Install Prysm client

One-page interactive guide to install Prysm 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.

Prysm 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).

Interactive variables

System:
User:
SSH port:
CPU type:

Execution layer

Client:
Service:
- Data:
- Port:
- P2P:
- RPC:

Consensus layer

Client:
NodeJs version:
jdk ver version:
Beacon service:
- Data:
- Port:
- P2P:
- Quic:

Install Prysm client

Find the latest stable version of Prysm on Github
- Find latest Prysm version at https://github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/releases
- Write latest stable Prysm version:
  
  This will update the url links in the guide below.

Download Prysm clients to your node

cd ~/downloads && curl -LO https://github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/releases/download/v5.2.0/beacon-chain-v5.2.0-modern-linux-amd64

cd ~/downloads && curl -LO https://github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm/releases/download/v5.2.0/validator-v5.2.0-linux-amd64

Rename downloaded files

mv beacon-chain-v5.2.0-modern-linux-amd64 beacon-chain && mv validator-v5.2.0-linux-amd64 validator

Set files permissions

chmod +x beacon-chain && chmod +x validator

Copy clients to `/usr/local/bin`

sudo cp ~/downloads/beacon-chain /usr/local/bin

sudo cp ~/downloads/validator /usr/local/bin

Start services using Prysm clients

// Start all validator instances using Prysm clients on all chains
// sudo systemctl start prysmvalidator1
// sudo systemctl start prysmvalidator2
// sudo systemctl start prysmRocketpoolValidator
// sudo systemctl start prysmStakewiseValidator
// ...
// Start beaconchain clients using PrysmBeacon client on all chains
sudo systemctl start prysmbeacon

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

Check the services status

/usr/local/bin/staking.sh check

Monitor

journalctl -fu prysmbeacon.service

journalctl -f -u prysmvalidator.service -u prysmvalidator2.service

...

/usr/local/bin/staking.sh check consensus

/usr/local/bin/staking.sh monitor consensus

Remove downloaded files

cd ~/downloads && rm beacon-chain && rm validator

Configurate the service

Create a user

Service/User name:

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

Create a folder for Prysmbeacon data
Service data directory:
```
sudo mkdir -p /var/lib/prysm/beacon
```

Set access permission and ownership for the Prysm data folder

sudo chown -R prysmbeacon:prysmbeacon /var/lib/prysm/beacon

Configurate & Run PrysmBeacon 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:
  - 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:
  - 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:
  - 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:
  - 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:
  - 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 PrysmBeacon configuration file
```
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/prysmbeacon.service
```
2. Copy configuration
```
[Unit]
Description=Prysm Consensus Client BN (Mainnet)
Wants=network-online.target
After=network-online.target

[Service]
User=prysmbeacon
Group=prysmbeacon
Type=simple
Restart=always
RestartSec=5
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/beacon-chain \
  --mainnet \
  --datadir=/var/lib/prysm/beacon \
  --execution-endpoint=http://127.0.0.1:8551 \
  --jwt-secret=/var/lib/jwtsecret/ethereum.hex \
  --suggested-fee-recipient=FeeRecipientAddress \
  --checkpoint-sync-url=CheckpointSyncURL \
  --genesis-beacon-api-url=CheckpointSyncURL \
  --accept-terms-of-use

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
```
  NOTE: Be sure to set the FeeRecipientAddress above to a valid Ethereum address within your control to receive the validator fees. For example: --suggested-fee-recipient=0xd8dA6BF26964aF9D7eEd9e03E53415D37aA96045
  
  NOTE: Be sure to set the CheckpointSyncURL above (both occurrences) to a valid checkpoint sync URL. --checkpoint-sync-url and --genesis-beacon-api-url Enables the Checkpoint Sync feature to greatly speed up the Beacon Chain Node sync. More information here. Provide a URL to a synced Beacon Chain Node for the sync. You can get one here.
  Gnosis Chain is not supported by Prysm client
  *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 prysmbeacon
```

Check the service

systemctl status prysmbeacon
journalctl -fu prysmbeacon

Start the service automatically on system startup
sudo systemctl enable prysmbeacon
NOTE: This option requires installed Start with Delay util.

Open Delayed Start shell
sudo nano /usr/local/bin/delayed-start.sh

Configurate service start inside it

systemctl start prysmbeacon.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
NOTE: This option requires following installed utils:
- Start with Delay util with delayed-start.service.
- Staking Manager util.
A guide to install each util is attached on the Github.
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="prysmbeacon.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

Launch validator instance / validator(s)

Instance ID:
Fee Recipient wallet:
Validator Instance service config
- Name:
- User:
- Data:

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/prysm/vi1
```
- Load keystores to /var/lib/prysm/vi1
  Directory with Deposit Data keystores:
  sudo /usr/local/bin/validator accounts import --mainnet --keys-dir=$HOME/keystores/ddk_i1 --wallet-dir=/var/lib/prysm/vi1
  
