try file restore
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Dobromir Popov
260
rin/wallet/cmd/WALLET_RESTORATION_REALITY.md
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rin/wallet/cmd/WALLET_RESTORATION_REALITY.md
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# RinCoin Wallet Restoration: What Actually Works
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## ❌ The Problem: RinCoin Doesn't Support xprv Key Imports
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After extensive testing, we've discovered that **RinCoin does NOT support direct xprv extended private key imports**.
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### What We Tried (All Failed):
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- ✗ `sethdseed` with xprv key → "Invalid private key"
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- ✗ `importprivkey` with xprv key → "Invalid private key encoding"
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- ✗ Direct HD seed restoration → Not supported
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### Why This Doesn't Work:
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RinCoin, despite being based on Litecoin, appears to have limited RPC support for:
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- BIP39 mnemonic seed phrases
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- Extended private key (xprv) imports
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- HD wallet seed restoration via RPC
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## ✅ What DOES Work: Full Wallet Dump Restoration
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The **ONLY reliable method** is using the complete wallet dump file:
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```bash
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./restore_wallet.sh /home/db/rin_wallet_backups/rin_wallet_backup_20250929_221522.txt restored_wallet
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```
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### Why This Works:
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- Uses `importwallet` RPC method (widely supported)
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- Imports ALL individual private keys from the dump
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- Blockchain rescans and finds all transactions
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- **Balance is restored: 1059.00155276 RIN ✓**
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### The Address Issue:
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The restored wallet shows **different addresses** but **same balance**:
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- Original: `rin1q...` (SegWit addresses)
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- Restored: `R...` (Legacy P2PKH addresses)
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**Why?** The wallet dump contains individual private keys without HD structure, so `importwallet` creates a legacy wallet.
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## 🎯 Practical Solutions for User-Friendly Wallets
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Since direct key import doesn't work, here are realistic approaches:
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### Option 1: Wallet File Backup/Restore (BEST)
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**For same device or direct file transfer:**
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```bash
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# Backup
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tar -czf ~/rin_wallet_backup.tar.gz /mnt/data/docker_vol/rincoin/rincoin-node/data/main/
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# Restore
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tar -xzf ~/rin_wallet_backup.tar.gz -C /new/path/data/
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```
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**Pros:**
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- ✅ Perfect restoration - same addresses, same structure
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- ✅ Fast - no blockchain rescan needed
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- ✅ Works 100% reliably
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**Cons:**
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- ✗ Requires file transfer (not just a text string)
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- ✗ User must handle binary wallet files
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### Option 2: Full Dump File Restoration (CURRENT)
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**For text-based backup:**
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```bash
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# Backup
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./dump_wallet.sh # Creates text file with all keys
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# Restore
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./restore_wallet.sh /path/to/backup.txt restored_wallet
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```
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**Pros:**
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- ✅ Text file - easier to store/transfer
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- ✅ Works reliably
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- ✅ Balance fully restored
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**Cons:**
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- ✗ Changes address format (rin1q... → R...)
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- ✗ Large file (~6000 lines for active wallet)
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- ✗ Slower (requires blockchain rescan)
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### Option 3: Web Wallet with Server-Side Management (RECOMMENDED)
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**For browser extension/web wallet:**
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Instead of user managing keys directly, implement server-side wallet management:
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```javascript
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// User creates wallet
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const walletId = await createWallet(username, password);
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// Server stores encrypted wallet file
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// User restores wallet
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const wallet = await restoreWallet(username, password);
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// Server loads encrypted wallet file
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```
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**Pros:**
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- ✅ User-friendly - just username/password
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- ✅ No key management complexity
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- ✅ Perfect restoration every time
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- ✅ Can sync across devices
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**Cons:**
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- ✗ Requires trust in server
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- ✗ Need secure server infrastructure
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### Option 4: Hybrid Approach (BALANCED)
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**Combine wallet file + optional manual backup:**
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```javascript
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// Primary: Encrypted wallet file stored locally/cloud
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saveEncryptedWallet(walletFile, userPassword);
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// Secondary: Export full dump for disaster recovery
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exportFullDump(); // User downloads text file "just in case"
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```
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**Pros:**
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- ✅ User-friendly primary method (file sync)
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- ✅ Manual backup option for advanced users
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- ✅ Best of both worlds
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## 🔧 Technical Implementation for Web Wallet
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### Current Reality Check:
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```javascript
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// ❌ This WON'T work (RinCoin doesn't support it):
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async function restoreFromMnemonic(mnemonic) {
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await rpc('sethdseed', [true, mnemonic]); // FAILS
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}
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// ❌ This WON'T work either:
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async function restoreFromXprv(xprv) {
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await rpc('importprivkey', [xprv]); // FAILS
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}
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// ✅ This DOES work:
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async function restoreFromDumpFile(dumpFilePath) {
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await rpc('createwallet', [walletName, false, false]);
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await rpc('importwallet', [dumpFilePath]); // WORKS!
