Comprehensive Guide for Buidling Elrond Node on a Home CPU, also see the VPS Comparison Table, if you want to remotely Run(s) it
Hello Guys how are you? Long time no see, btw as my node kept die, i’m thinking about to manage it by my self on my own home CPU, so i can control it better, also this kind of Setup i think we need to consider it if we want to maintain a long time running Node (mainnet purpose), we need to prepare budget to build our machine first and then setup our Node for mainnet on Home CPU Basis, or if you want to remotely Run(s) it, scroll to bottom of article to find the VPS Comparison Table,,
A. Specifications
Pernode you just need;
1. Hardware
• 2 vCPU (i use Intel Core i3 CPU M 370 @2.40GHz)
• 4Gb RAM (i use 8 Gb RAM/machine, 6Gb is for Node)
• 200 Gb of HDD / SSD
• Fast Internet Connection
2a. Operating System
My OS is Windows 7 sp 1, and because for Elrond Node you need a Linux OS, so you can install a Virtual Machine first for emulate the Linux OS, i use;
• Virtual Box 6.0
• Ubuntu Bionic 18.04 OS
2b. Software for Node Operator
• WinSCP
• PuTTY
B. Virtual Box
//Download here & Install; https://drive.google.com/file/d/13CoMl_3Wb99XTU9_PW8MOe23AFaxQF1X/view?usp=sharing
//Virtual Box Setup
• Klik New, and give your Virtual Machine Name, i named it LinuxVbox;
• Next like what we’ve plan before we will use 6GB of RAM so type in 6144;
And just click Next, select;
• Create a virtual hard disk now > Create
• VDI (VirtualBox Disk Image) > Next
• Dynamically allocate > Next
• Input 200,00 GB > Create
and Tadaa now you have your own Virtual Machine for install your ubuntu, but before that go click Settings, and on below respective menu set;
• System > on Processor Tab > input “2 CPUs” for Processor(s)
• Display > on Screen Tab > input “128 MB” for Video Memory
• Network > on Adapter 1 Tab > Select “Bridged Adapter” and choose either your LAN or WAN Adapter, then click OK
C. Ubuntu Bionic 18.04
//Download here;
http://releases.ubuntu.com/bionic/ubuntu-18.04.3-live-server-amd64.iso
//Ubuntu Bionic 18.04 Setup;
Click Start on your LinuxVbox and choose your ubuntu bionic just downloaded file, for the rest of Installation Process you can view the video below, or you can choose with “enter” keyboard, like what i select for the installation;
Step 01. Language > Press Enter in “English”
Step 02. Keyboard Layout > it’ll Detect Automatically > Enter in “Done”
Step 03. Ethernet Controller > it’ll Detect Automatically > “Done”
Step 04. Proxy Address > Leave it as it is > “Done”
Step 05. Mirror Address > Leave it as it is > “Done”
Step 06. Use An Entire Disk > “Done”
Step 07. VBOX_HARDDISK > “Done” | Your setting size > “Done”
Step 08. Choose “Continue” w/ “Arrow Down” on keyboard > Press “Enter”,
• And Fill like Below SS > “Done”
Step 09. Choose with “SpaceBar” to select “Install OpenSSH server” > “Done”
Step 10. Press “Tab” on keyboard > “Done”
Step 11. Auto DL , Extract, Configuration & Installation will begins
Step 12. Other Installation & Updater run, make sure it until done > “Reboot”
After “Reboot” it’ll ask us to remove the installation media, just close the machine, choose;
• Power off the machine > OK
//Ubuntu Bionic 18.04 Setup Video
D. Virtual Server Preparation
01. Preparing your .pem keypair on a zipped file
Go to your initialBalancesSk.pem & initialNodesSk.pem directory and added them into a single zipped file named node-0.zip, if you plan to run 2 or 3 nodes on your machine, you need to zipped the file respectively to;
2 nodes = node-0.zip & node-1.zip
3 nodes = node-0.zip, node-1.zip & node-2.zip
02. WinSCP
• Download here & Install;
https://winscp.net/download/WinSCP-5.15.9-Setup.exe
03. Get your IP Address
• Start Your LinuxVbox Machine, after it stop booting and prompt for testnet login, press “Enter”
• It’ll prompt for your user name again (testnet login), this time input “ubuntu” for user name and also input “your own Password” > “Enter”
• on ubuntu@testnet:~$ “type” ip addr show > “Enter”
and write down the result on your notepad or memo
04. PuTTY
• Download here & Install;
https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/latest.html
05. Start WinSCP & PuTTY
• On New Site input;
◙ SFTP on File protocol
◙ Your IP Address written down before on Host name
◙ ubuntu on User name
◙ “your own Password” on Password
• Click Save > “OK”
• On your new connection credential click “Login”, see SS
• On Continue connecting Windows Choose “Yes”
• Input “your own Password” again > “OK”
• Click on “Open session on PuTTY”
• Type in your password again on PuTTY window that pop-up
*Some time if you turn off the Machine the IP Address will resetting and you need to Edit that on your Host name later
• on ubuntu@testnet:~$ “type” sudo apt update && sudo apt-get upgrade
> “Enter”, and now your VM is ready to deploying the server node(s)
E. Deploy Elrond Node(s) (for the first time)
//Just Paste below code in order after ubuntu@testnet:~$
• Clone the Repo
$ cd ~
$ git clone https://github.com/ElrondNetwork/elrond-go-scripts-v2
• Override Password
$ cd ~/elrond-go-scripts-v2/config
$ sudo visudo -f /etc/sudoers.d/myOverrides
☞ On nano open window “type” ubuntu ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL
☞ If you’re on root “type” root ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL
*“press” Ctrl+o (save) > “Enter”, Ctrl+x (exit)
** If you’re on root you also have to changes relevant user on config file
$ nano variables.cfg
change below value to root;
CUSTOM_HOME=”/root”
CUSTOM_USER=”root”.
