Restoring a Sparrow Multisig

[tobornottob]

If for whatever reason, a Sparrow multi-sig wallet user starts to use a new desktop or laptop. User reinstalls Sparrow, Electrum or such interface on new machine. In order to migrate a previously established multi-sig to the new instance of sparrow/electrum, etc, is it possible to rebuild the same wallet with just the seed phrases of the participating cold signers? Or is it required to reestablish the wallet using the wallet setup file using the pubs? Additionally, is the output wallet descriptor file enough to reestablish the multi-sig wallet? What I'm getting at is, just how important is it to have the wallet setup file or the output descriptor file backed up. Thank you.

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[Zaguru12]

If for whatever reason, a Sparrow multi-sig wallet user starts to use a new desktop or laptop. User reinstalls Sparrow, Electrum or such interface on new machine. In order to migrate a previously established multi-sig to the new instance of sparrow/electrum, etc, is it possible to rebuild the same wallet with just the seed phrases of the participating cold signers? Or is it required to reestablish the wallet using the wallet setup file using the pubs? Additionally, is the output wallet descriptor file enough to reestablish the multi-sig wallet? What I'm getting at is, just how important is it to have the wallet setup file or the output descriptor file backed up. Thank you.

If you are asking of maybe the wallet file of the multisig wallet is less important or if you lost it you will be able go back up your wallet I will say what you mostly need is the seed phrase of each co-signers and also the master public key of every co-signer.

Example is if you create a 2-of-3 mult sig wallet you need.
1. The wallet 1 seed, master public key 2 and master public key 3 for the first wallet recovery.
2. For wallet two you need wallet seed 2, master public key 1 and master public key 3 for the second wallet recovery.
3. The last wallet recovery you need wallet seed 3, master public key 1 and master public key 2 for the last wallet recovery

What you need else again is the wallet setup script which in this case is 2-of-3, if you mistake it like you use a script of 3-of-3 you can be able to recover the multi sig wallet. So the master public keys of other co-signers are as important as the seed phrase of each wallet. With this there is no need trying to back up any file

[nc50lc]

-snip- is it possible to rebuild the same wallet with just the seed phrases of the participating cold signers?
or is it required to reestablish the wallet using the wallet setup file using the pubs?

If in the same wallet, yes with just the seed phrases.
If in separate wallet, you'll have to derive the extended public keys from those seed phrases (during wallet creation or somewhere) to re-create the cosigner wallets.
But it's better to backup the other cosigner's extended public keys in case one of the cosigner lost his seed phrase.

Additionally, is the output wallet descriptor file enough to reestablish the multi-sig wallet?

No, as of the latest version, it can only export watch-only descriptors containing extended public key(s) rather than master private key(s).
As noted in the "Information" in the export dialogue, it's mainly for watching-only wallet generation rather than backup.

[satscraper]

If for whatever reason, a Sparrow multi-sig wallet user starts to use a new desktop or laptop. User reinstalls Sparrow, Electrum or such interface on new machine. In order to migrate a previously established multi-sig to the new instance of sparrow/electrum, etc, is it possible to rebuild the same wallet with just the seed phrases of the participating cold signers?  A

Prerequisites for multisig restoration are as follows:  seed phrases for all cosigners and  correct Script Type  (at restoring)   i.e. P2WSH for Native Segwit, P2SH-P2WSH for Nested Segwit and P2SH for Legacy wallets.

is the output wallet descriptor file enough to reestablish the multi-sig wallet? .

Yeah. It's enough.

To restore from descriptor you should first back-up that descriptor. To do this open your multisg , go to Settings, press Edit at the right of Descriptor field  and copy the content of the opened subwindow.

When restoring - New Wallet --> Enter Name --> Edit (at right of Descriptor field) -->paste content of descriptor you back-up.

Shazam

P.S. Just did it. Works like a charm  

[nc50lc]

is the output wallet descriptor file enough to reestablish the multi-sig wallet? .

Yeah. It's enough.
-snip-
P.S. Just did it. Works like a charm  

No it's not, you created a 'Watch Only Wallet' with the "extended public keys" in the descriptor.
It's just Sparrow doesn't indicate it in obvious spots, it's only visible in the specific wallet's settings

If you've tested a transaction and you somehow signed it successfully, you must have the original non-watching-only wallet loaded together with that restored watching-only copy.

[satscraper]

is the output wallet descriptor file enough to reestablish the multi-sig wallet? .

