Unable to upgrade Electrum 3.2.2 from 3.1.3 on Ubuntu 14.0.4 / VirtualBox

[Josson]

My problem is pretty similar to that described here: Can't install Electrum on Ubuntu - https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=3232490.0
except that it's the latest version instead. Only once before did I come across a version that wouldn't install, I think I remember that it was 3.0.x, but then the following 3.0.y installed fine.

This time, the usual command

Code:

sudo pip3 install https://download.electrum.org/3.2.2/Electrum-3.2.2.tar.gz

in the Terminal results in:

Downloading Electrum-3.2.2.tar.gz (5.6MB): 5.6MB downloaded
Running setup.py (path:/tmp/pip-gu9a1hxq-build/setup.py) egg_info for package from https://download.electrum.org/3.2.2/Electrum-3.2.2.tar.gz
error in Electrum setup command: Invalid environment marker: python_version < "3.5"
Complete output from command python setup.py egg_info:
error in Electrum setup command: Invalid environment marker: python_version < "3.5"
----------------------------------------
Cleaning up...
Command python setup.py egg_info failed with error code 1 in /tmp/pip-gu9a1hxq-build
Storing debug log for failure in /home/~/.pip/pip.log

whereas re-doing

Code:

Install dependencies: sudo apt-get install python3-setuptools python3-pyqt5 python3-pip

ends up with:

0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 5 not upgraded.

After trying all sorts for hours, I would have gone for the solution under that thread's post #7:

Can you just download the source and untar?

https://download.electrum.org/3.1.2/Electrum-3.1.2.tar.gz

Yes, downloading the source and running the downloaded python script directly from the download directory (I've aliased it all), does work just fine for me.  Very surprised though that I can't do a straightforward install of a Python application on my Ubuntu box.

but once I had downloaded and untar-ed Electrum-3.2.2.tar.gz, I got stuck, most likely because I hardly know anything about Linux — I just don't understand the line on the download page that says "In the electrum directory, run:

Code:

python3 electrum

Would anybody be so kind as to explain this to me?

[TryNinja]

I just don't understand the line on the download page that says "In the electrum directory, run:

Code:

python3 electrum

That's self-explanatory.

1. Open the terminal where the Electrum-3.2.2.tar.gz file is located;
2. Run tar -xzf Electrum-3.2.2.tar.gz to extract the files;
3. Go to the folder you just extracted the files into (cd Electrum-3.2.2);
4. Run python3 electrum;

[Abdussamad]

Try this except run it with sudo: https://www.reddit.com/r/Electrum/comments/8y7o9z/electrum_will_not_start/e29k9wv/

Then do the sudo pip3 install again.

If that doesn't work pastebin the pip.log file it creates and share the link here.

[Josson]

Try this except run it with sudo: https://www.reddit.com/r/Electrum/comments/8y7o9z/electrum_will_not_start/e29k9wv/

Then do the sudo pip3 install again.

If that doesn't work pastebin the pip.log file it creates and share the link here.

Thank you. I followed your instructions, and it looked like everything had gone fine. The only strange thing, in the Terminal, was the line in orange, towards the end:

