HackMD
Lodestar Setup Guide on Ethereum Beacon Chain (Ubuntu 20.04.3 + Docker Compose)
- The image file may be corrupted
- The server hosting the image is unavailable
- The image path is incorrect
- The image format is not supported
Last Updated: September 20, 2021
Table of Contents
This is a step-by-step guide to setup the ChainSafe Lodestar consensus client for Ethereum. This is an adaptation of Somer Esat's guides and CoinCashew's Security Guide specifically for Lodestar users and testers. It is based on the following technologies:
- Ubuntu v20.04.3 (LTS) x64 server
- Go-Ethereum Execution Node (Geth) | Github
- ChainSafe's Lodestar Ethereum Consensus Client | Github
- Docker Engine and Docker Compose
- MetaMask Crypto Wallet & Browser Extension
- The image file may be corrupted
- The server hosting the image is unavailable
- The image path is incorrect
- The image format is not supported
- The image file may be corrupted
- The server hosting the image is unavailable
- The image path is incorrect
- The image format is not supported
Support
For technical support please reach out to:
- The Lodestar team actively develops and collaborates on the ChainSafe Discord Server under #-lodestar-general channelImage Not Showing Possible Reasons
- The image file may be corrupted
- The server hosting the image is unavailable
- The image path is incorrect
- The image format is not supported
Prerequisites
This guide assumes knowledge of Ethereum, ETH, Docker, staking, Linux, and MetaMask (or Portis or Fortmatic).
This guide also requires the following before getting started:
- Ubuntu server v20.04.3 (LTS) amd64 or newer, installed and running on a local computer or in the cloud. A locally running computer is encouraged for greater decentralization — if the cloud provider goes down then all nodes hosted with that provider go down.
- MetaMask crypto wallet browser extension (or Portis or Fortmatic), installed and configured. A computer with a desktop (Mac, Windows, Linux, etc.) and a browser (Brave, Safari, FireFox, etc.) is required.
Testnet to Mainnet
If moving from a testnet setup to a mainnet setup it is strongly recommended that you start on fresh (newly installed) server instance. This guide has not been tested for migration scenarios and does not guarantee success if you are using an existing instance with previously installed testnet software.
Hardware Requirements
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i5–760 or AMD FX-8100 | Intel Core i7–4770 or AMD FX-8310 |
| Memory | 4GB RAM | 8GB+ RAM |
| Storage | 20GB available space SSD | 100GB+ available space SSD |
| Internet | Broadband connection | Broadband connection |
NOTE: Check your available disk space. Even you have a large SSD there are cases where Ubuntu is reporting only 200GB free. If this applies to you then take a look at Appendix C — Expanding the Logical Volume.
Overview
This guide will cover the following topics:
- Generate the staking validator keys and deposit data
- Prepare the Ubuntu Server (firewall, security, etc.)
- Set up the Go-Ethereum Execution Node (Geth) and sync it with the selected blockchain (testnet or mainnet)
- Install the Lodestar client with Docker Compose,
configure it to sync with Geth and continuously update to the latest image via Watchtower(Coming Soon)™ Auto-start containers after reboot(Coming Soon)™- Deposit ETH to activate validator keys
Let's get started!
Step 1: Generate Staking Data
In order to participate in staking it is necessary to generate some data files based on the number of validators you’d like to fund and operate.
OPTIONAL: If you have already generated your deposit data and validator key(s) you can skip this step.
Each validator requires a deposit of 32 ETH. You should have sufficient ETH in your MetaMask wallet to fund each validator. For example if you plan to run 5 validators you will need to have (32 x 5) = 160 ETH plus some extra to cover the gas fees. The ETH deposit will happen later in the guide after everything else is up and running.
TESTNET USERS: If you are running Lodestar on a testnet, you will need testnet ETH to complete your setup. You can obtain it from the following sources:
Goerli Testnet Faucets
https://faucet.goerli.mudit.blog/
https://goerli-faucet.slock.it/
Download the eth2.0-deposit-cli
Go here to get the “Latest release” of the deposit command line interface (CLI) app.
