# Getting started - issues

**URL:** <https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/getting-started-issues/51>\
**Category:** zcashd client\
**Created:** [January 20, 2016, 11:49pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/getting-started-issues/51 "2016-01-20T23:49:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 16\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![aLiberalVoluntarist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@aLiberalVoluntarist](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/aLiberalVoluntarist)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 12:17am UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/getting-started-issues/51/21 "2016-04-20T00:17:01Z")

</div>

Hey, Anybody can help me to figure out what I need to fix to finish installing the zcash?

I installed ubuntu 14.04 LTS to my Macbook Air. It runs on my USB stick.

Computer Specs:  
memory 1.7GB  
processor: Intel® Core™2 Duo CPU L9400 @ 1.86GHz × 2  
OS typs: 64bit  
Disk: 63.1GB

After try and error many times, I could run “./zcutil/build.sh”  
It seems like it run successfully.

## So I run thoes two test lines, “./qa/zcash/full-test-suite.sh” and “./qa/pull-tester/rpc-tests.sh”. It says some error there. I copy and paste it below. I have no idea how to fix. Anybody has any ideas? I will appreciate if anyone can help me. thanks

aliberalvoluntarist@aliberalvoluntarist-MacBookAir:~/zcash$ ./qa/zcash/full-test-suite.sh

# ===== PASSED: /home/aliberalvoluntarist/zcash/src/zerocash/tests/utilTest ===== BEGIN: make check || { echo === ./src/test-suite.log === ; cat ./src/test-suite.log ; false ; } Making check in src make[1]: Entering directory `/home/aliberalvoluntarist/zcash/src' make[2]: Entering directory `/home/aliberalvoluntarist/zcash/src’ make check-TESTS check-local make[3]: Entering directory `/home/aliberalvoluntarist/zcash/src' make[4]: Entering directory `/home/aliberalvoluntarist/zcash/src’ ../build-aux/test-driver: line 107: 12067 Killed “$@” \> $log\_file 2\>&1 FAIL: test/test\_bitcoin make[5]: Entering directory `/home/aliberalvoluntarist/zcash/src' make[6]: Entering directory `/home/aliberalvoluntarist/zcash/src’ make[6]: Leaving directory `/home/aliberalvoluntarist/zcash/src' make[5]: Leaving directory `/home/aliberalvoluntarist/zcash/src’

# Testsuite summary for Bitcoin Core 0.11.2

# TOTAL: 1

# PASS: 0

# SKIP: 0

# XFAIL: 0

# FAIL: 1

# XPASS: 0

# ERROR: 0

# ============================================================================ See src/test-suite.log Please report to [GitHub · Where software is built](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/issues)

# make[4]: \*\*\* [test-suite.log] Error 1 make[4]: Leaving directory `/home/aliberalvoluntarist/zcash/src' make[3]: ***[check-TESTS] Error 2 make[3]: Leaving directory `/home/aliberalvoluntarist/zcash/src’ make[2]: \*\*\* [check-am] Error 2 make[2]: Leaving directory `/home/aliberalvoluntarist/zcash/src' make[1]:*** [check-recursive] Error 1 make[1]: Leaving directory `/home/aliberalvoluntarist/zcash/src’ make: \*\*\* [check-recursive] Error 1 === ./src/test-suite.log ===