    Downloading Electrum-3.2.2.tar.gz (5.6MB): 5.6MB downloaded
  Running setup.py (path:/tmp/pip-q35jumu9-build/setup.py) egg_info for package from https://download.electrum.org/3.2.2/Electrum-3.2.2.tar.gz
Requirement already satisfied (use --upgrade to upgrade): pyaes>=0.1a1 in /usr/local/lib/python3.4/dist-packages (from Electrum==3.2.2)
Requirement already satisfied (use --upgrade to upgrade): ecdsa>=0.9 in /usr/local/lib/python3.4/dist-packages (from Electrum==3.2.2)
Requirement already satisfied (use --upgrade to upgrade): pbkdf2 in /usr/local/lib/python3.4/dist-packages (from Electrum==3.2.2)
Requirement already satisfied (use --upgrade to upgrade): requests in /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages (from Electrum==3.2.2)
Requirement already satisfied (use --upgrade to upgrade): qrcode in /usr/local/lib/python3.4/dist-packages (from Electrum==3.2.2)
Requirement already satisfied (use --upgrade to upgrade): protobuf in /usr/local/lib/python3.4/dist-packages (from Electrum==3.2.2)
Requirement already satisfied (use --upgrade to upgrade): dnspython in /usr/local/lib/python3.4/dist-packages (from Electrum==3.2.2)
Requirement already satisfied (use --upgrade to upgrade): jsonrpclib-pelix in /usr/local/lib/python3.4/dist-packages (from Electrum==3.2.2)
Requirement already satisfied (use --upgrade to upgrade): PySocks>=1.6.6 in /usr/local/lib/python3.4/dist-packages (from Electrum==3.2.2)
Downloading/unpacking qdarkstyle<3.0 (from Electrum==3.2.2)
  Downloading QDarkStyle-2.5.4-py2.py3-none-any.whl (118kB): 118kB downloaded
Installing collected packages: qdarkstyle, Electrum
Found existing installation: Electrum 3.1.3
    Uninstalling Electrum:
      Not removing or modifying (outside of prefix):
      /usr/share/pixmaps/electrum.png
      /usr/share/applications/electrum.desktop
      Successfully uninstalled Electrum
  Running setup.py install for Electrum
    changing mode of build/scripts-3.4/electrum from 644 to 755
    changing mode of /usr/local/bin/electrum to 755
  Could not find .egg-info directory in install record for Electrum==3.2.2 from https://download.electrum.org/3.2.2/Electrum-3.2.2.tar.gz
Successfully installed qdarkstyle Electrum
Cleaning up...

HOWEVER... after this Electrum doesn't start anymore from the Launcher, as it used too! I only notice that that all refers to Python 3.4, not Python 3.5.

I've looked for a pip.log file, but only found one from yesterday (apparently the one refered to in my original post). Sorry for knowing so little about Ubuntu's way of working, I've been a Mac user for 30 years.

Robert

[Josson]

I just don't understand the line on the download page that says "In the electrum directory, run:

Code:

python3 electrum

That's self-explanatory.
1. Open the terminal where the Electrum-3.2.2.tar.gz file is located;

Thank you, it might be self-explanatory for you, but as said, I know preciously little about Linux. In this case, having very occasionally used the Terminal on a Mac, I could not understand a wording such as "open the terminal.. where a file is located", so I have worked on Abdussamad's reply first.

[TryNinja]

Thank you, it might be self-explanatory for you, but as said, I know preciously little about Linux. In this case, having very occasionally used the Terminal on a Mac, I could not understand a wording such as "open the terminal.. where a file is located", so I have worked on Abdussamad's reply first.

I see that you already know how to open a terminal. So, try to run those commands:

Code:

cd ~/Desktop
wget https://download.electrum.org/3.2.2/Electrum-3.2.2.tar.gz
tar -xzf Electrum-3.2.2.tar.gz
cd Electrum-3.2.2
python3 electrum

[Abdussamad]

he's already installed it using pip3.

@OP open up a terminal and type:

Code:

electrum -v

If electrum doesn't run copy what it outputs in the terminal (ctrl+shift+c) and paste it on a pastebin site like pastebin.com. Then share the link with us here.

[Josson]

Thanks Abdussamad. Here it is (hopefully I got it right): https://pastebin.com/8dgekMdE

[Sorry, TryNinja, but I could only do one thing at a time, and it seems that to test your code, I would've had to start anew from the backup with v.3.1.2]

[bob123]

[Sorry, TryNinja, but I could only do one thing at a time, and it seems that to test your code, I would've had to start anew from the backup with v.3.1.2]

You just have to follow the guide:

I just don't understand the line on the download page that says "In the electrum directory, run:

Code:

python3 electrum

TryNinja already posted how to accomplish this:

Code:

cd ~/Desktop
wget https://download.electrum.org/3.2.2/Electrum-3.2.2.tar.gz
tar -xzf Electrum-3.2.2.tar.gz
cd Electrum-3.2.2
python3 electrum

Thats literally all you have to do.

