Clive Updates - CLI - commands for generating keys

In the latest release, we were mainly focused on CLI. We have added new commands that allow you to generate keys. We have also simplified the transaction signing process by introducing an autosign feature. We have also started working on improving the CLI’s performance.

CLI - now you can generate keys

We have implemented a set of commands for key management. These commands allow you to generate pairs of private and public keys (either random or derived from a seed), calculate the public key from the given private one, and generate a random brain key (secret phrase).

Generate random keys

To generate keys, use the command:
clive generate random-key

You can also specify how many keys you need and generate multiple pairs at once.

Generate secret phrase

The secret phrase can be stored offline, and it's easier to keep than all private keys in Wallet Import Format (wif). You can later use it as a seed to generate keys.
clive generate secret-phase

Generate keys from seed

You can generate keys by providing an account name, role and seed (e.g. secret phrase). You may use your own secret phrase or one generated with the command clive generate secret-phrase.
Use the command:
clive generate key-from-seed --account-name alice --role active and provide the seed interactively when prompted by Clive or piped in non-interactive mode.

You can also generate only private or only public keys.

Calculate the public key from a private key

Use the following command to calculate a public key from a private key. The private key is provided via stdin (this works also with piping in non-interactive mode).
clive generate public-key

CLI - Important change - Easier transaction signing

Until this release, signing a transaction always required manually specifying a key alias using the --sign [key alias] option. Now the process is easier: if your profile contains only one key, you no longer need to specify which key to use, thanks to the autosign feature.

Easier use with a single key in the profile

If your profile has only one key, the following command is sufficient to create and sign a transfer:
clive process transfer --to bob --amount "10 hive" --memo "test"

When broadcasting an unsigned transaction from a file, you also don’t need to specify a key alias.

If you broadcast a signed transaction from a file, autosign will be skipped, and the transaction will be broadcast without adding an additional signature.

For multisigning, use the option --already-signed-mode multisign to add an additional signature.
For overriding, use the option -already-signed-mode override to replace the existing signature.
In both cases, you have to specify which key to use by using --sign-with.
clive process transaction --from-file signed.txt --already-signed-mode override --sign-with alice_key

Using more than one key in the profile

If your profile contains multiple key aliases and the transaction needs to be signed, you must always specify the key alias manually using the --sign-with option. Otherwise, an error will occur.

TUI - no changes to the signing process

If your profile has one key, it behaves the same as in the CLI - you don’t need to choose a key, but you can see on the transaction summary view which key will be used.
If your profile has more than one key, you should always check that the correct key is selected, since the first one is used as the default.

Complete list of corrected issues

The scripts that allow you to run Clive are here:
https://gtg.openhive.network/get/clive/

Your feedback is invaluable and always welcome.