@@ -9,33 +9,19 @@ hidetitle = "true"
99
1010### What is Urbit? {#what-is-urbit}
1111
12−Urbit reimagines the internet as a peer-to-peer network designed to stay that
13−way. Previous attempts to "decentralize" the internet have only attempted to
14−solve certain corners of the problem. Urbit proposes that only a new stack,
15−built from the ground up as a tightly integrated system, can realize a great
16−user experience for people using a peer-to-peer web.
17−
18−Combining a deterministic operating system ([Urbit OS](#what-is-arvo) / Arvo)
19−and a secure, global identity layer ([Urbit ID](#what-is-urbit-id) /
20−[Azimuth](#what-is-azimuth)), the Urbit project has created something that’s
21−never existed before: an encrypted [Sybil
22−resistant](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sybil_attack) peer-to-peer network
23−where you can be sure that messages are never tampered with or surveilled.
12+Urbit reimagines the internet as a peer-to-peer network designed to stay that way. Previous attempts to "decentralize" the internet have only attempted to solve certain corners of the problem. Urbit proposes that only a new stack, built from the ground up as a tightly integrated system, can realize a great user experience for people using a peer-to-peer web.
13+
14+Combining a deterministic operating system ([Urbit OS](#what-is-arvo) / Arvo) and a secure, global identity layer ([Urbit ID](#what-is-urbit-id) / [Azimuth](#what-is-azimuth)), the Urbit project has created something that’s never existed before: an encrypted [Sybil resistant](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sybil_attack) peer-to-peer network where you can be sure that messages are never tampered with or surveilled.
2415
2516The connected world anticipated by Urbit is a much friendlier one, much like the early Internet, where collegial discussion and collaboration was the norm. Problems that are unsolvable without large-scale political centralization in our current internet – data breaches, spam, fake reviews, malware-spreading, harassment – become tractable when individuals control their computing again. You have one login for everything. You own and control all of your software and all of your data by default. Software is designed around the friendships, families, communities, and organizations you're already a part of – not the other way around.
2617
2718### How secure is Urbit right now? {#how-secure-is-urbit}
2819
29−[Urbit ID](#what-is-urbit-id) / [Azimuth](#what-is-azimuth), Urbit's identity
30−layer, is live on the Ethereum blockchain and has been audited by Open Zeppelin,
31−Blockchain at Berkeley, and Bloctrax.
20+[Urbit ID](#what-is-urbit-id) / [Azimuth](#what-is-azimuth), Urbit's identity layer, is live on the Ethereum blockchain and has been audited by Open Zeppelin, Blockchain at Berkeley, and Bloctrax.
3221
33−In late 2020, Urbit's [Ames](@/docs/glossary/ames.md) networking protocol was
34−audited by [Leviathan Security](https://www.leviathansecurity.com/). You can
35−read about this milestone [here](@/blog/security-and-continuity.md).
22+In late 2020, Urbit's [Ames](@/docs/glossary/ames.md) networking protocol was audited by [Leviathan Security](https://www.leviathansecurity.com/). You can read about this milestone [here](@/blog/security-and-continuity.md).
3623
37−Looking to the future, Tlon has plans to begin working to make Urbit secure
38−against attacks from quantum computers in 2021.
24+Looking to the future, Tlon has plans to begin working to make Urbit secure against attacks from quantum computers in 2021.
3925
4026### How can I contribute to Urbit? {#contribute}
4127
@@ -59,13 +45,7 @@ The community of people who build Urbit have widely varied ways of thinking and
5945
6046### Why aren't there more planets? {#more-planets}
6147
62−Urbit is designed to be as simple as possible. The sponsorship tree for Urbit ID
63−simply expands by squaring the size of the last tier. That is, there are <span
64−class="mono">2<sup>8</sup> (256)</span> [galaxies](@/docs/glossary/galaxy.md), <span
65−class="mono">(2<sup>8</sup>)<sup>2</sup> = 2<sup>16</sup> (~65K)</span> [stars](@/docs/glossary/star.md),
66−<span class="mono">(2<sup>16</sup>)<sup>2</sup> = 2<sup>32</sup> (~4B)</span>
67−[planets](@/docs/glossary/planet.md). There are <span class="mono">2<sup>64</sup></span> [moons](@/docs/glossary/moon.md) — but moons
68−are tethered to their planet, unlike stars and planets.
