Today I improved the GUI a bit. Now it isn't a hack anymore, but a proper user interface.
To export a transaction made in an offline client, you double click on it in the main window.
When the transaction info pops up there will be the additional button "Export".
After clicking the button a "Save File" dialog will open - specify the folder where you want to save the transaction file (USB disk, I assume, unless you still use floppies
)
For importing there is a new menu option Settings/Import transaction...
After choosing it "Open File" dialog will show up, so point it to the file you created before.
Moreover, if you try to re-import a transaction that already got into the blockchain, you will be notified (so you know you don't really need to do it).
It actually works quite nice. At least as far as I could test it.
So I committed it to the same branch.
https://github.com/piotrnar/bitcoin-impexptx
I figured that you could also use this functionality not necessarily for security reasons, but also for convenience.
For instance you make an appointment with someone to sell him bitcoins for cash.
He gives you his bitcoin address in advance, you backup your wallet, make the send transaction (just make sure to do it offline!!!) and export it into a file.
The next day you go to his house, he gives you the cash and you give him the file.
He imports the file into his client, you wait together for 2 blocks or so (suggest a bier during this time) to make sure that the transaction gets validated... and viola! You gave him bitcoins and didn't even need to bring your wallet along (except for the one to store the cash you got).
And if the transaction doesn't happen (because you realized that the guy wanted to screw you over) you just destroy the file and recover the backup of the wallet.
This way you can sell your bitcoins without even having access to internet
To export a transaction made in an offline client, you double click on it in the main window.
When the transaction info pops up there will be the additional button "Export".
After clicking the button a "Save File" dialog will open - specify the folder where you want to save the transaction file (USB disk, I assume, unless you still use floppies
)For importing there is a new menu option Settings/Import transaction...
After choosing it "Open File" dialog will show up, so point it to the file you created before.
Moreover, if you try to re-import a transaction that already got into the blockchain, you will be notified (so you know you don't really need to do it).
It actually works quite nice. At least as far as I could test it.
So I committed it to the same branch.
https://github.com/piotrnar/bitcoin-impexptx
I figured that you could also use this functionality not necessarily for security reasons, but also for convenience.
For instance you make an appointment with someone to sell him bitcoins for cash.
He gives you his bitcoin address in advance, you backup your wallet, make the send transaction (just make sure to do it offline!!!) and export it into a file.
The next day you go to his house, he gives you the cash and you give him the file.
He imports the file into his client, you wait together for 2 blocks or so (suggest a bier during this time) to make sure that the transaction gets validated... and viola! You gave him bitcoins and didn't even need to bring your wallet along (except for the one to store the cash you got).
And if the transaction doesn't happen (because you realized that the guy wanted to screw you over) you just destroy the file and recover the backup of the wallet.
This way you can sell your bitcoins without even having access to internet