Can I remove multisig function from wallet?

[Abdussamad]

This is all very confusing. Only thing I can say is that the last co-signer of a 2fa wallet is usually trusted coin so you won't get the xprv of cosigner 3 if that's what you need.

[Abdussamad]

I have trouble understanding you. Maybe ask someone who is fluent in English to post on your behalf?

[Aesopspots]

I have trouble understanding you. Maybe ask someone who is fluent in English to post on your behalf?

Abdussamad  ...I also had trouble understanding you and thought to reply to you, in a similar style to your level of English. A little too simple to be of any use, indeed.

For what you are making comment here I don't know; you haven't exactly said anything useful for this thread to move forward, nor written some great literary prose of any interest. Why is it necessary for you to post such a comment? No. Please do not respond... and make such an assumption about me? You have no idea and come across as very arrogant. I would prefer it if you left this thread to someone who might be able to contribute to understanding.

[abuMubarak]

The information here is helpful

[Abdussamad]

If you view your restored 2fa wallet using a text editor like nano you will find the xprvs for 2 out of the 3 keys that make up your 2fa wallet. You will also see the corresponding xpubs. Since you know which xpubs make up your multisig wallet all you have to do is view the 2fa wallet file and copy the corresponding xprvs. You can then restore your multisig wallet using those xprvs and sign your transaction.

The location of your wallet files is  ~/.electrum/wallets/

I've attached a snippet of what you should be looking for: https://pastebin.com/11vsUuRf

Also update to the latest version of electrum i.e. 2.9.3 on your linux PC too. Otherwise you will face all sorts of problems. If you installed electrum using your distro's repos then first backup your wallet files, uninstall electrum using your package manager and then install the latest version using pip2 as per the instructions on electrum.org/#download. You can't rely on your distro's repos for electrum. It updates far too frequently for that. You have to install using pip2. In future updating will be the same as installing the latest version.

[Aesopspots]

I did try to update to the latest version of electrum i.e. 2.9.3 on my linux PC.

I did this successfully following this procedure.
sudo apt-get install python-qt4 python-pip
wget https://download.electrum.org/2.9.3/Electrum-2.9.3.tar.gz
tar -xvf Electrum-2.9.3.tar.gz
cd Electrum-2.9.3

I have since also done this successfully with a litecoin electrum wallet.
However, although I did backup my wallet files from the repo version, from my original wallet with the btc balance,  I have yet to uninstalled it. I feared to do this, since I tried to sweep the wallet into a new wallet version a couple of times unsuccessfully ('no inputs' was a message that came up).

At least the original version is showing my wallet balance.

I have not found instructions anywhere to uninstall either of the btc electrum wallet packages that are shown in the software manager. When I used the package manager it seems to just freeze and I get nowhere.

I believe I may have installed pip2 on a previous occasion. I shall investigate this. Perhaps there are terminal commands to uninstall the repo version. I shall look again.


Your suggestion certainly sounds like a good solution. Thank you

[Abdussamad]

try `sudo apt-get remove electrum`

also apt-get install python-pip installs pip2 so you've done that already. the next step is to run `sudo pip2 install <electrum tar file>` You don't untar the tarball (tar file). You run pip2 on it directly. You may also have to install python-setuptools (sudo apt-get install python-setuptools) first.

I feared to do this, since I tried to sweep the wallet into a new wallet version a couple of times unsuccessfully ('no inputs' was a message that came up).

You can't sweep multisig addresses BTW.

[HCP]

In the latest attempt I have:-

Mac wallet type (2FA)
     cosig 1 .......   xpub67z ...etc
     cosig 2 .......new xpub69z...etc
     cosig 3 .......new xpub661...U etc

Where, Linux wallet is:-
     x1/self ............ xpub661 ...etc
     x2/cosigner ....   xpub67z ...etc


I think I need the xpub661 ...F etc shown in the restored Mac wallet using the multisig choice (not 2FA)using xpub from my Linux Ubuntu wallet.

No...