- The image file may be corrupted
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In the assets section download the version matching the platform you are currently on (e.g. Windows, Mac, Linux Desktop, etc.).
Run the eth2.0-deposit-cli
Decompress the archive. There should be a binary file (executable) inside. The deposit tool generates files for staking as well as a mnemonic key. This key must be handled securely. There are two options to proceed from here.
Recommended — Copy the binary file to a USB drive. Connect to a fully air-gapped machine (never previously connected to the internet), copy the file over and run from there.
Not recommended — Run from the current machine. An internet connection may be an opportunity to leak your mnemonic key. If a fully air-gapped machine isn’t available disconnect the internet on the current machine before proceeding.
When ready, run the file in a terminal window (or CMD in Windows) to continue using the commands below:
- Replace
<NumberOfValidators>with the number of validators you want to fund. E.g.--num_validators 2. - Replace
<ChainID>with the network you intend to use. E.g.--chain mainnetor--chain prater
On Linux/Mac:
./deposit new-mnemonic --num_validators <NumberOfValidators> --chain <ChainID>
On Windows
deposit.exe new-mnemonic --num_validators <NumberOfValidators> --chain <ChainID>
Once you execute the above steps on your platform of choice you will be asked to create a validator keystore password. Back it up somewhere safe. You will need this later to load the validator keys into the Lodestar validator client.
- The image file may be corrupted
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WARNING: A seed phrase (mnemonic) will be generated.
Back it up somewhere safe. This is CRITICAL.
You will eventually use this to generate your withdrawal keys for your ETH or add additional validators. If you lose this key you will not be able to withdraw your funds. If this key is compromised by somebody else, they will be able to withdraw your funds.
WARNING: Do not use the 24 word example above. Once a 24 word phrase is made public, it is compromised.
Once you have confirmed your mnemonic your validator keys will be created.
The newly created validator keys and deposit data file are created at the specified location. The contents of the folder are shown below.
-
The
deposit_data-[timestamp].jsonfile contains the public keys for the validators and information about the staking deposit. This file will be used to complete the ETH deposit process later on. -
The
keystore-m...jsonfiles contain the encrypted validator signing key. There is one keystore-m per validator that you are funding. These will be imported into the Lodestar validator client for use while staking. You will copy these files over to the Ubuntu server (if not already there) later.
Final Steps
Now that you have the deposit data and the keystore files move on to set up the Ubuntu server.
DO NOT DEPOSIT any ETH at this moment.
It is important to complete and verify your staking setup first. If the ETH deposits become active and your staking setup is not ready you will start receiving penalties for non-activity.
Step 2: Connect to the Server
Using a SSH client, connect to your Ubuntu server. If you are logged in as root then create a user-level account with admin privileges instead, since logging in as the root user is risky.
NOTE: If you are not logged in as root then skip this and go to Step 3.
Create a new user. Replace <yourusername> with a username of your choice. You will asked to create a strong password and provide some other optional information.
adduser <yourusername>
Grant admin rights to the new user by adding it to the sudo group. This will allow the user to perform actions with superuser privileges by typing sudo before commands.
usermod -aG sudo <yourusername>
Optional: If you used SSH keys to connect to your Ubuntu instance via the root user you will need to associate the new user with the root user’s SSH key data.
rsync --archive --chown=<yourusername>:<yourusername> ~/.ssh /home/<yourusername>
Finally, log out of root and log in as <yourusername>.
Step 3: Update the Server
Make sure the system is up to date with the latest software and security updates.
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt dist-upgrade && sudo apt autoremove
sudo reboot
Step 4: Secure the Server
Security is important. This is not a comprehensive security guide, just some basic settings.
Modify the Default SSH Port
Port 22 is the default SSH port and a common attack vector. Change the SSH port to avoid this.
