Topic: Help please, Armory crashing constantly. (Read 3678 times)

My Armory wallet problems appear to have been resolved by version 0.90.99.4 Beta

Nice. Let's hope so.

Thanks for the wallet, it loaded on first try with 0.91-dev, so Im hoping you will have the same smooth experience with the upcoming test build

I almost forgot... Sure I'll take your watching only wallet. PM if you feel like it.

 

I'm not in a hurry anymore. I exported a private key and got the coins that I needed out, so I can wait for the next version.

Thanks for the work you are doing! Armory has some great features and I'm looking forward to using a stable version in the future.

I don't know what's up with you but you do have a tendency of attracting the worst luck ever. This first testing version retains a bug from 0.90 that got fixed after etotheipi put out the download links. It's a rare form and you in your glorious maelstrom of god knows what managed to catch it along with the rest. I hope you win at some lottery at some point in your life balance all this crap, sincerely.

Anyways, the ledger entry issue and some other minor wallet related fixes come after the current test build, and this is what I suspect you are trully aiming for. Keep in mind, whoever is using 0.90.99 and any versions to come, that you cannot piggy back off of an existing Armory DB with this. Some of the DB inner settings were changed and you'll have to rebuild it from scratch with the newer versions. It is is a matter of days before the next testing build, granted we delayed again to cram in a couple extra additions. Sorry about that, it's a long process by all means.

Also, loading with no wallet on the current test version is not gonna get you anywhere. That part was fixed again after that first test build was put up.

I tried starting from scratch with version 0.90.99. Armory crashed a couple of times during the initial scanning, but eventually it did manage to initialize everything. It ran stable for a while with no wallets imported. Then I tried to add my watch-only wallet and it immediately crashed when it started to scan the transaction history. The only error I see in the logs is in the last lines of armorycpplog:

I could send you the wallet if it helps..

I have no intention to sugar coat anything. The perception you have of me is irrelevant in this matter. You were given a choice and you took it. You chose to stick with our recommendation. That's the choice of security, and its cost is convenience. We're back at the same discussion.

I am not denying the existence of this issue nor your state of distress. If you can't see this issue from our end of the spectrum, however, you are only going to frustrate yourself further. I already exposed that these errors are hard to fix because we cannot reproduce them in our dev environment.

I'll make this offer to you right now: send me your watching only wallet and I'll look at it personally. How I distribute the fix if your wallet proves to be crippled by an issue we haven't fixed yet, that's something up to discussion, but it WILL involve that you step out of your comfort zone at least as much as you'd have to by delivering your watching only wallet to me. You'll have to PM me to set up a direct line to deliver the wallet.

You compare us to MtGox. You are mistaken in thinking what ticks me off is the comparison in image. Frankly I don't care if you love or hate us. Murphy's law is a developer's nightmare and some users like you will have the worst time ever using our product. That damage is done. While I can fix the bug, I can't fix the image, nor will I try to. For you to find the patience to wait on the fix or the goodness to forgive the mistakes is not a process I can be part of, nor am I foolish enough to try.

What ticks me off is displaced guilt. MtGox was responsible for its customers funds. With Armory the users have this responsibility. You have a say in the matter. You had 2 informations at your disposal: there is a fix in the dev branch and we do not recommend using the dev branch. You made your choice and I frankly think it was the better one. A third choice would have been to cut your losses. Implying that no other alternative exists but to wait for us to give you back control of your coins is wrong.

As for the support, believe it or not, this is done on personal time. And none of us are here 24/7. You also caught us at a busy time. The 2 seniors were way busy, the 2 new employees still in training, that leaves me and I'm not here all the time. Once it gets to the point where the issue is fixed, what do you want me to say to you besides hang in tight for the next release? I simply cannot provide you with a way of getting your current version of Armory to avoid this bug. What does that leave? Maybe it would be more comfortable to receive a weekly notice from the team that we are doing our best to deliver the newest release blah blah... but in the end, that won't amount to a faster resolution.

goatpig, as i said, sorry for venting. This will be my last comment to you, regardless of how much more of an ass you manage to become.

First off, do your own research. As I already said, I was told NOT to use a test version.


If you read the posts following, you'll notice I did as recommended and posted the results. Unfortunately I got not response. Or maybe go read the multiple github bug reports regarding this issue that went ignored (only commented on by other users with similar experiences). Regardless of your lack of experience in this issue, it does exist.

