Strange SSL error when seeding database via command line

Question

I have a file (it's called conversation_template.py) which I use to seed my DynamoDB database, and it worked until very recently.

import boto3

dynamodb = boto3.resource('dynamodb', region_name='us-east-1')
table = dynamodb.Table('tablename')

data = {'<data_goes_here>'}


def add_to_table():
        table.put_item(Item=data)


add_to_table()

Now, when I run it in my command line, I get this:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/botocore/vendored/requests/packages/urllib3/connectionpool.py", line 544, in urlopen
    body=body, headers=headers)
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/botocore/vendored/requests/packages/urllib3/connectionpool.py", line 341, in _make_request
    self._validate_conn(conn)
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/botocore/vendored/requests/packages/urllib3/connectionpool.py", line 761, in _validate_conn
    conn.connect()
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/botocore/vendored/requests/packages/urllib3/connection.py", line 238, in connect
    ssl_version=resolved_ssl_version)
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/botocore/vendored/requests/packages/urllib3/util/ssl_.py", line 279, in ssl_wrap_socket
    return context.wrap_socket(sock, server_hostname=server_hostname)
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/ssl.py", line 401, in wrap_socket
    _context=self, _session=session)
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/ssl.py", line 808, in __init__
    self.do_handshake()
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/ssl.py", line 1061, in do_handshake
    self._sslobj.do_handshake()
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/ssl.py", line 683, in do_handshake
    self._sslobj.do_handshake()
ssl.SSLError: [SSL: UNKNOWN_PROTOCOL] unknown protocol (_ssl.c:748)

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/botocore/vendored/requests/adapters.py", line 370, in send
    timeout=timeout
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/botocore/vendored/requests/packages/urllib3/connectionpool.py", line 574, in urlopen
    raise SSLError(e)
botocore.vendored.requests.packages.urllib3.exceptions.SSLError: [SSL: UNKNOWN_PROTOCOL] unknown protocol (_ssl.c:748)

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "conversation_template.py", line 74, in <module>
    add_to_table()
  File "conversation_template.py", line 71, in add_to_table
    table.put_item(Item=episode)
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/boto3/resources/factory.py", line 520, in do_action
    response = action(self, *args, **kwargs)
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/boto3/resources/action.py", line 83, in __call__
    response = getattr(parent.meta.client, operation_name)(**params)
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/botocore/client.py", line 312, in _api_call
    return self._make_api_call(operation_name, kwargs)
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/botocore/client.py", line 588, in _make_api_call
    operation_model, request_dict)
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/botocore/endpoint.py", line 141, in make_request
    return self._send_request(request_dict, operation_model)
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/botocore/endpoint.py", line 170, in _send_request
    success_response, exception):
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/botocore/endpoint.py", line 249, in _needs_retry
    caught_exception=caught_exception, request_dict=request_dict)
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/botocore/hooks.py", line 227, in emit
    return self._emit(event_name, kwargs)
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/botocore/hooks.py", line 210, in _emit
    response = handler(**kwargs)
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/botocore/retryhandler.py", line 183, in __call__
    if self._checker(attempts, response, caught_exception):
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/botocore/retryhandler.py", line 251, in __call__
    caught_exception)
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/botocore/retryhandler.py", line 277, in _should_retry
    return self._checker(attempt_number, response, caught_exception)
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/botocore/retryhandler.py", line 317, in __call__
    caught_exception)
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/botocore/retryhandler.py", line 223, in __call__
    attempt_number, caught_exception)
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/botocore/retryhandler.py", line 359, in _check_caught_exception
    raise caught_exception
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/botocore/endpoint.py", line 204, in _get_response
    proxies=self.proxies, timeout=self.timeout)
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/botocore/vendored/requests/sessions.py", line 573, in send
    r = adapter.send(request, **kwargs)
  File "/Users/user/anaconda/envs/django_pocketcoach/lib/python3.6/site-packages/botocore/vendored/requests/adapters.py", line 431, in send
    raise SSLError(e, request=request)
botocore.vendored.requests.exceptions.SSLError: [SSL: UNKNOWN_PROTOCOL] unknown protocol (_ssl.c:748)

I tried to figure out where the error comes from but I couldn’t do it. Even the error messages didn’t get me anywhere.

I get an SSLError; the protocol is unknown. I found that this type of error could be related to me trying to connect to proxy servers but I am not using one and haven’t done so in the past either.

Any ideas on where this error could come from?

The code hasn't changed since it stopped working, so I'm sure it's not the issue. I'll add the code anyway — manny-k, Aug 30 '17 at 22:25

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Aug 31 '17 at 10:37

What's worked in the end is to exit my current virtual environment and run:

/Applications/Python\ 3.6/Install\ Certificates.command

And then I entered my virtual environment again and ran:

pip install certifi

That fixed it.

I got help from a friend who suspected it could have to do with the certification verification (related to this: urllib and "SSL: CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED" Error ) but it remains unclear why I didn't get a "Certificate Verification Failed" error.

Strange SSL error when seeding database via command line

1 Answers1