698af6d7ec
* Start docker docs * Add progress * Update docker.md * Add note about geth syncing * Fix env to use geth * Update docs * Remove sigp goerli node * Change text about eth1 syncing * Address comments from @pscott * Add links to beaconcha.in * Add instructions for starting an eth1 node * Fix typo * Re-organise Syncing log
133 lines
4.5 KiB
Markdown
133 lines
4.5 KiB
Markdown
# Become an Validator: Building from Source
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## 1. Download and install Lighthouse
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If you already have Rust installed, you can install Lighthouse with the
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following three commands:
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- `$ git clone https://github.com/sigp/lighthouse.git`
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- `$ cd lighthouse`
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- `$ make`
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You've completed this step when you can run `$ lighthouse --help` and see the
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help menu.
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> - If you're not familiar with Rust or you'd like more detailed instructions,
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> see the [Installation Guide](./installation.md) which contains a
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> [Troubleshooting](installation.html#troubleshooting) section.
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## 2. Start an Eth1 client
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As Eth2 relies upon the Eth1 chain for validator on-boarding and eventually
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Eth1 may use the Eth2 chain as a finality gadget, all Eth2 validators must have
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a connection to an Eth1 node.
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We provide instructions for using Geth (this is, by chance, what we ended up
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testing with), but you could use any client that implements the JSON RPC via
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HTTP. At least for Geth, a fast-synced node is sufficient.
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### Starting Geth
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[Install geth](https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/wiki/Installing-Geth)
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and then use this command (or equivalent) to start your Eth1 node:
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```bash
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$ geth --goerli --rpc
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```
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## 3. Start your Beacon Node
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The beacon node is the core component of Eth2, it connects to other peers over
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the Internet and maintains a view of the chain.
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Start your beacon node with:
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```bash
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$ lighthouse beacon --eth1 --http
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```
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Your beacon node has started syncing when you see the following (truncated)
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log:
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```
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Dec 09 12:57:18.026 INFO Syncing est_time: 2 hrs ...
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```
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The `distance` value reports the time since eth2 genesis, whilst the `est_time`
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reports an estimate of how long it will take your node to become synced.
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It has finished syncing once you see the following (truncated) log:
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```
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Dec 09 12:27:06.010 INFO Synced slot: 16835, ...
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```
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> - The `--http` flag enables the HTTP API for the validator client.
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> - The `--eth1` flag tells the beacon node that it should sync with an Ethereum
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> 1 node (e.g., Geth). This is only required if you wish to run a validator.
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## 4. Generate your validator key
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Generate new validator BLS keypairs using:
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```shell
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$ lighthouse account validator new random
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```
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You've completed this step when you see the equivalent line:
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```
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Dec 02 21:42:01.337 INFO Generated validator directories count: 1, base_path: "/home/karl/.lighthouse/validators"
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```
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> - This will generate a new _validator directory_ in the `.lighthouse/validators`
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> directory. Your validator directory will be identified by it's public key,
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> which looks something like `0xc483de...`. You'll need to find this directory
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> for the next step.
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> - These keys are good enough for the Lighthouse testnet, however they shouldn't
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> be considered secure until we've undergone a security audit (planned Jan
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> 2020).
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## 5. Start your validator client
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For security reasons, the validator client runs separately to the beacon node.
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The validator client stores private keys and signs messages generated by the
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beacon node.
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You'll need both your beacon node _and_ validator client running if you want to
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stake.
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Start the validator client with:
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```bash
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$ lighthouse validator
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```
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The validator client is running and has found your validator keys from step 3
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when you see the following log:
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```
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Dec 09 13:08:59.171 INFO Loaded validator keypair store voting_validators: 1
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Dec 09 13:09:09.000 INFO Awaiting activation slot: 17787, ...
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```
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If your beacon node hasn't finished syncing yet, you'll see some `ERRO`
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messages indicating that your node isn't synced yet. It is safest to wait for
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your node to sync before moving onto the next step, otherwise your validator
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may activate before you're able to produce blocks and attestations. However, it
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generally takes 4-8+ hours after deposit for a validator to become active. If
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your `est_time` is less than 4 hours, you _should_ be fine to just move to the
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next step. After all, this is a testnet and you're only risking Goerli ETH.
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## Installation complete!
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In the next step you'll need to locate your `eth1_deposit_data.rlp` file from
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your `.lighthouse/validators` directory.
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The `./lighthouse` directory is in your `$HOME` directory. For example, if
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you're in Linux and your user is `karlm`, you can find your validator directory
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in `/home/karlm/.lighthouse/validators/`.
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You can now go to [Become a Validator: Step 2](become-a-validator.html#2-submit-your-deposit-to-goerli).
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