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How do I operate the Monero GUI as a 'cold' wallet from an air-gapped computer, especially in the context of validating a send transaction created from a hot wallet? I've read the other Q&As on this subject but I only saw ones that are for the CLI, not the GUI. I poked around the 'Send' tab but didn't see any options, so I just sent it out as a regular transaction while in 'Simple' mode. Is using a hardware wallet with the Monero GUI that is connected to the network considered 'cold' enough since the hardware device is holding the private spend key? Is there even a way to run the Monero GUI without it connecting to the network?

***UPDATE
I read the other question posted as possibly similar but it doesn't address the airgapped computer aspect of my question so I'll ask it again, in a slightly different way:

Can the Monero GUI run in an airgapped computer without connecting to the network? From what I understand, all three modes (Simple, Simple+Bootstrap, and Advanced) need to connect to the network.

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  • Possible duplicate of Cold transaction signing with GUI
    – jtgrassie
    Commented Jun 18, 2019 at 13:16
  • I checked it out and updated my question above. The other question doesnt talk about using an airgapped computer. Basically, can the Monero GUI run in an airgapped computer without connecting to the network?
    – ncruz
    Commented Jun 18, 2019 at 18:39
  • So I can install the Monero GUI run in an airgapped computer, run it in Simple mode, restore a cold wallet (a wallet created using an offline generator), and sign the 'Send' trnx created in the hot wallet? I mentioned in another post that I couldn't find the 'Sign Transaction' option inside the Send tab screen.
    – ncruz
    Commented Jun 18, 2019 at 21:15
  • Not in simple mode. The sign and send options are in advanced mode. Your full/normal wallet is the cold wallet. You don't need to use some other generator, just use the GUI to create a new wallet in advanced mode on your cold computer. From this cold wallet you can export a view-only wallet which you will transfer to your hot computer. Open this on your hot computer using the GUI, create a tx and save. Transfer the saved tx file to your cold wallet and in the send/transfer page, click Sign tx. Then copy the signed tx file back to your hot computer where you can click Submit tx.
    – jtgrassie
    Commented Jun 18, 2019 at 22:56
  • The steps are quite literally in the linked duplicate answer.
    – jtgrassie
    Commented Jun 18, 2019 at 22:56

1 Answer 1

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I read the other question posted as possibly similar but it doesn't address the airgapped computer aspect of my question

An air-gapped computer cold signs. That's the point here.

Can the Monero GUI run in an airgapped computer without connecting to the network?

Yes. This is cold signing. Cold as in "not connected to the internet".

From what I understand, all three modes (Simple, Simple+Bootstrap, and Advanced) need to connect to the network.

No. The official wallets (GUI and command-line), both support cold signing transactions. In the GUI version, you have to use the wallet in "advanced" mode. They do not need to be connected to the internet/network to do this.

Annotating/expanding the duplicate questions answer for you:

First create your offline cold wallet, in the GUI, on your offline (air-gapped) computer. Use "advanced mode". Cold-signing transactions is after all an "advanced" thing to be doing.

  1. Create a view only wallet (settings page)

You do this on your offline (air-gapped) computer.

  1. Open view wallet and create a transfer, save with "Save tx" button

You do this on your online computer.

  1. In original wallet, click "Sign tx" on send page and select the file

You do this on your offline (air-gapped) computer.

  1. in view wallet, click "Submit tx" and select the signed tx file

You do this on your online computer.

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  • Btw, when I run it in Advanced mode, which option do I choose?
    – ncruz
    Commented Jun 19, 2019 at 1:11
  • Doesn't matter, so long as you have selected advanced.
    – jtgrassie
    Commented Jun 19, 2019 at 1:21
  • One thing - how does the amount in the cold wallet get updated if it's not connected on the network? I can use the view only wallet to see how much is in there but the amount in the cold wallet would be zero. I'm guessing I can do a 'Send trnx' even if the amount is zero?
    – ncruz
    Commented Jun 19, 2019 at 4:26
  • You export outputs in the hot wallet and import them into the cold wallet. Then the cold wallet balance is kept up to date.
    – jtgrassie
    Commented Jun 19, 2019 at 11:15
  • Is this export function in the 'History' tab?
    – ncruz
    Commented Jun 19, 2019 at 17:30

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