Nethermind client guides and options

Install Nethermind client

Installing Nethermind client

Nethermind documentation: https://docs.nethermind.io/

1. Find the latest stable version of Nethermind on Github

   • Find latest Nethermind version at https://github.com/NethermindEth/nethermind/releases
   • Write latest stable Nethermind version in format such as 1.31.1-0922c465:

2. Download Nethermind version 1.31.1-0922c465 to your node

   cd ~/downloads && curl -LO https://github.com/NethermindEth/nethermind/releases/download/1.31.1/nethermind-1.31.1-0922c465-linux-x64.zip

3. Install package for unzipping

   sudo apt-get install -y unzip

4. Unzip the downloaded file

   unzip nethermind-1.31.1-0922c465-linux-x64 -d nethermind

5. Copy the client to /usr/local/bin/

   sudo cp -a nethermind /usr/local/bin/nethermind

6. Remove downloaded files

   cd ~/downloads && rm nethermind-1.31.1-0922c465-linux-x64.zip && rm -r nethermind

Configurate service

Create a system user and data directory for Nethermind service

• Create a user

  Service/User name:

  sudo useradd --system --no-create-home --shell /bin/false nethermind

• Create a folder for Nethermind data

  Service data directory:

  sudo mkdir -p /var/lib/nethermind

• Set access permission and ownership for the Nethermind data folder

  sudo chown -R nethermind:nethermind /var/lib/nethermind

Configurate & Run Nethermind service

• Choose ports for communication

  Change the default ports below if you are going to stake on more chains simultaneously (e.g. Ethereum and Gnosis at once) on the same machine. If you are going to stake only, you can keep the default ports. If you are changing the default ports, be sure that the newly selected port is not already in used. A port in used may be checked with following code:

  ss -tuln | grep ':PORT'

  • If it returns empty response, the port is free and can be used.

  Ports selection

  • P2P network (TCP, UDP): (Default port: 30303)
  • JSON-RPC interface (TCP): (Default port: 8545)
  • Execution endpoint (TCP): (Default port: 8551)

  If needed, check JSON RPC server and fundamentals in Nethermind documentation.

• Enable ports communication

  To allow execution client synchronization, there's need to enable port 30303 reserved for P2P traffic to TCP (allows the node to connect to peers) and UDP (allows node discovery). It may be done with following UFW setup:

  $ sudo ufw allow 30303

  Use this option only if you need operate execution client and beacon client on different machines.

  • Enable port 30303 for P2P traffic

    To allow execution client synchronization, there's need to enable port 30303 reserved for P2P traffic to TCP (allows the node to connect to peers) and UDP (allows node discovery). It may be done with following UFW setup:

    $ sudo ufw allow 30303

  • Enable port 8551 for IP of your second machine

    sudo ufw allow from 192.168.88.0/27 to any port 8551

    Note: Be sure you use proper IP of your second machine / proper local network configuration.

• Create configuration file for Nethermind service

  1. Open Nethermind configuration file

     sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/nethermind.service

  2. Copy the configuration below into the file. If needed, check flags documentation.

     [Unit]
     Description=Nethermind Execution Client (Ethereum Mainnet)
     After=network.target
     Wants=network.target
     
     [Service]
     User=nethermind
     Group=nethermind
     Type=simple
     Restart=always
     RestartSec=5
     WorkingDirectory=/var/lib/nethermind
     Environment="DOTNET_BUNDLE_EXTRACT_BASE_DIR=/var/lib/nethermind"
     ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/nethermind/nethermind \
       --config mainnet \
       --datadir /var/lib/nethermind \
       --Sync.SnapSync true \
       --Sync.AncientBodiesBarrier 11052984 \
       --Sync.AncientReceiptsBarrier 11052984 \
       --JsonRpc.JwtSecretFile /var/lib/jwtsecret/ethereum.hex \
       --Network.P2PPort 30303 \
       --Network.DiscoveryPort 30303 \
       --JsonRpc.EnginePort 8551 \
       --JsonRpc.Port 8545
     
     [Install]
     WantedBy=default.target

     [Unit]
     Description=Nethermind Execution Client (Gnosis chain)
     After=network.target
     Wants=network.target
     [Service]
     User=nethermind
     Group=nethermind
     Type=simple
     Restart=always
     RestartSec=5
     WorkingDirectory=/var/lib/nethermind
     Environment="DOTNET_BUNDLE_EXTRACT_BASE_DIR=/var/lib/nethermind"
     ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/nethermind/nethermind \
       --config gnosis \
       --datadir /var/lib/nethermind \
       --JsonRpc.JwtSecretFile /var/lib/jwtsecret/gnosis.hex \
       #--Sync.SnapSync false \ Supported since v 1.28
       #--Sync.FastSync true \
       --Sync.SnapSync true \
       --Network.P2PPort 30303 \
       --Network.DiscoveryPort 30303 \
       --JsonRpc.EnginePort 8551 \
       --JsonRpc.Port 8545
       #--Network.ActivePeersMaxCount 25 \
       #--Blocks.TargetBlockGasLimit 36000000
     [Install]
     WantedBy=default.target

     *Note: Update JsonRpc.JwtSecretFile, if you use different
  3. Press CTRL + X then Y then ENTER to save and exit the config file.

• Start the Nethermind service

  sudo systemctl daemon-reload
  sudo systemctl start nethermind

• Check the service

  systemctl status nethermind
  journalctl -fu nethermind

  If you see message "Waiting for Forkchoice message from Consensus Layer to set fresh pivot block", you can move on a Consensis Client setup.

• Start the service automatically on system startup

  sudo systemctl enable nethermind

  • Open Delayed Start shell

    sudo nano /usr/local/bin/delayed-start.sh

    Configurate service start inside it

    systemctl start nethermind.service

  • Be sure, delayed-start.service service controlling delayed-start.sh is enabled for auto start with system startup

    sudo systemctl enable delayed-start.service

  1. Configurate Staking Manager util

     • Open the configuration file

       sudo nano /usr/local/etc/staking/config/clients.conf

       If the file is empty, generate it with command sudo /usr/local/bin/staking.sh init

     • Set link to proper service. It should be as follow:

       executionServices="nethermind.service"

  2. Activate service to start automatically on OS startup

     • Open Start with delay util

       sudo nano /usr/local/bin/delayed-start.sh

     • Place or uncomment a command to start the Beacon client(s)

       /usr/local/bin/staking.sh start execution

     • Verify, that a service `delayed-start.service` exists and is automatically launched on system start.

       sudo systemctl enable delayed-start.service