Run a Full Node

A full node verifies blocks, relays network data, and can optionally serve RPC endpoints for developers, dApps, and testing environments. Full nodes do not participate in consensus and do not require staking or validator setup.

Ensure you are using the correct testnet configuration, including chain ID, genesis file, and peers. Incorrect values may prevent your node from syncing.

1. System Requirements

Recommended:

OS: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
CPU: 4 cores
RAM: 8–16 GB
Storage: 500 GB+ NVMe SSD
Network: 100 Mbps
Dependencies: git, jq, curl, make, build-essential, pkg-config
Go: v1.25+

Install dependencies:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install git jq curl make build-essential pkg-config -y

2. Install Shardeum Node Binary

git clone https://github.com/shardeum/shardeum-evm.git
cd shardeum-evm
make install

Verify:

shardeumd version
command -v shardeumd

3. Environment Variables

export SHARDEUM_CONFIG_DIR="$PWD/config"
export SHARDEUM_NETWORK=testnet

4. Initialize the Node

Choose a node ID and moniker (ASCII only):

NODE_ID="node0"
MONIKER="shardeum-testnet-fullnode"
 
shardeumd init "$MONIKER" \
  --chain-id shardeum_8119-2 \
  --home $HOME/.testnet/$NODE_ID \
  --overwrite

Chain ID: Refer to the latest testnet configuration in the repository

5. Copy Genesis File

cp config/environments/testnet-genesis.json $HOME/.testnet/$NODE_ID/config/genesis.json
ls -lh $HOME/.testnet/$NODE_ID/config/genesis.json
jq -r '.chain_id' $HOME/.testnet/$NODE_ID/config/genesis.json

6. Start and Sync the Node

Start:

shardeumd start \
  --home $HOME/.testnet/$NODE_ID \
  --chain-id shardeum_8119-2 \
  --p2p.laddr tcp://0.0.0.0:27656 \
  --rpc.laddr tcp://127.0.0.1:26657 \
  > $HOME/.testnet/$NODE_ID/node.log &

Note: Initial sync may take time depending on your hardware and network conditions.

Monitor:

shardeumd status | jq '.SyncInfo'

Or tail the log:

tail -f $HOME/.testnet/$NODE_ID/node.log

Wait until fully synced.

Ensure your node is connected to peers. Without peers, the node will not sync. Refer to the repository or official documentation for the latest seeds or peer configuration.

7. Optional: Run as systemd Service

Create service:

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/shardeumd-testnet.service

Example:

[Unit]
Description=Shardeum Testnet Full Node
After=network-online.target
 
[Service]
User=root
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/shardeumd start --home /root/.testnet/node0
Restart=on-failure
LimitNOFILE=65535
 
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Enable:

sudo systemctl enable shardeumd-testnet
sudo systemctl start shardeumd-testnet
sudo systemctl status shardeumd-testnet

8. Optional: Enable JSON-RPC

Edit config/app.toml inside your node directory:

json-rpc.enable = true
json-rpc.address = "0.0.0.0:8545"
json-rpc.ws-address = "0.0.0.0:8546"

Restart the node if using systemd.

9. Firewall Configuration

sudo ufw allow 27656/tcp   # P2P
sudo ufw allow 8545/tcp    # JSON-RPC (optional)
sudo ufw allow 8546/tcp    # WebSocket (optional)
sudo ufw enable

For public exposure, restrict JSON-RPC access to trusted IPs or use a reverse proxy.

10. Optional: Pruning Settings

Full nodes can reduce storage usage.

Default:

pruning = "default"

Custom:

pruning = "custom"
pruning-keep-recent = "10000"
pruning-interval = "50"

Restart node after making changes.

11. Node Management Commands

Sync Status

shardeumd status | jq '.SyncInfo'

Node ID

shardeumd comet show-node-id

Check Peers

curl -s http://localhost:26657/net_info | jq '.result.n_peers'

Logs

journalctl -u shardeumd-testnet -f

tail -f $HOME/.testnet/$NODE_ID/node.log

Stop Node

pkill shardeumd

sudo systemctl stop shardeumd-testnet

12. Troubleshooting

Node Won’t Sync

Check peer connections
Verify testnet chain ID and genesis file
Ensure correct network configuration
Verify time sync (NTP): timedatectl status
Check port 27656 is open

Out of Disk Space

Enable pruning in app.toml
Increase disk size
Avoid archive mode unless required

RPC Not Responding

Check firewall rules
Verify JSON-RPC settings
Confirm node is fully synced
Restart node/service

13. Important Notes

EVM Chain ID: 8119
Network: Testnet (configuration may change)
Genesis File: Use latest from repository
Archive Mode: Use pruning = "nothing" only if required
Backups: Back up node_key.json securely

Full Node Setup Complete

Your Shardeum testnet full node is now running and contributing to network testing and infrastructure. You may use it for:

dApp testing and development
RPC infrastructure
Network experimentation and validation

Run a Full Node

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