How do I automatically run a geth startup script and get a console?

Question

I would like to start geth using a startup script to automatically unlock the accounts and start the miner, and possibly other tasks (for my test network).

I tried the --exec 'loadscript('sript.js')' console and it runs the script and then exits. I tried js script' console and it runs the script, but doesn't give me a console.

I'd like to run a script AND get the console. How do I do this?

I'm running a frontier release version of geth (whatever the latest 'main' is) plus a patch to speed it up for test networks.

Answer 1

You can accomplish this with Geth's command line arguments in a startup script. Startup scripts will vary based on OS, but here is the general idea:

geth --unlock 0 --password "path/to/password/file" console

Below is another example of a command to unlock an account, start a miner, and log the results to a logfile. Example is found here.

geth --datadir /tmp/eth/42 --port 30342 --password <(echo -n notsosecret) --unlock primary --minerthreads 4 --mine 2>> /tmp/eth/42.log

In the above example you can also add console to the end of it to automatically put you in the console.

Remember to mind your slashes /\ when you are using different operating systems. Generally Windows paths have backwards slashes ("\") and Unix, Linux, and Mac systems have forward slashes ("/") when typing a file/folder path.

Answer 2

Not possible. (Without seriously modifying geth.) It either runs your js, or you get a console. Here is the code that controls this. (or see below) .batch() below takes a js string and .interactive() gives a prompt.

if ctx.GlobalString(utils.ExecFlag.Name) != "" {
    repl.batch(ctx.GlobalString(utils.ExecFlag.Name))
} else {
    repl.welcome()
    repl.interactive()
}

Answer 3

Windows system: You can pipe to a log file and keep your console uncluttered. I use baretail - https://www.baremetalsoft.com/baretail/ for real time logging display as well as a startup script/bat file to initiate geth. My bat file contains something like this for the ropsten testnet: "C:\path\to\gethfile\geth.exe" --testnet --networkid 3 --identity "GETH DEVELOP ROPSTEN" --datadir C:\path\to\ethereum_develop_ropsten\testnet_data --fast --jspath "c:\path\to-js\javascript" --cache=1048 --unlock "0, 1, 2, 3" --shh --rpc --rpcaddr=127.0.0.1 --rpcapi admin,db,eth,debug,miner,net,shh,txpool,personal,web3 --ipcapi admin,db,debug,eth,miner,net,personal,shh,txpool,web3 --rpcport 8545 --verbosity 3 --password "C:\path\to\password.txt" --minerthreads "2" --rpccorsdomain "*" --solc "C:\path\to\solc.exe" console 2>> C:\path\to\GETH_DEVELOP_ROPSTEN_CONSOLE.log 2^&1

Answer 4

Look up the --preload {js filename} option in the Go-Ethereum Wiki. This will run a javascript file using Geth's JSRE.

This can be used with the console option, so that it runs a script AND provides a console. Personally, I use it to run a script to give me sync statistics along with the normal console output, but it could equally well unlock accounts at startup.

The option can also run a list of scripts. Just comma-separate them after --preload.