Client crashed, new ubuntu user, please help!

[futonrevelation]

Hey all,

While trying to transfer some bitcoins into my wallet my computer got unplugged and shut off. Now when I try and open my bitcoin client I get the following error:

EXCEPTION: NSt8ios_base7failureE       
CAutoFile::read : end of file       
bitcoin in AppInit()

EXCEPTION: NSt8ios_base7failureE       
CAutoFile::read : end of file       
bitcoin in CMyApp::OnUnhandledException() 

Having read about other people with similar problems I know that I should a)back up my wallet.dat file and b) delete my blk.dat files, since the issue is likely from an error in downloading the block chain.

So I just switched over to ubuntu 11.04 from windows around 2 weeks ago, I am still very inexperienced with the terminal. How the heck do I back up my wallet.dat file and delete my blk.dat files? I've tried looking for step by step directions, but everything I've done has not worked...

If some one could either help me out or point me to a step by step instruction on how to perform these commands on the terminal I would be very appreciative.

Thanks!

[futonrevelation]

Here's the steps I've tried so far, obviously I'm missing something...

name:~$ ls -a ~/.bitcoin/
.         blk0001.dat   __db.001  __db.004  db.log     wallet.dat
..        blkindex.dat  __db.002  __db.005  debug.log
addr.dat  database      __db.003  __db.006  .lock


name:~$ sudo rm blkindex.dat
rm: cannot remove `blkindex.dat': No such file or directory

name:~$sudo cp wallet.dat walletbackup.dat
cp: cannot stat `wallet.dat': No such file or directory

I know this is probably way simple beginner stuff, but any help you can give me would be super awesome!

Thanks!!!

[TeaL]

cd to the directory where those files are located, then copy / delete them.

Code:

cd ~
cd .bitcoin/
cp wallet.dat /home/USER_NAME/Desktop/
cd ~
rm -r .bitcoin/

Where USER_NAME is the name of your home directory. Be careful with that code I gave you, it will copy only your wallet.dat to your Desktop, then proceed to recursively remove .bitcoin and all of its contents.

EDIT: Additionally, you can use the GUI method for this. Click: Places > Home, then press ctrl + h to view hidden files and directories. Find your way to .bitcoin, then delete / copy the desired files as you normally would.

[BkkCoins]

The block chain is huge and takes a long time for the client to download. After you get the directory wiped out you will start downloading the block chain again.

If you don't want to wait a day or so then you can download the block chain and stick the database files into the .bitcoin directory yourself and then start bitcoin with the -rescan option. It will catch up with the blocks not present. This works as I did it under Ubuntu myself.

This is one archive site mentioned on these forums often,
http://bitcoin.bluematt.me/bitcoin-nightly/blockchain-nightly/

500MB or so but it comes in pretty fast compared to the client doing it thru P2P.

Also on sourceforge but I found that downloaded much slower for me and it's an older version.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/bitcoin/files/Bitcoin/blockchain/

[ovidiusoft]

@futonrevelation, if you're inexperienced with the terminal, I would suggest you don't use it to do sensitive stuff, that might result in losing your wallet file. You should use the graphical interface.

Since you said you're using Ubuntu 11.04, I suppose you're using the Unity interface (the one with the square buttons on the left side of the screen) ? If so, open your home folder, it looks like a folder with a home on it . Go to View > Show hidden files (or press CTRL-H) and you should see a bunch more folders than before, a lot of them starting with a dot. These are hidden files, and ".bitcoin" will be there too. Open it and copy and paste wallet.dat to another folder (your Desktop, for example, or a USB stick, which is a better idea. You should do this simple backup every week at least, if not every day). You can then delete the corrupt files and reload the client.

Good luck!

[futonrevelation]

Huzzah, it works!!! Thanks!!!