Web3.py: web3.geth broken?

[gmondok]

• Version: current as of Dec 29th 2020
• Python: 3.9
• OS: win

What was wrong?

My test code:

from web3 import Web3

w3 = Web3(Web3.HTTPProvider('http://192.168.1.170:8545'))
print(w3.geth.admin.node_info())

Error:

ValueError: {'code': -32601, 'message': 'the method admin_nodeInfo does not exist/is not available'}

Yet when I test web3.eth functions like :

w3.eth.getBlock('latest')

it connects to my node fine. It's just the geth methods it seemingly can't find.

[gmondok]

Closing, it was my mistake.

Need to explicitly allow the various API's on geth's end like so "--http.api personal,eth,net,web3,admin,txpool"

[pythonster]

i did brew install ethereum, then inside the virtual environment did
geth --http.addr https://mainnet.infura.io/v3/<#######> --http.api personal,eth,net,web3,admin,txpool
then did like this
w3.geth.personal.new_account('pass-phrase')
and still give the same error, what i did wrong? thank you

[kclowes]

@pythonster You can't access the personal module (or any of the geth-specific or parity-specific RPC methods) via Infura. If you're trying to create an account on your local node it's best to use IPC, so you can just start geth with:
geth which enables the IPC connection by default. Then you can do w3.geth.personal....
Here are some docs you can check out:
https://web3py.readthedocs.io/en/stable/quickstart.html#provider-local-geth-node
https://web3py.readthedocs.io/en/stable/web3.eth.account.html#eth-account
https://web3py.readthedocs.io/en/stable/providers.html

[marcgarreau]

@kclowes beat me to it, but will send anyway:

@pythonster you can only use geth to create new accounts if you are the one running the geth node. You're using a mix of strategies here: you installed geth locally (brew install ethereum), but infura is a remotely hosted geth node. You need to choose one or the other:

1) If geth, it takes many hours to sync, but runs on a local port, 8545 by default. You would then configure web3, e.g., w3 = Web3(HTTPProvider('http://localhost:8545')).
2) If infura, just link out to the URL they provide, e.g., w3 = Web3(HTTPProvider('https://mainnet.infura.io/<whatever>'))

Check out the docs on nodes and providers for more details.

You can also use web3 to create new accounts via web3.eth.account.create(). Note: please don't store real value in these accounts if you're just getting started. Check out something like MyCrypto to get onboarded.

[pythonster]

@marcgarreau @kclowes Thank you, you are right! I figured out just several hours earlier that i exactly mix methods local and hosted nodes.
P.S. - For those who might be puzzled as i was - you cant just create and unlock account via geth.personal to send a transaction, you need to sign a transaction with the private key if you are using a hosted node like infura.