  Gnosis chain is not supported by Prysm client
  - Accept Terms of Use
  - Set a wallet password. This is different to the validator password you set during keys generation. Prysm will use this to decrypt the validator wallet. Back it up somewhere safe. You will need this later in this section and when configuring the validator.
  - Provide the validator keys password. This is the password you set when you created the keys during keys generation
  NOTE: If you have used different passwords for each of your validators you will get an error. Run the process multiple times, providing each of the different passwords until they are all imported. Use the accounts list command to verify.
- Create a Wallet Password File
  
  Create a file to store the wallet password so the Prysm validator service can access the wallet without you having to supply the password.
```
sudo nano /var/lib/prysm/vi1/password.txt
```
  Press CTRL + X then Y then ENTER to save and exit the config file.
- Create a service user for the validator instance
```
sudo useradd --system --no-create-home --shell /bin/false prysm-vi1
```
- Set ownership of /var/lib/prysm/vi1 to validators-i1 user
```
sudo chown -R prysm-vi1:prysm-vi1 /var/lib/prysm/vi1
```
- Create configuration service file for prysm-vi1 service
  1. Open the configuration file
    
    sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/prysm-vi1.service
  2. Copy the configuration below into the file.
    
    What's fee recipient wallet?
    
    What's your execution client?
    
    [Unit] Description=Prysm Consensus Client VC (Mainnet) Wants=network-online.target After=network-online.target [Service] User=prysm-vi1 Group=prysm-vi1 Type=simple Restart=always RestartSec=5 ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/validator \ --datadir=/var/lib/prysm/vi1 \ --wallet-dir=/var/lib/prysm/vi1 \ --wallet-password-file=/var/lib/prysm/vi1/password.txt \ --suggested-fee-recipient=0xXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX \ --graffiti="Nethermind+Prysm" \ --accept-terms-of-use [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target
    
    Gnosis chain is not supported
  3. Press CTRL + X then Y then ENTER to save and exit the config file.
- Other configurations
  Nothing to do. You are ok.
  
  Extend Staking manager clients.conf
  Insert prysm-vi1 into clients.conf file that is used by Staking Manager.
  sudo nano /usr/local/etc/staking/config/clients.conf
- Stop running validator instance prysm-vi1
```
sudo systemctl stop prysm-vi1
```
- Extend /var/lib/prysm/vi1 for new keystores
  sudo /usr/local/bin/validator accounts import --mainnet --keys-dir=$HOME/keystores/ddk_i1 --wallet-dir=/var/lib/prysm/vi1
  
  Gnosis chain is not supported by Prysm client
  - Accept Terms of Use
  - Set a wallet password. This is different to the validator password you set during keys generation. Prysm will use this to decrypt the validator wallet. Back it up somewhere safe. You will need this later in this section and when configuring the validator.
  - Provide the validator keys password. This is the password you set when you created the keys during keys generation
  NOTE: If you have used different passwords for each of your validators you will get an error. Run the process multiple times, providing each of the different passwords until they are all imported. Use the accounts list command to verify.
Load processed changes to the system
```
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
```
Start the validator instance
```
sudo systemctl start prysm-vi1
```

Check the running validator instance

systemctl status prysm-vi1

journalctl -fu prysm-vi1

Activate service to start automatically on OS startup
```
$ sudo systemctl enable prysm-vi1
```

Exit validator instance / validator(s)

Instance ID:
Fee Recipient wallet:
Validator Instance service config
- Name:
- User:
- Data:

prysmctl validator exit --wallet-dir=<path/to/wallet> --beacon-rpc-provider=<127.0.0.1:4000>

See more at official documentation, if needed.