If you've found the right way to get the "xpub67z", (which appears to be part of your fully functional 2FA wallet), then I'd recommend creating a new standard wallet somewhere and immediately moving all your coins to it and then sorting out this mess of MultiSig/2FA that you're caught up in.

Theoretically, as long as you have the properly restored 2FA (with the xpub67z as cosign1) you should be able to create a transaction in Linux and sign it with the appropriate private key on the Mac... As the Mac wallet should have the private keys that match xpub67z!

If it still won't sign the transaction on the Mac, you may need to extract the xprv from the 2FA wallet file (not terribly difficult, but would be better for security if not required) and then create a new wallet using that xprv.

[Aesopspots]

.... view your restored 2fa wallet using a text editor like nano you will find the xprvs for 2 out of the 3 keys that make up your 2fa wallet.

The location of your wallet files is  ~/.electrum/wallets/

I had to search for the original wallet a bit, since the new version's wallet is in the obvious place. It was in snap/electrum/2/.electrum/wallets

However my output is not clear, briefly the side headings are:

"accounts", then a list of 03 & 02 pairs (6 key string pairs)

"receiving", then a list of 03 & 02 pairs (22 key string pairs)

"xpubs", then my xpub67...U, and xpub661...F 

"accounts expanded"
"addr history",  then a list of 13 short ones, 3 longer ones, 15 short ones

"labels",  then 1 short key string

"master private keys"   "x1/"    then a  very long string about 1.5 times the length of an xpub key, with '/', '+' and '=' symbols. The letters 'xprv' are not in the key strings between these (long and short) anywhere

"master public keys"  x1/ & x2/ ...(xpub67...U, and xpub661...F )


And then various strings that follow the following
"payment requests"
"pruned_txo"
"seed"
"seed version"
"stored height"
"transactions"
"txi"
"txo"
"use encrytpion": true
"verified_tx3"
"wallet_type":  "2of2"
"winpos-qt"
426
1052
840
419

You can see it is not like the output you have Abdussamad.
I even tried to use this strange looking key once before, in an attempt at restoring my wallet. It just was not accepted.
I have have not attempted to do anything else you suggested as yet.


HCP

I think I may already have attempted to create a new wallet (many times in fact) and to either sweep the old wallet, as previously mentioned, and of course, tried to send coins there.  I cannot move my coins, they are 'stuck' in the Linux wallet.

So this leads us to trying to extract master private keys. "x/1" is shown but not of the expected format. "x/2" is not, but the xpub keys for both are.


[When I set the account up also also copy and pasted for safekeeping a string I have found since untraceable or unrecognisable. It is not 108 keys following xpub or xprv
It is xwod6xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxMWy1rS6ruMsxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxg  ..it is just 97 keys long in total]
     

[Abdussamad]

open your restored 2fa wallet in electrum and then go to wallet menu > password. Remove your password by entering the current password and leaving the new and confirm password fields blank. Then when you view the wallet file it'll show the unencrypted xprv.

[Aesopspots]

Re:  "master private keys"   "x1/"    then a  very long string about 1.5 times the length of an xpub key, with '/', '+' and '=' symbols. The letters 'xprv' are not in the key strings between these (long and short) anywhere

This encrypted key is now un-encrypted, and begins xprv. However, it is just 'x1/' there is no 'x2/' showing

[HCP]

You only get "x2/" if you restore your wallet and then "Disable" 2fa so that it puts both xprvs into your wallet...

If you restore and "keep" the 2FA then you only get one xprv...

To be honest, I still think you're trying to retrieve the wrong keys... All these two xprvs will let you do is spend from your 2FA wallet without needing TrustedCoin.

But you're trying to spend from an unrelated MultiSig from your Linux wallet.

[Aesopspots]

But you're trying to spend from an unrelated MultiSig from your Linux wallet.

   the confusion was probably my initial explanation somewhere along the line, sorry for this.

Let's just just recap. ...

I have BTC in the Linux wallet I wish to spend, which produces tx's I cannot get signed on my Mac, where originally I did.

