A more informative error message when syncing from block 1

[CharlieMc0]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

When node operators attempt to start their node from block 1 they get an unclear error message like

panic: json: cannot unmarshal array into Go value of type map[string]json.RawMessage

Example Issue: #2682

Describe the solution you'd like
Instead, if someone attempts to start at block 1 it should give them an informative error message like
You cannot sync testnet or mainnet from block 1 using this version. You should sync your node from a snapshot

Motivation and Context
Many node operators run into this problem, get confused, and ask for help in Discord.

[kingpinXD]

I think it's a good idea to refactor the message , to make it meaningful
It would be better, though, if we could also come up with a doc or a process to follow for someone who wants to sync from block 1. Is that something we have ever tested?
It would be a good idea to spend some time on a sprint to test this to see if it's possible.

[lumtis]

Do you know what is the actual error and what message should be printed for this specific case here?

[kingpinXD]

The error I got when trying to sync a node using
https://www.zetachain.com/docs/nodes/start-here/setup/

12:22PM INF initializing blockchain state from genesis.json module=server
panic: runtime error: invalid memory address or nil pointer dereference
[signal SIGSEGV: segmentation violation code=0x2 addr=0x0 pc=0x1035759b0]

goroutine 1 [running]:
github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/gov.InitGenesis({{0x105ab67b0, 0x1077946c0}, {0x105ad06d0, 0x140009d2580}, {{0x0, 0x0}, {0x140016040e0, 0x10}, 0x0, {0x0, ...}, ...}, ...}, ...)
        /Users/tanmay/go/pkg/mod/github.com/cosmos/[email protected]/x/gov/genesis.go:15 +0xc0
github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/x/gov.AppModule.InitGenesis({{{_, _}, {_, _, _}}, _, {_, _}, {_, _}, ...}, ...)
        /Users/tanmay/go/pkg/mod/github.com/cosmos/[email protected]/x/gov/module.go:304 +0xcc
github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types/module.(*Manager).InitGenesis(_, {{0x105ab67b0, 0x1077946c0}, {0x105ad06d0, 0x140009d2580}, {{0x0, 0x0}, {0x140016040e0, 0x10}, 0x0, ...}, ...}, ...)
        /Users/tanmay/go/pkg/mod/github.com/cosmos/[email protected]/types/module/module.go:357 +0x290
github.com/zeta-chain/node/app.(*App).InitChainer(_, {{0x105ab67b0, 0x1077946c0}, {0x105ad06d0, 0x140009d2580}, {{0x0, 0x0}, {0x140016040e0, 0x10}, 0x0, ...}, ...}, ...)
        /Users/tanmay/IdeaProjects/kingpinXD/zeta-node/app/app.go:892 +0x1d8
github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/baseapp.(*BaseApp).InitChain(0x140007370e0, {{0x0, 0xedcc373b0, 0x0}, {0x140016040e0, 0x10}, 0x14000694860, {0x1077946c0, 0x0, 0x0}, ...})
        /Users/tanmay/go/pkg/mod/github.com/cosmos/[email protected]/baseapp/abci.go:78 +0x408
github.com/cometbft/cometbft/abci/client.(*localClient).InitChainSync(0x14000d4f800, {{0x0, 0xedcc373b0, 0x0}, {0x140016040e0, 0x10}, 0x14000694860, {0x1077946c0, 0x0, 0x0}, ...})
        /Users/tanmay/go/pkg/mod/github.com/cometbft/[email protected]/abci/client/local_client.go:275 +0x184
