π How to Use It
A Signer holds a root secret generated by a seed phrase which you encrypt with a password. The Signer only knows about your root secret when you decrypt it with your password, but if you forget your password, you can use your seed phrase to recover your root secret.
WARNING: If you forget both your password and seed phrase, your accounts cannot be recovered.
Signingβ
The act of using your root secret to create a proof or other certificate of authenticity, is called signing. The Signer can sign transactions on your behalf by receiving a transaction request and producing a certificate to that request if such a request can be made. For example, if you are using MariPay (or MantaPay), you can send the Signer a transfer request like:
REQUEST: Send 5 private DOT to Alice.
and knowing your balance, the Signer can respond with a zero-knowledge proof that you have enough private DOT to send to Alice, and if you send that proof to the Calamari (or Manta) networks, then Alice will be able to spend that private DOT that you sent her.
How to Requestβ
To send a request to your Signer you can use the dApp frontends available for the Calamari and Manta networks. As long as your Signer application is open, it will create a bidirectional local communication channel with your browser where it can receive requests and send proofs back. The Signer will prompt you for your password whenever you open it and for some transaction types like privately transfering your assets and reclaiming private assets into public ones. Transfer of public assets is handled by the dApp frontend and does not require the use of the Signer.
Handling Errorsβ
Right now the Signer is experimental software and may have usability or security issues. If you are having problems using the signer, file an issue on GitHub.