Getting error when trying to run 'dfx start --clean --background'

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1

getting error while running dfx start --clean --background

Running dfx start for version 0.15.1
Using the default definition for the 'local' shared network because /home/akash/.config/dfx/networks.json does not exist.
  Version v0.15.1 installed successfully.
thread 'main' panicked at 'Error creating db for artifacts: Corrupted', rs/artifact_pool/src/lmdb_pool.rs:351:39
note: run with `RUST_BACKTRACE=1` environment variable to display a backtrace
thread 'replica-actor' panicked at 'called `Result::unwrap()` on an `Err` value: Cannot start the replica: timed out', src/dfx/src/actors/replica.rs:393:22
note: run with `RUST_BACKTRACE=1` environment variable to display a backtrace
Aborted (core dumped)

also tried reinstalling dfx, but still the same error
tried with the latest dfx version too, but the error persist

2

Try upgrading to the latest version. 0.15 is quite far behind 0.24

3

still getting the same error

Running dfx start for version 0.24.1
Using the default configuration for the local shared network.
thread 'main' panicked at rs/artifact_pool/src/lmdb_pool.rs:446:39:
Error creating db for artifacts: Corrupted
note: run with `RUST_BACKTRACE=1` environment variable to display a backtrace
Error: An error happened during communication with the replica: error sending request for url (http://127.0.0.1:4943/api/v2/status)
Caused by: error sending request for url (http://127.0.0.1:4943/api/v2/status)
Caused by: client error (Connect)
Caused by: tcp connect error: Connection refused (os error 111)
Caused by: Connection refused (os error 111)
4

Are you running this on WSL? The replica is not built for WSL and regularly doesn’t work at all there.

Can you also try --pocketic? That uses PocketIC instead of the real replica

5

Yes, I’m running this on WSL on Windows.

I tried using --pocketic, but it also throws an error:

ERROR: Failed to initialize HTTP gateway: error sending request for url (http://localhost:63163/http_gateway): client error (Connect): tcp connect error: Connection refused (os error 111): Connection refused (os error 111)

Is there any other way to run this on Windows? Any alternative solutions or workarounds.

6

Not looking great TBH. If you are on WSL1 you can try it on WSL2 as well. That has much better chances at working.

@mraszyk do you know if PocketIC has any chance at working on WSL2?

WSL has a few broken APIs that otherwise are available on *nix. Some people occasionally get dfx start running in a docker container, but I don’t know of a currently working example.

7

Yes, I’ve successfully tested PocketIC to work in WSLv2.

1 Like
8

Hey, I tried to run the command in Linux based system, but still running into errors

┌──(kali㉿kali)-[~/Documents/hello]
└─$ dfx start --clean --background           
Running dfx start for version 0.24.1
Using the default configuration for the local shared network.
Error: An error happened during communication with the replica: error sending request for url (http://127.0.0.1:4943/api/v2/status)
Caused by: error sending request for url (http://127.0.0.1:4943/api/v2/status)
Caused by: client error (Connect)
Caused by: tcp connect error: Connection refused (os error 111)
Caused by: Connection refused (os error 111)
9

Could you try with a clean Ubuntu instance instead of Kali ?

11

I’m trying on ubuntu now, it is running i guess but when i try to open the url http://127.0.0.1:4943/ it’s showing canister_id_not_found

here;s the terminal

mrsky@mrsky-VirtualBox:~/Documents/hello$ dfx start --clean --background
Running dfx start for version 0.24.1
Using the default configuration for the local shared network.
Initialized replica.
Initialized HTTP gateway.
Replica API running on 127.0.0.1:4943

mrsky@mrsky-VirtualBox:~/Documents/hello$ dfx canister create --all
Creating canister mini-icp-backend...
Creating a wallet canister on the local network.
The wallet canister on the "local" network for user "default" is "bnz7o-iuaaa-aaaaa-qaaaa-cai"
mini-icp-backend canister created with canister id: bkyz2-fmaaa-aaaaa-qaaaq-cai
Creating canister mini-icp-frontend...
mini-icp-frontend canister created with canister id: bd3sg-teaaa-aaaaa-qaaba-cai
12

Makes sense. Try to open <frontend canister id>.localhost:4943 (as dfx deploy prints at the end). Then you should see something

13

@Severin
I encountered the same issue on macOS. It started working inexplicably once, but after shutting down the replica and restarting it the next day, the problem reappeared. I tried using --clean, --pocketic, and restarting the computer, but none of them worked.