github.com/cometbft/cometbft/proxy.(*appConnConsensus).InitChainSync(0x140006af008, {{0x0, 0xedcc373b0, 0x0}, {0x140016040e0, 0x10}, 0x14000694860, {0x1077946c0, 0x0, 0x0}, ...})
        /Users/tanmay/go/pkg/mod/github.com/cometbft/[email protected]/proxy/app_conn.go:85 +0x1a8
github.com/cometbft/cometbft/consensus.(*Handshaker).ReplayBlocksWithContext(_, {_, _}, {{{0xb, 0x0}, {0x10448693d, 0x6}}, {0x140016040e0, 0x10}, 0x1, ...}, ...)
        /Users/tanmay/go/pkg/mod/github.com/cometbft/[email protected]/consensus/replay.go:336 +0xbac
github.com/cometbft/cometbft/consensus.(*Handshaker).HandshakeWithContext(0x14001bd3db8, {0x105ab6d60, 0x1077946c0}, {0x105ad5650, 0x14001b2e000})
        /Users/tanmay/go/pkg/mod/github.com/cometbft/[email protected]/consensus/replay.go:274 +0x314
github.com/cometbft/cometbft/node.doHandshake({_, _}, {_, _}, {{{0xb, 0x0}, {0x10448693d, 0x6}}, {0x140016040e0, 0x10}, ...}, ...)
        /Users/tanmay/go/pkg/mod/github.com/cometbft/[email protected]/node/node.go:449 +0x118
github.com/cometbft/cometbft/node.NewNodeWithContext({0x105ab6d60, 0x1077946c0}, 0x14000a6f1e0, {0x105a980f8, 0x140019e81e0}, 0x140019f1f50, {0x105a828e0, 0x14000631680}, 0x140015f7008, 0x105a6f3a0, ...)
        /Users/tanmay/go/pkg/mod/github.com/cometbft/[email protected]/node/node.go:929 +0x3fc
github.com/cometbft/cometbft/node.NewNode(0x1074e7db0?, {0x105a980f8?, 0x140019e81e0?}, 0x37?, {0x105a828e0?, 0x14000631680?}, 0x105a828c0?, 0x140013f5c00?, 0x0?, {0x105ab6820?, ...}, ...)
        /Users/tanmay/go/pkg/mod/github.com/cometbft/[email protected]/node/node.go:849 +0x84
github.com/zeta-chain/node/server.startInProcess(_, {{0x0, 0x0, 0x0}, {0x105ad3420, 0x14000a2d200}, 0x0, {0x1400148d4f0, 0x10}, {0x105adee00, ...}, ...}, ...)
        /Users/tanmay/IdeaProjects/kingpinXD/zeta-node/server/start.go:417 +0x2334
github.com/zeta-chain/node/server.StartCmd.func2(0x14000f38608, {0x1077946c0?, 0x0?, 0x0?})
        /Users/tanmay/IdeaProjects/kingpinXD/zeta-node/server/start.go:159 +0x284
github.com/spf13/cobra.(*Command).execute(0x14000f38608, {0x1077946c0, 0x0, 0x0})
        /Users/tanmay/go/pkg/mod/github.com/spf13/[email protected]/command.go:983 +0x834
github.com/spf13/cobra.(*Command).ExecuteC(0x140013caf08)
        /Users/tanmay/go/pkg/mod/github.com/spf13/[email protected]/command.go:1115 +0x344
github.com/spf13/cobra.(*Command).Execute(...)
        /Users/tanmay/go/pkg/mod/github.com/spf13/[email protected]/command.go:1039
github.com/spf13/cobra.(*Command).ExecuteContext(...)
        /Users/tanmay/go/pkg/mod/github.com/spf13/[email protected]/command.go:1032
github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/server/cmd.Execute(0x140013caf08, {0x0, 0x0}, {0x14001148120, 0x18})
        /Users/tanmay/go/pkg/mod/github.com/cosmos/[email protected]/server/cmd/execute.go:33 +0x148
main.main()
        /Users/tanmay/IdeaProjects/kingpinXD/zeta-node/cmd/zetacored/main.go:20 +0x3c

The linked pr should fix that problem.

@CharlieMc0 , I was not able to replicate the exact error message you created the issue for but the recover function I added should catch any panic from initializing the state from genesis.
If you have the steps to replicate the error , I can try it on my branch