While we aspire for the ether acquisition experience to be seamless for all, we acknowledge that there will inevitably be scenarios where events may not unfold as anticipated. For instance, your internet connection may falter during your transaction. You might inadvertently click on a back button or some link or simply refresh the page while the transaction is ongoing. Perhaps you forgot to save your wallet. Perhaps you suspect you might have misplaced your password, and you desire to ensure you have it noted accurately. In each of these instances, the user experience will sadly be somewhat more complex than merely installing a web application; a little command line activity with a Python script will be necessary.
First, let’s go through the process of downloading the Python script. To install the script, download the zip file from this location, and extract it. Next, head to the directory, where you should find several files, including pyethsaletool.py. At this stage, open a command line in this directory. Execute python pyethsaletool.py, and you should be presented with a list of assistance instructions.
Now, let’s examine the most frequent possible challenges one by one.
1) I forgot to save my wallet before closing the browser tab.
You ought to have received a backup of your wallet via email. If you provided a fictitious email address and simultaneously neglected to save your wallet, then sadly, you have no options.
2) I want to confirm that my ether was indeed purchased.
Execute python pyethsaletool.py list -w /path/to/your/wallet.json, replacing the path with the path where you saved your wallet. You should observe a record of your transaction. If it doesn’t appear, then run python pyethsaletool.py getbtcaddress -w /path/to/your/wallet.json and check the address on blockchain.info. If there is a nonzero balance, you are in situation #4.
3) I want to ensure that I recall my password.
Execute python pyethsaletool.py getbtcprivkey -w /path/to/your/wallet.json, substituting the path. When prompted for your password, input it, and check if you receive an error. If an error regarding PKCS7 padding appears, you have entered an incorrect password; if you receive a BTC private key (i.e., a sequence of 51 characters beginning with a 5), then you are good to go.
4) I directed my BTC to the intermediary address, but it has not reached the exodus.
Execute python pyethsaletool.py getbtcprivkey -w /path/to/your/wallet.json, making sure to substitute the path accordingly. Following that, import this private key into the blockchain.info wallet or Kryptokit. Alternatively, you can also run python pyethsaletool.py finalize -w /path/to/your/wallet.json to complete the purchasing process through Python.
5) I want to ensure I will be able to access my ether in the future.
Execute python pyethsaletool.py getethprivkey -w /path/to/your/wallet.json, replacing the path. Then, download pyethereum, install it, and use pyethtool privtoaddr c85ef7d79691fe79573b1a7064c19c1a9819ebdbd1faaab1a8ec92344438aaf4, substituting the Ethereum privkey you obtained from the first step. If the address you receive matches the address you observed while purchasing ether, then you confirm that you possess your Ethereum private key.
6) I directed additional BTC to the intermediary address after the web application concluded.
This scenario mirrors #4. You can retrieve the BTC or finalize it at your convenience.
If you encounter any other issues, please pose them in the comments, and they will be included in this article.
