Bitcoin: Clarifying the Coldcard CLI Command --path TEXT

As a Bitcoin enthusiast, you’re likely familiar with the command-line interface (CLI) of the Coldcard wallet software. However, one question that has been puzzling many users is what exactly the -p, --path, and TEXT options do in relation to the msg command.

In this article, we’ll delve into the details of these flags and help you understand how they work together to provide a more comprehensive experience for managing your Coldcard wallet.

What does % ckcc msg --... mean?

The % ckcc msg --... command line is likely referring to a message or transaction that needs to be sent. The -p, --path, and TEXT options are used together to specify the path and content of this message.

• % ckcc msg: This is the command itself, which sends a message.

• -p, --path TEXT: These flags indicate that the message should be stored in a file at the specified location. In this case, the file name is likely to be generated based on the path provided by the -p flag.

• TEXT: This flag specifies the content of the message that will be saved to the file.

How ​​does it work?

When you run % ckcc msg --path /tmp/bits/..., Coldcard will generate a new file in the /tmp/bits/ directory with a unique name (e.g., bits1234567890.txt). The contents of this file will be based on the message that was provided as an argument to the command. This ensures that each time you run the msg command, it generates a new file and message.

In other words, if you want to send a specific message, you can use the -p, --path, and TEXT flags to specify the path and content of this message, while % ckcc msg --... will automatically generate a new file with the correct contents each time.

Example Use Cases

Here are some examples to illustrate how these flags work together:

• Send a simple transaction: % ckcc msg -p /tmp/bits/transaction.txt --

This command sends a transaction message to a file in /tmp/bits/ and generates a new file each time you run it.

• Create a recurring transaction: % ckcc msg -p /tmp/bits/recurrence.txt --

In this case, the -p flag specifies the path for each transaction, while --recurrence indicates that the transactions should be repeated indefinitely.

Conclusion

The -p, --path, and TEXT options in the Coldcard CLI are powerful flags that allow you to customize the behavior of your Bitcoin messages. By using these flags together with % ckcc msg --..., you can generate new files for each transaction, create recurring transactions, or send custom messages to specific locations.

I hope this explanation has helped clarify the meaning and usage of these flags! If you have any further questions or concerns, feel free to ask.