But you might consider using windows instead of linux. You seem to be extremely lost.
A better OS doesn't secure you more if you don't know how to handle it. In your case a windows setup should be more suitable.

[HCP]

Seems like the OP doesn't have Python installed or configured properly... They're missing the "typing" module:

File "/usr/local/lib/python3.4/dist-packages/electrum/ecc.py", line 29, in <module>
    from typing import Union
ImportError: No module named 'typing'

I believe this is because it was added in Python 3.5, and OP seems to only have Python 3.4 installed:

New in version 3.5.

perhaps try and see if this helps:

Code:

sudo pip3 install typing

However, I would recommend that the OP tries upgrading Python first, that is likely to fix most of their issues:

Code:

sudo apt-get install python3

[Abdussamad]

do the following:

Code:

sudo pip3 install --upgrade setuptools pip
sudo pip3 install <electrumtarball> #replace with path to electrum tar archive

[Josson]

do the following:

Code:

sudo pip3 install --upgrade setuptools pip
sudo pip3 install <electrumtarball> #replace with path to electrum tar archive

Salaam, and thank you very much. First of all: at last Electrum 3.2.2 is launching — and working as it should! However, after lauching it came with a message to the effect that it was updating to a new wallet format (can't remember the exact wording.) I assume this was to be expected?

Now, it's not clear to me whether it's only HCP / Post 10's suggestions (see my following reply to him) or if it is all of yours (these and the previous ones) and HCP's that got it working. At any rate, your clearly formulated and sensible help is highly appreciated, as always.

FYI, here's what I got after applying your two command lines:

1. Requirement already up-to-date: setuptools in /usr/local/lib/python3.4/dist-packages
Downloading/unpacking pip from https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/0f/74/ecd13431bcc456ed390b44c8a6e917c1820365cbebcb6a8974d1cd045ab4/pip-10.0.1-py2.py3-none-any.whl#sha256=717cdffb2833be8409433a93746744b59505f42146e8d37de6c62b430e25d6d7
  Downloading pip-10.0.1-py2.py3-none-any.whl (1.3MB): 1.3MB downloaded
Installing collected packages: pip
  Found existing installation: pip 1.5.4
    Not uninstalling pip at /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages, owned by OS
Successfully installed pip

2. bash: syntax error near unexpected token `newline'

But it still didn't want to launch…

[Josson]

Seems like the OP doesn't have Python installed or configured properly... They're missing the "typing" module:

File "/usr/local/lib/python3.4/dist-packages/electrum/ecc.py", line 29, in <module>
    from typing import Union
ImportError: No module named 'typing'

I believe this is because it was added in Python 3.5, and OP seems to only have Python 3.4 installed:

New in version 3.5.

perhaps try and see if this helps:

Code:

sudo pip3 install typing

However, I would recommend that the OP tries upgrading Python first, that is likely to fix most of their issues:

Code:

sudo apt-get install python3

Thank you very much, it really helped: Electrum 3.2.2 is now lauching. And it is functional. But please see my reply above to Abdussamad Post 11 first, as I can't tell whether it's your two combined suggestions that fixed my problem.

Here is what I got after applying your two command lines:

1. (which I had already done several times): 0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 24 not upgraded. Only difference was now 24 instead of 5.

