Common questions.
Direct answers.

Sparrow runs on any Linux distribution with a compatible JVM (Java 17+). The installer bundles its own JVM so you don't need to install one separately. Tested on Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 11+, Fedora 37+, Arch, and derivatives. If your distro runs a modern kernel, Sparrow will run on it.

Every release ships with a .asc signature file. Download the release, the signature file, and import the developer's signing key from the Sparrow GitHub. Then:

gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys [key-id]
gpg --verify sparrow-*.tar.gz.asc sparrow-*.tar.gz

Always verify before running. Don't skip this step.

Use the .deb if you're on a Debian/Ubuntu-based system — it handles desktop integration automatically. Use the .tar.gz for any other distribution or if you prefer to control where the binary lives. Both ship identical binaries.

Officially, no. Unofficial packages may exist but are not maintained by the Sparrow project. For a wallet application, it's important to use verified official builds. Start from our downloads section and verify the files before running them.

Three modes: public Electrum servers (for starting out), your own Electrum server (Fulcrum, ElectrumX, Electrs, EPS, BWT) over SSL/Tor, or a direct Bitcoin Core RPC connection. For full privacy, use your own node over Tor.

Fulcrum is the recommended choice for performance — it's purpose-built for high throughput and handles large wallets efficiently. ElectrumX and Electrs are good alternatives. EPS is suitable for simple single-wallet setups.

Yes. Sparrow supports direct Bitcoin Core connection via RPC. This is the simplest setup if you're already running a node. Initial scan takes longer than with an indexed Electrum server, but it works well for most users.

Sparrow supports Coldcard, Ledger, Trezor, BitBox02, Jade, Passport, and others via USB or airgapped QR. On Linux, USB hardware wallets typically require a udev rule — most device manufacturers provide the rule in their setup documentation.

Install the Ledger udev rules. Ledger provides them in their documentation. Typically:

wget -q -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/LedgerHQ/udev-rules/master/add_udev_rules.sh | sudo bash

After installing the rules, unplug and replug the device. You may also need to add your user to the plugdev group.

Yes. Sparrow supports QR code signing via the UR standard — this means you can sign PSBTs on an airgapped machine and broadcast from an online machine, with no USB connection ever made. Works with Coldcard, Passport, and any hardware wallet that supports animated QR codes.

Yes. Sparrow bundles Tor and can route all connections through it without any external Tor installation. Enable it in Preferences → Server → Use Tor proxy. This works with both Electrum servers and the public servers list.

Nothing is sent to Sparrow's servers — there are none. All wallet data is stored locally, encrypted with Argon2 (500ms+ key derivation). When using public servers, those servers can see your wallet's addresses. For full privacy, run your own node over Tor.

Run from the terminal to see the error output: ./bin/Sparrow. Common issues include missing shared libraries (try the .deb installer which handles dependencies) or a conflicting Java version in PATH. The bundled JVM should be used automatically — check that the install isn't broken.

Wallet files are stored in ~/.sparrow/wallets/. Configuration is in ~/.sparrow/. Back up the wallets directory — or better, ensure you have your seed phrase written down offline. The wallet file alone is not a backup.

Our documentation covers the main Linux setup path. For community support, the Telegram group is active and helpful. For bugs, open an issue on GitHub.