Add Lodestar validator

One-page interactive guide to install Lodestar client and configurate it for running on supported chain.

Disclaimer

This guide is for informational purposes only. The author nor website owner does not guarantee accuracy of the information in this guide and is not responsible for any damages or losses incurred by following the guide.

Lodestar client can be used for staking on various supported chains. Client installation is always only one, used by services with an individual configuration (different service name, data path and ports in use).

Launch validator instance / validator(s)

  1. Do you want to create a new validation instance or extend exisiting instance for more validators?

    • Create a directory for validator instance data

      sudo mkdir -p /var/lib/lodestar/vi1

    • Enable accessing /var/lib/lodestar/vi1 for server user myserveruser

      sudo chown -R myserveruser:myserveruser /var/lib/lodestar/vi1

    • Load keystores to /var/lib/lodestar/vi1

      :

      Move to Lodestar client directory

      cd /usr/local/bin/lodestar
      ./lodestar validator import --network mainnet --importKeystores $HOME/keystores/ddk_i1 --dataDir /var/lib/lodestar/vi1

      ./lodestar validator import --network gnosis --importKeystores $HOME/keystores/ddk_i1 --dataDir /var/lib/lodestar/vi1

      • Insert keystores encryption password (the one used during keystores generation) on request
      • If there are keystores with different encryption password, repeat the process for each encryption password

    • Create a service user for the validator instance

      sudo useradd --system --no-create-home --shell /bin/false lodestar-vi1

    • Set ownership of /var/lib/lodestar/vi1 to lodestar-vi1 user

      sudo chown -R lodestar-vi1:lodestar-vi1 /var/lib/lodestar/vi1

    • Enable access to NodeJs for user lodestar-vi1

      : 
      sudo usermod -aG myserveruser lodestar-vi1

    • Create configuration service file for lodestar-vi1 service

      1. Open the configuration file

        sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/lodestar-vi1.service

      2. Copy the configuration below into the file.

        • :
          This can be get with command $ node version

        [Unit]
Description=Lodestar Validator Instance (Ethereum Mainnet)
Wants=network-online.target
After=network-online.target
[Service]
User=lodestar-vi1
Group=lodestar-vi1
Type=simple
Restart=always
RestartSec=5
WorkingDirectory=/usr/local/bin/lodestar
Environment="PATH=/home/myserveruser/.nvm/versions/node/v20.11.0/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin"
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/lodestar/lodestar validator \
  --network mainnet \
  --dataDir /var/lib/lodestar/validators/i1 \
  --suggestedFeeRecipient 0xXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX \
  # ToDo: Add Beacon API URL
  --force \
  --graffiti "Nethermind+Lodestar"
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
        [Unit]
Description=Lodestar Validator Instance (Gnosis Network)
Wants=network-online.target
After=network-online.target
[Service]
User=lodestar-vi1
Group=lodestar-vi1
Type=simple
Restart=always
RestartSec=5
WorkingDirectory=/usr/local/bin/lodestar
Environment="PATH=/home/myserveruser/.nvm/versions/node/v20.11.0/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin"
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/lodestar/lodestar validator \
  --network gnosis \
  --dataDir /var/lib/lodestar/validators/i1 \
  --suggestedFeeRecipient 0xXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX \
  # ToDo: Add Beacon API URL
  --force \
  --graffiti "Nethermind+Lodestar"
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
      3. Press CTRL + X then Y then ENTER to save and exit the config file.

    • Adding validator instance to staking services manager

      If you use a staking manager client, add the new instance into it.

    • Stop running validator instance lodestar-vi1

      sudo systemctl stop lodestar-vi1

    • Extend /var/lib/lodestar/validators/i1 for new keystores

      ./lodestar validator import --network mainnet --importKeystores $HOME/keystores/ddk_i1 --dataDir /var/lib/lodestar/vi1

      ./lodestar validator import --network gnosis --importKeystores $HOME/keystores/ddk_i1 --dataDir /var/lib/lodestar/vi1

      • You will be requested to insert keystores encryption password (the one used during keystores generation)
      • If there are keystores with different encryption password, repeat the process for each encryption password
      • Already existing keystores in the directory will be skipped

  2. Load processed changes to the system

    sudo systemctl daemon-reload

  3. Start the validator instance

    sudo systemctl start lodestar-vi1

  4. Check the running validator instance

    systemctl status lodestar-vi1
    journalctl -fu lodestar-vi1

  5. Other configurations

    Activate service to start automatically on OS startup

    $ sudo systemctl enable lodestar-vi1

    • Configurate Lodestar validator Log monitor service

      Log monitor service monitors the service log and process defined action (fixes) in a case of any issue detected.

      1. Check, whether the logmonitor util is installed: 
        /usr/local/bin/logmonitor.sh version

        If the util is not installed, install Lodestar validator Log monitor from GitHub.

      2. Check defined Errors list for lodestarvalidator service 
        sudo nano /usr/local/etc/lodestarvalidator_tracking_records.txt

        If not available, download it from GitHub. You can also modifiy it, if needed.

      3. Configurate the validator log monitor for service lodestar-vi1, see guide on Github.

    • Activate service to start automatically on OS startup

      Our guide uses a custom util for launching services. It has following benefits:

      • It allows set delay for starting services. It eliminates slashing risk in the following scenario:
        1. A database corruption occures
        2. Lodestar Log monitor detects it, stopping the validator instance and clearing broken database
        3. Very quick power failure happens while the staking node starts immediately automatically
        4. As the database with last attestation is removed now, we need to prevent start of the validator instance to avoid double attestation / block proposal within the same slot.
      • It allows starting services through a shared script

        Starting all services through the Staking Manager util and its command /usr/local/bin/staking.sh start execution prevents a human error when there is forgotten set of sudo systemctl enable ... for any staking-related service.

      There's a Start with delay util to manage this.

      1. Install Start with delay util from GitHub, if not installed yet.
      2. Open Start with delay util 
        sudo nano /usr/local/bin/delayed-start.sh
      3. Place new services (validator isntance and validator instance monitor) into the file 
        lodestar-vi1
        lodestar-vi1_logmonitor
      4. Verify, that a service `delayed-start.service` exists and is automatically launched on system start. See GitHub for a guide to do that.

    • Extend Staking manager clients.conf

      Insert lodestar-vi1 into clients.conf file that is used by Staking Manager. 
      sudo nano /usr/local/etc/staking/config/clients.conf