---
layout: default
title: Command-Line
permalink: /usage/command-line/
---

## Gossamer Command

The `gossamer` command is the root command for the `gossamer` package (`cmd/gossamer`). The root command starts the node (and initializes the node if the node has not already been initialized).

### Accepted Formats

gossamer [global options] command [command options] [arguments...]

### Global flags

The global flags can be used in conjunction with any Gossamer command

   --log value        Supports levels crit (silent) to trce (trace) (default: "info")
   --name value       Node implementation name
   --chain value      Chain id used to load default configuration for specified chain
   --config value     TOML configuration file
   --basepath value   Data directory for the node
   --cpuprof value    File to write CPU profile to
   --memprof value    File to write memory profile to
   --help, -h         show help
   --version, -v      print the version

## Gossamer Subcommands

List of available ***subcommands***:

SUBCOMMANDS:
    help, h        Shows a list of commands or help for one command
    account        Create and manage node keystore accounts
    export         Export configuration values to TOML configuration file
    init           Initialize node databases and load genesis data to state
    build-spec     Generates genesis JSON data, and can convert to raw genesis data
    import-state   Import state from a JSON file and set it as the chain head state

List of ***local flags*** for `init` subcommand:

--force              Disable all confirm prompts (the same as answering "Y" to all)
--genesis-raw value  Path to raw genesis JSON file

List of ***local flags*** for `account` subcommand:

--generate          Generate a new keypair. If type is not specified, defaults to sr25519
--password value    Password used to encrypt the keystore. Used with --generate or --unlock
--import value      Import encrypted keystore file generated with gossamer
--import-raw value  Import encrypted keystore file generated with gossamer
--list              List node keys
--ed25519           Specify account type as ed25519
--sr25519           Specify account type as sr25519
--secp256k1         Specify account type as secp256k1

List of ***local flag*** options for `export` subcommand:

--force              Disable all confirm prompts (the same as answering "Y" to all)
--genesis-raw value  Path to raw genesis JSON file

List of ***local flag*** options for `build-spec` subcommand:

--raw             Whether to format output as raw genesis JSON
--genesis value   Path to human-readable input genesis JSON file

### Accepted Formats

gossamer [--global-flags] [subcommand] [--local-flags]

gossamer [subcommand] [--global-flags] [--local-flags]

gossamer [subcommand] [--local-flags] [--global-flags]

### Invalid Formats

_please note that `[--local-flags]` must come after `[subcommand]`_

gossamer [--local-flags] [subcommand] [--global-flags] 

gossamer [--local-flags] [--global-flags] [subcommand] 

gossamer [--global-flags] [--local-flags] [subcommand] 

## Initializing Nodes

To initialize or re-initialize a node, use the init subcommand `init`:

./bin/gossamer init
./bin/gossamer --key alice --roles 4

`init` can be used with the `--base-path` or `--config` flag to re-initialize a custom node (ie, `bob` from the example above):

./bin/gossamer --config node/gssmr/bob.toml init

## Running Node Roles

Run an authority node:

./bin/gossamer --key alice --roles 4

Run a non-authority node:

./bin/gossamer --key alice --roles 1

## Running Multiple Nodes

Two options for running another node at the same time...

(1) copy the config file at `cfg/gssmr/config.toml` and manually update `port` and `base-path`:

cp cfg/gssmr/config.toml cfg/gssmr/bob.toml
# open bob.toml, set port=7002 and base-path=~/.gossamer/gssmr-bob
# set roles=4 to also make bob an authority node, or roles=1 to make bob a non-authority node
./bin/gossamer --key bob --config cfg/gssmr/bob.toml

or run with port, base-path flags:

./bin/gossamer --port 7000 --config chain/gssmr/config.toml --key alice --basepath ~/.gossamer_alice --rpcport 8540 

To run more than two nodes, repeat steps for bob with a new `port` and `base-path` replacing `bob`.

Available built-in keys:

./bin/gossmer --key alice
./bin/gossmer --key bob
./bin/gossmer --key charlie
./bin/gossmer --key dave
./bin/gossmer --key eve
./bin/gossmer --key ferdie
./bin/gossmer --key george
./bin/gossmer --key heather

## Export Configuration

`export` can be used with the `gossamer` root command-line and `--config` as the export path to export a toml configuration file.