test validator failed to start: blockstore error (on ubuntu)

Question

While trying to run the test validator inside a ubuntu based docker container, I keep getting an error while trying to run the test validator.

The error message I get when I try to run the solana-test-validator command (both with, and without the --reset flag):

Ledger location: test-ledger
Log: test-ledger/validator.log
Error: failed to start validator: Failed to create ledger at test-ledger: blockstore error

What could be the cause? I'm thinking it maybe some sort of missing dependency?

Answer 1

I solved it! The thing that did it was to install the bzip2 package in ubuntu. The solana validator uses it for compression some of the ledger data.

sudo apt install bzip2

Note: Many other people have reported in various places online that resetting the validator worked for them: (which you can do when your run the startup command)

solana-test-validator --reset

And some have also said this did not work, but they removed the entire ledger directory and that solved it for them.