Armory on windows just does not sync

[droark]

How am I supposed to know that? :-)

To be honest this was new to me as well.  It is a big project, I'm sure a more comprehensive manual is somewhere on the list.

I think it can be difficult sometimes, not just in this project but software development in general, for the devs who are highly trained and informed, and very engaged with the inner workings of the code, to step all the way back and see what users might not know or understand.

Just FYI, I was a bit confused too when I started working on a code upgrade elsewhere. I've started channeling the info I found into this PR. I'll update in a bit with some more info. Let me know if I missed anything.

[artur2000]

You'll need to shut Armory down and then delete your databases folder, then run Armory again, with that config option in place.

Nope, same result - no progress bars, 0% activity in process manager.

Just a reminder:

I have zero knowledge about the internals of armory - I am a regular user who transfered BTC some years ago into fresh installed armory wallet and forgot about it until recently. I did not use armory ever since.
My only goal is to be able to transfer BTC out of this wallet.

I am also using a non standard blockchain data location on a USB drive. I mentioned it multiple times.
Now I see that my non standard blockchain path is not beeing used at all, but the standard path instead.

See log file: https://pastebin.com/chKyYBBk

Please point me what setting (and how exactly) must be made in which config file to force the use of a custom blockchain path.
Using the GUI I mmade the correct setting, but now when "Let armory run bitcoined ..." is deactivated, my path setting is grayed out.
I was hoping it is stil beeing used but no.

Anyway - I do not understand why armory even bothers about the blockchain since it is supposed to talk to bitcoin core RPC server.

Stil - please threat me as a regular user noob user :-)

[jojo69]

While it can be done in a config file, the way I do it is to right click on the Armory launch shortcut and select "properties"

edit the "Target" line with your custom path argument; example

"D:\Program Files (x86)\Armory\ArmoryQt.exe" --satoshi-datadir="E:\your path here" --datadir="D:\armory"

In this particular case, my Armory install is on the D: drive, yours may not be.

Replace "E:\your path here" with your Bitcoin Core data path (the folder with "blocks" and "chainstate" folders in it)

The --datadir arg is if you are using a nonstandard location for your Armory database.  This folder will have "databases" folder in it, wallet files, and "ArmorySettings" and log files in it.  Again, replace "D:\armory" in my example with your path.

When you think you have all the syntax right (check the spaces and such, we are talking command line here) be sure to click "Apply" in the bottom right of the shortcut properties dialog.

I hope this helps.

edit/

On rereading your last post, I wonder if you have properly pathed Bitcoin Core itself.  The procedure is very similar.  Edit the Core shortcuts target field.

https://bitzuma.com/posts/moving-the-bitcoin-core-data-directory/

"D:\Program Files\Bitcoin\bitcoin-qt.exe" -datadir=E:\your path here

Of course correcting for the drive letters where you actually have your installs.

As always, upon making such changes, close Armory, check for and kill armorydb in task manager and delete the armory\databases folder before restarting Armory on top of a fully synced and running Core node.

[artur2000]

Thx for your hints.

I am sure Bitcoin Core is pathed correctly, because there is the correct path in the debug window.
Here the prove from Bitcoin Core log:

https://pastebin.com/0CL0HUGD

I did kill armory and armoryDB, deleted the database,
changed the shortcut to point to the correct blockchain directory: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Armory\ArmoryQt.exe" --satoshi-datadir="F:\__BACKUP\_bitcoin_new".
Then started armory again.

And now something is moving :-) "Building Databases, 3%, 3 hours"

Will see tomorrow!

Here are is the armory log: https://pastebin.com/GRKPsnxK
Here is the ArmoryDB log: https://pastebin.com/7X2U0eKS

[jojo69]

I'm not at the level of interpreting logs yet, but the movement sounds promising!

I got my fingers crossed for you.

[artur2000]

The GUI got to a point "Organizing blockchain" and the spinner spins forewer (2 days probably), no progress is shown.

Please provide me with next steps to do you guru guys.

dbLog.txt: https://pastebin.com/bkUhL7Vc
armorylog.txt: https://pastebin.com/vzRBqCzF

[artur2000]

Please give me pointers what to do next. "Organizing Blockchain" forever. See my comment above.
Already killed armory once, and started it again. Again: "Organizing Blockchain" forever.
Bitcoin core runs continuously and is up to date.

[jojo69]

I'm sorry man, we are at the limit of my ability to help.  Hopefully one of the real guys comes by.

What kind of hardware are you running it on?

[PhoenixFire]

Okay, so it might be possible that you are running up against a weird issue that happens for some on Win10. We could spend time going over that, but different fixes seem to work for different people - no single thing to nail down and it is yet more trial and error. Could be something else entirely.

