68 lines
2.7 KiB
Markdown
68 lines
2.7 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Command Line Wallets
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---
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Solana supports several different types of wallets that can be used to interface
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directly with the Solana command-line tools.
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**If you are unfamiliar with using command line programs and just want to be able
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to send and receive SOL tokens, we recommend setting up a third-party
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[App Wallet](apps.md)**.
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To use a Command Line Wallet, you must first [install the Solana CLI tools](../cli/install-solana-cli-tools.md)
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## File System Wallet
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A _file system wallet_, aka an FS wallet, is a directory in your computer's
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file system. Each file in the directory holds a keypair.
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### File System Wallet Security
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A file system wallet is the most convenient and least secure form of wallet. It
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is convenient because the keypair is stored in a simple file. You can generate as
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many keys as you would like and trivially back them up by copying the files. It
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is insecure because the keypair files are **unencrypted**. If you are the only
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user of your computer and you are confident it is free of malware, an FS wallet
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is a fine solution for small amounts of cryptocurrency. If, however, your
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computer contains malware and is connected to the Internet, that malware may
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upload your keys and use them to take your tokens. Likewise, because the
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keypairs are stored on your computer as files, a skilled hacker with physical
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access to your computer may be able to access it. Using an encrypted hard
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drive, such as FileVault on MacOS, minimizes that risk.
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[File System Wallet](file-system-wallet.md)
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## Paper Wallet
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A _paper wallet_ is a collection of _seed phrases_ written on paper. A seed
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phrase is some number of words (typically 12 or 24) that can be used to
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regenerate a keypair on demand.
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### Paper Wallet Security
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In terms of convenience versus security, a paper wallet sits at the opposite
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side of the spectrum from an FS wallet. It is terribly inconvenient to use, but
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offers excellent security. That high security is further amplified when paper
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wallets are used in conjunction with
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[offline signing](../offline-signing.md). Custody services such as
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[Coinbase Custody](https://custody.coinbase.com/) use this combination.
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Paper wallets and custody services are an excellent way to secure a large number
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of tokens for a long period of time.
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[Paper Wallets](paper-wallet.md)
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## Hardware Wallet
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A hardware wallet is a small handheld device that stores keypairs and provides
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some interface for signing transactions.
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### Hardware Wallet Security
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A hardware wallet, such as the
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[Ledger hardware wallet](https://www.ledger.com/), offers a great blend of
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security and convenience for cryptocurrencies. It effectively automates the
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process of offline signing while retaining nearly all the convenience of a file
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system wallet.
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[Hardware Wallets](hardware-wallets.md)
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