➜  ~ dfx start --clean
Running dfx start for version 0.24.3
Using shared network 'local' defined in /Users/zensh/.config/dfx/networks.json
Initialized replica.
ERROR: Failed to initialize HTTP gateway: error sending request for url (http://localhost:49918/http_gateway): client error (Connect): tcp connect error: Connection refused (os error 61): Connection refused (os error 61)
ERROR: Failed to initialize HTTP gateway: error sending request for url (http://localhost:49921/http_gateway): client error (Connect): tcp connect error: Connection refused (os error 61): Connection refused (os error 61)
ERROR: Failed to initialize HTTP gateway: error sending request for url (http://localhost:49923/http_gateway): client error (Connect): tcp connect error: Connection refused (os error 61): Connection refused (os error 61)
ERROR: Failed to initialize HTTP gateway: error sending request for url (http://localhost:49925/http_gateway): client error (Connect): tcp connect error: Connection refused (os error 61): Connection refused (os error 61)
14

@Severin
I’ve been troubled by this issue for a long time, which has kept me from starting development for a canister locally.

➜  ~ dfx start -v
Running dfx start for version 0.25.0
There is no project-specific network 'local' because there is no project (no dfx.json).
Using shared network 'local' defined in /Users/zensh/.config/dfx/networks.json
Local server configuration:
  bind address: [::1]:4943 (default: 127.0.0.1:4943)
  bitcoin: disabled
  canister http: enabled
    log level: Error
  replica:
    subnet type: Application
    log level: Error
  data directory: /Users/zensh/Library/Application Support/org.dfinity.dfx/network/local
  scope: shared

Starting canister http adapter...
canister http adapter ready
Starting replica...
Waiting for replica to report healthy status
Initialized replica.
Dashboard: http://localhost:61936/_/dashboard
replica ready on http://localhost:61936, so re/starting HTTP gateway
Starting pocket-ic gateway...
⠂ Starting local network...                                                                                                                                                                                         2025-03-05T01:30:52.322144Z  INFO pocket_ic_server: The PocketIC server is listening on port 61945
Configuring PocketIC gateway
ERROR: Failed to initialize HTTP gateway: error sending request for url (http://localhost:61945/http_gateway): client error (Connect): tcp connect error: Connection refused (os error 61): Connection refused (os error 61)
Starting pocket-ic gateway...
⠄ Starting local network...                                                                                                                                                                                         2025-03-05T01:30:52.840154Z  INFO pocket_ic_server: The PocketIC server is listening on port 61947
Configuring PocketIC gateway
ERROR: Failed to initialize HTTP gateway: error sending request for url (http://localhost:61947/http_gateway): client error (Connect): tcp connect error: Connection refused (os error 61): Connection refused (os error 61)
Starting pocket-ic gateway...
⠤ Starting local network...                                                                                                                                                                                         2025-03-05T01:30:53.306094Z  INFO pocket_ic_server: The PocketIC server is listening on port 61953
Configuring PocketIC gateway
ERROR: Failed to initialize HTTP gateway: error sending request for url (http://localhost:61953/http_gateway): client error (Connect): tcp connect error: Connection refused (os error 61): Connection refused (os error 61)
Starting pocket-ic gateway...
⠒ Starting local network...                                                                                                                                                                                         2025-03-05T01:30:53.764304Z  INFO pocket_ic_server: The PocketIC server is listening on port 61955
Configuring PocketIC gateway
ERROR: Failed to initialize HTTP gateway: error sending request for url (http://localhost:61955/http_gateway): client error (Connect): tcp connect error: Connection refused (os error 61): Connection refused (os error 61)
Starting pocket-ic gateway...
⠈ Starting local network...                                                                                                                                                                                         2025-03-05T01:30:54.230417Z  INFO pocket_ic_server: The PocketIC server is listening on port 61961
⠁ Starting local network...                                                                                                                                                                                         Stopping canister http adapter...
Got signal to stop. Killing ic-https-outcalls-adapter process...
Stopped.
Stopping the replica...
stopping replica
Got signal to stop. Killing replica process...
Stopped.
Stopping HTTP gateway...
Configuring PocketIC gateway
ERROR: Failed to initialize HTTP gateway: error sending request for url (http://localhost:61961/http_gateway): client error (Connect): tcp connect error: Connection refused (os error 61): Connection refused (os error 61)
Got signal to stop.
Stopped.
All local network processes stopped
15

@mraszyk any ideas about gateway issues?

16

I’m not aware of any outstanding HTTP gateway issues. What caught my attention though is the override bind address: [::1]:4943 (default: 127.0.0.1:4943): could you please try with ipv4 (127.0.0.1) instead?

1 Like
17

Resolved, thank you very much!
The localhost entry in /etc/hosts was resolving to ::1. Changing it to 127.0.0.1 fixed the issue.