I'm not asking for a "hot fix". I was asking for a fix. And no, I don't normally don't download a dev branch without some communication regarding the status. Which I got. Which was not to use it.

I have now downloaded the branch it and began downloading the chain (again) over 2 hours ago based on the post from etotheipi in the main discussion thread. Thanks anyway for your response.

If a Mt. Gox comment gets your panties this twisted, then I'm sorry. Sort of. FYI, nowhere in your EULA does it say "you will not comment on said product except in terms of unicorns and butterflies". Don't expect people to always love you, and grow some thicker skin.

Zoella: Seeing that you were asking for a testing build I went ahead and assumed you were a Windows user. The restriction on releases only truly affects Windows users. If you are a Linux user and want up to date fixes, just pull the dev branch and try out the new code. This is open source for a reason.

On Windows, you need to install 4 different software suites, about 10 python packages, configure everything properly, then you can build. On Debian/Ubuntu, this is all you have to do to build from source:


Found here: https://bitcoinarmory.com/download/building-armory-from-source/

If you want to build the dev branch instead of the master branch, do this between step 3 and 4:


This is what I mean when I say you didn't do your research. You had alternatives, between just dumping Armory and moving on, or trying to build the dev branch and see for yourself. The counter part to security is convenience. You want the security of a release with all the fixes, you are at our mercy. You want the up to date fixes right away, pull the dev branch at your own risk. No amount of bitching or hair pulling is going to change this. Or you can move on and come back when it's working.

We certainly want you to use our software, but in terms of priority, we'd rather you get to use your bitcoins, even if it means you can't use Armory for the time being. This why the fail safes are in place. Again, this is reality, no amount of insulting me if going to change that. And it won't advance your case any further.

However, to me it looks like you are not aware of all of the options at your disposal. We've had Windows users that got frustrated enough they installed Ubuntu and built from source. You're a Linux user and are asking for a hot fix release when clearly you are not part of the demographic limited to a release format.

You act in all points like the users who can't broadcast their transactions. You insist on doing it through Armory when you can grab the hex output and broadcast elsewhere. The only outcome is frustration, on both sides. Either work around the issue or use something else until we get better at our jobs. But stop it with that mentality that we somehow owe you something. This is free, open source software. The EULA clearly states you are using it at your own risk. If you can't get it to work or it refuses to work, don't expect a quick delivery on a fix. In view of certain bugs, we had to overhaul entire parts of Armory and add new features to support it, because that was the only way to deliver a robust fix. Consider our reality too and act accordingly.

simmo77, Finnminner: Looks like the ledger issue. Obviously if Armory has failed across several installs and blockchain copies, the issue lies within the wallet, or rather the transactions holding your coins. The reason we never run into this issue is because the wallets we use don't have coins held by these transactions messing Armory up. For the record, this is how I caught the ledger entry issue: A user got frustrated enough he sent his incriminated watching only wallet. This was fixed within the day. Again this is a good example of convenience vs security: your privacy against helping us fix a bug.

Finnminner: I mentionned this as a reference to users who can get Armory online but have issues broadcasting their transactions. In your case, idoB has it right, you have to grab the private keys through the backup center and use another client/webclient to move the coins.

NP mate, I'm frustrated too - but it's beta software and it's the best option out there - so lets all be patient and wait for the patch.

Thanks everyone (esp. idoB) for your input and assistance thus far.

simmo77, sorry to derail your thread. Will shut up and wait for new release now.

goatpig, sorry for the anger. Too little sleep and frustration left me venting. Will shut up and wait for new release now.

From what I know, the "BDM not ready..." means Armory's backend hangs while processing blockchain data. - It's a known, previously reported bug.

The bad news: I think you'll need to wait for the next release - hopefully next week.

The good news: Your coins are still safe, diametrically opposed to having them stored on an online computer, not to mention an online wallet.

The ugly: If you need to spend urgently, you can go to the offline computer, pick an address with enough funds, copy its private key manually and import it to bitcoin-qt on the online computer and broadcast from there. Ugly workaround, I know, but it'll keep your coins offline.

Is there really a way I can do this? My offline Armory is working, but the online Armory that has the watching-only wallet crashes constantly so that I can't initiate the transaction. How do I generate the transaction using only the offline Armory?

hi guys

i ve been able to solve my issue by deleting the wallet and then importing the watch only wallet to my online computer.

it has rebuild the db and worked without crashing this time

i hope it ll help

Meanwhile... back at the ranch...