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}
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```
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### Recommended Web Wallet Architecture:
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```javascript
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class RinWebWallet {
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// Primary method: Wallet file management
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async backupWallet() {
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// Get wallet directory from node
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const walletDir = await getWalletDirectory();
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// Create encrypted archive
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const encrypted = await encryptWalletFiles(walletDir, userPassword);
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// Store locally/cloud
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await saveBackup(encrypted);
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}
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async restoreWallet(encryptedBackup, password) {
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// Decrypt backup
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const walletFiles = await decrypt(encryptedBackup, password);
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// Restore to node's wallet directory
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await restoreWalletFiles(walletFiles);
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// Load wallet
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await rpc('loadwallet', [walletName]);
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}
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// Secondary method: Dump file for advanced users
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async exportDumpFile() {
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const dumpFile = await rpc('dumpwallet', ['/tmp/backup.txt']);
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return downloadFile(dumpFile);
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}
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async importDumpFile(dumpFilePath) {
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await rpc('createwallet', [walletName]);
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await rpc('importwallet', [dumpFilePath]);
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// Note: Addresses will be different format but balance same
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}
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}
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```
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## 📱 User Experience Design
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### For Browser Extension:
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```
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┌─────────────────────────────┐
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│ RinCoin Wallet │
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├─────────────────────────────┤
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│ │
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│ [Create New Wallet] │
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│ │
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│ [Restore from Backup] │
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│ ↓ │
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│ • Upload wallet file │ ← Primary method
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│ • Import dump file │ ← Fallback method
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│ │
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└─────────────────────────────┘
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```
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### Backup Flow:
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```
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1. User clicks "Backup Wallet"
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2. Extension prompts for password
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3. Creates encrypted wallet file
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4. Downloads: "rincoin-wallet-backup-2025-09-29.enc"
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5. Shows: "✓ Backup created! Store this file safely."
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```
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### Restore Flow:
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```
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1. User clicks "Restore Wallet"
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2. User uploads "rincoin-wallet-backup-2025-09-29.enc"
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3. Extension prompts for backup password
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4. Restores wallet files to node
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5. Shows: "✓ Wallet restored! Balance: 1059.00 RIN"
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```
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## 🎯 Recommendations
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### For MVP (Minimum Viable Product):
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1. **Use wallet file backup/restore** - Most reliable
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2. **Encrypt with user password** - Security
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3. **Store locally in browser storage** - Simple start
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4. **Add cloud sync later** - Future enhancement
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### For Production:
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1. **Primary: Encrypted wallet file sync**
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2. **Secondary: Optional dump file export**
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3. **Security: End-to-end encryption**
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4. **UX: Hide complexity from users**
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## ⚠️ Important Disclaimers
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### For Users:
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- The xprv key in your dump file **cannot be used** for quick restoration
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- You **must use the full dump file** or wallet directory
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- Different restoration methods may show **different addresses** (but same balance)
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### For Developers:
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- RinCoin's RPC API has **limited HD wallet support**
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- Extended key imports (xprv/xpub) are **not supported**
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- BIP39 mnemonic restoration is **not available via RPC**
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- The only reliable method is **`importwallet` with full dump**
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## 🚀 Moving Forward
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For a user-friendly RinCoin wallet/browser extension, **don't try to mimic MetaMask's 12-word restore**. Instead:
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1. **Accept the limitation**: RinCoin doesn't support simple key restoration
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2. **Design around it**: Use wallet file backups
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3. **Make it simple**: Hide the complexity with good UX
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4. **Be honest**: Tell users they need to backup their wallet file
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The technology constraint is real, but good UX design can still make it user-friendly! 🎨
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