Output Signed messages to STDOUT or a file

[tspacepilot]

Hi Multibit folks,

I think this is a feature request (but maybe it exists already somewhere).

If I want to create a signed messaged in Multibit then I can use the text boxes in the GUI to get the signature for a given message.  However, if I want to post that message somewhere then I have to manuall add the ---BEGIN BITCOIN SIGNED MESSAGE---- and the "Hash: SHA256" (I'm guessing) and the other aspects of formatting the signed messages so that it can easily be verified.  These steps aren't hard but they are error prone (what if you forget to get a final \n in the message that you copied?;  do verification programs count the number of -s on those borders?; etc).  I really would like to be about to output my signed message in the standard format either on stdout or into a text file.  Can multibit help me with this or do I need to import into bitcoind?

[jim618]

With MultiBit HD we have added two options to Sign and Verify that do what you want:

On the sign message, you've got a 'Copy All' which copies a well formed signed bitcoin message to your paster buffer e.g.

-----BEGIN BITCOIN SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hello world
-----BEGIN BITCOIN SIGNATURE-----
Version: MultiBit HD (0.0.8beta)
Comment: https://multibit.org
Address: 1JY5Bp3RFLwGDp4Za4uwgQgcnP7JPBYKuS

IHZi6DhViCmJ4xPkVn7fNhDh1FpAs2Wg2lPdmRNneMp4e7FADAzWdvS/jV4ssH8g9lwTl+DkryYWMFAkvk9XpmI=
-----END BITCOIN SIGNATURE-----


Then on 'Verify message' you have a 'Paste all' that does the reverse i.e. it parses a signed bitcoin message and populates the fields, ready for you to Verify.

[tspacepilot]

With MultiBit HD we have added two options to Sign and Verify that do what you want:

On the sign message, you've got a 'Copy All' which copies a well formed signed bitcoin message to your paster buffer e.g.

-----BEGIN BITCOIN SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hello world
-----BEGIN BITCOIN SIGNATURE-----
Version: MultiBit HD (0.0.8beta)
Comment: https://multibit.org
Address: 1JY5Bp3RFLwGDp4Za4uwgQgcnP7JPBYKuS

IHZi6DhViCmJ4xPkVn7fNhDh1FpAs2Wg2lPdmRNneMp4e7FADAzWdvS/jV4ssH8g9lwTl+DkryYWMFAkvk9XpmI=
-----END BITCOIN SIGNATURE-----


Then on 'Verify message' you have a 'Paste all' that does the reverse i.e. it parses a signed bitcoin message and populates the fields, ready for you to Verify.

Oh that's very nice.

One follow up: can I import my version 0 address into Multibit HD to do some signing with it?  Or is HD only for HD?

[shorena]

-snip-
Oh that's very nice.

One follow up: can I import my version 0 address into Multibit HD to do some signing with it?  Or is HD only for HD?

IIRC Its not possible[1] and probably will not be possible in the future. Multibit is still aimed at beginners and novice users that do not want to go too deep into the details. Imported keys would not be covered by the seed and thus could result in loss of coins.


[1] https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=972501.msg10622773#msg10622773

[tspacepilot]

-snip-
Oh that's very nice.

One follow up: can I import my version 0 address into Multibit HD to do some signing with it?  Or is HD only for HD?

IIRC Its not possible[1] and probably will not be possible in the future. Multibit is still aimed at beginners and novice users that do not want to go too deep into the details. Imported keys would not be covered by the seed and thus could result in loss of coins.


[1] https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=972501.msg10622773#msg10622773

Thanks for the link, Shorena, that seems to answer my question definitively.  Good for future HD users that they can sign and verify more conveniently but seems like for version 0 addresses that I'm going to need to use another client for my signing.

[shorena]

-snip-
Oh that's very nice.

One follow up: can I import my version 0 address into Multibit HD to do some signing with it?  Or is HD only for HD?

IIRC Its not possible[1] and probably will not be possible in the future. Multibit is still aimed at beginners and novice users that do not want to go too deep into the details. Imported keys would not be covered by the seed and thus could result in loss of coins.


[1] https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=972501.msg10622773#msg10622773

Thanks for the link, Shorena, that seems to answer my question definitively.  Good for future HD users that they can sign and verify more conveniently but seems like for version 0 addresses that I'm going to need to use another client for my signing.

You could create a migration message as you would when switching PGP keys. Create a single message stating your name, date, the old address, the new address and that all further message will be signed with the new instead of the old address. Sign the message with both adresses and spread to those that need to know.

[tspacepilot]

-snip-
Oh that's very nice.

One follow up: can I import my version 0 address into Multibit HD to do some signing with it?  Or is HD only for HD?

IIRC Its not possible[1] and probably will not be possible in the future. Multibit is still aimed at beginners and novice users that do not want to go too deep into the details. Imported keys would not be covered by the seed and thus could result in loss of coins.


[1] https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=972501.msg10622773#msg10622773

Thanks for the link, Shorena, that seems to answer my question definitively.  Good for future HD users that they can sign and verify more conveniently but seems like for version 0 addresses that I'm going to need to use another client for my signing.

You could create a migration message as you would when switching PGP keys. Create a single message stating your name, date, the old address, the new address and that all further message will be signed with the new instead of the old address. Sign the message with both adresses and spread to those that need to know.

I don't see how this is relevant to outputting signatures to a file, which can apparantely be done in new Multibit HD but not in old Multibit, since new multibit can't be used with version 0 addresses, I think it's clear that I have to use another client for signing.

Thanks I guess for reminding me why signing is useful :/