48+Urbit is designed to be as simple as possible. The sponsorship tree for Urbit ID simply expands by squaring the size of the last tier. That is, there are <span class="mono">2<sup>8</sup> (256)</span> [galaxies](@/docs/glossary/galaxy.md), <span class="mono">(2<sup>8</sup>)<sup>2</sup> = 2<sup>16</sup> (~65K)</span> [stars](@/docs/glossary/star.md), <span class="mono">(2<sup>16</sup>)<sup>2</sup> = 2<sup>32</sup> (~4B)</span> [planets](@/docs/glossary/planet.md). There are <span class="mono">2<sup>64</sup></span> [moons](@/docs/glossary/moon.md) — but moons are tethered to their planet, unlike stars and planets.
6949
7050This pattern exists because it’s a simple way to enforce the scarcity of addresses and build a friendly network. When a tier of the address space begins to be populated, we start populating the next tier down. When Urbit nears the limit of <span class="mono">2<sup>32</sup> (4B)</span> planets, we’ll figure out a way to populate the <span class="mono">2<sup>64</sup></span> moons. The galaxies that govern the Urbit ID contracts can always vote to upgrade them — and we expect that they will.
7151
@@ -77,15 +57,9 @@ It’s also worth noting that, while there are almost 8B people on Earth, there
7757
7858### Why do you use Ethereum? {#why-eth}
7959
80−In 2019 (when [Azimuth](#what-is-azimuth) was launched), Ethereum was the most
81−widely deployed, most secure, and best documented general purpose blockchain,
82−and it remains so today. Using Ethereum is a practical engineering choice. It’s the
83−best way to bootstrap real cryptographic ownership. We’re not specifically
84−interested in Ethereum one way or the other.
60+In 2019 (when [Azimuth](#what-is-azimuth) was launched), Ethereum was the most widely deployed, most secure, and best documented general purpose blockchain, and it remains so today. Using Ethereum is a practical engineering choice. It’s the best way to bootstrap real cryptographic ownership. We’re not specifically interested in Ethereum one way or the other.
8561
86−One day we’d really like the Urbit ID registry to be hosted on [Urbit
87−OS](#what-is-arvo) itself. But the first challenge is getting Urbit OS to be
88−completely secure.
62+One day we’d really like the Urbit ID registry to be hosted on [Urbit OS](#what-is-arvo) itself. But the first challenge is getting Urbit OS to be completely secure.
8963
9064### Why is Hoon so weird? {#why-hoon}
9165
@@ -95,58 +69,27 @@ The runes are, once you get the hang of them, pretty nice. Your mileage may vary
9569
9670The standard library and naming is something we’ve discussed changing, and it could happen. It’s definitely up for debate whether or not the four-letter naming convention works well. The vanes (kernel modules) have largely moved away from this convention.
9771
98−The right way to think about Hoon is as the ‘C of Urbit’. It’s a bare bones
99−language that gets you pretty close to Nock. Eventually, we’ll probably
100−implement more expressive languages that compile to Urbit. But for now, satisfy
101−your curiosity and [sign up for Hooniversity](https://hooniversity.org/), a
102−community led Hoon educational organization.
72+The right way to think about Hoon is as the ‘C of Urbit’. It’s a bare bones language that gets you pretty close to Nock. Eventually, we’ll probably implement more expressive languages that compile to Urbit. But for now, satisfy your curiosity and [sign up for Hooniversity](https://hooniversity.org/), a community led Hoon educational organization.
10373
104−Another option is to treat [Urbit as an API](@/using/integrating-api.md), which
105−allows one to use common languages such as Python and Javascript to build
106−userspace programs. For now this option is not as powerful as Hoon, but
107−there is still a lot that a developer without the time or inclination to learn
108−Hoon can do.
