Topic: About Armory and the blockchain (Read 608 times)

YES!!

I love it when it works   

That did the trick! It now tells me being online. Thank you so much, helping me out with it. This adresses to all of you.

Looking at your log file, it appears that you have reverted to an older version of ArmoryQT? "0.96.3" I'm not sure if that is causing the current issue... but I would suggest you go here: https://github.com/goatpig/BitcoinArmory/releases/ and download the "0.96.4 RC3" release, somewhat confusingly numbered "0.96.3.992".

The "standalone" version is named: armory_0.96.3.992_win64.zip (https://github.com/goatpig/BitcoinArmory/releases/download/v0.96.3.992/armory_0.96.3.992_win64.zip)


I really don't understand why, after the app has clearly been invoked with --satoshi-datadir, and it even says "Satoshi BTC directory : H:\Blockchain", it is looking in the default location. I *suspect* this might be an issue with the older version. Try doing the same thing with the latest version and lets see what errors we get in your armorylog.txt

I welcome your step-by-step help.

https://pastebin.com/mqwVWEpv

I suppose this line is the problem, but I'm not sure what it means and what I have to do.

Ok, so now that Bitcoin Core is running... and you've attempted to connect Armory to it, can you please post the current armorylog.txt file using pastebin.

We should now be able to get a better idea of why Armory is not connecting and make sure that it is looking in the right place for your blockchain data!

Nice idea. If I do this and restart Bitcoin Core, it prompts me for letting bitcoinqt pass through my firewall which I allow. Armory still is offline.

Windows 10 right? I'm fairly confident that you will never get "online" until you add the following lines to your "bitcoin.conf" (should be in H:\Blockchain):
No matter what I do, without listen=1, Armory will not show "online"... or it will show "online" but will not pickup new blocks...


Anyway, an armoryqt.conf file in "C:\Users\YOURUSERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Armory" (assuming you left the Armory datadir as default) with:
Should work nicely...

You'll also want to make sure that you're not running Armory from a shortcut that contains any command line arguments, otherwise they will override the values in the armoryqt.conf file.

And, I'd recommend removing the armorylog.txt and dbLog.txt files from "C:\Users\YOURUSERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Armory", so that the ones being created are nice and fresh and will make troubleshooting easier

it will use your existing wallets if it finds them, or prompt you to import them if it does not

As already stated, the (custom) directory is "H:\Blockchain". (I simplified it due to recommendations of this thread. It's no longer "H:\Blockchain Core")
As already stated, Armory tells me being offline whether specifing the mentioned directory by the armoryqt.conf file or not. (Of cause whether H:\Blockchain Core nor H:\Blockchain worked.)
I'll give it one last try, installing the install versions of both Bitcoin Core and Armory.

Tell me one thing: Do I have to create a wallet before Armory tells me being online?

^^ this

Because you have Bitcoin Core setup with it's data directory in a "custom" location... and have not told Armory (correctly) where that location is.

Can you please start Bitcoin Core, goto: "Help -> Debug Window -> Information" and tell us what the value of "Datadir" is:



That is the ACTUAL data directory that your instance of Bitcoin Core is currently using and is the path that needs to be added to your armoryqt.conf file


Also, I noticed that you have mentioned that you're using the "portable" version of both Armory and Bitcoin Core... however, they are not really "portable" (as they don't create data directories in the location they are run from)... instead they are probably better considered to be "standalone". They don't use an installer etc and you can just put them anywhere and run them, but due to the way these applications work, they will setup their data directories in "default" locations... like C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin and C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Armory, unless otherwise specified. I suspect this might be causing some issues with getting your .conf file read by Armory.

Sure, you didn't say "delete it". But it seemed to me that the specifications within armoryqt.conf don't have any effect, that's why I deleted the file completely (as it doesn't exist by default). Of cause, I tried your suggestions (without success).

Ther is a bitcoin.conf file in the directory of the blockchain that I did not create by myself. It is empty. Maybe it is there by default.

BitcoinCore does find the blockchain in its custom location, but obviously Armor does not. I don't know why.