2. The directory '/home/~/.cache/pip/http' or its parent directory is not owned by the current user and the cache has been disabled. Please check the permissions and owner of that directory. If executing pip with sudo, you may want sudo's -H flag.
The directory '/home/~/.cache/pip' or its parent directory is not owned by the current user and caching wheels has been disabled. check the permissions and owner of that directory. If executing pip with sudo, you may want sudo's -H flag.
Collecting typing
Downloading https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/05/2b/2b05bf1d5a9dd450447c9a5df3e118a465e5d3cb12b73b7220a5064a403f/typing-3.6.4-py3-none-any.whl
protobuf 3.4.0 has requirement six>=1.9, but you'll have six 1.5.2 which is incompatible.
Installing collected packages: typing
Successfully installed typing-3.6.4

After which it did launch.

Now, in what's quoted above, there appears to be some errors, in orange and in red — should these be corrected? If so, how?

[Josson]

Thats literally all you have to do.

I understand that it's difficult for many people, including myself, to keep track of all posts and the possible variety of solutions suggested within a single thread, but as said earlier (and quoted by yourself), I'm only able to try one thing at a time.

But you might consider using windows instead of linux. You seem to be extremely lost.
A better OS doesn't secure you more if you don't know how to handle it. In your case a windows setup should be more suitable.

Now, let me try not to be too naughty. I've worked with Ataris, then Macs (when Atari went down the drain, partly for being too good at what they were doing) since the mid-80's. My partner worked with DOS since the early 80's, then moved to Macs too. I have used the Mac GUI of Electrum until the programmers decided not to support my OS any longer, some 3 years ago or so. Some people may be in a position to change computer and OS each and every time someone at Apple thinks it's funny (I doubt anybody in their right mind might think it's good business) to stop supporting a two-year old system, but, fortunately or not, that's not my case. So in 2015 I believe, if I didn't want to let my precious BTCs go into oblivion, I was forced into finding a solution. Which was installing Electrum on a VirtualBox image dedicated specifically to that: giving me access to my BTC wallet by running Electrum. In three years, I've never had a serious problem until now.

Like it or not, that's my real world. But, pardon me — did you say… Windoze  — like… you'd want me to buy a Wz machine and learn to use that crappy interface? A bit hilarious, I must say.

Incidentally, each and every time I need to pay out some BTCs I could ask my grandchild, who has Electrum 3.2.2 running on a Mac with Sierra. Not quite practical, though. Getting some sensible suggestions from sensible people on a discussion board like this one seems sounds like a much better idea, to me at least.

[jackg]

Thats literally all you have to do.

I understand that it's difficult for many people, including myself, to keep track of all posts and the possible variety of solutions suggested within a single thread, but as said earlier (and quoted by yourself), I'm only able to try one thing at a time.

But you might consider using windows instead of linux. You seem to be extremely lost.
A better OS doesn't secure you more if you don't know how to handle it. In your case a windows setup should be more suitable.

Now, let me try not to be too naughty. I've worked with Ataris, then Macs (when Atari went down the drain, partly for being too good at what they were doing) since the mid-80's. My partner worked with DOS since the early 80's, then moved to Macs too. I have used the Mac GUI of Electrum until the programmers decided not to support my OS any longer, some 3 years ago or so. Some people may be in a position to change computer and OS each and every time someone at Apple thinks it's funny (I doubt anybody in their right mind might think it's good business) to stop supporting a two-year old system, but, fortunately or not, that's not my case. So in 2015 I believe, if I didn't want to let my precious BTCs go into oblivion, I was forced into finding a solution. Which was installing Electrum on a VirtualBox image dedicated specifically to that: giving me access to my BTC wallet by running Electrum. In three years, I've never had a serious problem until now.

Like it or not, that's my real world. But, pardon me — did you say… Windoze — like… you'd want me to buy a Wz machine and learn to use that crappy interface? A bit hilarious, I must say.

Incidentally, each and every time I need to pay out some BTCs I could ask my grandchild, who has Electrum 3.2.2 running on a Mac with Sierra. Not quite practical, though. Getting some sensible suggestions from sensible people on a discussion board like this one seems sounds like a much better idea, to me at least.

I don't get this habit of using virtualbox also. If you're running linux, virtual box is just going to slow you down isn't it?