Goatpig, just for completeness I did another uninstall of Armory, removed the Armory Appdata folder and reinstalled from scratch.

This time, I attempted to recover from paper backup, I tried my Spending wallet (the problematic one with ~100) transactions and got the same issue. Armory Log error details below:



2014-03-17 13:49 (INFO) -- ArmoryQt.py:4465 - Dashboard switched to fully-online mode
2014-03-17 13:49 (INFO) -- ArmoryQt.py:3838 - Switching Armory state text to Mgmt:User, State:OnlineFull1
2014-03-17 13:49 (INFO) -- ArmoryQt.py:3780 - Switching Armory functional mode to "Online"
2014-03-17 13:49 (INFO) -- ArmoryQt.py:3838 - Switching Armory state text to Mgmt:User, State:OnlineFull2
2014-03-17 13:49 (INFO) -- ArmoryQt.py:4465 - Dashboard switched to fully-online mode
2014-03-17 13:49 (INFO) -- ArmoryQt.py:3838 - Switching Armory state text to Mgmt:User, State:OnlineFull1
2014-03-17 13:49 (INFO) -- ArmoryQt.py:3780 - Switching Armory functional mode to "Online"
2014-03-17 13:49 (INFO) -- ArmoryQt.py:3838 - Switching Armory state text to Mgmt:User, State:OnlineFull2
2014-03-17 13:49 (INFO) -- ArmoryQt.py:1913 - Syncing wallet:
2014-03-17 13:49 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12346 - BDM was not ready for your request!  Waited 20 sec.
2014-03-17 13:49 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12347 -   getattr   name: scanRegisteredTxForWallet
2014-03-17 13:49 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12348 - BDM currently doing: Passthrough (24204314)
2014-03-17 13:49 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12349 - Waiting for completion: ID= 24204314
2014-03-17 13:49 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12350 - Direct traceback
2014-03-17 13:49 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12353 - Traceback:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "armoryengine.pyc", line 12343, in passthruFunc
  File "Queue.pyc", line 176, in get
Empty
2014-03-17 13:49 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12346 - BDM was not ready for your request!  Waited 20 sec.
2014-03-17 13:49 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12347 -   getattr   name: getTopBlockHeight
2014-03-17 13:49 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12348 - BDM currently doing: Passthrough (24204314)
2014-03-17 13:49 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12349 - Waiting for completion: ID= 5388000
2014-03-17 13:49 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12350 - Direct traceback
2014-03-17 13:49 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12353 - Traceback:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "armoryengine.pyc", line 12343, in passthruFunc
  File "Queue.pyc", line 176, in get
Empty
2014-03-17 13:50 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12346 - BDM was not ready for your request!  Waited 20 sec.
2014-03-17 13:50 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12347 -   getattr   name: scanRegisteredTxForWallet
2014-03-17 13:50 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12348 - BDM currently doing: Passthrough (24204314)
2014-03-17 13:50 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12349 - Waiting for completion: ID= 42579054
2014-03-17 13:50 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12350 - Direct traceback
2014-03-17 13:50 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12353 - Traceback:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "armoryengine.pyc", line 12343, in passthruFunc
  File "Queue.pyc", line 176, in get
Empty
2014-03-17 13:50 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:13289 - ErrorOut var over-represented number of errors!
2014-03-17 13:50 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12346 - BDM was not ready for your request!  Waited 20 sec.
2014-03-17 13:50 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12347 -   getattr   name: getTopBlockHeight
2014-03-17 13:50 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12348 - BDM currently doing: Passthrough (42579054)
2014-03-17 13:50 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12349 - Waiting for completion: ID= 90485915
2014-03-17 13:50 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12350 - Direct traceback
2014-03-17 13:50 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12353 - Traceback:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "armoryengine.pyc", line 12343, in passthruFunc
  File "Queue.pyc", line 176, in get
Empty
2014-03-17 13:50 (ERROR) -- ArmoryQt.py:4826 - Error in heartbeat function
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "ArmoryQt.py", line 4684, in Heartbeat
  File "ArmoryQt.py", line 1917, in finishLoadBlockchain
  File "armoryengine.pyc", line 7851, in fillAddressPool
  File "armoryengine.pyc", line 7817, in computeNextAddress
  File "CppBlockUtils.pyc", line 1164, in addScrAddress_5_
TypeError: in method 'BtcWallet_addScrAddress_5_', argument 4 of type 'uint32_t'
2014-03-17 13:50 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12346 - BDM was not ready for your request!  Waited 20 sec.
