With cb409e3 rebased and got rid off the extra options_mode settings which are not relevant for this evaluation.

Also deleted the extra loadsnapshot.cpp file and instead added the load snapshot function in src/node/interfaces.cpp

Should I be getting a binary specific for this issue? I tried loading a signet snapshot into the one for #421 but was unable to...

Should I be getting a binary specific for this issue?

Yes please download the artifact for your system here

I tried loading a signet snapshot into the one for #421 but was unable to...

That's correct behaviour, 421 is UI only and doesn't not have backend wiring

With b77f7c1 minor tweaks to the src/node/interfaces.cpp snapshotload() function.

It mimics the rpc call loadtxoutset from bitcoin/bitcoin repository

Next will connect the loading to the progress bar

with c59e557 Integrated the UI with the C++ backend, implementing a progress callback function to dynamically update the loading progress based on the number of coins processed.

Touched src/validation.h and src/validation.cpp to extract the coin loading progress.

Next: will update the "Loaded Snapshot" stack with the real info from the snapshot

With e3f8c70 moved the load snapshot functionality from nodeModel to optionsModel since it make it easier to store the snapshot info and reduces redundant variable declarations.

Ok I tested artefact#235 and functionality & UI seems to work.

Didn't see block clock so couldn't verify easily. Adding some UI feedback below:

• fix list item width

• fix list item width
• fix icon size

• blockHeight is accurate
• the date in the copy above it seems right
• didn't check hash accuracy
• hash value is overflowing as you can see, I'd probably wrap it over 2-3 lines, perhaps add copy functionality

with 90dc0dd rebased over main and addressed @jarolrod concerns by reverting back to just a minimal integration of the loading snapshot functionality.

@yashrajd I will address the UI issues next

As a follow up will investigate how to access the snapshot verification progress

Also looking into how to make the snapshot data persist and be available for display (i.e. snapshot block height, date, and merkle hash)

But the entire approach here is still a concept NACK as we are performing unecessary changes to validation and chainparams.

For the chainparams the changes there are only temporary for evaluating and testing within this repo. I checked upstream and the signet snapshot has already been hardcoded so once our repo is synced the changes in chainparams.cpp can be discarded.

with 85592f5 made the snapshot activation persist on node restart by making use of the interface with chain->hasAssumedValidChain

Also changed the green-check icon size to 30 pix

Next looking into how to extract the progress from the ActivateSnapshot process

with 955c65d modified the snapshotLoad() function in src/node/interfaces.cpp and the initializeSnapshot() function in nodemodel.cpp to extract progress information using regular expressions.

This design decision aimed to keep snapshot loading mechanisms self-contained.

However, it looks like the use of std::stod is triggering some lint failures... will look into how to address that.

Perhaps the way to go is to use the handler in src/node/interfaces_ui ... will explore that path then update

with 0eba513 reverted back to minimal snapshot load functionality.

Snapshot loading progress is still not were I want it to be so in the meantime replaced the progress bar with placeholder text.

Also updated the snapshot info display. once successfully loaded, and I'm using the hardcoded info in chainparams since if the snapshot has loaded successfully it means the info there has been validated.
This is make the info persistent and not rely on the snapshot.dat file (in case it gets deleted)

With cd2ec69 added a section to keep track of snapshot loading, it is not ideal so will look for better ways to achieve it.

Since the core functionality is there will ask for "pre-reviews" before un-drafting

with 5d0756c updated SnapshotSettings.qml with comments documenting the loading process.

with 262bb03 updated nodemodel by adding the m_snapshot_loading bool so that the "Snapshot Loading" page persist if the user navigates away from it.

Next looking into how to finesse the snapshot loading progress...

with cad966e rebased over main.

Keeping this PR as draft until we get closer to the sync with upstream...

with 6c25cd7 :

• rebased with main
• updated the qml pages to behave more like the designers feedback in [DRAFT] WIP QML Generate Snapshot Signet #446
• Also updated some of the cpp code to enable the UI changes

Will keep this as draft until we get closer to the sync with upstream

4e43df9 updates the following:

• Introduce isIBDComplete bool in qml/nodemodel
• Update ConnectionsSettings.qml to reflect the change

Once the CI completes will undraft since we are not exactly sure when the sync with upstream will happen. And this feature will be demoed at upcoming events.

