Fun & learning with Electrum EPS, Electrum wallet & Bitcoin Core QT in Win 11

[arabspaceship123]

Thanks o_e_l_e_o for amazing free advice. It's running now without complaints.

I don't have Tor connectivity problems. My Electrum wallet's loaded on Tor over Electrum Personal Server. My Bitcore Core's running on my localhost set. Bitcoin Core doesn't broadcast transactions with walletbroadcast=0 inserted so it's functioning as I wanted on my Windows without drawbacks.

It's another fun & learning completed. I'm keeping the thread open to answer questions but I'll lock soon.

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[arabspaceship123]

I'm glad I didn't lock up the thread. I've missed reporting a very important function if you've configured Electrum EPS, Electrum wallet & Bitcoin Core QT together. You'll enjoy a watch-only tool in Bitcoin Core wallet showing combined balances of MPKs you've inserted to config.ini in EPS. Don't forget to select settings>>options>>enable rpc server.

You've got your Bitcoin Core balance next to watch-only balances. Recent transactions list includes Electrum watch-only incoming transactions. You'll be able to manage finances with comfort. If you're running your own Bitcoin Core node you can't gain more for privacy if you use localhost, EPS, Electrum Wallet and Tor.

[arabspaceship123]

I've tried sending another transaction unsuccessfully. Examining files I noticed server=1 was missing in my bitcoin.conf file I don't know how it was removed. What confused me was EPS broadcasts it but Electrum Wallet doesn't send funds. It's working after server=1 was inserted.

I've locked the thread.

[arabspaceship123]

I've unlocked to ask a question bugging me.

I haven't encountered problems I'm pleased it's working but I don't understand how Bitcoin Core displays watch-only address balances if EPS isn't running.

In my EPS config.ini I've added multiple MPK so how's Bitcoin Core showing accumulative balances if I didn't open EPS or Electrum wallet? Bitcoin Core alerted when a watch-only address received payment while EPS wasn't running. My RPC setting's active in Bitcoin Core so where's it receiving my MPK list from?

[arabspaceship123]

Can you help? How's Bitcoin Core watch-only addresses functioning listing watch-only addresses in real time. I've compiled MPK's in EPS config.ini but if my EPS isn't running where's Bitcoin Core's getting the addresses from. Bitcoin Core's listing watch-only addresses in real time. It's confusing.

[nc50lc]

I've compiled MPK's in EPS config.ini but if my EPS isn't running where's Bitcoin Core's getting the addresses from. Bitcoin Core's listing watch-only addresses in real time. It's confusing.

It's imported to a "watching-only" wallet in Bitcoin Core.
Reference: github.com/chris-belcher/electrum-personal-server#how-to

It's a way for Electrum Personal Server to fetch your transactions from Bitcoin Core without requiring a full UTXO set index.
Since it's a wallet, it's saved in Bitcoin Core's data directory and will load whether EPS is running or not.
It works like a normal wallet but doesn't contain any private keys.

[arabspaceship123]

It's a question that's been answered by another amazing helper so thanks for the info. I couldn't understand how Bitcoin Core showed watch-only addresses if EPS wasn't open. It's understood now.

It isn't easy running nodes because of SSD GB occupied by Bitcoin's blockchain. If you're using a node on Windows trying EPS & Electrum Wallet for a new experience's advisable.

It's imported to a "watching-only" wallet in Bitcoin Core.
Reference: github.com/chris-belcher/electrum-personal-server#how-to

It's a way for Electrum Personal Server to fetch your transactions from Bitcoin Core without requiring a full UTXO set index.
Since it's a wallet, it's saved in Bitcoin Core's data directory and will load whether EPS is running or not.
It works like a normal wallet but doesn't contain any private keys.

[arabspaceship123]

EPS config.ini

Code:

# Parameter for broadcasting unconfirmed transactions
# Options are:
# * tor-or-own-node  (use tor if tor is running locally, otherwise own-node)
# * own-node         (broadcast using the connected full node)
# * tor              (broadcast to random nodes over tor)
# * system <cmd> %s  (save transaction to file, and invoke system command
#                     with file path as parameter %s)
broadcast_method = tor-or-own-node  
#broadcast_method = own-node
#broadcast_method = tor  

# For tor broadcasting (broadcast_method = tor) configure
# the tor proxy host and port below
# tor_host = localhost 
# tor_host = 127.0.0.1
# tor_port = 9150

My settings aren't working for tor only in config.ini so it isn't broadcasting transactions. It's working using tor-or-own-node here's a typical output

Code:

Broadcasting tx xx with broadcast method: tor-or-own-node. Tor detected at ('127.0.0.1', 9150). Broadcasting through tor.

If tor's detected it'll broadcast over tor or else own node ip. Are you using a better methodology?

[nc50lc]

EPS config.ini

Code:

# For tor broadcasting (broadcast_method = tor) configure
# the tor proxy host and port below
# tor_host = localhost 
# tor_host = 127.0.0.1
# tor_port = 9150

My settings aren't working for tor only in config.ini so it isn't broadcasting transactions.

Those "tor_host" and "tor_port" options aren't commented-out by default, is there a reason why you disabled them?
If so, it could be the reason since it explicitly noted that those are required for broadcast_method = tor.

Also, 127.0.0.1 IP already reserved for localhost, although putting duplicate wont cause harm, setting both at the same time is still unnecessary.

