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Full Node Cheat Sheet

🖨 🍝 instructions to get you up and running with a Full Node on Pocket Network using Systemd and Cosmovisor ✅

There is lots of scripting and some details are abstracted away

See the Full Node Walkthrough if you want to understand what's happening under the hood.

Table of Contents ​

Pre-Requisites & Requirements​

  1. Linux-based System: Ensure you have a Debian-based Linux distribution.
  2. Root or Sudo Access: You need administrative privileges to run the installation script.
  3. Dedicated Server or Virtual Machine: Any provider should work (e.g. Vultr).

Install and Run a Full Node using Cosmovisor​

info

This section's script will handle the installation of dependencies, user creation, environment variable setup, and configuration of Cosmovisor and poktrolld.

Follow the instructions below to quickly install and set up a Full Node:

  1. Download the Installation Script:

    curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pokt-network/poktroll/main/tools/installer/full-node.sh

  2. Run the Script with Sudo Privileges:

    sudo bash full-node.sh

  3. Follow the Prompts:

    1. Choose the Network: Select testnet-alpha, testnet-beta, or mainnet.
    2. Set Username: Input the desired username to run poktrolld (default: poktroll).
    3. Set Node Moniker: Input the node moniker (default: your hostname).
    4. Confirm Seeds and Genesis File: The script fetches seeds and the genesis file automatically.
    5. External IP Address: The script detects your external IP address. Confirm or input manually if incorrect.

Verify successful installation using curl​

We are going to use curl to query the latest block to verify the installation was successful.

Running the following command will return the latest synched block height:

curl -X GET http://localhost:26657/block | jq '.result.block.header.height'

Or the following command to get the entire block:

curl -X GET http://localhost:26657/block | jq

Which should return a response similar to the following format:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": -1,
  "result": {
    "block_id": {
      "hash": "924904A2FB97327D2D91EB18225041B3DF82D1DBA5BA988AB79CD3EAC4A4960C",
      "parts": {
        "total": 1,
        "hash": "90E8EDC6841779CF4BADE35CDB53AA1276153BD26690999C5E87EB0E49E91AC8"
      }
    },
    "block": {
      "header": {
        "version": {
          "block": "11"
        },
        "chain_id": "pocket-beta",
        "height": "4971",
        "time": "2024-11-25T21:33:54.785576474Z",
        "last_block_id": {
          "hash": "E1D9F26882FD28447063CC11D326331C4B7C4A6417B2B2E5E38C5484C6D98168",
          "parts": {
            "total": 1,
            "hash": "85847883D9A34F345A2C3E610E1EC524B3C12F41DD2BDC49B36824D9A12EAB32"
          }
        },
        "last_commit_hash": "D49C2BF69F43658D63EF78487258DCA05F7239554E668CF9AE2502A5C6DB104E",
        "data_hash": "E3B0C44298FC1C149AFBF4C8996FB92427AE41E4649B934CA495991B7852B855",
        "validators_hash": "5DC32F6AF7A2B6BAF1738FC5ADC8760E3A1A33A98839071D6A6FE503AD3BD52E",
        "next_validators_hash": "5DC32F6AF7A2B6BAF1738FC5ADC8760E3A1A33A98839071D6A6FE503AD3BD52E",
        "consensus_hash": "048091BC7DDC283F77BFBF91D73C44DA58C3DF8A9CBC867405D8B7F3DAADA22F",
        "app_hash": "DEACCBB96F23B7B58CADAFBE7894DDC2C5ACA0F29A68EA1C67407FA06C8D617C",
        "last_results_hash": "E3B0C44298FC1C149AFBF4C8996FB92427AE41E4649B934CA495991B7852B855",
        "evidence_hash": "E3B0C44298FC1C149AFBF4C8996FB92427AE41E4649B934CA495991B7852B855",
        "proposer_address": "21FABB12F80DAFF6CB83BA0958B2509FC127C3BD"
      },
      "data": {
        "txs": []
      },
      "evidence": {
        "evidence": []
      },
      "last_commit": {
        "height": "4970",
        "round": 0,
        "block_id": {
          "hash": "E1D9F26882FD28447063CC11D326331C4B7C4A6417B2B2E5E38C5484C6D98168",
          "parts": {
            "total": 1,
            "hash": "85847883D9A34F345A2C3E610E1EC524B3C12F41DD2BDC49B36824D9A12EAB32"
          }
        },
        "signatures": [
          {
            "block_id_flag": 2,
            "validator_address": "21FABB12F80DAFF6CB83BA0958B2509FC127C3BD",
            "timestamp": "2024-11-25T21:33:54.770507235Z",
            "signature": "zQb3QPt032nIRTUc7kk4cSxgVF4hpMZycE6ZvpSSZM4Bj1XlOEcdFtHWiLsileVX9RkZHqChzGBstCnfCfK8Bg=="
          },
          ...
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

How are automatic upgrades handled out of the box?​

Your node is configured to handle chain upgrades automatically through Cosmovisor. No manual intervention is required for standard upgrades.

When a chain upgrade is proposed and approved:

  1. Cosmovisor will download the new binary
  2. The node will stop at the designated upgrade height
  3. Cosmovisor will switch to the new binary
  4. The node will restart automatically

Do you care to know what just happened?​

Optional reading for the curious

This section is optional and for informational purposes only.

If you're interested in understanding what just got installed, keep reading...

  1. System User: A dedicated user (default: poktroll) is created to run the node securely.

  2. Cosmovisor: A binary manager that handles chain upgrades automatically:

    • Location: /home/poktroll/bin/cosmovisor
    • Purpose: Manages different versions of poktrolld and handles chain upgrades
    • Configuration: Set up to automatically download and switch to new binaries during upgrades

  3. Poktrolld: The core node software:

    • Location: /home/poktroll/.poktroll/cosmovisor/genesis/bin/poktrolld
    • Configuration: /home/poktroll/.poktroll/config/
    • Data: /home/poktroll/.poktroll/data/

  4. Systemd Service: A service that manages the node:

    • Name: cosmovisor.service
    • Status: Enabled and started automatically
    • Configured for automatic restarts and upgrades