RPC Explorer Node Details error

Bitcoin and Lightning
1

Hey guys.

When i go to Node Details in RPC Explorer, i get the below message.

Getblockchaininfo.warnings.trim is not a function

Odd as all Apps work flawlessly - e.g. Electrs/ Bitcoin Core/ Mempool. Etc.

Logs show error messages pasted here.

Log seems to be saying it can’t find a Config File?

How can the node not create a Config File & still work fine - is that possible?

Are these log errors causing the Node Details error?

btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-04-28T14:08:41.539Z btcexp:error Error ExpressUncaughtError: TypeError: getblockchaininfo.warnings.trim is not a function
-----‐‐----------
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-04-28T14:01:50.812Z btcexp:app Searching for config files…
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-04-28T14:01:50.814Z btcexp:app Config file not found at /home/node/.config/btc-rpc-explorer.env, continuing…
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-04-28T14:01:50.814Z btcexp:app Config file not found at /etc/btc-rpc-explorer/.env, continuing…
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-04-28T14:01:50.814Z btcexp:app Config file not found at /data/.env, continuing…
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-04-28T14:01:50.814Z btcexp:app No config files found. Using all defaults.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-04-28T14:01:52.145Z

2

What ver of the explorer are you running?

3

Yes – check this out: btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-04-28T14:01:50.814Z btcexp:app No config files found. Using all defaults.

4

The Node Details error is likely caused by BTC RPC Explorer’s incompatibility with Bitcoin Core’s newer warnings array format, not the config file warnings.

Updating BTC RPC Explorer or using the deprecatedrpc=warnings flag will fix it.

The config file issue is a separate concern that doesn’t break things now but should be addressed for robustness.

I’d bet on the version mismatch being the culprit, given how specific the trim error is. If you hit snags, share your Bitcoin Core and BTC RPC Explorer versions, and maybe there is another solution.

5

Hi.

Thanks for the response.

Yeah it looks like it is the array warnings.

How do i toggle / effect this change.

Do i have to create a Bitcoin Config file over ssh?

6

hey, so i think if it was me, that i’d try to upgrade the app so that it doesn’t have the issue. The thing the logs show us is that it’s working okay without the config. If the config was updated, that wouldn’t correct the type issue. So, yah, give the upgrading the app a go. For me, it’s a one click but i’m native on the umbrel hardware/software package. However you installed the explorer, adjust to upgrade vs install.

7

Here’s the complete, beginner-friendly process, including sudo docker ps to find the app name and all necessary steps:

Step-by-Step Guide to Upgrade BTC RPC Explorer

  1. Access Your Raspberry Pi via SSH:
  • Open a terminal on your computer (Terminal on Mac/Linux, Command Prompt/PowerShell on Windows).
  • Connect to your Pi:

ssh umbrel@umbrel.local

  • If umbrel.local fails, use your Pi’s IP address (e.g., ssh umbrel@192.168.x.x). Find the IP in your router or Umbrel dashboard (http://umbrel.local).
  • Enter your Umbrel password (same as the dashboard login).
  1. Find the App Name:
  • List running Docker containers to identify BTC RPC Explorer:

sudo docker ps

  • Look under the NAMES column for something like btc-rpc-explorer_web_1. Note the name exactly.
  • The service name for docker-compose commands is usually btc-rpc-explorer (not the full container name). Confirm by checking docker-compose.yml if needed:

cat ~/umbrel/docker-compose.yml

Search for btc-rpc-explorer in the services section.
3. Navigate to Umbrel Directory:

  • Move to the Umbrel folder:

cd ~/umbrel
4. Stop the App:

  • Stop BTC RPC Explorer to avoid conflicts during the update:

sudo docker-compose stop btc-rpc-explorer

  • Use the service name (btc-rpc-explorer), not the container name.
  1. Pull the Latest App Version:
  • Download the latest version:

sudo docker-compose pull btc-rpc-explorer

  • This connects to Docker Hub to fetch the newest image for BTC RPC Explorer.
  1. Restart the App:
  • Start the app with the updated image:

y

sudo docker-compose up -d btc-rpc-explorer

  • The -d flag runs it in the background.
  1. Verify It Worked:
  • Check the app’s logs for errors:

sudo docker logs btc-rpc-explorer_web_1

  • Replace btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 with the container name from sudo docker ps. Look for startup messages without errors (e.g., no “failed” or “crash”).
  • Open the Umbrel dashboard (http://umbrel.local), go to BTC RPC Explorer, and test it (e.g., check Node Details to ensure it loads).