Feedback welcomed!

With bbbbf42 adds error page to handle when a invalid snapshot gets used, this is based on @GBKS feedback in #449

Feedback welcomed!

Based on #421.

This is confusing, given that #421 is closed.

e02f382 rebased over main

friendly ping @yashrajd and @johnny9

with d2fccc4 rebased over main

friendly ping @yashrajd and @johnny9

I will try to test this today.

ok I just tested the latest build on signet...following are observations:

tl;dr – snapshot loading worked!

(but shown hash doesn't seem to match file hash from terminal (but maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree)

• I see the block status widget updated after snapshot loading is completed.

• then I quit the app, and relaunched it....the block status widget not on the same page anymore...

• go to Connection Settings, the Load snapshot option has disappeared (iirc this is expected behaviour) so I assume it still worked.

Did I test it right? Did I miss something I should've tested...lemme know.

(but shown hash doesn't seem to match file hash from terminal (but maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree)

Thanks @yashrajd for the attached screenshot showing the two different hashes associated with the loaded UTXO snapshot.

I’d like to clarify the distinction between them to help avoid any confusion:

1. SHA-256 Hash of the Snapshot Data File

   • This hash is generated by running a command such as shasum -a 256 utxo-signet-160000.dat directly on the snapshot file.

   • Example from the image:

     eeeca845385ba91e84ef58c9d38f98f246a24feadaad57fe1e5874f3f92ef8c  utxo-signet-160000.dat
     

   • It represents a checksum of the full file contents and is typically used to verify file integrity during download or transfer.

2. Hash Displayed in the Application (Snapshot Metadata Hash)

   • The hash shown in the user interface (e.g., 5225141cb62dee63ab3be95f9b03d60801f264010b1816d4bd00618b2736e7be) is not the SHA-256 of the file itself.
   • Rather, it’s the hash of the serialized snapshot metadata, generated internally using the hash_serialized function after parsing the file.
   • This metadata hash is what Bitcoin Core uses to validate the snapshot’s correctness and ensure compatibility with the expected chain state. You can find relevant references in the source code, such as AssumeutxoHash in chainparams.cpp and ExpectedAssumeutxo in validation.cpp.

I hope this helps clarify the purpose and origin of each hash. Please let me know if the above makes sense?

Here's some TLDR answers to @yashrajd experience (let me know if you'd like more details) Also let me know if the descrepency between estimated percentage is something to address from a UX perspective, something to consider messaging the user on initial snapshot load:

• I see the block status widget updated after snapshot loading is completed.

Initial snapshot load: Progress is calculated from the snapshot point, so it looks high.

• then I quit the app, and relaunched it....the block status widget not on the same page anymore...

After restart: Progress is recalculated from the beginning of the chain, so it drops.

This is expected behavior and will resolve itself as the node downloads and verifies the missing historical blocks.

• go to Connection Settings, the Load snapshot option has disappeared (iirc this is expected behaviour) so I assume it still worked.

yes for this PR this is the expected behavior, in #446 instead of just disappearing it will be replaced by generate snapshot option

• Did I test it right? Did I miss something I should've tested...lemme know.

Yes! Thank you for testing and highlighting potential UX issues. Please let me know if there are any design adjustments that should be tracked (i.e. notify the user that the high progress number is only because they are in snapshot mode)

Thanks for the clarification on the hash mismatch @D33r-Gee that's very helpful. Also thanks for explaining the block status widget behaviour, though I need to read it again.

Also let me know if the descrepency between estimated percentage is something to address from a UX perspective, something to consider messaging the user on initial snapshot load:

We anticipated the adverse impact on the block status widget in the early stages, and I do think this is something that needs to be addressed. We already have a design issue for this. @GBKS I think it is time work on this if you agree. It might be a good idea to jump on a call to understand this better... Gee do you think that part has a direct bearing on the contents of this PR, which seems to be limited to the Load snapshot functionality?