74+Another option is to treat [Urbit as an API](@/using/integrating-api.md), which allows one to use common languages such as Python and Javascript to build userspace programs. For now this option is not as powerful as Hoon, but there is still a lot that a developer without the time or inclination to learn Hoon can do.
10975
11076### What is the point of Nock? {#why-nock}
11177
112−The primary technical reason it is difficult for the individual to run a
113−personal server is that modern computing architectures are not deterministic.
114−What solves a problem for one person is not guaranteed to work on another
115−person's computer, even if they are using identical hardware.
116−[Nock](/docs/glossary/nock.md) solves this problem. It provides a single
117−computing foundation for the whole network, so that difficult issues that
118−arise when running a server need only to be solved once and the solution is
119−guaranteed to work for everyone on the network.
78+The primary technical reason it is difficult for the individual to run a personal server is that modern computing architectures are not deterministic. What solves a problem for one person is not guaranteed to work on another person's computer, even if they are using identical hardware. [Nock](/docs/glossary/nock.md) solves this problem. It provides a single computing foundation for the whole network, so that difficult issues that arise when running a server need only to be solved once and the solution is guaranteed to work for everyone on the network.
12079
121−It’s true that Nock, without jets, is slow. With the ability to call out to a
122−native function, it’s not so bad. This is done by our runtime,
123−[Vere](@/docs/glossary/vere.md), a Nock interpreter written in C.
80+It’s true that Nock, without jets, is slow. With the ability to call out to a native function, it’s not so bad. This is done by our runtime, [Vere](@/docs/glossary/vere.md), a Nock interpreter written in C.
12481
12582### Can I host my Urbit with someone else? {#why-hosting}
12683
127−Yes, [Tlon](@/blog/hosting-the-future.md) and [a few others](@/blog/providers.md) began [accepting
128−signups](https://tlon.io) for our hosting service in 2020. Under this
129−arrangement, Tlon does all the work of setting up cloud infrastructure and
130−getting your planet up and running, making getting started with Urbit as simple
131−as signing up for an ordinary online service.
84+Yes, [Tlon](@/blog/hosting-the-future.md) and [a few others](@/blog/providers.md) began [accepting signups](https://tlon.io) for our hosting service in 2020. Under this arrangement, Tlon does all the work of setting up cloud infrastructure and getting your planet up and running, making getting started with Urbit as simple as signing up for an ordinary online service.
13285
133−Should you one day wish to run your Urbit yourself, any hosting provider ought
134−to offer you the ability to download your [ship](@/docs/glossary/ship.md)'s [pier](@/docs/glossary/pier.md)
135−to your own device and do so. This is a very low frction process thanks to
136−Urbit's deterministic design.
86+Should you one day wish to run your Urbit yourself, any hosting provider ought to offer you the ability to download your [ship](@/docs/glossary/ship.md)'s [pier](@/docs/glossary/pier.md) to your own device and do so. This is a very low frction process thanks to Urbit's deterministic design.
13787
13888## Urbit ID
13989
14090### What is Urbit ID? {#what-is-urbit-id}
14191
142−Urbit ID is the identity system utilized by Urbit, which associates to each
143−[ship](@/docs/glossary/ship.md) a public and private key used to establish
144−encrypted connections between one another and to guard private data. For
145−[planets](@/docs/glossary/planet.md), [stars](@/docs/glossary/star.md), and
146−[galaxies](@/docs/glossary/galaxy.md), this is achieved with a set of Ethereum
147−smart contracts called [Azimuth](#what-is-azimuth). Keys for
148−[moons](@/docs/glossary/moon.md) and [comets](@/docs/glossary/comet.md) are
149−handled within Urbit.
92+Urbit ID is the identity system utilized by Urbit, which associates to each [ship](@/docs/glossary/ship.md) a public and private key used to establish encrypted connections between one another and to guard private data. For [planets](@/docs/glossary/planet.md), [stars](@/docs/glossary/star.md), and [galaxies](@/docs/glossary/galaxy.md), this is achieved with a set of Ethereum smart contracts called [Azimuth](#what-is-azimuth). Keys for [moons](@/docs/glossary/moon.md) and [comets](@/docs/glossary/comet.md) are handled within Urbit.