Potential Gotchas (Why It Might Not Be Just That)

While sudo docker-compose pull btc-rpc-explorer is the core command, these issues could trip you up:

  • Internet Connection: Your Pi needs a stable internet connection. If pull fails, check connectivity:

ping google.com

  • Outdated umbrelOS: If umbrelOS is old (e.g., pre-1.2.1), app updates might fail due to Docker or dependency issues. Check your version in the dashboard (Settings > About). Update via:

sudo ~/umbrel/scripts/update

Or reflash the SD card with the latest umbrelOS from umbrel.com.

  • Wrong App Name: If btc-rpc-explorer isn’t the service name, docker-compose will error. Double-check docker-compose.yml or try the dashboard’s App Store first.
  • Disk Space: A full SD card or external drive can block updates. Check space:

df -h

Free up space if needed (e.g., remove unused Docker images with sudo docker image prune).

  • Permissions: If sudo commands fail, ensure you’re using the umbrel user and correct password.

Why

Umbrel’s Docker setup means apps like BTC RPC Explorer are self-contained. The pull command grabs the latest image, and up -d applies it. Umbrel preconfigures environment variables and networking, so you don’t need to mess with config files unless something’s broken. The dashboard’s App Store does this automatically, but SSH gives you precision, especially if the dashboard doesn’t show an update.

1 Like
8

Hi

Ok amazing. Thanks for such a detailed response!

App version of RPC Explorer is 3.4.0

Just 1 other thing quickly - the app log in umbrel now seems to be referencing “SlowDeviceMode”

Is this anything to be concerned about?

See below

Thanks

btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T08:37:22.953Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: load difficulty history. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy difficulty history details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T08:52:22.958Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: load difficulty history. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy difficulty history details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T09:07:22.909Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: fetch last 24 hrs of blockstats to calculate transaction volume. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy UTXO set summary details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T09:07:22.909Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: fetch UTXO set summary. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy UTXO set summary details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T09:07:22.953Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: load difficulty history. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy difficulty history details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T09:22:22.955Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: load difficulty history. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy difficulty history details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T09:37:22.909Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: fetch last 24 hrs of blockstats to calculate transaction volume. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy UTXO set summary details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T09:37:22.909Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: fetch UTXO set summary. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy UTXO set summary details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T09:37:22.955Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: load difficulty history. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy difficulty history details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T09:52:22.956Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: load difficulty history. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy difficulty history details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T10:07:22.910Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: fetch last 24 hrs of blockstats to calculate transaction volume. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy UTXO set summary details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T10:07:22.910Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: fetch UTXO set summary. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy UTXO set summary details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T10:07:22.960Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: load difficulty history. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy difficulty history details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T10:22:22.968Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: load difficulty history. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy difficulty history details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T10:37:22.911Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: fetch last 24 hrs of blockstats to calculate transaction volume. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy UTXO set summary details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T10:37:22.911Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: fetch UTXO set summary. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy UTXO set summary details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T10:37:22.962Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: load difficulty history. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy difficulty history details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T10:52:22.960Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: load difficulty history. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy difficulty history details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T11:07:22.911Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: fetch last 24 hrs of blockstats to calculate transaction volume. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy UTXO set summary details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T11:07:22.911Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: fetch UTXO set summary. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy UTXO set summary details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T11:07:22.960Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: load difficulty history. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy difficulty history details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T11:22:22.961Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: load difficulty history. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy difficulty history details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T11:37:22.916Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: fetch last 24 hrs of blockstats to calculate transaction volume. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy UTXO set summary details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T11:37:22.917Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: fetch UTXO set summary. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy UTXO set summary details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T11:37:22.961Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: load difficulty history. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy difficulty history details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T11:52:22.965Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: load difficulty history. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy difficulty history details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T12:07:22.916Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: fetch last 24 hrs of blockstats to calculate transaction volume. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy UTXO set summary details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T12:07:22.917Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: fetch UTXO set summary. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy UTXO set summary details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T12:07:22.965Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: load difficulty history. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy difficulty history details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T12:22:22.970Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: load difficulty history. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy difficulty history details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T12:37:22.919Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: fetch last 24 hrs of blockstats to calculate transaction volume. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy UTXO set summary details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T12:37:22.919Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: fetch UTXO set summary. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy UTXO set summary details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T12:37:22.970Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: load difficulty history. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy difficulty history details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T12:52:22.969Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: load difficulty history. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy difficulty history details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T13:07:22.919Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: fetch last 24 hrs of blockstats to calculate transaction volume. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy UTXO set summary details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T13:07:22.919Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: fetch UTXO set summary. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy UTXO set summary details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T13:07:22.969Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: load difficulty history. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy difficulty history details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T13:22:22.973Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: load difficulty history. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy difficulty history details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T13:37:22.923Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: fetch last 24 hrs of blockstats to calculate transaction volume. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy UTXO set summary details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T13:37:22.924Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: fetch UTXO set summary. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy UTXO set summary details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T13:37:22.973Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: load difficulty history. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy difficulty history details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T13:52:22.976Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: load difficulty history. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy difficulty history details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T14:07:22.927Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: fetch last 24 hrs of blockstats to calculate transaction volume. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy UTXO set summary details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T14:07:22.927Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: fetch UTXO set summary. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy UTXO set summary details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T14:07:22.976Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: load difficulty history. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy difficulty history details.
btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 | 2025-05-01T14:22:22.978Z btcexp:app Skipping performance-intensive task: load difficulty history. This is skipped due to the flag ‘slowDeviceMode’ which defaults to ‘true’ to protect slow nodes. Set this flag to ‘false’ to enjoy difficulty history details.

