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docs: rst-ify the intro

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Introduction Introduction
============ ============
Welcome to the Tendermint guide! This is the best place to start if you're new Welcome to the Tendermint guide! This is the best place to start if you are new
to Tendermint. If you're already familiar with the basics of Tendermint and to Tendermint.
ABCI, find more details in the [documentation](/docs).
What is Tendermint? What is Tendermint?
------------------- -------------------
@ -32,7 +31,7 @@ or a quirky scripting language), developers can use Tendermint for BFT state mac
whatever programming language and development environment is right for them. whatever programming language and development environment is right for them.
Tendermint is designed to be easy-to-use, simple-to-understand, highly performant, and useful Tendermint is designed to be easy-to-use, simple-to-understand, highly performant, and useful
for a wide variety of distributed applications. [Get started with Tendermint](/download) today! for a wide variety of distributed applications.
Tendermint vs. X Tendermint vs. X
---------------- ----------------
@ -68,7 +67,7 @@ it focuses on arbitrary state machine replication, so developers can build the a
that's right for them, from key-value store to cryptocurrency to e-voting platform and beyond. that's right for them, from key-value store to cryptocurrency to e-voting platform and beyond.
The layout of this Tendermint website content is also ripped directly and without shame from The layout of this Tendermint website content is also ripped directly and without shame from
[consul.io](https://www.consul.io/) and the other [Hashicorp sites](https://www.hashicorp.com/#tools). `consul.io <https://www.consul.io/>`__ and the other `Hashicorp sites <https://www.hashicorp.com/#tools>`__.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc. Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@ -82,34 +81,35 @@ this is what made Tendermint a Proof-of-Stake algorithm.
Since then, Tendermint has evolved to be a general purpose blockchain consensus engine that can host arbitrary application states. Since then, Tendermint has evolved to be a general purpose blockchain consensus engine that can host arbitrary application states.
That means it can be used as a plug-and-play replacement for the consensus engines of other blockchain software. That means it can be used as a plug-and-play replacement for the consensus engines of other blockchain software.
So one can take the current Ethereum code base, whether in Rust, or Go, or Haskell, and run it as a ABCI application So one can take the current Ethereum code base, whether in Rust, or Go, or Haskell, and run it as a ABCI application
using Tendermint consensus. Indeed, [we did that](https://github.com/tendermint/ethermint). using Tendermint consensus. Indeed, `we did that with Ethereum <https://github.com/tendermint/ethermint>`__.
And we plan to do the same for Bitcoin, ZCash, and various other deterministic applications as well. And we plan to do the same for Bitcoin, ZCash, and various other deterministic applications as well.
Another example of a cryptocurrency application built on Tendermint is [Cosmos](http://cosmos.network) Another example of a cryptocurrency application built on Tendermint is `the Cosmos network <http://cosmos.network>`__.
## Fabric, Burrow Fabric, Burrow
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Fabric](https://github.com/hyperledger/fabric), takes a similar approach to Tendermint, but is more opinionated about how the state is managed, `Fabric <https://github.com/hyperledger/fabric>`__, takes a similar approach to Tendermint, but is more opinionated about how the state is managed,
and requires that all application behaviour runs in potentially many docker containers, modules it calls "chaincode". and requires that all application behaviour runs in potentially many docker containers, modules it calls "chaincode".
It uses an implementation of [PBFT](http://pmg.csail.mit.edu/papers/osdi99.pdf) It uses an implementation of `PBFT <http://pmg.csail.mit.edu/papers/osdi99.pdf>`__.
from a team at IBM that is from a team at IBM that is
[augmented to handle potentially non-deterministic chaincode](https://www.zurich.ibm.com/~cca/papers/sieve.pdf) `augmented to handle potentially non-deterministic chaincode <https://www.zurich.ibm.com/~cca/papers/sieve.pdf>`__
It is possible to implement this docker-based behaviour as a ABCI app in Tendermint, It is possible to implement this docker-based behaviour as a ABCI app in Tendermint,
though extending Tendermint to handle non-determinism remains for future work. though extending Tendermint to handle non-determinism remains for future work.
[Burrow](https://github.com/hyperledger/burrow) is an implementation of the Ethereum Virtual Machine and Ethereum transaction mechanics, `Burrow <https://github.com/hyperledger/burrow>`__ is an implementation of the Ethereum Virtual Machine and Ethereum transaction mechanics,
with additional features for a name-registry, permissions, and native contracts, and an alternative blockchain API. with additional features for a name-registry, permissions, and native contracts, and an alternative blockchain API.
It uses Tendermint as its consensus engine, and provides a particular application state. It uses Tendermint as its consensus engine, and provides a particular application state.
ABCI Overview ABCI Overview
------------- -------------
The Application BlockChain Interface (ABCI) allows for Byzantine Fault Tolerant replication of applications written in any programming language. The `Application BlockChain Interface (ABCI) <https://github.com/tendermint/abci>`__ allows for Byzantine Fault Tolerant replication of applications written in any programming language.