# Bitcoin Core 0.11.2: src/test-suite.log

# TOTAL: 1

# PASS: 0

# SKIP: 0

# XFAIL: 0

# FAIL: 1

# XPASS: 0

# ERROR: 0

.. contents:: :depth: 2

# FAIL: test/test\_bitcoin

Running 167 test cases…  
(enter) Call to zerocash\_pour\_ppzksnark\_generator [] (1461107543.7738s x0.00 from start)  
(enter) Call to r1cs\_ppzksnark\_generator [] (1461107559.4958s x0.00 from start)  
(enter) Call to r1cs\_constraint\_system::swap\_AB\_if\_beneficial [] (1461107561.2045s x0.00 from start)  
(enter) Estimate densities [] (1461107561.2046s x0.00 from start)  
\* Non-zero A-count (estimate): 366346  
\* Non-zero B-count (estimate): 444178  
(leave) Estimate densities [0.5051s x1.00] (1461107561.7096s x0.00 from start)  
(enter) Perform the swap [] (1461107561.7097s x0.00 from start)  
(leave) Perform the swap [0.9162s x1.00] (1461107562.6259s x0.00 from start)  
(leave) Call to r1cs\_constraint\_system::swap\_AB\_if\_beneficial [1.4215s x1.00] (1461107562.6260s x0.00 from start)  
(enter) Call to r1cs\_to\_qap\_instance\_map\_with\_evaluation [](1461107562.6265s x0.00 from start)  
\* Selected domain: step\_radix2  
(enter) Compute evaluations of A, B, C, H at t [] (1461107562.9494s x0.00 from start)  
(leave) Compute evaluations of A, B, C, H at t [13.9368s x1.00] (1461107576.8862s x0.00 from start)  
(leave) Call to r1cs\_to\_qap\_instance\_map\_with\_evaluation [14.2598s x1.00](1461107576.8863s x0.00 from start)  
\* QAP number of variables: 608730  
\* QAP pre degree: 658721  
\* QAP degree: 786432  
\* QAP number of input variables: 9  
(enter) Compute query densities [] (1461107576.8891s x0.00 from start)  
(leave) Compute query densities [0.0734s x1.00] (1461107576.9624s x0.00 from start)  
Choosing window size 17 for 3732781 elements  
Choosing window size 15 for 366346 elements  
\* G1 window: 17  
\* G2 window: 15  
(enter) Generating G1 multiexp table [] (1461107578.2595s x0.00 from start)

===== FAILED: make check || { echo === ./src/test-suite.log === ; cat ./src/test-suite.log ; false ; }

* * *

aliberalvoluntarist@aliberalvoluntarist-MacBookAir:~/zcash$ ./qa/pull-tester/rpc-tests.sh

=== Running testscript zcpour.py ===  
loading proving key from path: /home/aliberalvoluntarist/.zcash-params/regtest/zc-testnet-public-alpha-proving.key  
File “/home/aliberalvoluntarist/zcash/qa/rpc-tests/test\_framework/test\_framework.py”, line 118, in main  
self.run\_test()  
File “/home/aliberalvoluntarist/zcash/qa/rpc-tests/zcpour.py”, line 27, in run\_test  
pour\_result = self.nodes[0].zcrawpour(protect\_tx, {}, {zcaddress:39.9}, 40, 0.1)  
File “/home/aliberalvoluntarist/zcash/qa/rpc-tests/test\_framework/authproxy.py”, line 126, in **call**  
raise JSONRPCException(response[‘error’])  
Initializing test directory /tmp/testwJsxzs  
JSONRPC error: std::bad\_alloc  
Stopping nodes  
Cleaning up  
Failed  
!!! FAIL: zcpour.py !!!

=== Running testscript zcpourdoublespend.py ===  
loading proving key from path: /home/aliberalvoluntarist/.zcash-params/regtest/zc-testnet-public-alpha-proving.key  
File “/home/aliberalvoluntarist/zcash/qa/rpc-tests/test\_framework/test\_framework.py”, line 118, in main  
self.run\_test()  
File “/home/aliberalvoluntarist/zcash/qa/rpc-tests/zcpourdoublespend.py”, line 59, in run\_test  
pool[i] = self.nodes[i].zcrawpour(pool[i], {}, {zcaddress:39.9}, 40, 0.1)  
File “/home/aliberalvoluntarist/zcash/qa/rpc-tests/test\_framework/authproxy.py”, line 126, in **call**  
raise JSONRPCException(response[‘error’])  
Initializing test directory /tmp/testbci24l  
JSONRPC error: std::bad\_alloc  
Stopping nodes  
Cleaning up  
Failed  
!!! FAIL: zcpourdoublespend.py !!!