15093
15194### What are stars, galaxies, and planets? {#stars-galaxies-planets}
15295
@@ -156,11 +99,7 @@ Planets are intended for everyday use by individuals, and there are 4.3 billion
15699
157100### What is Azimuth? {#what-is-azimuth}
158101
159−[Azimuth](@/docs/glossary/azimuth.md) is what we call the set of Ethereum
160−contracts that make up a general-purpose decentralized PKI ("public key
161−infrastructure") utilized by Urbit ID. It keeps a record of which Ethereum
162−addresses own which Urbit planets, stars, and galaxies, as well as the public
163−keys associated with those ships.
102+[Azimuth](@/docs/glossary/azimuth.md) is what we call the set of Ethereum contracts that make up a general-purpose decentralized PKI ("public key infrastructure") utilized by Urbit ID. It keeps a record of which Ethereum addresses own which Urbit planets, stars, and galaxies, as well as the public keys associated with those ships.
164103
165104It's also kind of a [cool astronomical concept](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azimuth).
166105
@@ -174,38 +113,19 @@ You can also inspect and execute functions in the [azimuth.eth](https://ethersca
174113
175114In addition to the three classes of identities mentioned above, there are two other kinds of Urbit [ship](@/docs/glossary/ship.md)s that are _not_ registered in the Urbit ID / Azimuth contracts.
176115
177−[Moons](@/docs/glossary/moon.md) are 64 bits, issued by
178−[planets](@/docs/glossary/planet.md), and have names like
179−`~doznec-salfun-naptul-habrys`. Moons are meant for connected devices: phones,
180−desktops, smart TVs, digital thermostats, and other IoT devices. Moons are
181−subordinate to their parent planet. A strong analogy here is that ordinary
182−social media sites are somewhat like planets, and your account on them is a
183−moon. Urbit elevates everybody to the level of planet.
116+[Moons](@/docs/glossary/moon.md) are 64 bits, issued by [planets](@/docs/glossary/planet.md), and have names like `~doznec-salfun-naptul-habrys`. Moons are meant for connected devices: phones, desktops, smart TVs, digital thermostats, and other IoT devices. Moons are subordinate to their parent planet. A strong analogy here is that ordinary social media sites are somewhat like planets, and your account on them is a moon. Urbit elevates everybody to the level of planet.
184117
185118[Comets](@/docs/glossary/comet.md) are 128 bits and have no parents. They can be launched by anyone. They are temporary, disposable identities. Being disposable and essentially unlimited, they will likely not be trusted by default by others on the [Urbit OS](#what-is-arvo) network, though you shouldn't have any problem until the network grows much larger. They have long, hard-to-memorize names, like `~racmus-mollen-fallyt-linpex-watres-sibbur-modlux-rinmex`.
186119
187120### What is a `@p`? Why is my username generated for me? {#what-is-patp}
188121
189−A `@p`
190−([pronounced](@/docs/tutorials/hoon/hoon-school/hoon-syntax.md#reading-hoon-aloud)
191−*pat-pee*) is a name like `~zod` or `~lodleb-ritrul` composed of pronounceable,
192−three-letter phonemic elements like `zod`, `lod`, `leb`, `rit` and `rul`.
193−Shorter names, such as `~zod` and `~marzod`, are assigned to
194−[ship](@/docs/glossary/ship.md)s with special duties on the
195−[Arvo](#what-is-arvo) network galaxies and stars, respectively. Longer names
196−like `~palfun-foslup` are identities for typical users.
122+A `@p` ([pronounced](@/docs/tutorials/hoon/hoon-school/hoon-syntax.md#reading-hoon-aloud) *pat-pee*) is a name like `~zod` or `~lodleb-ritrul` composed of pronounceable, three-letter phonemic elements like `zod`, `lod`, `leb`, `rit` and `rul`. Shorter names, such as `~zod` and `~marzod`, are assigned to [ship](@/docs/glossary/ship.md)s with special duties on the [Arvo](#what-is-arvo) network galaxies and stars, respectively. Longer names like `~palfun-foslup` are identities for typical users.