I put in the Subject of the thread, how can I get rid of the multisig feature, and by this I mean how can I spend/send the BTC from the Linux to anywhere else, as I am stuck with unsigned/broadcastable tx's. I was thinking that I could restore/sweep or whatever into a new wallet, and set up just a standard one to replace The current Linux one I referred to as multisig, so releasing my BTC.

The Mac (2fa) wallet can be ignored in that I had already removed all the BTC from it.

[Abdussamad]

restore your 2fa wallet from seed, don't set a password so that it doesn't encrypt the xprvs and then view the wallet file in nano, vi, or some other text editor. then restore your multisig wallet using those xprvs. file > new/restore, enter a meaningful name like multisig-restore-20171031, wallet type multisig, select the number of cosigners (2?) and the number of sigs (1?), then for each cosigner select use public or private keys and enter the xprv one at a time. after that you should be able to spend your bitcoins to another wallet of your choice. for example a new standard electrum wallet (file>new/restore again).

[Aesopspots]

restore your 2fa wallet from seed, don't set a password so that it doesn't encrypt the xprvs and then view the wallet file in nano, vi, or some other text editor. then restore your multisig wallet using those xprvs. file > new/restore, enter a meaningful name like multisig-restore-20171031, wallet type multisig, select the number of cosigners (2?) and the number of sigs (1?), then for each cosigner select use public or private keys and enter the xprv one at a time. after that you should be able to spend your bitcoins to another wallet of your choice. for example a new standard electrum wallet (file>new/restore again).

I tried to follow these instructions but have got things wrong somehow....there are no btc shown, and if I try to load a transaction made on the old 2.6.4 linux wallet which has the btc - it is unrelated.
None of the xpriv or xpub keys matched any of those identified previously. Perhaps I still haven't made it clear in my explanations which wallet is which....

What I just did:
1.. On Mac,restored the original wallet from seed, found wallet, viewed and copied x1 (bip32) xprv & xpub, x2 (bip32) xpvi & xpub, x3 (bip32) xpub
2... On Linux,using latest version, restored wallet named 'multisig-restore-20171031' using 2 cosigs/1 sig entered x1 and x2 xprv keys (from step 1)

I'm now looking at all the wallets again and trying to match up meaningful pairs of keys again

[HCP]

Again, I think you've very confused about how MultiSig works and you're attempting to recover the wrong keys for what you're trying to achieve. All you need at this point is a wallet containing the "missing" MultiSig key, so you can sign transactions from your Linux wallet.

So, I'll try and breakdown what *my* understanding of the situation is:

- You have a MultiSig wallet on your Linux machine, that has coins in it, that you want to spend.

- LinuxWallet contains Linux private key + a public key from MacWallet as "co-signer"

- MacWallet is actually a 2FA wallet. It has x1 privateKey (stored in wallet file), x2 privateKey (normally "hidden", but accessible with seed) and x3 private key (held by TrustedCoin)

- Based on your description of the "co-signer" pubkeys in LinuxWallet, it would appear that the MacWallet pubkey it is using is the one that matches the "x1" private key from your 2FA MacWallet (NOTE: Without seeing the full pubkey, it is impossible to know if this is true, please double check the full pub key and make sure it is completely identical to the one reported in Linux wallet)

- if these assumptions are indeed correct, to be able to spend from your Linux wallet, you would need to extract the "x1" privkey from MacWallet (simply change the password, and leave the "new password" boxes empty, you can then open the wallet in a text editor to view the xprv)

- once you have the x1 xprv, create a "standard" wallet using just that xpriv. ("New/restore -> call it 'signingWallet' -> standard wallet -> use public or private keys", paste in the x1 xprv).

- you should now have the original LinuxWallet MultiSig and a new "standard" wallet on Mac that is using the x1 xprv.

- From here, you simply create a (partially signed) transaction on Linux, transfer it to the newly created 'signingWallet', sign it and then broadcast it.

- using LinuxWallet, create the transaction as desired (ie. Address, amount, fee etc). Click "sign" and put in wallet password (if any). You'll get the "preview" window pop up with options to Copy, Save, "send to cosigner" etc. Click "Save" and save the unsigned.txn file to USB.