I specified the directory of the blockchain for BitcoinCore via its graphical user interface. Unfortunately this works for BitcoinCore only.

ffs dude, where did he say to DELETE the .conf file?

that's not going to work

I didn't say delete armoyqt.conf...

Armory needs to know where the block chain is.

I said that you don't need to point to default locations in the config. You do, however, need to point to the custom locations (such as your block chain) in the conifig....

You "left bitcoin.conf on it's defaults"? What is that? By default there is no bitcoin.conf afaik. If you have your block chain in a custom location, it not default.

It seems to me that you have pathing issues, but I can't explain it any clearer than my previous attempt.

Thank you for your detailed notes.

I changed the name from "Blockchain Core" to "Blockchain" instead of "Bitcoin".
I deleted the "armoryqt.conf".
I left "bitcoin.conf" being on its defaults.

Nothing changed. I tried variants with checking the "let armory ..." option, with unchecking it and both, using the "home dir" entry and not using it (leaving it empty).

Nothing worked.

I'm giving it up, now. I definitly am done with Armory.

Alan's autobitcoind is the devil.

If Armory isn't controlling Bitcoin Core, ignore "bitcoin install directory". Pretend you've never heard that term.

You certainly do not need to use custom directories with the portable versions of either Bitcoin Core or Armory. Where did you get this idea?

Unless absolutely necessary, leave everything in it's default location.

You don't need to point to default locations in a config file (as you've done above). The amount of data Armory requires should fit in the default location, there really isn't any reason to use a custom path.

If you use a custom path for the block chain, make sure that path matches in both Bitcoin Core and Armory.

Keep paths simple. "Blockchain Core" is the name of the folder where you keep the block chain? Just call it "Bitcoin" for the love of all things holy. Why are you using quotes, they aren't necessary (if you don't use spaces in your folder name, which you shouldn't).

Here is an example of my exact config files.

bitcoin.conf


As you can see, I've relocated the block chain data to my D drive. Now, I have to tell Armory where that data is located.

armoryqt.conf


The D drive on my computer has one folder in it called "Bitcoin".

This setup works every time, without fail, on a clean Windows 10. I start Bitcoin Core (from a folder on my desktop, never installed). I wait for it to finish syncing, then I start Armory (from a folder on my desktop, never installed). If I want to use an existing wallet, I copy that to the Armory folder before the initial start up.

If I were you, I would:

1. Delete the contents of the Armory folder in C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming except for the wallet files.

1. Copy my config files into the appropriate folders.
            
            bitcoin.conf goes into C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Bitcoin

            armoryqt.conf goes into C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Armory

2. Modify the config files with your specific locations. Keep it as simple as you can (like mine).

Hopefully this shines some light on pathing. Either do as suggested or modify your current setup with the above in mind. If this doesn't work, I would delete your block chain and start from scratch.

First of all, thank you for all of your responses!

Pretty sure it has to be a custom directory since I'm using the portable version of Bitcoin Core. I thought it has to be the directory where Armory can be found. Now I know it has to point to the Bitcoin Core directory, but it is obsolet because you wrote that I should deactivate the "Let armory run ..." option. Now I use the armoryqt.conf file as suggested by you:

This is how Armory looks like, now (still offline ):


This is the armory settings dialog as it looks now:

It depends. The default path is where it goes for most people. (On Windows, I believe C:\Users\*USERNAME-GOES-HERE*\AppData\Roaming\Armory is the location. Some people are moving their data around due to storage issues, though That's fine so long as they make sure to point Armory in the correct directions upon startup.

So more accurately it might be

?

I know mine is D:\armory, I did not remember if I chose that specifically or not...I guess not.

One subtle but important note: datadir is actually where Armory data, such as config files and wallets, are found. By default, within that directory is a "databases" subfolder, which is where the Armory DB will be found. As written, I don't think it's easy to override the DB location. ArmoryDB can override this setting in armorydb.conf with the "dbdir" setting, as seen here. However, command line invocations, such as the one Armory uses, override whatever's in the config. So, Armory users would have to alter the code to either not use dbdir in the command line invocation, or alter it to use whatever it is they really want.

(All this will be placed in an ArmoryDB README. Pinky swear. It's almost done. I've just been distracted by more pressing matters.)