197123
198124These names map directly to a corresponding number in the Urbit ID address space. Galaxies occupy the 8-bit address space, so any galaxy is actually a number between zero and 255. Stars occupy the 16-bit address space, and planets occupy the 32-bit address space.
199125
200−Your name is generated for you as a solution to [Zooko's
201−triangle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zooko%27s_triangle), which roughly
202−states that names on a network protocol can only be two of (i) human-meaningful,
203−(ii) secure, and (iii) decentralized. Urbit chooses (ii) and (iii), which
204−something like DNS chooses (i) and (ii).
126+Your name is generated for you as a solution to [Zooko's triangle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zooko%27s_triangle), which roughly states that names on a network protocol can only be two of (i) human-meaningful, (ii) secure, and (iii) decentralized. Urbit chooses (ii) and (iii), which something like DNS chooses (i) and (ii).
205127
206−Regardless, you can always choose to
207−set your nickname in [Landscape](#what-is-landscape), so if you wish for a
208−different name to be displayed then you have the freedom to do so.
128+Regardless, you can always choose to set your nickname in [Landscape](#what-is-landscape), so if you wish for a different name to be displayed then you have the freedom to do so.
209129
210130### Can I change my `@p`? {#change-my-patp}
211131
@@ -213,16 +133,9 @@ Nope. There is a 1:1 mapping between name and identity. Think of your `@p` sort
213133
214134### How do I get an identity? {#get-an-identity}
215135
216−The easiest way is to find a friend who can give you one. They're out there —
217−just ask around. You'll have a good chance of meeting one if you join Urbit
218−Community, the default group for new [ship](@/docs/glossary/ship.md)s at `~bitbet-bolbel/urbit-community`,
219−as a [comet](@/docs/glossary/comet.md) and contribute pleasantly to the conversation.
136+The easiest way is to find a friend who can give you one. They're out there — just ask around. You'll have a good chance of meeting one if you join Urbit Community, the default group for new [ship](@/docs/glossary/ship.md)s at `~bitbet-bolbel/urbit-community`, as a [comet](@/docs/glossary/comet.md) and contribute pleasantly to the conversation.
220137
221−Or, if you must, try an ERC-721 (NFT) exchange (Google or Twitter should help
222−you with this). This will probably involve a purchase and a transfer to an
223−Ethereum address that you own. We recommend using
224−[Bridge](@/docs/glossary/bridge.md), available at
225−[https://bridge.urbit.org](https://bridge.urbit.org), to access the address that the identity is transferred to.
138+Or, if you must, try an ERC-721 (NFT) exchange (Google or Twitter should help you with this). This will probably involve a purchase and a transfer to an Ethereum address that you own. We recommend using [Bridge](@/docs/glossary/bridge.md), available at [https://bridge.urbit.org](https://bridge.urbit.org), to access the address that the identity is transferred to.
226139
227140### How do I transfer an identity to someone else? {#transfer-identity}
228141
@@ -238,77 +151,38 @@ Be careful about using online versions of Bridge not hosted on urbit.org. Since
238151
239152### What is the Urbit HD Wallet? {#urbit-hd-wallet}
240153
241−The [Urbit Hierarchical Deterministic (HD) Wallet](@/docs/glossary/hdwallet.md)
242−is a custom Ethereum wallet based on BIP39 and BIP44 – the same underlying
243−technology used by wallet providers like Ledger, Trezor, Metamask, and
244−MyEtherWallet. You can think of the Urbit HD wallet as a wallet of wallets,
245−which lets you keep a single passphrase for all of your Urbit ID keys. Urbit ID
246−uses multiple keys with different capabilities – a bit like permissions – so
247−that you can keep the more valuable keys in cold storage while keeping less
248−valuable keys, used in day-to-day operation, more easily accessible. If you're
249−only operating a planet, you shouldn't have to worry about this: you can simply
250−think of your "master ticket" as the password to your Urbit ID. If you're
251−operating a star or galaxy, the Urbit HD Wallet allows you to implement a
252−multi-tier key custody scheme.