Yeah. It's enough.
-snip-
P.S. Just did it. Works like a charm  

No it's not, you created a 'Watch Only Wallet' with the "extended public keys" in the descriptor.
It's just Sparrow doesn't indicate it in obvious spots, it's only visible in the specific wallet's settings

If you've tested a transaction and you somehow signed it successfully, you must have the original non-watching-only wallet loaded together with that restored watching-only copy.

Nope, restored wallet declares that it is 'Watch Only Wallet' but in fact it is not. I just have sent transaction (using testnet) from wallet restored from descriptor (by using the way described in my previous message) . The cosigners are Passport 2 and BIP39 software wallet. Coordinator of those cosigners is Sparrow 1.8.2 

[nc50lc]

Nope, restored wallet declares that it is 'Watch Only Wallet' but in fact it is not.

If it's a watch only wallet, it is a watch only wallet.
In exception to hardware wallet that can be used to sign transactions which isn't OP's case.

I just have sent transaction (using testnet) from wallet restored from descriptor (by using the way described in my previous message) . The cosigners are Passport 2 and BIP39 software wallet. Coordinator of those cosigners is Sparrow 1.8.2  

Like I said, if that BIP39 software wallet is loaded,
even if you created the transaction using that watching-only wallet, Sparrow will use the necessary wallet to sign it, in that case, the BIP39 software wallet.

Go to your BIP39 software wallet and close it, then try to send a new transaction again using the watch only wallet.

If you somehow created it as 1-of-2, then one signer is only required so keep it in consideration with the results.
E.g. Can be signed by Passport 2 alone.

[satscraper]

Nope, restored wallet declares that it is 'Watch Only Wallet' but in fact it is not.

If it's a watch only wallet, it is a watch only wallet.
In exception to hardware wallet that can be used to sign transactions which isn't OP's case.

I just have sent transaction (using testnet) from wallet restored from descriptor (by using the way described in my previous message) . The cosigners are Passport 2 and BIP39 software wallet. Coordinator of those cosigners is Sparrow 1.8.2  

Like I said, if that BIP39 software wallet is loaded,
even if you created the transaction using that watching-only wallet, Sparrow will use the necessary wallet to sign it, in that case, the BIP39 software wallet.

Go to your BIP39 software wallet and close it, then try to send a new transaction again using the watch only wallet.

If you somehow created it as 1-of-2, then one signer is only required so keep it in consideration with the results.
E.g. Can be signed by Passport 2 alone.

I have created 2-of-2 .

Multisig wallet in fact is coordinator of some cosigners and is not capable to sign transaction  without inputs of those cosigners.

You said that it is not possible to recreate full functioning multisig  Sparrow from descriptor. I show you that it is not problem at all.

I have created it and no matter how you call it.

Multisig wallet recreated from back-up descriptor  is a full functioning multisig wallet which is capable to coordinate relevant cosigners. That's it.

Like I said, if that BIP39 software wallet is loaded,

I didn't load it. I used only back-up descriptor of BIP 39 + Passport 2

[nc50lc]

You said that it is not possible to recreate full functioning multisig  Sparrow from descriptor. I show you that it is not problem at all.

I have created it and no matter how you call it.

Bottom-line is it's a bad answer to OP's question.

You see, he's asking if it's enough to re-establish the MultiSig wallet, if he followed the advice that the descriptor is enough.
He may count on it in case the seed phrases are gone.

As you can see, that exported descriptor wallet doesn't contain anything that can sign a transaction from either cosigner.
You can check it yourself that it contains "extended public keys" and no master private keys or seed.

[satscraper]

You said that it is not possible to recreate full functioning multisig  Sparrow from descriptor. I show you that it is not problem at all.

I have created it and no matter how you call it.

Bottom-line is it's a bad answer to OP's question.

You see, he's asking if it's enough to re-establish the MultiSig wallet, if he followed the advice that the descriptor is enough.
He may count on it in case the seed phrases are gone.

As you can see, that exported descriptor wallet doesn't contain anything that can sign a transaction from either cosigner.
You can check it yourself that it contains "extended public keys" and no master private keys or seed.

Just new test.

Created 2-of-2 multisig from two BIP 39 software  wallets using Sparrow as coordinator.  Back-up its descriptor. Sent to its address testnet BTC . Deleted that multsig wallet and restored it from back-up descriptor.  Transaction is there. From restored multisig tried to send  testnet BTC back .Not possible!

Thus, if at least one of cosigner is HW then restoration  from descriptor works otherwise does not.