-usehd=1 no longer works

realsetvin commented at 8:15 pm on January 21, 2025: none

Is there an existing issue for this?

I have searched the existing issues

Current behaviour

Hello! Tried to search through issues but I guess bitcoin uses a new kind of wallet I am not really familiar with. I am not sure how to generate the hd seed im used to, should I try an older version? Thanks for any help. I dont want to use the new kind of wallet. I want to use bitcoin to generate a seed phrase.

Expected behaviour

im used to it working bitcoin forks

Steps to reproduce

bitcoin/build/src/qt/bitcoin-qt –usehd=1

Relevant log output

No response

How did you obtain Bitcoin Core

Compiled from source

What version of Bitcoin Core are you using?

Bitcoin Core 28.1

Operating system and version

ubuntu 22

Machine specifications

No response

bitcoin deleted a comment on Jan 21, 2025

achow101 commented at 8:23 pm on January 21, 2025: member

The startup option was superseded by the sethdseed command. Furthermore, both -usehd and sethdseed are also superseded by descriptor wallets.

There is no need to use that startup option - all wallets, including descriptor wallets, since the option was introduced default to HD anyways.

maflcko added the label Wallet on Jan 21, 2025

maflcko added the label Questions and Help on Jan 21, 2025

realsetvin commented at 9:02 pm on January 21, 2025: none

The startup option was superseded by the sethdseed command. Furthermore, both -usehd and sethdseed are also superseded by descriptor wallets.

There is no need to use that startup option - all wallets, including descriptor wallets, since the option was introduced default to HD anyways.

Im unfamilar with “descriptor” wallets and very familiar with HD seed functions, and find them more useful

Is there any way to achieve this function which is on almost every other bitcoin altcoin?

realsetvin commented at 9:03 pm on January 21, 2025: none

I do not see an option to dump the HD seed phrase, I prefer paper wallets versus a dat file which there are several known viruses which target dat files

example: https://y3ti.uk/audits/Fulminare

sipa commented at 9:08 pm on January 21, 2025: member

@realsetvin Bitcoin Core does not, and has never, supported seed phrases. In descriptor wallets you can dump the private descriptors (see the listdescriptors RPC command), which can be written down in principle, and re-imported.

-usehd=1 is unrelated to seed phrases. It enabled HD wallets, which are now ubiquitous; you don’t need to explicitly enable them.

realsetvin commented at 9:15 pm on January 21, 2025: none

@realsetvin Bitcoin Core does not, and has never, supported seed phrases. In descriptor wallets you can dump the private descriptors (see the listdescriptors RPC command), which can be written down in principle, and re-imported.

-usehd=1 is unrelated to seed phrases. It enabled HD wallets, which are now ubiquitous; you don’t need to explicitly enable them.

okay I may be mixing up hd phrases with seed phrases but realistically they are the same right?

why do bitcoin copies have the function but bitcoin dosent?

what can I do to write down my backup, im not comfortable using the new kind of wallet or a dat file. Thanks for helping

sipa commented at 9:18 pm on January 21, 2025: member

okay I may be mixing up hd phrases with seed phrases but realistically they are the same right?

No, HD key derivation is BIP32. Seed phrases can refer to a number of things, but most commonly the ones specified in BIP39.

why do bitcoin copies have the function but bitcoin dosent?

This is not a property of the currency, but of the software. There are lots of Bitcoin wallets that support seed phrases. Bitcoin Core just happens to not be one of them.

what can I do to write down my backup, im not comfortable using the new kind of wallet or a dat file. Thanks for helping

You can write down the output of listdescriptors true. But more realistically, if this is uncomfortable to you, I suggest using other wallet software.

realsetvin commented at 9:19 pm on January 21, 2025: none

okay I may be mixing up hd phrases with seed phrases but realistically they are the same right?

No, HD key derivation is BIP32. Seed phrases can refer to a number of things, but most commonly the ones specified in BIP39.

why do bitcoin copies have the function but bitcoin dosent?

This is not a property of the currency, but of the software. There are lots of Bitcoin wallets that support seed phrases. Bitcoin Core just happens to not be one of them.

what can I do to write down my backup, im not comfortable using the new kind of wallet or a dat file. Thanks for helping

You can write down the output of listdescriptors true. But more realistically, if this is uncomfortable to you, I suggest using other wallet software.

im familiar with the function of bitcoin core, can I use an older version?

realsetvin commented at 9:20 pm on January 21, 2025: none

okay I may be mixing up hd phrases with seed phrases but realistically they are the same right?

No, HD key derivation is BIP32. Seed phrases can refer to a number of things, but most commonly the ones specified in BIP39.

why do bitcoin copies have the function but bitcoin dosent?