154+The [Urbit Hierarchical Deterministic (HD) Wallet](@/docs/glossary/hdwallet.md) is a custom Ethereum wallet based on BIP39 and BIP44 – the same underlying technology used by wallet providers like Ledger, Trezor, Metamask, and MyEtherWallet. You can think of the Urbit HD wallet as a wallet of wallets, which lets you keep a single passphrase for all of your Urbit ID keys. Urbit ID uses multiple keys with different capabilities – a bit like permissions – so that you can keep the more valuable keys in cold storage while keeping less valuable keys, used in day-to-day operation, more easily accessible. If you're only operating a planet, you shouldn't have to worry about this: you can simply think of your "master ticket" as the password to your Urbit ID. If you're operating a star or galaxy, the Urbit HD Wallet allows you to implement a multi-tier key custody scheme.
253155
254156If you're interested, you can read the spec here: [Urbit HD Wallet Spec (UP 8)](https://github.com/urbit/proposals/blob/master/008-urbit-hd-wallet.md).
255157
256158### What is a master ticket? {#master-ticket}
257159
258−The "master ticket" is the entropy seed from which your other Urbit ID keys are
259−derived. It should be treated like a master password: **you should never share
260−it with anyone, and you must store it very securely (see our practices below).**
261−This ticket is used to derive the Ethereum wallet that holds your ownership
262−keys, your [Urbit OS](#what-is-arvo) key – used to boot your Urbit – and the other keys
263−associated with your identity. You’ll have a master ticket if you used the Urbit
264−Wallet Generator or claimed a [ship](@/docs/glossary/ship.md) on our hosted version of Bridge.
160+The "master ticket" is the entropy seed from which your other Urbit ID keys are derived. It should be treated like a master password: **you should never share it with anyone, and you must store it very securely (see our practices below).** This ticket is used to derive the Ethereum wallet that holds your ownership keys, your [Urbit OS](#what-is-arvo) key – used to boot your Urbit – and the other keys associated with your identity. You’ll have a master ticket if you used the Urbit Wallet Generator or claimed a [ship](@/docs/glossary/ship.md) on our hosted version of Bridge.
265161
266162If you're operating a planet, you can use your master ticket to authenticate with Bridge.
267163
268164### What is an ownership address? {#ownership-address}
269165
270−An ownership address is an Ethereum address that owns one or more of your Urbit
271−IDs. The Urbit Wallet Generator creates one [Urbit HD
272−Wallet](@/docs/glossary/hdwallet.md) and associated addresses for each of your
273−identities. Using the ownership key associated with your ownership address, you
274−can transfer identities to other people, meaning that it’s very important to
275−store securely.
166+An ownership address is an Ethereum address that owns one or more of your Urbit IDs. The Urbit Wallet Generator creates one [Urbit HD Wallet](@/docs/glossary/hdwallet.md) and associated addresses for each of your identities. Using the ownership key associated with your ownership address, you can transfer identities to other people, meaning that it’s very important to store securely.
276167
277168### What are proxies? {#proxies}
278169
279−[Proxies](@/docs/glossary/proxies.md) are seeds derived from your master ticket
280−used to generate sub-wallets, which in turn are used to generate keys that have
281−the ability to execute different Urbit ID functions associated with your Urbit
282−identity. Proxies generally have more restricted capabilities than your
283−ownership seed. These capabilities include spawning child identities, voting,
284−and setting networking keys.
170+[Proxies](@/docs/glossary/proxies.md) are seeds derived from your master ticket used to generate sub-wallets, which in turn are used to generate keys that have the ability to execute different Urbit ID functions associated with your Urbit identity. Proxies generally have more restricted capabilities than your ownership seed. These capabilities include spawning child identities, voting, and setting networking keys.
285171
286172- Transfer proxy: Can transfer your identity to another Ethereum address.
287173- Spawn Proxy: For [stars](@/docs/glossary/star.md) and [galaxies](@/docs/glossary/galaxy.md) only. Can create new child identities.
