }); CROW_ROUTE(app, "/page/") ([&](size_t page_no) { return xmrblocks.index2(page_no); }); CROW_ROUTE(app, "/block/") ([&](size_t block_height) { return xmrblocks.show_block(block_height); }); CROW_ROUTE(app, "/block/") ([&](string block_hash) { return xmrblocks.show_block(block_hash); }); CROW_ROUTE(app, "/tx/") ([&](string tx_hash) { return xmrblocks.show_tx(tx_hash); }); CROW_ROUTE(app, "/tx//") ([&](string tx_hash, uint with_ring_signatures) { return xmrblocks.show_tx(tx_hash, with_ring_signatures); }); CROW_ROUTE(app, "/myoutputs").methods("GET"_method) ([&](const crow::request& req) { string tx_hash = string(req.url_params.get("tx_hash")); string xmr_address = string(req.url_params.get("xmr_address")); string viewkey = string(req.url_params.get("viewkey")); return xmrblocks.show_my_outputs(tx_hash, xmr_address, viewkey); }); CROW_ROUTE(app, "/search").methods("GET"_method) ([&](const crow::request& req) { return xmrblocks.search(string(req.url_params.get("value"))); }); CROW_ROUTE(app, "/autorefresh") ([&]() { uint64_t page_no {0}; bool refresh_page {true}; return xmrblocks.index2(page_no, refresh_page); }); // run the crow http server app.port(app_port).multithreaded().run(); return EXIT_SUCCESS; } ``` ## Example screenshot ![Onion Monero Blockchain Explorer](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/moneroexamples/onion-monero-blockchain-explorer/master/screenshot/screenshot.jpg) ## Compile and run the explorer ##### Monero headers and libraries setup The Onion Explorer uses Monero C++ libraries and headers. Instructions how to download source files and compile Monero, setup header and library files are presented here: - https://github.com/moneroexamples/compile-monero-09-on-ubuntu-16-04 (Ubuntu 16.04) - https://github.com/moneroexamples/compile-monero-09-on-arch-linux (Arch Linux) ##### Custom lmdb database (optional) Most unique search abilities of the Onion Explorer are achieved through using a [custom lmdb database](https://github.com/moneroexamples/lmdbcpp-monero.git) constructed based on the Monero blockchain. The reason for the custom database is that Monero's own lmdb database has limited search abilities. For example, its not possible to search for a tx having a given key image, except by performing an exhaustive search on the blockchain which is very time consuming. Instruction how to compile the `lmdbcpp-monero` are provided here: - https://github.com/moneroexamples/lmdbcpp-monero.git The custom database is rather big, 12GB now, and it must be running alongside Monero deamon so that it keeps updating itself with new information from new blocks as they are added to the blockchain. For these reasons, its use is optional. However, without it, some searches wont be possible, e.g., searching for key images, output and tx public keys, encrypted payments id. ##### Compile and run the explorer Once the Monero is compiled and setup, the explorer can be downloaded and compiled as follows: ```bash # download the source code git clone https://github.com/moneroexamples/onion-monero-blockchain-explorer.git # enter the downloaded sourced code folder cd onion-monero-blockchain-explorer # make a build folder and enter it mkdir build && cd build # create the makefile cmake .. # compile make ``` When compilation finishes executable `xmrblocks` should be created. To run it: ``` ./xmrblocks ``` Example output: ```bash [mwo@arch onion-monero-blockchain-explorer]$ ./xmrblocks 2016-May-28 10:04:49.160280 Blockchain initialized. last block: 1056761, d0.h0.m12.s47 time ago, current difficulty: 1517857750 (2016-05-28 02:04:49) [INFO ] Crow/0.1 server is running, local port 8081 ``` Go to your browser: http://127.0.0.1:8081 ## Other examples Other examples can be found on [github](https://github.com/moneroexamples?tab=repositories). 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. Some Monero are also welcome: ``` 48daf1rG3hE1Txapcsxh6WXNe9MLNKtu7W7tKTivtSoVLHErYzvdcpea2nSTgGkz66RFP4GKVAsTV14v6G3oddBTHfxP6tU ```