Fix crash on missing ripemd160 hash function; add troubleshooting guide

README.md

@@ -54,3 +54,16 @@ The documentation for the API can be found [here](https://lbry.tech/api/sdk).
 Daemon defaults, ports, and other settings are documented [here](https://lbry.tech/resources/daemon-settings).
 
 Settings can be configured using a daemon-settings.yml file. An example can be found [here](https://github.com/lbryio/lbry-sdk/blob/master/example_daemon_settings.yml).
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### Error: unsupported hash type 'ripemd160'
+
+If you see this error when running `lbrynet start`, it likely means your OpenSSL or Python installation is missing RIPEMD160 support.
+
+To fix it:
+
+- Ensure you are using a version of Python compiled with OpenSSL support.
+- On Ubuntu/Debian, try: `sudo apt install libssl-dev` and reinstall Python.
+- Alternatively, use a precompiled Python version (e.g., via `pyenv install 3.8.18` after `libssl-dev` is installed).
+

lbry/crypto/hash.py

@@ -15,11 +15,18 @@ def sha512(x):
 
 def ripemd160(x):
     """ Simple wrapper of hashlib ripemd160. """
-    h = hashlib.new('ripemd160')
+    try:
+        h = hashlib.new('ripemd160')
+    except ValueError as e:
+        raise RuntimeError(
+            "Your Python/OpenSSL installation does not support RIPEMD160. "
+            "Try reinstalling Python with full OpenSSL support."
+        ) from e
     h.update(x)
     return h.digest()
 
 
+
 def double_sha256(x):
     """ SHA-256 of SHA-256, as used extensively in bitcoin. """
     return sha256(sha256(x))