Nimbus client guides and options

Install Nimbus client

Configurate service

• Create a user

  Service/User name:

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

• Create a folder for Nimbus beacon data

  Service data directory:

  sudo mkdir -p /var/lib/nimbus/beacon

• Set access permission and ownership for the Nimbus Beacon data folder

  sudo chown -R nimbusbeacon:nimbusbeacon /var/lib/nimbus/beacon

Configurate & Run Nimbus Beacon service

• Communication ports selection

  Each service on the server needs a custom port for communication. Through ports, consensus client communicates with other peers in the network as well as other services running on the server, such as validator clients. There is an IPv4 and IPv6 variant, depending on the ISP support / preference. Each protocol version needs custom port. If you are not sure what to select, continue with default IPv4 port.

  1. Configurate public IPv4 port for P2P communication with other peers

     • Choose P2P communication port: default (9000) Custom
     • Verify availability of selected port 9000

       ss -tuln | grep ':9000'

       If it returns empty response, the port 9000 is free and can be used.

     • Enable traffic on the port through UFW

       $ sudo ufw allow 9000

     • Disable IPv6 traffic on the port
       • List allowed ports

         sudo ufw status numbered

       • Find order number for V6, see 9000 (V6) and remove it with the following line

         sudo ufw delete <Number>

  2. QUIC IPv4 port

     • Choose QUIC IPv4 port: default (9001) Custom
     • Verify availability of selected port 9001

       ss -tuln | grep ':9001'

       If it returns empty response, the port 9001 is free and can be used.

  3. Beacon API port for internal communication

     • Choose Beacon API port: default Custom
     • Verify availability of selected port 5052

       ss -tuln | grep ':5052'

       If it returns empty response, the port 5052 is free and can be used.

  1. Configurate public IPv6 port for P2P communication with other peers

     • P2P communication port: default (9090) Custom
     • Verify availability of selected port 9090

       ss -tuln | grep ':9090'

       If it returns empty response, the port 9090 is free and can be used.

     • Enable traffic on the port through UFW

       $ sudo ufw allow 9090

     • Disable IPv6 traffic on the port
       • List allowed ports

         sudo ufw status numbered

       • Find order number for V6, see 9090 and remove it with the following line

         sudo ufw delete <Number>

  2. QUIC IPv6 port

     • Choose QUIC IPv4 port: default Custom
     • Verify availability of selected port 9091

       ss -tuln | grep ':9091'

       If it returns empty response, the port 9091 is free and can be used.

• Create configuration file for Tekubeacon service

  1. Open Nimbus Beacon configuration file

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

  2. Copy configuration

     [Unit]
     Description=Nimbus Beacon Consensus Client (Mainnet)
     Wants=network-online.target
     After=network-online.target
     
     [Service]
     User=nimbusbeacon
     Group=nimbusbeacon
     Type=simple
     Restart=always
     RestartSec=5
     ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/nimbus/nimbus_beacon_node \
       --network=mainnet \
       --data-dir=/var/lib/nimbus/beacon \
       --web3-url=http://127.0.0.1:8551 \
       --rest \
       --rest-port=5052 \
       --tcp-port=9000 \
       --udp-port=9000 \
       --trusted-node-url=https://beaconstate.info \
       --jwt-secret=/var/lib/jwtsecret/ethereum.hex
     
     [Install]
     WantedBy=multi-user.target

     See more flags at https://nimbus.guide/options.html

     [Unit]
     Description=Nimbus Beacon Consensus Client (Gnosis)
     Wants=network-online.target
     After=network-online.target
     
     [Service]
     User=nimbusbeacon
     Group=nimbusbeacon
     Type=simple
     Restart=always
     RestartSec=5
     ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/nimbus/nimbus_beacon_node_gnosis \
       --network=gnosis \
       --data-dir=/var/lib/nimbus/beacon \
       --web3-url=http://127.0.0.1:8551 \
       --rest \
       --rest-port=5052 \
       --tcp-port=9000 \
       --udp-port=9000 \
       #--trusted-node-url=https://checkpoint.gnosischain.com/ \
       --jwt-secret=/var/lib/jwtsecret/gnosis.hex
     
     [Install]
     WantedBy=multi-user.target

     See more flags at https://nimbus.guide/options.html

     For an option to start syncing from a snapshot, check checkpoint-sync-url for a quick synchronization from a checpoint. After enabling it, verify, that you are on on the expected chain, see https://checkpoint.gnosischain.com/ → Get started → Nimbus

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

• Load changes

  sudo systemctl daemon-reload

• Start the Beacon chain service

  sudo systemctl start nimbusbeacon

• Check the service

  systemctl status nimbusbeacon
  journalctl -fu nimbusbeacon

• Start the service automatically on system startup

  sudo systemctl enable nimbusbeacon

  • Open Delayed Start shell

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

    Configurate service start inside it

    systemctl start nimbusbeacon.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 services. It should be as follow:

       beaconServices="nimbusbeacon.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 beacon

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

       sudo systemctl enable delayed-start.service