Choose a port number between 1024–49151 and run the following command and replace <YourSSHPortNumber> with the selected port number to check that it is not already in use:
sudo ss -tulpn | grep ':<YourSSHPortNumber>'
A blank response indicates not in use, a red text response indicates it is in use: try a different port. E.g. sudo ss -tulpn | grep ':6673'
If confirmed available, modify the default port by updating SSH config.
sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config
Find or add (if not present) the line Port 22 in the file. Remove the # (if present) and change the value as below.
Port <YourSSHPortNumber>
Check the screen shot below for reference of Port 123 as an example. Press CTRL+x then ‘y’ then ‘Enter’ to save and exit.
Restart the SSH service to reflect the above changes.
sudo systemctl restart ssh
Log out and log back in via SSH using <YourSSHPortNumber> for the port.
Setup 2-Factor Authentication for your Server
OPTIONAL: If you would like added security on top of your password, you can setup Google Authenticator to further protect your server from unauthorized access. Otherwise, skip this section and continue to Configure the Firewall.
Install the package required for Google Authenticator.
sudo apt install libpam-google-authenticator -y
To make SSH use the Google Authenticator PAM module, you will need to edit the file located in /etc/pam.d/sshd:
sudo nano /etc/pam.d/sshd
In the configuration file, add the following line at the bottom of the file:
auth required pam_google_authenticator.so
Check the screen shot below for reference. Press CTRL+x then ‘y’ then ‘Enter’ to save and exit.
Now we will restart the sshd daemon with the following command:
sudo systemctl restart sshd.service
We must now modify the sshd configuration file located at /etc/ssh/sshd_config:
sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config
We will locate the following parameters and update it to yes. Check the screen shot below for reference.
ChallengeReponseAuthentication yes
UsePAM yes
Press CTRL+x then ‘y’ then ‘Enter’ to save and exit.
We will now setup Google Authenticator with the following command:
google-authenticator
You will be asked a series of questions and the recommendated settings are:
- Make tokens “time-base”": yes
- Update the .google_authenticator file: yes
- Disallow multiple uses: yes
- Increase the original generation time limit: no
- Enable rate-limiting: yes
Use the screenshots below as an example reference:
The giant QR code that appeared is a representation of your secret key used for your Google Authenticator application. This key is required to generate the proper 6 digit codes you use to verify your 2FA and log into your server. It is VERY IMPORTANT to write down your emergency scratch codes and KEEP THEM SAFE incase you lose access to your phone.
Now open Google Authenticator on your phone and add your secret key to make sure you have access to your server after inputting your password.
Configure the Firewall
Ubuntu 20.04 servers can use the default UFW firewall to restrict inbound traffic to the server. Before you enable it allow inbound traffic for SSH, Go Ethereum, and Lodestar.
Install UFW
UFW should be installed by default. The following command will ensure it is.
sudo apt install ufw
Apply UFW Defaults
Explicitly apply the defaults. Inbound traffic denied, outbound traffic allowed.
sudo ufw default deny incoming
sudo ufw default allow outgoing
Allow SSH
Allow inbound traffic on <YourSSHPortNumber> as set above. SSH requires the TCP protocol. E.g. sudo ufw allow 123/tcp
sudo ufw allow <YourSSHPortNumber>/tcp
Deny SSH Port 22
Deny inbound traffic on Port 22/TCP.
Only do this after you SSH in using <YourSSHPortNumber>.
sudo ufw deny 22/tcp
Allow Go Ethereum (Geth)
Allow P2P connections with Go Ethereum peers on Port 30303.
OPTIONAL If using an Ethereum Execution Node hosted by a 3rd party, skip this step.
NOTE: If you are hosting your Ubuntu instance locally, your internet router may need to be configured to allow and forward incoming traffic on port 30303 to your server.
sudo ufw allow 30303
Allow Lodestar Ports
Allows P2P connections with Lodestar peers for actions on the beacon node (Port 9000)
NOTE: If you are hosting your Ubuntu instance locally, your internet router may need to be configured to allow and forward incoming traffic on port 9000 to your server.
sudo ufw allow 9000
Allow HTTP connections to Prometheus metrics (Port 3000)
sudo ufw allow 3000
Enable the Firewall
Enable the firewall and verify the rules have been correctly configured
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw status numbered
Check the screenshot below for reference.
