I’m trying to follow the guide but I’m having trouble. It’s a little bit outdated, and maybe I should just wait for the 3.6 update for the new interface system anyway.
I am able to detect the USB device on the local Specter with Test Connection button. I added my server Specter onion address to the HWI whitelist on local Specter. I have local Specter set to “Local USB Connection,” server Specter is set to “Remote Specter USB Connection.” Using Test Connection button on server Specter gives error message: “network error when attempting to fetch resource”.
I had a lot of problems with local Specter installing and uninstalling and trying to keep it working. The guide IIRC does not explicitly state that local Specter needs to be connected to the server Bitcoin Core / electrs, so right now it is “Disconnected” just to limit variables. Let me know if I need that connection. I did have it connected previously though and had the same problem.
Thank you for your help.
It’s late but I’ll need to look at this later: Specter Desktop won't connect to bitcoin core
The guide shows how to connect local Specter to remote Specter, but the Specter service on StartOS hasn’t been updated in some time, we doubt the developers will take charge of it and it’s probably going to be removed from the registry at some point pretty soon.
I’m wondering if you’re having general networking issues or if finally, with a local standalone Specter update (with is being maintained), if things have finally broken.
We’ve been directing people towards using Sparrow as an alternative… for which there are two options…
- Installing Sparrow on the server as a standalone hot wallet (can’t connect USBs here though)
- Installing Sparrow locally and just using it as normal and as intended
https://docs.start9.com/0.3.5.x/service-guides/bitcoin/bitcoin-integrations#sparrow
This is good to know, thank you. I wish I hadn’t spent so much time on it.
I was planning on just using Sparrow on a local machine at this point, as you described. I just struggle to think of why these services persist. What is the use case in this state? Sparrow as a hot wallet on a server? Isn’t that one of the least secure ways for a wallet?
I think the purpose behind the existing Specter setup was to keep the wallet software on the server instead of on a local machine, and just use the Specter on the local machine to pass through USB devices. I’ve never been personally convinced of any use case where it’s all that useful myself.
What I think is more useful is the version of Sparrow on StartOS… which you can run entirely there and operate through a browser. The dev who packaged this proposed a use case where the client device didn’t have to be particular secure, with no hot wallet saved on his client device.
When running Sparrow on your client device though, you get to use hardware wallets, and if you have control of your own client device, and have it locked down and secure, there’s not reason not to just run Sparrow there and connect it to your Bitcoin Core or Electrs backend.
As for hot wallets on your server or laptop or mobile… well that’s always somewhat insecure and should always be for small amounts. I’d argue that a hot wallet on StartOS is more secure than a hot wallet on you phone, because your server is in a safe place.
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