[arabspaceship123]

The EPS only works over tor when I'm using broadcast_method = tor-or-own-node that's when the output's

Code:

Tor detected at ('127.0.0.1', 9150). Broadcasting through tor.

The lines were commented out by default in the EPS I've downloaded. When I've used tor instead of tor-or-own-node for broadcast_method it doesn't broadcast or process transactions. I've altered settings for tor host & tor post with 9150, localhost & 127.0.0.1 but those settings don't work.

For recap it's working over tor only when broadcast_method = tor-or-own-node gets used. If you're using EPS on Win11 is that how you're using it?

Those "tor_host" and "tor_port" options aren't commented-out by default, is there a reason why you disabled them?
If so, it could be the reason since it explicitly noted that those are required for broadcast_method = tor.

Also, 127.0.0.1 IP already reserved for localhost, although putting duplicate wont cause harm, setting both at the same time is still unnecessary.

[nc50lc]

The lines were commented out by default in the EPS I've downloaded. When I've used tor instead of tor-or-own-node for broadcast_method it doesn't broadcast or process transactions. I've altered settings for tor host & tor post with 9150, localhost & 127.0.0.1 but those settings don't work.

I was talking about: config.ini_sample which is copied to config.ini as per the instructions.
My reply is just based off the notes in the commented lines; if it doesn't work then you may have to stick with the working config.

[arabspaceship123]

Thanks. I've tried making it work by uncommenting & modifying the tor lines but it doesn't solve it. I've got the EPS code working with configs on using tor-or-own-network. The internet's connected over tor so it's secure but it doesn't work in the way it's supposed to because tor only works on tor-or-own-network setting. If it's a Windows issue it doesn't matter I won't investigate it longer.

I was talking about: config.ini_sample which is copied to config.ini as per the instructions.
My reply is just based off the notes in the commented lines; if it doesn't work then you may have to stick with the working config.

[o_e_l_e_o]

Note that port 9050 is for the Tor daemon, and 9150 is for the Tor browser.
I assume when you try using tor you are commenting out tor-or-own-node and not leaving a conflict?

Can you check the logs when you try to broadcast over tor only and see what they say?

[arabspaceship123]

Note that port 9050 is for the Tor daemon, and 9150 is for the Tor browser.
I assume when you try using tor you are commenting out tor-or-own-node and not leaving a conflict?

There shouldn't be a conflict because of the lines I've uncommented it looks like it should work. I've used tor browser for broadcast_method = tor-or-own-node which works on config tor_port 9150. It doesn't broadcast on broadcast_method = tor so I've implemented combos which didn't work. It's annoying but isn't critical.

Code:

# Parameter for broadcasting unconfirmed transactions
# Options are:
# * tor-or-own-node  (use tor if tor is running locally, otherwise own-node)
# * own-node         (broadcast using the connected full node)
# * tor              (broadcast to random nodes over tor)
# * system <cmd> %s  (save transaction to file, and invoke system command
#                     with file path as parameter %s)
#broadcast_method = tor-or-own-node  
#broadcast_method = own-node
broadcast_method = tor  

# For tor broadcasting (broadcast_method = tor) configure
# the tor proxy host and port below
tor_host = localhost 
# tor_host = 127.0.0.1
tor_port = 9150

Can you check the logs when you try to broadcast over tor only and see what they say?

I've checked but it's like EPS on Windows doesn't have a log file. The bitcoin core log doesn't output EPS tor_port errors.

[o_e_l_e_o]

I've checked but it's like EPS on Windows doesn't have a log file. The bitcoin core log doesn't output EPS tor_port errors.

There definitely will be a log file. I don't run Windows so I can't say for sure, but at the top of the EPS window when you launch it it should tell you where it is logging to.

Edit: Here's an issue from their GitHub from someone running Windows 10, which says it is logging to "C:\Users\[user]\AppData\Local\Temp/electrumpersonalserver.log". Check there.

[arabspaceship123]

Thanks o_e_l_e_o I was looking in the wrong folder in AppData\Roaming. I should've checked their GitHub before posting but it's there in AppData\Local\Temp/ like you say.

I've searched for tor in the electrumpersonalserver.log file. I'm hitting history and monitor but there isn't an output for tor errors. It's logged connection errors like Error with bitcoin json-rpc: JsonRpcError({'code': -28, 'message': 'Loading wallet '}) while Bitcoin Core's loading but nothing specifically about tor.

I've said before the broadcast_method = tor-or-own-node or broadcast_method = tor issue isn't critical to running EPS on Win 11 over tor but I'd like to know why it doesn't work the way it's supposed to. I'll take a detailed look at the electrumpersonalserver.log when I'm ready to test EPS over tor again. I'll set configs to tor_port=9050 & 9150 with tor browser open-closed. Thanks for helping try to pinpoint what's going on.

There definitely will be a log file. I don't run Windows so I can't say for sure, but at the top of the EPS window when you launch it it should tell you where it is logging to.

Edit: Here's an issue from their GitHub from someone running Windows 10, which says it is logging to "C:\Users\[user]\AppData\Local\Temp/electrumpersonalserver.log". Check there.

[o_e_l_e_o]

I wouldn't expect the log file to show anything until it actually encounters the error, and given the log file is overwritten each time you start EPS, then if there were any logs in there from before they won't be there anymore.

You'll need to start EPS with the config.ini file set up for broadcast_method = tor and actually try to broadcast a transaction and have it fail, then examine the .log file to see why.