Step 5: Configure Timekeeping on the Server
Ubuntu has time synchronization built in and activated by default using systemd’s timesyncd service. Verify it’s running correctly.
timedatectl
The NTP service should be active. If not then run:
sudo timedatectl set-ntp on
Check the screenshot below for reference:
You should only be using a single keeping service. If you were using NTPD from a previous installation you can check if it exists and remove it using the following commands.
ntpq -p
sudo apt-get remove ntp
Step 6: Setup a local Go-Ethereum Execution (Geth) Node
An Ethereum execution node is required for staking. You can either run a local Ethereum execution (Eth1) node or use a third party node. This guide will provide instructions for running a local Go Ethereum (Geth) node.
OPTIONAL: If you would rather use a third party option then skip this step. Instructions will be provided to setup a third party option in Step 9 when configuring the Beacon Node Service.
NOTE: Check your available disk space. An Ethereum execution (Eth1) node requires roughly 400GB of space. Even you have a large SSD there are cases where Ubuntu is reporting only 200GB free. If this applies to you then take a look at Appendix C — Expanding the Logical Volume.
Install Go Ethereum (Geth)
Install the Go Ethereum client using PPA’s (Personal Package Archives).
sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:ethereum/ethereum
sudo apt update
sudo apt install geth
Go Ethereum will be configured to run as a background service. Create an account for the service to run under. This type of account can’t log into the server.
sudo useradd --no-create-home --shell /bin/false goeth
Create the data directory for the Ethereum execution chain (Eth1). This is required for storing the execution (Eth1) node data.
sudo mkdir -p /var/lib/goethereum
Set directory permissions. The goeth account needs permission to modify the data directory.
sudo chown -R goeth:goeth /var/lib/goethereum
Create a systemd service config file to configure the service.
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/geth.service
Paste the following service configuration into the file.
[Unit]
Description=Go Ethereum Client
After=network.target
Wants=network.target
[Service]
User=goeth
Group=goeth
Type=simple
Restart=always
RestartSec=5
ExecStart=geth --http --datadir /var/lib/goethereum --cache 2048 --maxpeers 30
[Install]
WantedBy=default.target
TESTNET USERS:
If you are running your Lodestar client on a testnet, you will need to connect your Ethereum execution node to an Ethereum execution testnet such as Goerli.
Any custom configurations/flags for your Go Ethereum node can be added/modified in the ExecStart=geth line with custom command line flags.
To connect your Geth node to Goerli, you can add the flag --goerli to the ExecStart=geth line:
Example:
ExecStart=geth --goerli --http --datadir /var/lib/goethereum --cache 2048 --maxpeers 30
| Notable Flags | Description |
|---|---|
--http |
Expose an HTTP endpoint (http://localhost:8545) that the Lodestar beacon chain will connect to. |
--cache |
Size of the internal cache in GB. Reduce or increase depending on your available system memory. A setting of 2048 results in roughly 4–5GB of memory usage. |
--maxpeers |
Maximum number of peers to connect with. More peers equals more internet data usage. Do not set this too low or your Geth node will struggle to stay in sync. |
Check the screen shot below for reference. Press CTRL+x then ‘y’ then ‘Enter’ to save and exit.
Mainnet Reference
Goerli Testnet Reference
Reload systemd to reflect the changes and start the service. Check status to make sure it’s running correctly.
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl start geth
sudo systemctl status geth
Check the screen shot below for reference.
It should say active (running) in green bold text. If not then go back and repeat the steps to fix the problem. Press Q to quit (will not affect the geth service).
Enable the geth service to automatically start on reboot.
sudo systemctl enable geth
The Go Ethereum node will begin to sync. You can follow the progress or check for errors by running the following command. Press CTRL+c to exit (will not affect the geth service).
sudo journalctl -fu geth.service
Check Sync Status
To check your Geth node sync status use the following command to access the console.
geth attach http://127.0.0.1:8545
> eth.syncing
If false is returned then your sync is complete. If syncing data is returned then you are still syncing.
