RBF in Armory

[goatpig]

This thread is for discussing at which level Armory should handle RBF transactions.

knightdk submitted a PR to display RBF enabled ZC transactions in the GUI: https://github.com/goatpig/BitcoinArmory/pull/1

Please read the comment section there. The goal here is to figure out whether Armory should only display RBF transactions, or allow the creation of RBF transactions too. I believe that is something desirable in Armory, but it is a topic that should be discussed first before moving further.

Special thanks to knightdk for the PR and helping with this work in general.

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[bitsolutions]

I think RBF support is critical to making confirmations reliable, the only reason to send a transaction without opt-in RBF is if the merchant accepts 0-conf.

[goatpig]

I think RBF support is critical to making confirmations reliable

That would be displaying RBF flagged transactions. That's what the PR covers.

the only reason to send a transaction without opt-in RBF is if the merchant accepts 0-conf.

I wouldn't turn on RBF enabled tx by default, I was rather thinking of extra GUI to turn on RBF at the user's discretion, per spend. Discuss away.

[unamis76]

I think Armory should be able to display and create RBF transactions. I've always seen Armory as an advanced, swiss army knife-like client, so Armory should always be a tool that allows and helps in doing pretty much anything allowed by the Bitcoin protocol...

I wouldn't turn on RBF enabled tx by default, I was rather thinking of extra GUI to turn on RBF at the user's discretion, per spend. Discuss away.

I agree with this approach.

I also agree with RBF appearing only in Expert mode:

achow101 commented 4 hours ago
Sure, let's ask the forum (BTW, I'm knightdk on the forum)

Maybe creating RBF transactions should be something that is only available in expert mode?

[goatpig]

I also agree with RBF appearing only in Expert mode:

RBF creation or displaying? There is also the possibility to not display received RBF zero conf unless Armory is set to expert.

So far I'm thinking:

1) Display received RBF at all time. Add some distinctive GUI marker to separate it from non RBF ZC (maybe turn the RBF txn line red in the ledger while it has 0 conf).

2) Allow for the creation of RBF enabled transaction. Add some GUI changes again to separate these non RBF spends ZC too (turn those lines blue in the ledger?)

3) All spends have RBF disabled by default.

I'll give this discussion another couple days. If I don't get more suggestions/objections to these terms, I'll lock these in for 0.94.

[gangtraet]

1) Display received RBF at all time. Add some distinctive GUI marker to separate it from non RBF ZC (maybe turn the RBF txn line red in the ledger while it has 0 conf).

2) Allow for the creation of RBF enabled transaction. Add some GUI changes again to separate these non RBF spends ZC too (turn those lines blue in the ledger?)

3) All spends have RBF disabled by default.

All three are a good idea. 

If RBF later turns out to be a good idea (I doubt it, but I could easily be wrong) then it may be necessary to enable the user to turn it on per default.

[achow101]

1) Display received RBF at all time. Add some distinctive GUI marker to separate it from non RBF ZC (maybe turn the RBF txn line red in the ledger while it has 0 conf).

2) Allow for the creation of RBF enabled transaction. Add some GUI changes again to separate these non RBF spends ZC too (turn those lines blue in the ledger?)

3) All spends have RBF disabled by default.

Sounds good.

For RBF spends that the user sent, there should be an option somewhere (maybe in the right-click menu) to send a replacement transaction.

[unamis76]

I also agree with RBF appearing only in Expert mode:

RBF creation or displaying? There is also the possibility to not display received RBF zero conf unless Armory is set to expert.

So far I'm thinking:

1) Display received RBF at all time. Add some distinctive GUI marker to separate it from non RBF ZC (maybe turn the RBF txn line red in the ledger while it has 0 conf).

2) Allow for the creation of RBF enabled transaction. Add some GUI changes again to separate these non RBF spends ZC too (turn those lines blue in the ledger?)

3) All spends have RBF disabled by default.

I'll give this discussion another couple days. If I don't get more suggestions/objections to these terms, I'll lock these in for 0.94.

Now that I think about it, maybe better to display RBF in any mode, and allow creating RBF transactions in Expert only.

[goatpig]

1) Display received RBF at all time. Add some distinctive GUI marker to separate it from non RBF ZC (maybe turn the RBF txn line red in the ledger while it has 0 conf).

2) Allow for the creation of RBF enabled transaction. Add some GUI changes again to separate these non RBF spends ZC too (turn those lines blue in the ledger?)

3) All spends have RBF disabled by default.

Sounds good.

For RBF spends that the user sent, there should be an option somewhere (maybe in the right-click menu) to send a replacement transaction.

I think that should be part of the reworked coin selection feature (to let users pick not only addresses, but individual utxos within an address). With that overhaul, RBF-spent-but-yet-confirmed txouts can be color flagged vs spent without RBF txouts. Most of that work is figuring out a functional GUI flow and then battling Qt.

As much as I'd like to take care of RBF quickly, I don't believe enabling RBF creation makes much sense without the coin selection overhaul.

[Carlton Banks]

As much as I'd like to take care of RBF quickly, I don't believe enabling RBF creation makes much sense without the coin selection overhaul.

Agreed, it's a natural fit with that whole area of functionality, and there were plans were to improve coin selection anyway, so I can definitely get behind that rationale. All sounds sensible otherwise also; add as an expert non-default feature, at least during the time it takes for RBF to become more commonplace.

[RoadStress]

So far I'm thinking:

1) Display received RBF at all time. Add some distinctive GUI marker to separate it from non RBF ZC (maybe turn the RBF txn line red in the ledger while it has 0 conf).

2) Allow for the creation of RBF enabled transaction. Add some GUI changes again to separate these non RBF spends ZC too (turn those lines blue in the ledger?)

3) All spends have RBF disabled by default.

I'll give this discussion another couple days. If I don't get more suggestions/objections to these terms, I'll lock these in for 0.94.

For RBF spends that the user sent, there should be an option somewhere (maybe in the right-click menu) to send a replacement transaction.

I like this!

I think that should be part of the reworked coin selection feature (to let users pick not only addresses, but individual utxos within an address). With that overhaul, RBF-spent-but-yet-confirmed txouts can be color flagged vs spent without RBF txouts. Most of that work is figuring out a functional GUI flow and then battling Qt.

As much as I'd like to take care of RBF quickly, I don't believe enabling RBF creation makes much sense without the coin selection overhaul.

And this!

If possible, I think that the most urgent matter is the display of the RBF transactions. The rest could be done at a later time. If not then you are free to do it at your own pace. Thank you!

[achow101]

If possible, I think that the most urgent matter is the display of the RBF transactions. The rest could be done at a later time. If not then you are free to do it at your own pace. Thank you!

And that part is mostly done. Just waiting for a merge of my PR really.

[goatpig]

I haven't had time to review the changes. Been traveling/catching up with Alan all day long.

Even if I was to merge the PR now, it still needs to be merged into dev later to be part of the next release process. I could just merge it now and review later really, since the changes are secluded to a dedicated branch.