# bitcoinwallet-salvage

This Rust crate is a direct translation from C++
to Rust of the Bitcoin Core salvage wallet
implementation. It provides functions for
recovering a corrupted Bitcoin wallet database
file and extracting the private keys and Bitcoin
addresses stored in it.

Notice: This crate is part of a direct translation
from C++ to Rust of the Bitcoin Core. As such,
some of the function bodies may still be in the
process of translation. Please note that this
system will become testable once the translation
process is complete.

There are no mathematical concepts associated with
the tokens used in this crate. The functions in
this crate involve reading and parsing data from
the wallet database file and performing file I/O
operations to create a new, recovered database
file. The KV and KeyValPair types represent
key-value pairs stored in the database file, and
the key_filter function filters a list of keys
based on a given criterion. The
recover_database_file function is the main
function of the crate and performs the actual
salvage operation on the database file.

8> when would we need to do this? what do we need
to do to recover the information?

A Bitcoin wallet database file may become
corrupted due to various reasons such as
a software bug, hardware failure, or a power
outage during a write operation. When this
happens, the wallet may become inaccessible and
the private keys and Bitcoin addresses stored in
it may be lost.

The bitcoinwallet-salvage crate provides functions
to recover the private keys and Bitcoin addresses
stored in a corrupted wallet database file. The
recover_database_file function reads the corrupted
file and attempts to salvage as much data as
possible. It extracts the private keys and Bitcoin
addresses from the file and writes them to a new,
recovered database file.

To use the bitcoinwallet-salvage crate, you would
need to have a corrupted Bitcoin wallet database
file and access to the file system where the file
is located. You would then call the
recover_database_file function, passing in the
path to the corrupted file and the path to the
location where you want the recovered file to be
written. The function will then attempt to salvage
the data from the corrupted file and write the
recovered data to the new file.

It's important to note that while the
bitcoinwallet-salvage crate can recover some data
from a corrupted wallet database file, it may not
be able to recover all of it. It's always a good
practice to regularly back up your wallet and
store the backup in a secure location to prevent
data loss in case of a wallet database file
corruption.

9> where ought we to secure our backup?

When backing up your Bitcoin wallet, it's
important to store the backup in a secure location
to prevent unauthorized access and ensure that the
backup is available in case the original wallet
becomes inaccessible. Here are some guidelines for
securing your Bitcoin wallet backup:

1. Choose a secure storage location: Store your
   backup in a location that is physically secure
   and not easily accessible to unauthorized
   persons. A good option is to use a hardware
   wallet, which is a physical device that stores
   your private keys and can be locked away in
   a safe or other secure location.

2. Encrypt your backup: Encrypt your backup with
   a strong, unique password to prevent
   unauthorized access. Use a password manager to
   generate a strong password and store it
   securely.

3. Keep multiple backups: Make multiple copies of
   your backup and store them in different
   locations to ensure that you have a backup
   available in case one copy is lost or
   destroyed. However, make sure to store the
   backups in secure locations.

4. Test your backup: Test your backup by restoring
   it to a separate device or a different location
   to make sure that it works and that you can
   access your Bitcoin wallet.

5. Keep your backup up-to-date: Regularly update
   your backup to include any new private keys or
   Bitcoin addresses that you create.

By following these guidelines, you can ensure that
your Bitcoin wallet backup is secure and that you
have a reliable backup available in case of
a wallet database file corruption or other issues.