Press CTRL+d to exit when done.
Check Connected Peers
To check your Geth node connected peers use the following command to access the console.
geth attach http://127.0.0.1:8545
> net.peerCount
The peerCount will not exceed your setting for --maxpeers. If you are having trouble finding peers to sync see the next section.
Press CTRL+d to exit when done.
Optional: Add Bootnodes
Sometimes it can take a while to find peers to sync. If so, you can add some bootnodes to help things along. Click below for the latest peers list:
Modify the geth service as follows:
sudo systemctl stop geth
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/geth.service
Modify the ExecStart line and add the --bootnodes flag with a few of the latest peers, comma separated. Below is an example:
ExecStart=geth --http --datadir /var/lib/goethereum --cache 2048 --maxpeers 30 --bootnodes "enode://d0b4a09d072b3f021e233fe55d43dc404a77eeaed32da9860cc72a5523c90d31ef9fab7f3da87967bc52c1118ca3241c0eced50290a87e0a91a271b5fac8d0a6@157.230.142.236:30303,enode://5070366042daaf15752fea340e7ffce3fd8fc576ac846034bd551c3eebac76db122a73fe8418804c5070a5e6d690fae133d9953f85d7aa00375d9a4a06741dbc@116.202.231.71:30303"
Save the file and exit. Restart the service and observe.
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl start geth
sudo journalctl -fu geth.service
NOTE: It is necessary to follow a specific series of steps to update Geth. See Appendix A — Updating Geth for further information.
Step 7: Setup Dependencies, Docker and Docker Compose
Install Python
To ensure you have the proper dependencies, install Python with the command:
sudo apt install python
Install Node Version Manager (NVM) and NodeJS
Use the following command to download and initiate the NVM install.
cd ~
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.38.0/install.sh | bash
Once it is complete, close your terminal session and re-open a terminal session with your server. Use nvm to install the latest version of NodeJS using the command:
nvm install node
Verify your installation of node by using the command:
node --version
Node.js should return the current version of your Node installation.
Install Yarn
Install Yarn via npm package manager:
npm install --global yarn
Once installed, you can check that Yarn is installed by using the command:
yarn --version
It should return a non-error message with the current x.xx.xx version of Yarn.
Install Docker
Install Docker using Snapcraft:
sudo snap install docker
Ensure Docker is properly setup by using the following command:
docker -v
It should return a non-error message with the current Docker version XX.XX.X. build xxxxxx installed.
Install Docker Compose
First, we must confirm the latest release on the Docker Compose Github Release Page.
At the time of this writing, the latest release is version 1.29.2 To download the latest release, use the following command and replace 1.29.2 with the latest version:
sudo curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/1.29.2/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
Change the permissions to allow docker-compose to be executable.
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
Verify the installation was successful.
docker-compose --version
Docker Compose should return a non-error stating the version and build.
Step 8: Download and Configure Lodestar Environment
Go to the Lodestar Releases webpage and identify the latest release. It is at the top of the page. For example:
In the assets section, copy the download link to the .tar.gz file by right clicking Source code (tar.gz), and then Copy Link Address.
Download the source code using the commands below.
NOTE: Example commands below are based on v0.30.0 of Lodestar. Modify the URLs, folder names and commands accordingly to the release version you have downloaded.
cd ~
sudo apt install curl
curl -LO https://github.com/ChainSafe/lodestar/archive/refs/tags/v0.30.0.tar.gz
Extract the source code from the archive.
tar xvf v0.30.0.tar.gz
Setup the environment
The docker-compose file requires that a .env file be present in this directory. The default.env file provides a template and can be copied. Navigate to the extracted directory and copy the template:
cd lodestar-v0.30.0
cp default.env .env
Modify the parameters inside the .env file. Use the nano text editor.
nano .env
TESTNET USERS: If you want to use Lodestar in a testnet, change LODESTAR_NETWORK to the desired network such as LODESTAR_NETWORK=prater.