2014-03-17 13:50 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12347 -   getattr   name: hasTxWithHash
2014-03-17 13:50 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12348 - BDM currently doing: Passthrough (42579054)
2014-03-17 13:50 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12349 - Waiting for completion: ID= 40123240
2014-03-17 13:50 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12350 - Direct traceback
2014-03-17 13:50 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12353 - Traceback:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "armoryengine.pyc", line 12343, in passthruFunc
  File "Queue.pyc", line 176, in get
Empty
2014-03-17 13:51 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12346 - BDM was not ready for your request!  Waited 20 sec.
2014-03-17 13:51 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12347 -   getattr   name: hasTxWithHash
2014-03-17 13:51 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12348 - BDM currently doing: Passthrough (42579054)
2014-03-17 13:51 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12349 - Waiting for completion: ID= 77130031
2014-03-17 13:51 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12350 - Direct traceback
2014-03-17 13:51 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12353 - Traceback:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "armoryengine.pyc", line 12343, in passthruFunc
  File "Queue.pyc", line 176, in get
Empty
2014-03-17 13:51 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:13289 - ErrorOut var over-represented number of errors!
2014-03-17 13:51 (INFO) -- ArmoryQt.py:4465 - Dashboard switched to fully-online mode
2014-03-17 13:51 (INFO) -- ArmoryQt.py:3838 - Switching Armory state text to Mgmt:User, State:OnlineFull1
2014-03-17 13:51 (INFO) -- ArmoryQt.py:3780 - Switching Armory functional mode to "Online"
2014-03-17 13:51 (INFO) -- ArmoryQt.py:3838 - Switching Armory state text to Mgmt:User, State:OnlineFull2
2014-03-17 13:51 (INFO) -- ArmoryQt.py:1913 - Syncing wallet: 7o5SRNto
2014-03-17 13:51 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12346 - BDM was not ready for your request!  Waited 20 sec.
2014-03-17 13:51 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12347 -   getattr   name: getTopBlockHeight
2014-03-17 13:51 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12348 - BDM currently doing: Passthrough (92244097)
2014-03-17 13:51 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12349 - Waiting for completion: ID= 21340281
2014-03-17 13:51 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12350 - Direct traceback
2014-03-17 13:51 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12353 - Traceback:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "armoryengine.pyc", line 12343, in passthruFunc
  File "Queue.pyc", line 176, in get
Empty
2014-03-17 13:51 (ERROR) -- ArmoryQt.py:4826 - Error in heartbeat function
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "ArmoryQt.py", line 4684, in Heartbeat
  File "ArmoryQt.py", line 1917, in finishLoadBlockchain
  File "armoryengine.pyc", line 7851, in fillAddressPool
  File "armoryengine.pyc", line 7817, in computeNextAddress
  File "CppBlockUtils.pyc", line 1164, in addScrAddress_5_
TypeError: in method 'BtcWallet_addScrAddress_5_', argument 4 of type 'uint32_t'
2014-03-17 13:52 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12346 - BDM was not ready for your request!  Waited 20 sec.
2014-03-17 13:52 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12347 -   getattr   name: hasTxWithHash
2014-03-17 13:52 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12348 - BDM currently doing: Passthrough (92244097)
2014-03-17 13:52 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12349 - Waiting for completion: ID= 14191813
2014-03-17 13:52 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12350 - Direct traceback
2014-03-17 13:52 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12353 - Traceback:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "armoryengine.pyc", line 12343, in passthruFunc
  File "Queue.pyc", line 176, in get
Empty
2014-03-17 13:52 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12346 - BDM was not ready for your request!  Waited 20 sec.
2014-03-17 13:52 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12347 -   getattr   name: hasTxWithHash
2014-03-17 13:52 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12348 - BDM currently doing: Passthrough (92244097)
2014-03-17 13:52 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12349 - Waiting for completion: ID= 14516070
2014-03-17 13:52 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12350 - Direct traceback
2014-03-17 13:52 (ERROR) -- armoryengine.pyc:12353 - Traceback:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "armoryengine.pyc", line 12343, in passthruFunc
  File "Queue.pyc", line 176, in get
Empty


I also checked the log of my main PC, the errors in the Armory Log are exactly the same. Both PCs are Windows 7 x64, the one that I exported the log above from has 4GB RAM, my other PC has 16GB.

