# Sign with multisig



Once [multisig is set up](/pear/how-to/operate-an-app/multisig/set-up-multisig), every production release runs the same four steps:

1. [Prepare the request](#prepare-the-request)
2. [Sign](#sign) it with a quorum of signers
3. [Verify](#verify) the responses
4. [Commit](#commit) the production drive

The request and responses are portable—the commit does not have to run on the machine that prepared the request.

<Callout type="info">
  This assumes the multisig drive already exists. If you have not generated signing keys, configured `pear.json`, and pointed `upgrade` at the multisig link yet, do [Set up multisig](/pear/how-to/operate-an-app/multisig/set-up-multisig) first.
</Callout>

<Callout type="info">
  **Need the `pear` CLI?** Install it from **[install.pears.com](https://install.pears.com)**, or prefix any command below with `npx`. See [Install & upgrade](/pear/reference/pear/cli#install) for details.
</Callout>

## Prepare the request [#prepare-the-request]

```sh skip="release-flow"
pear multisig request <versioned-provision-link>
```

`<versioned-provision-link>` is the seeded provision link in `pear://<fork>.<length>.<key>` form—the link from your most recent `pear provision`. For example:

```sh skip="release-flow"
pear multisig request pear://0.856.q9sopzoqgas9usoiq7uzkkwngm5pzj4zo3n4esjwwbmw6offis8o
```

`pear multisig request` runs safety checks before issuing the request. One of them ensures the source drive is healthily seeded; if it is not, the request is refused—see [Troubleshoot multisig](/pear/how-to/operate-an-app/multisig/troubleshoot-multisig#request-refused-source-not-healthily-seeded). It returns a signing request.

## Sign [#sign]

Each signer confirms the build is the one they intend to release, then signs the request:

```sh skip="release-flow"
pear multisig sign <signing request>
```

and shares the response. `pear multisig` guards against formal mistakes, but it is up to each signer to verify they are signing the correct build. Once a [quorum](/pear/how-to/operate-an-app/multisig/set-up-multisig#create-the-multisig-config) of responses exists, the build is ready to verify.

## Verify [#verify]

Check for formal mistakes before committing. Run `verify` first on the request alone, then again with the collected responses appended:

```sh skip="release-flow"
pear multisig verify <source-link> <signing request> [...responses]
```

`<source-link>` is the provisioned link (a staged link also works). **Never** sign or commit a request that fails `verify`.

## Commit [#commit]

Only commit after verifying the request and all responses:

```sh skip="release-flow"
pear multisig commit <source-link> <signing request> [...responses]
```

As with `verify`, `<source-link>` is the provisioned (or staged) link. The committer does not have to be a signer—the request and responses are enough to generate the build, which is why `pear multisig` insists the source drive is well seeded, and why the commit can run on a different machine than the one that prepared the request.

The commit is not safely finished until the new multisig drive's key is seeded by peers. Make sure it is seeding:

```sh skip="release-flow"
pear seed <multisig-link>
```

`pear seed` shows replication activity rather than a completion signal: peer events (`o-o peer join`) and the upload totals in the `Network` row confirm other peers are pulling the drive. The commit itself prints `Waiting for remote seeders to pick up the changes...` and continues on its own once the drive is seeded. Keep seeding until peers have replicated, then stop it with `Ctrl+C`.

<Callout type="warning">
  **Do not abort a running commit.** An interrupted commit leaves the production build in an intermediate state. See [Recover from an interrupted commit](/pear/how-to/operate-an-app/multisig/troubleshoot-multisig#interrupted-or-aborted-commit) before retrying.
</Callout>

To inspect which signing keys and quorum a multisig link enforces:

```sh skip="release-flow"
pear info --multisig <multisig-link>
```

## See also [#see-also]

* [Set up multisig](/pear/how-to/operate-an-app/multisig/set-up-multisig)—the one-time setup this flow depends on.
* [Troubleshoot multisig](/pear/how-to/operate-an-app/multisig/troubleshoot-multisig)—request refused, interrupted commits, and `INCOMPATIBLE_SOURCE_AND_TARGET`.
* [Deploy your application](/pear/how-to/operate-an-app/manual-deployment/deployment)—the full eight-step release flow.
* [Release pipeline](/pear/explanation/deployment-releasing-apps-p2p)—conceptual diagrams for stage, provision, and multisig.