Hi,Mr.Paul
Kindly find the attachment.
Thanks.
Haha, yes I know it was the bottom of the log. I just meant that I don’t recall the terminology for the root/origin of a stack trace (whether it is called the “top” or the “bottom” of the stack). It’s been a minute since I went to college. Anyway, doesn’t matter. The log didn’t have anything new in it to help.
The latest findings seems to indicate the problem is not with Sparrow (since Fulcrum also cannot connect to the RPC). I think this means the most likely cause will either be the RPC port has a conflict, or connections to it are blocked by some security feature.
The only other test I have for you is to repeat the test where you tried a different port, and use some other different ports. Basically, you shut down Knots, change the rpcport in bitcoin.conf, start Knots back up, then update the port in Sparrow to match. If you try a bunch of different ports and none work, then we can rule out a port conflict.
To continue diagnosing your current native installation of Knots, you will likely need to connect with somebody who has solid Windows technical expertise, who knows how to navigate Windows networking configurations and security features.
If you want, I can give you the connection details for one of my test servers, and you can try connecting Sparrow up to it over Tor. If that works, then at least you’ll know a last resort would be abandoning your native installation of Knots and switching to an instance running on the Start9 operating system. I know that would technically be giving up and not actually solving the problem, but unfortunately we’ve reached the limits of my own expertise on a native Windows installation of Knots.
Hi,Mr.Paul
Hope you have a good day.
Very appreciate for your response & help so far.
Apologize for giving you headache for this problem.
As per your guidance, I have tried some different ports, but unfortunately… none works. Kindly advice further.
Thanks.
No worries, you are not a headache at all. I am just being honest about my own limitations in this particular arena. I expect there are many folks who specialize in Windows development who would be more useful than I for this particular problem.
Anyway, to pivot away from your original problem and instead check if Start9 is a potential option to get you back on your feet with Sparrow, check if Sparrow is able to connect with one of my test servers. If so, we can expore the option of installing the Start9 operating system in a VM on your computer, and installing Knots there.
To run this test, in Sparrow, enter the following config:
Server
Type: Private Electrum
URL: (redacted)
- Port: 50001
Use SSL: (disabled)
Use Proxy: (disabled)
Hi,Mr.Paul
Kindly find the attachment.
(redacted)
Thanks.
Ok, at least this means moving Knots to Start9 is an option. If you would like to explore runing StartOS in a VM, let me know a couple of details about your computer:
How much RAM do you have?
How much free disk space do you have?
Hi,Mr.Paul
Installed RAM = 8,00 GB (7,68 GB usable).
Drive C = 73,2 GB free of 174 GB
Drive D = 300 GB free of 300 GB
Thanks.
Sadly, running it in a VM will not be possible, since you need at least 8GB for the VM (so 16GB total would be the minimum system requirement). Also, the disk space would be a limiting factor. I’m afraid that I’m out of suggestions (other than purchasing a separate system to run as a server, which doesn’t seem reasonable).
Your best bet will probably be to find a person with a lot of technical expertise in Windows. Second best might be to use one of the better LLM models avaiable to help you troubleshoot further.
Hi,Mr.Paul
Thanks for your response.
Ok. I will try find someone who has expertise in Windows to consult for particular problem.
Anyway, I heard about Start9 Server. I have interest on it, and plan to buy in the future. Based on my laptop, is it possible for me to run Knots & Sparrow, if I buy the Start9 Server?
Pls advice.
Thanks.
Yes, in that case you would run Knots on the Start9 server, and connect to it from Sparrow on your laptop. You wouldn’t run Knots on your laptop, just Sparrow.
A DIY Start9 server build would be the most cost efficient (and you seem to possess enough attention to detail that it would be well within your abilities). The pre-built ones from Start9 are a bit pricey.
If you are interested in going that route, here are some options that I have helped others set up, ranging from higher-performance to lowest-cost:
High-performance option: Minisforum NAB9 (total DIY cost: $510)
Barbone MiniPC: $320
32GB DDR4 RAM: $70
2TB NVMe: $117
Ethernet Cable: $3
Mid-range (best bang-for-your buck) option: GMKTec G3 (total DIY cost: $274)
Barebone MiniPC: $116
16GB DDR4 RAM: $38
2TB NVMe: $117
Ethernet Cable: $3
Lowest-cost option: Refurbished Lenovo ThinkCentre (total DIY cost: $162 - $181)
Refurbished m710q w/8GB RAM: $75
2TB SATA SSD: $84
Ethernet Cable: $3
(Optional) Additional 8GB DDR4: $19
Hi,Mr.Paul
Thanks for your response.
Ok. I interest on the DIY Start9.
I think I choose the mid-range option.
Do you sell it? Or do you mean that I need to check each items here on local computer market.
Pls advice.
Thanks.
The idea would be that you order the parts and build it. You can choose alternative parts if you find better deals or prefer different brands (I just listed some examples for the estimates). If you aren’t sure on compatibility of a different part, I can help. I’ll walk you through setting it up.
That said, if you live in the US, I can build it for you. But I would charge you for labor and shipping if you go that route. The process is simple though, so I doubt you’d have any trouble setting it up yourself. And you wouldn’t need to trust me not to install some spyware on it if you build it yourself.
Server Setup Process
- Open the top of the G3 (it just snaps off by hand)
- Insert the RAM stick (it just snaps in by hand)
- Insert the NVMe (it is held in by one screw)
- Snap the top back onto the G3
On another computer:
- Download the StartOS ISO
- Install Balena Etcher
- Plug in a USB thumb drive
- In Etcher, select the ISO and thumb drive, click Flash
On the G3:
- Plug in the Ethernet cable, connected to your router
- Plug in the power cable
- Plug in the USB thumb drive
- Power on
On another computer (or phone) on the same network:
- If Windows, install Bonjour
- Open a browser
- Go to start.local
- Follow the directions that come up to complete setup
After setup completed:
- Install Knots, wait for IBD to finish
- Install Electrs, wait for indexing to finish
- Setup Sparrow to connect to Electrs
Hi,Mr.Paul
It seems quite simple.
Ok. I will start find the parts.
And come back to you if need any help.
Thanks a lot.
This video here shows the internals of the GMKTec G3, and should give you a good feel for what it’s like to work on. It is definitely one of the simpler devices to work on in my opinion (no pulling off feet and removing hidden screws). In your case, you would just be removing the top, inserting the RAM, inserting the NVMe, and putting the top back on. These are shown between (0:24 - 1:08) and (6:10 - 6:55). The rest of the video is a complete teardown and rebuild of the device, which you would not be doing.
Ok,Mr.Paul
Thanks alot.
Will come back to you later.