This is not a property of the currency, but of the software. There are lots of Bitcoin wallets that support seed phrases. Bitcoin Core just happens to not be one of them.

what can I do to write down my backup, im not comfortable using the new kind of wallet or a dat file. Thanks for helping

You can write down the output of listdescriptors true. But more realistically, if this is uncomfortable to you, I suggest using other wallet software.

in this case I want my HD phrase then, dumphdwallet thats the command I want.

sipa commented at 9:21 pm on January 21, 2025: member

Again, Bitcoin Core does not, and has never supported seed phrases.

realsetvin commented at 9:21 pm on January 21, 2025: none

Again, Bitcoin Core does not, and has never supported seed phrases.

in that case, am I falsely attributing something on dash to bitcoin?

what about hd phrases?

realsetvin commented at 9:23 pm on January 21, 2025: none

I understand you’re annoyed that I dont know everything you know, maybe you can see im trying to learn. Any attempt of explanation would help.

maflcko commented at 9:23 pm on January 21, 2025: member

im familiar with the function of bitcoin core, can I use an older version?

See https://bitcoincore.org/en/lifecycle/

sipa commented at 9:24 pm on January 21, 2025: member

in that case, am I falsely attributing something on dash to bitcoin?

Again, this has nothing to do with the currency, but with the wallet software. If you want seed phrases, feel free to use any of the dozens of other Bitcoin wallet software out there that supports it. Bitcoin Core does not.

what about hd phrases?

HD phrases, or seed phrases, are the same thing. Bitcoin Core does not support any kind of phrases. It uses HD key derivation, however, but that has nothing to do with phrases.

realsetvin commented at 9:25 pm on January 21, 2025: none

in that case, am I falsely attributing something on dash to bitcoin?

Again, this has nothing to do with the currency, but with the wallet software. If you want seed phrases, feel free to use any of the dozens of other Bitcoin wallet software out there that supports it. Bitcoin Core does not.

what about hd phrases?

HD phrases, or seed phrases, are the same thing. Bitcoin Core does not support any kind of phrases. It uses HD key derivation, however, but that has nothing to do with phrases.

so that was a dash addition im falsely ascribing to bitcoin core? in that case why cant it be added to btc? Risk of being too convenient for end users?

realsetvin commented at 9:27 pm on January 21, 2025: none

in that case, am I falsely attributing something on dash to bitcoin?

Again, this has nothing to do with the currency, but with the wallet software. If you want seed phrases, feel free to use any of the dozens of other Bitcoin wallet software out there that supports it. Bitcoin Core does not.

what about hd phrases?

HD phrases, or seed phrases, are the same thing. Bitcoin Core does not support any kind of phrases. It uses HD key derivation, however, but that has nothing to do with phrases.

the way you referenced two bips is as if they are two different things

furszy commented at 10:01 pm on January 21, 2025: member

so that was a dash addition im falsely ascribing to bitcoin core? in that case why cant it be added to btc? Risk of being too convenient for end users?

This was the reason for not adding support for it in the past: https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/88237/is-there-a-reason-to-why-bitcoin-core-does-not-implement-bip39. The topic could, of course, be revisited by experts in the field.

realsetvin commented at 10:08 pm on January 21, 2025: none

so that was a dash addition im falsely ascribing to bitcoin core? in that case why cant it be added to btc? Risk of being too convenient for end users?

This was the reason for not adding support for it in the past: https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/88237/is-there-a-reason-to-why-bitcoin-core-does-not-implement-bip39. The topic could, of course, be revisited by experts in the field.

Since many altcoins are based on dash they boast about being built from bitcoin,

it seems funny that bitcoin does not have some basic features that coins with $200 market cap have.

realsetvin commented at 10:10 pm on January 21, 2025: none

Wouldnt it be great if the bitcoin core wallet had all of the features that bitcoin developed? Make them optional. not non existent

pinheadmz commented at 11:53 pm on January 21, 2025: member

I think this issue should be closed. Questions are better asked on stack exchange and this thread is getting off topic with complaints. Seems to me the original issue has been addressed and follow up questions have been answered.

maflcko commented at 7:57 am on January 22, 2025: member

Closing for now. Looks like there have been many questions, all of them answered.

Usually the issue tracker is used to track technical issues related to the Bitcoin Core code base. So in the future, general bitcoin questions and/or support requests are best directed to the Bitcoin StackExchange or the #bitcoin IRC channel on Libera Chat, or one of the Bitcoin subreddits, or any other place that you feel is well suited.

If you want to file a feature request for something, please use the template and communicate clearly why the existing features can not support your use-case (and what your use-case is in the first place).

maflcko closed this on Jan 22, 2025

-usehd=1 no longer works #31705