9

These log messages from btc-rpc-explorer_web_1 are not errors but informational notices from BTC RPC Explorer running on your Umbrel setup. They’re telling you that the app is deliberately skipping certain resource-heavy tasks to protect your Pi’s performance.

Why This Happens

  • Raspberry Pi Limitations: Pis (especially older models like 3B or 4 with 4GB RAM) have limited CPU and memory. Tasks like fetching difficulty history or UTXO summaries require heavy Bitcoin Core RPC calls, which can strain the Pi, especially if Bitcoin Core is syncing or other apps (e.g., Electrs, Mempool) are running.
  • Default Protection: BTC RPC Explorer’s developers set slowDeviceMode=true by default for Umbrel and similar setups to prioritize stability over extra features. This is why your node runs fine despite these skips.
  • Not an Error: These are intentional skips, not failures. They don’t affect core functionality (e.g., viewing blocks, transactions, or node status) and aren’t related to your earlier trim error.

Implications for You

  • What You’re Missing: Without these tasks, BTC RPC Explorer’s interface lacks:
    • Historical difficulty charts.
    • 24-hour transaction volume stats.
    • UTXO set summaries.
    • These are advanced analytics, not critical for most users running a node.
  • Performance Trade-Off: Skipping these tasks keeps your Pi responsive, especially if it’s handling Bitcoin Core syncing or other apps. Enabling them could slow down your node or cause crashes if memory runs low.
  • Relevance to Upgrading: These logs don’t indicate a need to upgrade BTC RPC Explorer, but if a newer version optimizes these tasks, updating (as previously outlined) might improve performance or change slowDeviceMode behavior.

Should You Change slowDeviceMode?

  • Default (Leave It true): For most new users, keep slowDeviceMode=true. Your Pi is likely resource-constrained, and stability is more important than extra charts. The skipped tasks are nice-to-haves, not essentials.
  • If You Want to Try false:
    • Only consider this if your Pi is a high-end model (e.g., Raspberry Pi 4 with 8GB RAM) and Bitcoin Core is fully synced (check in Umbrel dashboard).
    • You’d need to set BTCEXP_SLOW_DEVICE_MODE=false in the app’s environment variables:
      1. SSH into your Pi:

ssh umbrel@umbrel.local

2. Navigate to Umbrel:

cd ~/umbrel

3. Edit or create a .env file for BTC RPC Explorer:

sudo nano app-data/btc-rpc-explorer/.env

4. Add:

BTCEXP_SLOW_DEVICE_MODE=false

5. Save (Ctrl+O, Enter, Ctrl+X).
6. Restart the app:

sudo docker-compose restart btc-rpc-explorer

7. Check logs for new behavior:

sudo docker logs btc-rpc-explorer_web_1
* Warning: Monitor memory and CPU after this change because it will probably crash soon:

free -h # Check available RAM (>100MB is safe) uptime # Check load averages (<2.0 is healthy)

If the Pi slows down or apps crash, revert to true or remove the setting.

10

Ok thanks again for such a detailed response.

Incredibly helpful.

Im running a Rasberry pi5 with 16gb RAM, so might try changing the command to False.

See what happens…

Thanks again

Really helpful.

Regards.