That's so strange because I've tried various different versions on a couple of different Windows computers and I've had a huge number of problems with Armory crashing or becoming unresponsive. I seriously don't think I've ever managed to run it for more than 12 hours straight without crashing. At first it wasn't that big of a problem as I could still do the transactions I needed. But now I'm in the same boat as the OP and no matter what I do I'm unable to access my coins through Armory.

The only thing that just works is the offline Armory I have on a separate Linux computer.

But you have to agree that being forced to use another wallet app kinda defeats the purpose of Armory.

Yes, I guess I should not have wasted so many hours doing rebuild after rebuild of database, blockchain, and OS in so many different orders via different sources as recommended. I should have cut lose on this product a month ago when it first started acting up.

Look, I like the product. Which is why I wasted so much fucking time trying to get it to work. Then I read it's been fixed. Then I read their is a working test version. I don't use Windows, so I ask for source or a Linux binary. Then I'm told not to try the test version, the update is coming soon. Then I'm told to you're postponing the update to add more features. Frustrating? Try walking the troubleshooting tips.

And yes, I've got tested paper backups. How the fuck do you think I keep trying to import into all these fucking rebuilds everybody is being told to do? This has nothing to do with local copies of the blockchain, as I've rebuilt multiple client versions, redownloaded multiple blockchains on top of each rebuild, rebuilt multipled databases on top of each blockchain download. I've done this on 2 versions of linux, on and off VM's, and went so far as to try a Windows build.

Fuck off with your condescending attitude. Yeah I bitched about your product, but you've postponed a fix to a major problem so you can bundle the next release with more features?! Of course Armory is an advanced wallet. Why the fuck do you think I've followed all of your fucking recommendations on here to get to fucking work?! All of the advances in the world are worth dick all if it doesn't work.

I'm sorry if I touched a nerve with the Mt. Gox comment, but when the troubleshooting recommendation to just about everything is either spend days redownloading the blockchain or hours rebuilding the database (usually both) you tend to get a little frustrated.

EDIT:
Oh, and guess what's going on in the background again tonight! Another fucking evening of sync/scan/crash.

You can always get your BTC out by simply recovering the private keys. If you are using Bitcoin and don't comprehend this feature, or you do not suspect Armory can do this, you didn't do your research. Armory is an advanced wallet, it requires a time investment in order to be used properly. Granted, there are some bugs, and by replicating edge cases, we get to isolate and fix them. However, I have personally never ran into any of what you are experiencing, and I have built and synchronized different versions of Armory dozens of times, on quite a few OS. The only reason these bugs persist is because out of currently 5 full time developers, none of us has ever ran into such a situation. Try and imagine the difficulty of this fix now.

If you did take the time to read the cold storage tutorial on our page, you would have a tested paper backup. This guarantees you have control of your coins.

Your coins are always accessible. You can extract all of your private keys through the backup center. You can always broadcast transactions. If Armory is acting up, just grab the hex output for the transaction and broadcast it with another client/webclient. Armory doesn't lock you away from your coins in any fashion, you are always in full control of your funds. MtGox held the private keys to the funds, this is how they robbed their users. With Armory, you hold the private keys, thus you are in control of your coins at all times. If Armory is buggy, you can and should simply use the privates keys and move your funds. The fail safe mechanisms in Armory will always provide you with a way to access your coins. Again, if you do not see how, you need to do your research.

As for a testing version, it's a matter of days now. We do not put out premature testing version with quick fixes because of several factors. One of them is that 0.90 came out with a brand new DB system, and as with any new feature, some insidious bugs came along. Fixing some of these requires overhauls to entire panels of the code, and such large changes take time and need to be tested in-house thouroughly before being released.

As we move forward in versions, newer features eventually stabilize. What you are experiencing is a feature in its very first version. Actually a lot of these issues came from the assumption that all the blocks saved in your local copy of the blockchain are valid. This assumption is wrong. It turns out it simply is cheaper for BitcoinQt to leave malformed versions of blocks locally as is rather than delete them and rearrange the data. As a result, while all block headers are present, some block data is malformed and thus invalid. Armory chokes on this when it performs full scans. Fixing this issue requires to eventually replace the missing blocks data, and implementing this goes way beyond the scope of identifying and ignoring corrupt data blocks.

That's great and all, but any chance we can get a patch or a test version?! It's not like we're looking for additional features or anything. We're just trying to get to our money, and your product is starting to become like Mt. Gox. We can put BTC in, but we can't get them out.