Tests completed: 18  
successes 16; failures: 2

Failing tests: zcpour.py zcpourdoublespend.py

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![danda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b19c9b/32.png) [@danda](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/danda)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 5:01pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/getting-started-issues/51/22 "2016-04-20T17:01:21Z")

</div>

It looks to me like you need to start zcashd before running the tests.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![aLiberalVoluntarist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@aLiberalVoluntarist](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/aLiberalVoluntarist)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 8:50pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/getting-started-issues/51/23 "2016-04-20T20:50:13Z")

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danda,

Thanks for the advise. I just run " ./src/zcashd -daemon" then got an error below.What does it tell? It seems like the key is not in right place? I mean it should be in Zcash folder, right?

aliberalvoluntarist@aliberalvoluntarist-MacBookAir:~/zcash$ ./src/zcashd -daemon

Bitcoin server starting

* * *

EXCEPTION: St13runtime\_error  
Could not open verification key file: /home/aliberalvoluntarist/.zcash-params/zc-testnet-public-alpha-verification.key  
Please refer to user documentation for installing this file.  
bitcoin in AppInit()

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![danda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b19c9b/32.png) [@danda](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/danda)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 1:01am UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/getting-started-issues/51/24 "2016-04-21T01:01:16Z")

</div>

On my linux system the keys are in ~/.zcash-params. Here’s the contents:

```
$ tree ~/.zcash-params/
/home/zcash/.zcash-params/
├── README
├── regtest
│ ├── zc-testnet-public-alpha-proving.key
│ └── zc-testnet-public-alpha-verification.key
└── testnet3
    ├── zc-testnet-public-alpha-proving.key -> ../regtest/zc-testnet-public-alpha-proving.key
    └── zc-testnet-public-alpha-verification.key -> ../regtest/zc-testnet-public-alpha-verification.key

```

.zcash-params was placed there by the commands:

```
$ cd zcash
$ ./zcutil/fetch-params.sh

```

As per the public alpha guide.

Does that help?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![aLiberalVoluntarist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@aLiberalVoluntarist](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/aLiberalVoluntarist)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 2:24pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/getting-started-issues/51/25 "2016-04-21T14:24:55Z")

</div>

Yeah, that was i did.  
How can I place a configuration ~/.zcash/bitcoin.conf?

Any good comand to do it?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JanKalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c0e974/32.png) [@JanKalin](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/JanKalin)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 7:34pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/getting-started-issues/51/26 "2016-04-21T19:34:21Z")

</div>

Type (or paste) the following lines at command-line:

```auto
mkdir ~/.zcash
cat > ~/.zcash/bitcoin.conf

```

the paste the following lines

```auto
testnet=1
addnode=alphatestnet.z.cash
rpcuser=username
rpcpassword=password

```

and finish everything off with a `Ctrl-D`. You should now have a working configuration.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![aLiberalVoluntarist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@aLiberalVoluntarist](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/aLiberalVoluntarist)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2016, 9:56pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/getting-started-issues/51/27 "2016-04-22T21:56:33Z")

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JanKalin and Danda,

Thank you both. Finally I could run the daemon. When I run the tests, I still get same errors, but I could generate addresses with no problems.

It took for 5 days for me to reach in this point. 😁 I have almost no knowledge about Linux, so installing Linux to Osx was kind a challenge. Command lines on Terminal is definitely a big barrier for people like me. But I surprised that I was enjoying learning new things. The process reminds me using Mac in 15 years ago when I was young. It always crashed and I have to spend time to figure out problems, but it was fun time to do new things. Now everything gets so easier so I can waste time watching Nefliex.😛

Any how, My problme was that I didn’t make “.zcash/bitcoin.conf?” in a zcash holder and I didn’t know how to use mkdir and cat commands.

When I run the tests, I still get same errors, but I could generate addresses with no problems.

## The instruction below JanKalin made should be included in the alpha guide.

Type (or paste) the following lines at command-line:

mkdir ~/.zcash  
cat \> ~/.zcash/bitcoin.conf

the paste the following lines

testnet=1  
addnode=alphatestnet.z.cash  
rpcuser=username  
rpcpassword=password

and finish everything off with a Ctrl-D. You should now have a working configuration.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![danda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b19c9b/32.png) [@danda](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/danda)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 7:04am UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/getting-started-issues/51/28 "2016-04-27T07:04:15Z")