- using 'signingWallet' on Mac goto: "Tools -> Load Transaction -> from file"... select the unsigned.txn file from the USB... you'll get the "preview" window open up. Verify it's all correct (fyi, it's normal for it to say "transaction unrelated to your wallet"), click sign, put in wallet password (if any) and then click broadcast.

Job done!

Personally, I'd recommend that once you have confirmed that the signing wallet is all working, that if you want to continue using a MultiSig setup, that you seriously consider creating a new pair of wallets, so you can easily recover using seeds... Rather than having to mess about with xprvs etc.

[Abdussamad]

I strongly suggest you upgrade to 2.9.3 on linux. You just will not be able to spend your coins using 2.6.4 even if you figure it all out. 2.6.4 is too old to sync with the network.

[Aesopspots]

 (NOTE: Without seeing the full pubkey, it is impossible to know if this is true, please double check the full pub key and make sure it is completely identical to the one reported in Linux wallet)

Here's my double check HCP. I've marked where the keys seem to be exactly the same in the wallets using bold/italic and other symbols. I think it's ok.

The original Linux wallet,  (holding btc) 
        x1/self   xprv9s...j
                  xpub661mY ...FMES    *
        x2/cosigner
                    xpub67z ...UPWVv       **


 on the Mac,

     wallet type (1of2)  
         x1:      xprv9x....Q
                    xpub6Br...etc
      x2:    
                    xpub661My ...FMES    *

 

   wallet types (std) and (std, watching only)
                xpub661My ...FMES      *
     

    wallet type (1of2, watching only)
        x1   xpub67z ...UPWVv     **
        x2      xpub69Y...6fDY    +

     wallet type (std, watching only)
                xpub67z ..UPWVv    **

    wallet type (2FA)
        x1      xpub69Y ...6fDY       +
        x2      xpub69Y...A           -
        x3      xpub661...zM        #


    wallet (restored by seed w/o password, 2fa)
        x1      xprv9v….T6           
                  xpub69Y……..6fDY   +
       x2       xprv9v….NY
                  xpub69Y ...A                   -

       x3
                  xpub661My….zM    #

[HCP]

Ok, so I see the problem now... You don't actually have a wallet anywhere that has the matching private key (xprv) for the co-signer xpub (xpub67z ...UPWVv) from the Linux wallet. You've created a couple of "watching only" wallets using that xpub, but nothing with the actual xprv.

For whatever reason, your Mac (1 of 2) wallet, has a completely different xpub (xpub6Br...etc)??!?

It would appear that you are missing your original wallet on the Mac that held the correct xprv

So, I would assume that It's either been overwritten by creating a new wallet with the same name, or its in a different folder, or it's been deleted.

If you don't have the seed to generate that missing xprv that matches xpub (xpub67z ...UPWVv), then I'm afraid to say that your coins will be stuck in that Linux wallet forever.

[Aesopspots]

Thank you very much for your help, regardless of the outcome here.

I will look again into trying to get from Time machine, an old copy of my wallet for the Mac

Any further suggestions are very welcome!

  **************************************VERY SPECIAL UPDATE**********************************************  

With the positive thoughts I have had since buying a Trezor wallet last week......perhaps, or just the price now of BTC to fiat {all time high $7500} -

I thought I would just try a transaction from my wallet, to any of the Mac wallets I created, to get going forward with this before going to TM.

I loaded the TX into the new wallet I created with your instructions [Restore from seed, with a new 2FA]

This was the one I tried made on my Mac in the newest version visiable:
   wallet type (2FA)
        x1      xpub69Y ...6fDY       +
        x2      xpub69Y...A           -
        x3      xpub661...zM        #

And it allowed me to Sign, and Broadcast the TX.

I now have the value $1.1 of BTC in my new Trezor wallet  

It worked!   Many many thanks for guiding me and helping me with my greater understanding of how transactions work HCP   and Abdussamad  


Now this test transfer is over, I shall transfer the rest of my BTC and endeavour to try and get my Bitcoin cash and Bitgold!