Error: authentication needed: password or unlock

Question

I am trying to use my account to deploy contracts. I used this to unlock my account :

$ web3.personal.unlockAccount(eth.accounts[0], "password")
$ web3.personal.unlockAccount(eth.accounts[0], "password", 1500000)

I have tried both of them and it still gives this error :

Running migration: 1_initial_migration.js
  Deploying Migrations...
  ... undefined
Error encountered, bailing. Network state unknown. Review successful transactions manually.
Error: authentication needed: password or unlock
    at Object.InvalidResponse (/usr/lib/node_modules/truffle/build/cli.bundled.js:37295:16)
    at /usr/lib/node_modules/truffle/build/cli.bundled.js:224765:36
    at /usr/lib/node_modules/truffle/build/cli.bundled.js:66971:11
    at /usr/lib/node_modules/truffle/build/cli.bundled.js:208348:9
    at XMLHttpRequest.request.onreadystatechange (/usr/lib/node_modules/truffle/build/cli.bundled.js:209773:13)
    at XMLHttpRequestEventTarget.dispatchEvent (/usr/lib/node_modules/truffle/build/cli.bundled.js:67130:18)
    at XMLHttpRequest._setReadyState (/usr/lib/node_modules/truffle/build/cli.bundled.js:67420:12)
    at XMLHttpRequest._onHttpResponseEnd (/usr/lib/node_modules/truffle/build/cli.bundled.js:67575:12)
    at IncomingMessage.<anonymous> (/usr/lib/node_modules/truffle/build/cli.bundled.js:67535:24)
    at emitNone (events.js:110:20)

I dont understand why this error persists even after the account has been unlocked. I do have enough balance (even though thats not the error). I am deploying on a private node but I have performed enough mining to have created the initial DAG as well as have some safe blocks.

Answer 1

A quick fix would be to set your defaultAccount and etherbase account to eth.accounts[0].
You can do this by running the following commands in your geth console:

eth.defaultAccount = eth.accounts[0]
miner.setEtherbase(eth.accounts[0])

and then run

personal.unlockAccount(eth.accounts[0], "password")