Do you know which addresses in your wallet have bitcoins on them? Just a few addresses, or many? Any of them start with 3? Or do they all start with 1?
Depending on that, we can probably help you export keys into another wallet. If I've read it right, that'd fit your goal of getting the coins out of Armory and might be the easier option.

[artur2000]

In regards to my hardware, it is a fairly decent one. It is a dell precision T3500 workstation grade PC.
The only thing which is different, than in the most cases is tha fact, that my blockchaindata is on an external USB 2.0 drive.

In regards to my final goal - yes I will transfer BTC out of it as a first step.
But later I will get to a point, where I can get to he BCH etc. forks.

If I can do both with an external wallet like electrum in a safe way, this would be great.
In that case it is sufficient for me to get general idea and order of the steps to take.
I think I will be ablo to research the details myself.

As of the "real guys" :-) I am still waiting for them to find some time to have a look in the log files again.
They got me on track first, but then did not show up again - I hope I did not discourage anybody in some way.

[Holliday]

is tha fact, that my blockchaindata is on an external USB 2.0 drive.

As someone who has been maintaining the block chain constantly for 7 years now on multiple machines, I would personally suggest anyone dealing with block chain data use a SATA SSD at a minimum. Anything less is just asking for additional difficulty. It can work... sure, but don't expect it to be a smooth, or fast, experience.

The faster the storage, the better Core and Armory will work... from my layman's experience.

[PhoenixFire]

is tha fact, that my blockchaindata is on an external USB 2.0 drive.

As someone who has been maintaining the block chain constantly for 7 years now on multiple machines, I would personally suggest anyone dealing with block chain data use a SATA SSD at a minimum. Anything less is just asking for additional difficulty. It can work... sure, but don't expect it to be a smooth, or fast, experience.

The faster the storage, the better Core and Armory will work... from my layman's experience.

Ouch... USB2 as well. If I remember right, that has a third the bandwidth of even a SATA I connection to play with - which itself is ancient. Might be the case that there is nothing wrong with the config now, but scanning the 160+ GB blockchain for the transactions is just going to take a painfully long time.

[artur2000]

Just to get the USB2 controversy out of the way. I installed an additional sata hard drive into this PC and moved the blockchain to that drive.

Bitcoin core has been fully synced and correctly pathed, shows current block height.

Deleted armory databse, changed the path to datadir as well and started armory again.
Since 6 hours now like before as well "Organizing blockchain" without any progress beeing shown just a green shade transitioning from left to right and spinner spinning.

"goatpig" or some other dev of this software, please have a look again in this thread. thx.

[droark]

Please post your logs again. Thanks for moving everything over to a SATA drive. It's a big help, even if an SSD would've been more ideal.

[artur2000]

Ohh yeah. I forgot.

armorylog.txt: https://pastebin.com/4tQMjgkK
dblog.txt: https://pastebin.com/STs8c094

[droark]

Thanks. In the DB log, it looks like the chain never finishes organizing. Looks and sounds like a bug to me. I haven't touched the DB code yet and wouldn't know where to look, though. goatpig?

[goatpig]

1) Get rid of armorydb.conf. Create a file named armoryqt.conf instead, in the same folder. Put this in there:

Code:

db-type=DB_BARE
ram-usage=4

2) Delete the current DB.

3) Make sure auto bitcoind management is turned off (unchecked first checkbox in File > Settings).

4) DO NOT START BITCOINQT/BITCOIND. Your PC is anemic, it probably can't withstand the RAM load of both your node and the DB bootstrap at the same time.

5) Delete your logs (armoryqt.txt armorydb.txt)

6) Start ArmoryQt. Let it sync. If it fails post your logs again.

7) Once this is all done, you can start node manually. Doesn't really matter if the DB is running or not, but the preferred procedure is to start the node manually first, let it sync, then start ArmoryQt.

[artur2000]

Hi, if I understand you correctly, I should start ArmoryQT alone with the "manage bitcoind..." setting switched OFF.
Just did that, deleted current databases directory and the logfiles before. Rebooted th PC.
Then started ArmoryQT which immediatelz reported an error "unable to spawn the DB"

armorylog.txt: https://pastebin.com/0AsthNUL

p.s. my PC is "anemic"? :-) It is a dell workstation grade PC with intel xeon processor and 12 GB of ram. minumum software installed and windows 10 up to date. It is pretty fast actually just from the feel.
What makes it kind of exotic is, the fact that "Hyper V" and "docker for windows" is installed and their services are running.

[goatpig]

Then started ArmoryQT which immediatelz reported an error "unable to spawn the DB"

armorylog.txt: https://pastebin.com/0AsthNUL

Something is off with your armoryqt.conf. Post its content verbatim

p.s. my PC is "anemic"? :-)

2 cores, USB2. Moses' mobile phone was more powerful than that stuff.

[artur2000]

This is the content of the armoryqt.conf.

Code:

db-type=DB_BARE
ram-usage=4