288−- Management Proxy: Can configure or set networking keys and conduct sponsorship
289− related operations.
290−- Voting Proxy: [Galaxies](@/docs/glossary/galaxy.md) only. Galaxies are the part of the [galactic senate](@/docs/glossary/senate.md),
291− which means they can cast votes on new proposals including changes to the
292− "[Ecliptic](@/docs/glossary/ecliptic.md)" contract, which defines the operations of [Azimuth](@/docs/glossary/azimuth.md).
174+- Management Proxy: Can configure or set networking keys and conduct sponsorship related operations.
175+- Voting Proxy: [Galaxies](@/docs/glossary/galaxy.md) only. Galaxies are the part of the [galactic senate](@/docs/glossary/senate.md), which means they can cast votes on new proposals including changes to the "[Ecliptic](@/docs/glossary/ecliptic.md)" contract, which defines the operations of [Azimuth](@/docs/glossary/azimuth.md).
293176
294177### What are seeds? {#seeds}
295178
296−All Ethereum key-pairs in the Urbit wallet system, including
297−[proxies](@/docs/glossary/proxies.md), are produced by 128-bit cryptographically
298−random values called seeds. These seeds are the equivalent of the BIP39 mnemonic
299−of an Ethereum wallet and are yours alone. An ownership key pair is derived from
300−an ownership seed and, likewise, the various proxy key pairs are generated from
301−their respective proxy seeds.
179+All Ethereum key-pairs in the Urbit wallet system, including [proxies](@/docs/glossary/proxies.md), are produced by 128-bit cryptographically random values called seeds. These seeds are the equivalent of the BIP39 mnemonic of an Ethereum wallet and are yours alone. An ownership key pair is derived from an ownership seed and, likewise, the various proxy key pairs are generated from their respective proxy seeds.
302180
303181For detailed information see the [Urbit HD Wallet Spec (UP 8)](https://github.com/urbit/proposals/blob/master/008-urbit-hd-wallet.md).
304182
305183### What does it mean to “set public keys”? {#set-public-keys}
306184
307−This means registering the public keys of your identity's encryption and
308−authentication key pairs (together known as "networking keys") with Urbit ID /
309−[Azimuth](@/docs/glossary/azimuth.md), so that others can discover them. The
310−corresponding private keys can then be used to, for example, run a
311−[ship](@/docs/glossary/ship.md) on the [Urbit OS](#what-is-arvo) network.
185+This means registering the public keys of your identity's encryption and authentication key pairs (together known as "networking keys") with Urbit ID / [Azimuth](@/docs/glossary/azimuth.md), so that others can discover them. The corresponding private keys can then be used to, for example, run a [ship](@/docs/glossary/ship.md) on the [Urbit OS](#what-is-arvo) network.
312186
313187You want to reset these keys if they are compromised, or if your ship has sunk. This is of little practical significance today, but resetting your networking keys resets your relationship with other ships on the network.
314188
@@ -371,26 +245,15 @@ Note that the "releasing" of stars just means that they become available for you
371245
372246Linear release is the simplest: your stars will be released linearly over a period of time. Most often this is a period of four years. If you have four stars in lockup, that means you will be able to withdraw one star per year. In many cases, there is also an initial windup period which has to pass before linear releasing begins, typically one year. Since Azimuth launched in January 2019, the linear release will begin in January 2020.
373247
374−Conditional release is a bit more complicated. If your stars are in conditional
375−lockup, they're likely divided over three so-called tranches. Each of these
376−unlocks only after a unique condition is met. Since it's difficult to verify
377−things about the real world using smart contracts, the [Galactic
378−Senate](@/docs/glossary/senate.md) verifies that they've been met. Once the
379−Senate marks a condition for a tranche as cleared, it starts releasing linearly
380−over the period of a year.
248+Conditional release is a bit more complicated. If your stars are in conditional lockup, they're likely divided over three so-called tranches. Each of these unlocks only after a unique condition is met. Since it's difficult to verify things about the real world using smart contracts, the [Galactic Senate](@/docs/glossary/senate.md) verifies that they've been met. Once the Senate marks a condition for a tranche as cleared, it starts releasing linearly over the period of a year.