</div>

normally the ~/.zcash folder and the bitcoin.conf should be created automatically the first time that zcashd is executed. I don’t know why that was not the case for you.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JasonBourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@JasonBourne](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/JasonBourne)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 4:22pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/getting-started-issues/51/29 "2016-04-28T16:22:19Z")

</div>

Hi all,

I get the same error:  
EXCEPTION: St13runtime\_error  
Could not open verification key file: /home/threnody/.zcash-params/zc-testnet-public-alpha-verification.key  
Please refer to user documentation for installing this file.  
bitcoin in AppInit()

The content of the /home/threnody/.zcash-params is:  
`threnody@threnody-VirtualBox:~/.zcash-params$ tree  
.  
├── README  
├── regtest  
│ ├── zc-testnet-public-alpha-proving.key  
│ └── zc-testnet-public-alpha-verification.key  
└── testnet3  
├── zc-testnet-public-alpha-proving.key → …/regtest/zc-testnet-public-alpha-proving.key  
└── zc-testnet-public-alpha-verification.key → …/regtest/zc-testnet-public-alpha-verification.key

it seems the zc-testnet-public-alpha-verification.key is in the testnet3 folder. However it is looking one folder up. Should I move the files to the upper directory? Looking for a solution.

Thanks,

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ce73a5/32.png) [@hud](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/hud)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 8:57pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/getting-started-issues/51/30 "2016-04-29T20:57:37Z")

</div>

Has anyone tested Zcash with new Ubuntu 16.04 ? I’m considering to upgrade the OS but not sure if it is compatible with Zcash.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![danda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b19c9b/32.png) [@danda](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/danda)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 7:06pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/getting-started-issues/51/31 "2016-04-30T19:06:47Z")

</div>

It looks like it is trying to load the key from the top level directory instead of the testnet3 directory.

Make sure that your .zcash/bitcoin.conf contains the line:

testnet=1

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shawn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/user_avatar/forum.zcashcommunity.com/shawn/32/187_2.png) [@Shawn](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/Shawn)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 2:01am UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/getting-started-issues/51/32 "2016-05-08T02:01:28Z")

</div>

> [@JasonBourne](#):
>
> EXCEPTION: St13runtime\_error Could not open verification key file: /home/threnody/.zcash-params/zc-testnet-public-alpha-verification.keyPlease refer to user documentation for installing this file. bitcoin in AppInit()

I’m also stuck getting this error when I try to run the daemon. I have made the bitcoin.conf folder with the testnet=1. For the rpcuser = username and rpcpassword=password I’m not sure what a rpcuser is or what password to use.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shawn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/user_avatar/forum.zcashcommunity.com/shawn/32/187_2.png) [@Shawn](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/Shawn)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 1:00pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/getting-started-issues/51/34 "2016-05-08T13:00:22Z")

</div>

Nice Catch @Dilla I did a clean install just to be safe and now I have finally got the Bitcoin server running! 😸

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ebfull](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/user_avatar/forum.zcashcommunity.com/ebfull/32/34_2.png) [@ebfull](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/ebfull)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 3:04pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/getting-started-issues/51/35 "2016-05-08T15:04:38Z")

</div>

The error regarding the verification key is an unfortunate one; it’s not that the parameters are in the wrong place, but that you had mainnet enabled.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shawn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/user_avatar/forum.zcashcommunity.com/shawn/32/187_2.png) [@Shawn](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/Shawn)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 3:51pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/getting-started-issues/51/36 "2016-05-08T15:51:14Z")

</div>

Can you please elaborate @ebfull ? is the status of mainnet something we should check the status of before running the daemon?

Also as a side question, what is the best practice for stopping/pausing/re-starting zcash? is the kill -STOP then -CONT command useful?

thanks for the help

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ebfull](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/user_avatar/forum.zcashcommunity.com/ebfull/32/34_2.png) [@ebfull](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/ebfull)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2016, 4:16pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/getting-started-issues/51/37 "2016-05-08T16:16:58Z")

</div>

mainnet isn’t supported yet, and if you try to load with mainnet (by omitting `testnet=1` or `regtest=1`) you will run into an unrelated error. As for signal handling, not sure, but since we’re based on Bitcoin you might find a similar answer elsewhere.

[Previous page](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/getting-started-issues/51.md?page=1)