On the GF_SECURITY_ADMIN_PASSWORD line, input a password to access your Graphana metrics dashboard. Remember this password as you will require it to check your metrics dashboard in Step 12.
Then, press CTRL+x then ‘y’ then ‘Enter’ to save and exit.
Install and build the packages
Ensure you have the build dependencies:
sudo apt install make && sudo apt install build-essential
Install the packages by using:
yarn install --ignore-optional
NOTE: Using the --ignore-optional flag prevents downloading the eth2 spec tests.
Then build across all packages by using:
yarn run build
You can verify that Lodestar is ready for use by using the commands:
./lodestar --help
You should see a list of commands and information about your current version.
Clean up the files from your system.
cd ~
sudo rm v0.30.0.tar.gz
Step 9: Copy the Validator Keys to your local server
Configure the Lodestar validator by importing the validator keys.
OPTIONAL: If you created your validator keystores on this local machine, skip this step and proceed to Step 10.
If you generated the validator keystore-m.json file(s) on a machine other than your Ubuntu server you will need to copy the file(s) over to your home directory. You can do this using a USB drive (if your server is local) or via secure FTP (SFTP) into your Docker container running the validator.
To mount a USB drive into your server, physically insert your USB drive, then find the path to it.
sudo fdisk -l
Look for your USB Drive and confirm the information before proceeding.
You will need the device path before continuing. In this example, the path is /dev/sda1.
Create a new folder under /media called usb-stick then mount your USB drive into it. Ensure you replace <USBDevicePath> with the specific device path to your USB.
sudo mkdir /media/usb-stick
sudo mount <USBDevicePath> /media/usb-stick
Enter your /media/usb-stick path and ensure you can see the contents within it.
cd /media/usb-stick
ls
Locate your validator_keys folder generated from Step 1 and copy it to your home user directory. Insert the path to your validator_keys folder into <ValidatorKeysFolderPath>
sudo cp -r <ValidatorKeysFolderPath> ~/
cd ~
ls
Your validator_keys folder should be visible in your home user directory.
Unmount your USB stick.
sudo umount <USBDevicePath>
You can now physically remove the USB key from your local server.
Step 10: Import the Keystore Files into your Validator client
You will now need to run the Lodestar Validator import process to add your validator keys to the Docker container. Navigate back to your Lodestar folder.
cd ~/lodestar-0.30.0
NOTE: You must specifically modify the following command based on the location of your validator_keys folder how you want to configure Lodestar.
--directory identifies where your validator_keys folder is located. Replace <PathToValidatorKeys> with the path to your validator_keys directory.
TESTNET USERS: --network identifies which network you want to associate your validator key with. Replace with prater or pyrmont as necessary.
./lodestar account validator import --network mainnet --directory <PathToValidatorKeys> --keystoresDir ./keystores/ --secretsDir ./secrets
Type in your password. If correct, you will receive a Successfully imported validator <PublicKey>.
Step 11: Configure the Beacon Node, Validator and Metric Containers
In this step, users can customize settings for the Lodestar beacon node, validator and metrics in Docker containers. The settings are already configured for an optimal setup, however advanced users may modify the configuration for their needs.
OPTIONAL: This step is currently optional and recommended only for advanced users who need to customize parameters in the beacon node, validator or metric containers.
| Notable Files | Description |
|---|---|
docker-compose.yml |
Contains configurations to the beacon node and metrics containers. |
docker-compose.validator.yml |
Contains configurations specifically to the validator client. |
DockerFile |
Instructions to build the docker containers. |
You can find a list of customizable flags for Lodestar in our documentation here.
NOTE: In the near future, this guide will modify Lodestar to use our host machine's network so that we can configure Lodestar's beacon to use our local Geth node as an eth1 endpoint. Stay tuned!