381249
382250## Urbit OS
383251
384252### What is Urbit OS? {#what-is-arvo}
385253
386−Urbit OS, also called [Arvo](@/docs/glossary/arvo.md), is our functional and
387−deterministic software stack. Arvo is written in [Hoon](@/docs/glossary/hoon.md), our purely functional
388−programming language, which compiles to [Nock](@/docs/glossary/nock.md), a compact bytecode language.
254+Urbit OS, also called [Arvo](@/docs/glossary/arvo.md), is our functional and deterministic software stack. Arvo is written in [Hoon](@/docs/glossary/hoon.md), our purely functional programming language, which compiles to [Nock](@/docs/glossary/nock.md), a compact bytecode language.
389255
390−Instances of Urbit OS, called '[ships](@/docs/glossary/ship.md)',
391−communicate as peers on what we refer to as “the [Ames](@/docs/glossary/ames.md)
392−network.” Using Urbit ID, Urbit OS ships can prove their identities to one
393−another.
256+Instances of Urbit OS, called '[ships](@/docs/glossary/ship.md)', communicate as peers on what we refer to as “the [Ames](@/docs/glossary/ames.md) network.” Using Urbit ID, Urbit OS ships can prove their identities to one another.
394257
395258### What is unique about Urbit OS / Arvo? {#what-is-unique-about-arvo}
396259
@@ -402,19 +265,13 @@ All events are logged to disk, so you can always restore the system to a previou
402265
403266### How is Urbit OS / Arvo connected to Ethereum? {#arvo-ethereum}
404267
405−When an [Arvo](@/docs/glossary/arvo.md) ship (instance) is started for the first
406−time you must use a "[keyfile](@/docs/glossary/keyfile.md)" containing the
407−private keys for your identity's networking keys. Urbit ID uses the Ethereum
408−blockchain as its decentralized ledger.
268+When an [Arvo](@/docs/glossary/arvo.md) ship (instance) is started for the first time you must use a "[keyfile](@/docs/glossary/keyfile.md)" containing the private keys for your identity's networking keys. Urbit ID uses the Ethereum blockchain as its decentralized ledger.
409269
410−See our [Getting Started](@/using/install.md) guide to learn how to get your
411−ship onto the Urbit OS / [Ames](@/docs/glossary/ames.md) network.
270+See our [Getting Started](@/using/install.md) guide to learn how to get your ship onto the Urbit OS / [Ames](@/docs/glossary/ames.md) network.
412271
413272### Will the Urbit OS network survive if Ethereum dies? {#if-ethereum-dies}
414273
415−Yes. It would be annoying, but Urbit ID / [Azimuth](@/docs/glossary/azimuth.md)
416−could be ported to another decentralized ledger, or hosted on Urbit OS /
417−[Arvo](@/docs/glossary/arvo.md) itself.
274+Yes. It would be annoying, but Urbit ID / [Azimuth](@/docs/glossary/azimuth.md) could be ported to another decentralized ledger, or hosted on Urbit OS / [Arvo](@/docs/glossary/arvo.md) itself.
418275
419276### How do I install Urbit OS? {#install-urbit-os}
420277
@@ -430,10 +287,7 @@ Your sponsor, a star or galaxy that your ship is connected to, may send you new
430287
431288### What is Landscape? {#what-is-landscape}
432289
433−[Landscape](@/docs/glossary/landscape.md) is an experimental Urbit OS web
434−interface that includes social functions such as chat and publishing. You can
435−access Landscape by navigating to `http://localhost:PORT`, where PORT is
436−typically 80, 8080, or 8081 (check your boot messages).
290+[Landscape](@/docs/glossary/landscape.md) is an experimental Urbit OS web interface that includes social functions such as chat and publishing. You can access Landscape by navigating to `http://localhost:PORT`, where PORT is typically 80, 8080, or 8081 (check your boot messages).
437291
438292### I have an Urbit ID, now what? {#now-what}
439293