Motivation Motivation
~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~
Thus far, all blockchains "stacks" (such as [Bitcoin](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin)) have had a monolithic design. That is, each blockchain stack is a single program that handles all the concerns of a decentralized ledger; this includes P2P connectivity, the "mempool" broadcasting of transactions, consensus on the most recent block, account balances, Turing-complete contracts, user-level permissions, etc. Thus far, all blockchains "stacks" (such as `Bitcoin <https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin>`__) have had a monolithic design. That is, each blockchain stack is a single program that handles all the concerns of a decentralized ledger; this includes P2P connectivity, the "mempool" broadcasting of transactions, consensus on the most recent block, account balances, Turing-complete contracts, user-level permissions, etc.
Using a monolithic architecture is typically bad practice in computer science. Using a monolithic architecture is typically bad practice in computer science.
It makes it difficult to reuse components of the code, and attempts to do so result in complex maintanence procedures for forks of the codebase. It makes it difficult to reuse components of the code, and attempts to do so result in complex maintanence procedures for forks of the codebase.
@ -125,8 +125,8 @@ Thus we have an interface, the Application BlockChain Interface (ABCI), and its
Intro to ABCI Intro to ABCI
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Tendermint Core](https://github.com/tendermint/tendermint) (the "consensus engine") communicates with the application via a socket protocol that `Tendermint Core <https://github.com/tendermint/tendermint>`__ (the "consensus engine") communicates with the application via a socket protocol that
satisfies the [ABCI](https://github.com/tendermint/abci). satisfies the `ABCI <https://github.com/tendermint/abci>`__.
To draw an analogy, lets talk about a well-known cryptocurrency, Bitcoin. Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency blockchain where each node maintains a fully audited Unspent Transaction Output (UTXO) database. If one wanted to create a Bitcoin-like system on top of ABCI, Tendermint Core would be responsible for To draw an analogy, lets talk about a well-known cryptocurrency, Bitcoin. Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency blockchain where each node maintains a fully audited Unspent Transaction Output (UTXO) database. If one wanted to create a Bitcoin-like system on top of ABCI, Tendermint Core would be responsible for
@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ Tendermint is able to decompose the blockchain design by offering a very simple
The ABCI consists of 3 primary message types that get delivered from the core to the application. The application replies with corresponding response messages. The ABCI consists of 3 primary message types that get delivered from the core to the application. The application replies with corresponding response messages.
The messages are specified here: [ABCI Message Types](https://github.com/tendermint/abci#message-types) The messages are specified here: `ABCI Message Types <https://github.com/tendermint/abci#message-types>`__.
The `DeliverTx` message is the work horse of the application. Each transaction in the blockchain is delivered with this message. The application needs to validate each transaction received with the `DeliverTx` message against the current state, application protocol, and the cryptographic credentials of the transaction. A validated transaction then needs to update the application state — by binding a value into a key values store, or by updating the UTXO database, for instance. The `DeliverTx` message is the work horse of the application. Each transaction in the blockchain is delivered with this message. The application needs to validate each transaction received with the `DeliverTx` message against the current state, application protocol, and the cryptographic credentials of the transaction. A validated transaction then needs to update the application state — by binding a value into a key values store, or by updating the UTXO database, for instance.
@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ Solidity on Ethereum is a great language of choice for blockchain applications b
* race conditions on threads (or avoiding threads altogether) * race conditions on threads (or avoiding threads altogether)
* the system clock * the system clock
* uninitialized memory (in unsafe programming languages like C or C++) * uninitialized memory (in unsafe programming languages like C or C++)
* [floating point arithmetic](http://gafferongames.com/networking-for-game-programmers/floating-point-determinism/) * `floating point arithmetic <http://gafferongames.com/networking-for-game-programmers/floating-point-determinism/>`__.
* language features that are random (e.g. map iteration in Go) * language features that are random (e.g. map iteration in Go)
While programmers can avoid non-determinism by being careful, it is also possible to create a special linter or static analyzer for each language to check for determinism. In the future we may work with partners to create such tools. While programmers can avoid non-determinism by being careful, it is also possible to create a special linter or static analyzer for each language to check for determinism. In the future we may work with partners to create such tools.
@ -224,11 +224,9 @@ Validators can be forced, by logic in the application,
to "bond" their currency holdings in a security deposit that can be destroyed if they're found to misbehave in the consensus protocol. to "bond" their currency holdings in a security deposit that can be destroyed if they're found to misbehave in the consensus protocol.
This adds an economic element to the security of the protocol, allowing one to quantify the cost of violating the assumption that less than one-third of voting power is Byzantine. This adds an economic element to the security of the protocol, allowing one to quantify the cost of violating the assumption that less than one-third of voting power is Byzantine.
The [Cosmos Network](http://cosmos.network) is designed to use this Proof-of-Stake mechanism across an array of cryptocurrencies implemented as ABCI applications. The `Cosmos Network <http://cosmos.network>`__ is designed to use this Proof-of-Stake mechanism across an array of cryptocurrencies implemented as ABCI applications.
- View the following diagram for [Tendermint in a (technical) nutshell](https://github.com/mobfoundry/hackatom/blob/master/tminfo.pdf)
- Inspect the following diagram for [Tendermint in a (technical) nutshell](https://github.com/mobfoundry/hackatom/blob/master/tminfo.pdf)
<img src="../assets/images/tm-transaction-flow.png"> <img src="../assets/images/tm-transaction-flow.png">