KNOWN ISSUE: As of v0.30.0, the eth1 endpoint is defaulted to an Infura endpoint for rapid testing and will not require a custom endpoint at this time. It will be defaulted back to http://localhost:8545 in the near future.
Step 12: Run the Beacon Node + Metrics Docker Container
To start the docker containers, ensure you are in the correct directory.
cd ~/lodestar-0.30.0
Use the following command(s) to start the container(s).
To start the beacon node with metrics only:
sudo docker-compose up -d
KNOWN ISSUE: As of v0.30.0, Docker Compose is creating FileNotFoundError errors which lead to Failed to execute script docker-compose during the build.
If you experience this, you can re-run the same sudo docker-compose up -d command above to restart the process. The 3rd retry will lead to it successfully building. We're working to fix this.
Once it successfully builds the containers you will see the returns ... done on your new Docker containers containing your Lodestar setup!
Verifying your Beacon Node
Ensure your beacon node container is running properly.
sudo docker ps
Docker should return a list of your running containers. Your container ID will vary.
Take note of the container ID which runs the lodestar-0300_beacon_node_1.
Use the following command to follow the logs of the beacon node to ensure it is connected, found peers and syncing. Replace ContainerID with the first 3 letters/numbers of the container you are targetting (in this example the <ContainerID> is d67):
sudo docker logs -f <ContainerID>
If the beacon node is running correctly, you will see the beacon node syncing via the logs.
Press CTRL+c to exit.
Verifying your Metrics
Ensure your metrics container is running Graphana and Prometheus properly.
Find your host IP address. If the local server is in your home network, it will usually begin with 192.168.xxx.xxx Use the command below to find your host IP address:
hostname -I
In this example, the host IP address is 192.168.0.28. To access metrics on your web browser, append :3000 to the end of the host IP address. Example: http://192.168.0.28:3000
Log in with the username admin and the password you set in Step 8.
Use the navigation in the top-left corner and click on "General".
Then navigate to the "Lodestar" folder to get metrics from your Docker containers.
Step 13: Run the Validator client Docker Container
OPTIONAL: Skip this step if you are not running a validator.
To start the validator client, go back to your Lodestar directory in the command line terminal:
cd ~/lodestar-0.30.0
sudo docker-compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.validator.yml up -d --no-recreate --remove-orphans
Once it successfully builds the validator client container you will see the return ... done on your new Docker container containing your validator!
Verifying your Validator
Ensure your validator client is running.
sudo docker ps
Docker should return a list of your running containers. Your container ID will vary.
Take note of the container ID which runs the lodestar-0300_validator_1.
Use the following command to follow the logs of the validator client to ensure it is connected and awaiting beacon node sync. Replace <ContainerID> with the first 3 letters/numbers of the container you are targetting (in this example the <ContainerID> is 63d):
sudo docker logs -f <ContainerID>
If the validator is running correctly, you will see the validator client detects your validator keystores and return errors on getProposerDuties as the beacon node syncs.
Press CTRL+c to exit.
Step 14: Fund the Validator Keys
Now that your set up is up and running, you will need to deposit ETH to fund your validators.
NOTE: If you have already submitted your staking deposits you can skip this step.
This step involves depositing the required amount of ETH to the Eth2.0 deposit contract. DO NOT SEND ETH TO THE DEPOSIT CONTRACT DIRECTLY! This process will be done in a web browser running your MetaMask (or other) wallet via the Eth2.0 Launchpad website.
NOTE: It is recommended that your Geth node and beacon chain have fully synced before proceeding with the deposit. If you don't, Lodestar will be inactive while either nodes sync and you may be subject to inactivity penalties.
Go here for Mainnet users: https://launchpad.ethereum.org/
TESTNET USERS: Go here for Prater testnet users:
https://prater.launchpad.ethereum.org/
Click through the warning steps and continue through the screens until you get to the Generate Key Pairs section. Select the number of validators you are going to run. Choose a value that matches the number of validator files you generated in Step 1.
You will be asked to upload the deposit_data-[timestamp].json file. You generated this file in Step 1. Browse/select or drag the file and click Continue.