Also, you could move to this directory "/home/~/.cache/pip/" and run ls -l to check its permissions and/or if the directory exists, however, not having cache on pip probably isn't too much of a problem.

If electrum runs now then you're good though.

[Josson]

I don't get this habit of using virtualbox also. If you're running linux, virtual box is just going to slow you down isn't it?

Yes. you are right, it's quite slow, although it has become much faster after I updated Ubuntu while mucking about with this issue, and maybe also by getting rid of plenty of useless stuff (LibreOffice, Thunderbird) in the process. But I don't think speed is essential when using Electrum, as opposed to, say, a browser or a graphic app.

As said, the only purpose of using VirtualBox/Ubuntu (and a legacy version at that) was to run Electrum under a no longer supported MacOS. That was the best solution we found at the time, but if you know of anything better for that purpose, I'd be happy to hear about it (buying a PC for the sake of running Linux is not an option)

[jackg]

I don't get this habit of using virtualbox also. If you're running linux, virtual box is just going to slow you down isn't it?

Yes. you are right, it's quite slow, although it has become much faster after I updated Ubuntu while mucking about with this issue, and maybe also by getting rid of plenty of useless stuff (LibreOffice, Thunderbird) in the process. But I don't think speed is essential when using Electrum, as opposed to, say, a browser or a graphic app.

As said, the only purpose of using VirtualBox/Ubuntu (and a legacy version at that) was to run Electrum under a no longer supported MacOS. That was the best solution we found at the time, but if you know of anything better for that purpose, I'd be happy to hear about it (buying a PC for the sake of running Linux is not an option)

I'm not sure if there's a solution for you. My solution would be to replace mac osx with Ubuntu (but that's just because I hate macs, even more than Windows).

You might be able to ask a computer supplier if they'll give you an old computer (I know someone who got one that way as it cost the company more to recycle their machines then it does to just pass them onto other people). In some countries, depending on where you are, when you're finished with a computer, you either return it to the manufacturer or take it to be electrically recycled - either way, if the computer still "functions" (to a loose degree) they'll probably just try to give it away/sell it for a tiny price.

[Josson]

@jackg:

Macs must have made you really suffer. Even if I'd be far from admitting that they're perfect, I still don't know anything better, GUI-wise.

And yes, thank you, that could be a good idea. But right now everything related to security (essential in BTC matters, not?) in VirtualBox is “tunnelled” through the Mac OS (system firewall, Little Snitch, VPN interface etc.), so I'd have to evaluate your suggestion against acquiring new software for a system I don't know, setting it up, learning how to use it etc. When time and energies are not infinite…

[HCP]

Now, in what's quoted above, there appears to be some errors, in orange and in red — should these be corrected? If so, how?

Again, I believe that part of this is because you have the older version of python (3.4) installed.

I highly recommend upgrading to 3.5 or higher.

The orange part (sudo error) can be solved by doing what it suggested... Use "sudo -H" instead of just "sudo":

Code:

sudo -H pip3 install typing

[Josson]

Again, I believe that part of this is because you have the older version of python (3.4) installed.

I highly recommend upgrading to 3.5 or higher.

The orange part (sudo error) can be solved by doing what it suggested... Use "sudo -H" instead of just "sudo":

Code:

sudo -H pip3 install typing

Thanks. Yes, before starting this thread I had also been led to believe that updating python to 3.5 from 3.4 might be part of the problem. But at the time I couldn't figure out how to do this update. And I still can't, unless the command you're giving me here is intended to do just that — which I'm not sure of (if you'll excuse me, I've gotten a bit lost between the various recommendations since the beginning.)

Anyway, I've applied it, but it doesn't get me very far, apparently. This is what I'm getting:

Requirement already satisfied: typing in /usr/local/lib/python3.4/dist-packages (3.6.4)
protobuf 3.4.0 has requirement six>=1.9, but you'll have six 1.5.2 which is incompatible.

Still quite perplexing…