"TypeError: this.utils.randomHex is not a function" in web3.eth.accounts.create()

[jtremback]

Expected behavior

web3.eth.accounts.create() should create an account.

Actual behavior

web3.eth.accounts.create() creates runtime error.

NOTE: web3.eth.accounts.create("entropy") works

Steps to reproduce the behavior

import Web3 from "web3";
const web3 = new Web3("ws://localhost:8546");
web3.eth.accounts.create();

Error Logs

TypeError: this.utils.randomHex is not a function
Proxy.create
node_modules/web3-eth-accounts/dist/web3-eth-accounts.umd.js:106
  103 | }, {
  104 |   key: "create",
  105 |   value: function create(entropy) {
> 106 |     return this._addAccountFunctions(Account.create(entropy || this.utils.randomHex(32)));
      | ^  107 |   }
  108 | }, {
  109 |   key: "privateKeyToAccount",

Versions

web3.js version 1.0.0-beta.38, Chrome 71, Typescript

[jtremback]

Also, calling web3.utils.randomHex(32) myself has the same error. Additionally, Typescript thinks that the function exists so that would also indicate that your typings are wrong.

[jtremback]

logging web3 to the console shows

randomHex seems to be explicitly undefined

[nivida]

@jtremback Thanks for creating this issue!

Does this error still occur in the beta.39?

Edit:
Checked the NPM package of randomHex. The source of it is the following GitHub repository (https://github.com/frozeman/randomHex#readme).

Thanks for figuring this out.

[jtremback]

Thanks @nivida - are you indicating that it does not happen in beta.39? I will give it a shot. If that doesn't work i'll try the standalone.

[jtremback]

Very confusing, the actual code was deleted 2 years ago?

frozeman/randomHex@cd6a244

[tidusvn05]

same issue, some function error when utils.randomHex undefined.

utils:
{ randomHex: undefined,
jsonInterfaceMethodToString: [Function: jsonInterfaceMethodToString],
hexToAscii: [Function: hexToAscii],
asciiToHex: [Function: asciiToHex],
getUnitValue: [Function: getUnitValue],
fromWei: [Function: fromWei],
toWei: [Function: toWei],
toChecksumAddress: [Function: toChecksumAddress],
keccak256: [Function],
sha3: [Function],

[nivida]

@jtremback Yeah, strange. I will have a closer look at this tomorrow and fix it.

[WhaleChen]

I also come across the similar problem, when I want to sign a message using my wallet:

Wallet signature confirmed.
TypeError: this.utils.randomHex is not a function
    at Proxy.create (~/.nvm/versions/node/v10.15.0/lib/node_modules/@auroradao/aurad-cli/node_modules/web3-eth-accounts/dist/web3-eth-accounts.cjs.js:96:77)
    at ConfigCommand.run (~/.nvm/versions/node/v10.15.0/lib/node_modules/@auroradao/aurad-cli/src/commands/config.js:116:53) 

So what's wrong and what should I do?

[inyutin]

I have exactly the same problem.

[jungle04]

+1

[kokleong98]

+1

[jtremback]

I wrote this for myself. It doesn't include all the bells and whistles of the one that was deleted 2 years ago, and it won't work in node.js

export function randomHex(size: number) {
  if (size > 65536) {
    throw new Error("Requested too many random bytes.");
  }

  var cryptoLib: any = window.crypto || (window as any).msCrypto;

  if (cryptoLib) {
    var randomBytes = cryptoLib.getRandomValues(new Uint8Array(size));

    return Buffer.from(randomBytes).toString("hex");
  } else {
    var error = new Error(
      'No "crypto" object available. This Browser doesn\'t support generating secure random bytes.'
    );

    throw error;
  }
}

[TamanShergill]

I am getting the same issue.

[jungle04]

web3.eth.accounts.create()
i just gave one string to args
web3.eth.accounts.create("string") and it works)

[jtremback]

@jungle04 that will generate the same address every time. Don't use it.

[jungle04]

@jtremback r u sure?? cause i am using same string, but create different addresses every time..

[darioAnongba]

I'm having the same issue...

[sanjukurian]

@jtremback : Its creating multiple different accounts everytime. Any other issues using that?

[riki95]

Having the same issue.
I just use
web3js.eth.accounts.create();
And I get

TypeError: this.utils.randomHex is not a function

Any suggestion to fix?

[crazyrabbitLTC]

I am getting the same issue.
web3.eth.accounts.create() returns:
TypeError: this.utils.randomHex is not a function

web3.eth.accounts.create("string") does work.
However, unlike @jtremback 's comment above, calling the function with the same string repeatedly gives me a different account each time.

[lbthomsen]

I see this error consistently in node on Ubuntu but on Debian it works fine.