Connect your wallet. Choose MetaMask (or one of the other supported wallets), log in, select the account where you have your ETH and click Continue.
Your MetaMask balance will be displayed. The site will allow you to continue if you have selected Mainnet and you have sufficient ETH balance.
A summary shows the number of validators and total amount of ETH required. Tick the boxes if you agree and click continue.
If you are ready to deposit click on Confirm deposit.
This will pop open MetaMask (or other wallet) where you can confirm each transaction.
Once all the transactions have successfully completed you are done!
Congratulations you have deposited your stake!
Check the Status of your Validator Deposits
Newly added validators can take a while (hours to days) to activate. You can check the status of your keys with these steps:
- Copy your MetaMask (or other) wallet address.
- Go here: beaconcha.in/
- Search for your key(s) using your wallet address.
Diving into a specific validator you see a Status that provides an estimate until activation for each validator.
You now have a functioning beacon chain and validator and your mainnet/testnet deposit is in. Once your deposit is active and the Ethereum 2.0 mainnet is running you will begin staking and earning rewards.
Final Remarks and Recommend Next Steps
Thank you for reading this guide. Remember that Lodestar is still experimental software and this guide will be updated to include changes to any processes or software configurations.
At this current time, not all goals of the guide have been implemented. These features are upcoming and will be implemented after further testing:
- Auto-start docker containers during boot
- Use the local geth node as an eth1 endpoint.
- Use watchtower to auto-update to the latest Lodestar release.
Next Steps
- Triple check all key and password backups.
- Understand how to update the client and server software.
- Use htop to monitor resources on the local machine.
- Get familiar with beaconcha.in so you can monitor your validators. They offer alerting (via email — sign up required) and monitoring.
- Join the Ethstaker and ChainSafe Discord for important notifications.
- Share any feedback for this guide on Discord or Twitter.
Appendix
Appendix A - Updating Geth
If you need to update to the latest version of Geth follow these steps:
cd ~/lodestar-v0.30.0
sudo docker-compose down --remove-orphans
sudo systemctl stop geth
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
sudo systemctl start geth
sudo systemctl status geth <-- Check for errors
sudo journalctl -fu geth <-- Monitor
cd ~/lodestar-v0.30.0
sudo docker-compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.validator.yml up -d --no-recreate --remove-orphans
sudo docker ps <-- Check for errors or constant restarts
Appendix B - Adding a Validator
Coming Soon™
Appendix C - Expanding the Logical Volume
There are cases where Ubuntu is provisioning only 200GB of a larger SSD causing users to run out of disk space when syncing their Eth1 node. The error message is similar to:
Fatal: Failed to register the Ethereum service: write /var/lib/goethereum/geth/chaindata/383234.ldb: no space left on device
To address this issue, assuming you have a SSD that is larger than 200GB, expand the space allocation for the LVM by following these steps:
sudo lvdisplay <-- Check your logical volume size
sudo lvm
lvextend -l +100%FREE /dev/ubuntu-vg/ubuntu-lv
lvextend -l +100%FREE -r /dev/ubuntu-vg/ubuntu-lv
exit
sudo resize2fs /dev/ubuntu-vg/ubuntu-lv
df -h <-- Check results
That should resize your disk to the maximum available space.
If you need support on this please check with the ChainSafe Lodestar Discord.
Full Disclaimer
This article (the guide) is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. The author does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy, integrity, quality, completeness, currency, or validity of any information in this article. All information herein is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind and is subject to change at any time without notice. The author disclaims all express, implied, and statutory warranties of any kind, including warranties as to accuracy, timeliness, completeness, or fitness of the information in this article for any particular purpose. The author is not responsible for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential or any other damages arising out of or in connection with the use of this article or in reliance on the information available on this article. This includes any personal injury, business interruption, loss of use, lost data, lost profits, or any other pecuniary loss, whether in an action of contract, negligence, or other misuse, even if the author has been informed of the possibility.