- Upload your zipped .pem key pair
$ cd ~
$ mkdir -p ~/VALIDATOR_KEYS
$ cd ~/VALIDATOR_KEYS
☞ On WinSCP, go to your zipped .pem key (node-0.zip) folder and upload that file to server VALIDATOR_KEYS directory, try type ls on PuTTY, and make sure you see “node-0.zip file” on VALIDATOR_KEYS directory
*If you want to run 3 nodes you must upload all 3 zipped key pair files
**If you’re on root the default directory on server is /root/VALIDATOR_KEYS/
• Install the Node(s) as a service
$ cd ~/elrond-go-scripts-v2
$ ./script.sh install
*If you just run 1 node (1 .pem key pair zipped file), so just input 1 when it prompted about how much node that we want to run(s)!
**Give your Node Name when it prompted by the task!
***Also make sure to “type” Yy when prompted to enable auto-updater!
• Start the Node(s)
$ ./script.sh start
• Check if the Auto-updater Job was added successfully
$ crontab -l
*The default output would be:*/10 * * * * /bin/bash -c /home/ubuntu/elrond-go-scripts-v2/auto-updater.sh
• And also to make sure all is fine, try running the Auto-updater yourself by;
$ cd ~
$ /bin/bash -c /home/ubuntu/elrond-go-scripts-v2/auto-updater.sh
$ cat autoupdate.status
*The default output would be:
Day Mmm Dd Hh:Mm:Ss UTC YYYY
Your current version is: …
Latest tag from github: …
Nothing to do here… you are on the latest tag !
• Monitoring the Node(s)
$ cd $HOME/elrond-utils
$ ./termui
*If you have 2 node(s) or more, you need to add a port like below ex.;
./termui -address localhost:8080 for node 0
./termui -address localhost:8081 for node 1
./termui -address localhost:808n for node n
//Elrond Node Setup Video
F. VPS Comparison (Rate is for Mainnet)
*Below VPS were compatible with ubuntu bionic 18.04
**SSD / HDD included means you’ll not be charge again for storage,
but maybe the bundled capacity is not much as standard 200Gb,,
//Rate the VPS
There’s a why i gave no star(s) in one and much on other, my first decisions is based on their value, is it too expensive for feature and hardware that their offers compare to others, or it’s really cheap, remember that price is just for one node, and also don’t forget maybe we’ll not run it just for month(s), but year(s).
Also when it about to rate base on yearly price, i’m also seek was there exist a cheaper hosting that offer price more lower than that yearly price, which we suppose that yearly bundled services must be cheaper but maybe in fact it’s not.
There’s also an interesting fact on every hosting, that always give customer a lower price for their first charges, of course for anticipating that we need to register on yearly basis on that service, as they can change prices when they want, and also the promotion.
So base on many consideration the rate there can be changes, but for now, this is the best rate that i can conduct, and it’ll always be updated, since i’ll always go to find out more valuable VPS hosting on the net jungles right there’s.
//Rate Symb✰l Meaning
least star(s) it’s mean more sucks so;
✰✰✰✰✰ ; Trying not to be a sucker
✰✰✰✰ ; Near to be a sucker
✰✰✰ ; a sucker
✰✰ ; The suck of sucks
✰ ; More suck than the suck of sucks
. ; The Father of the suckers [no star(s)]
They’ll suck your budget, whether you realize it or not, whatever your payment type is, you can be forced to pay your the next payment in advance, that’ll do automatically, and that really sucks.
So best to think it from now to Buidl your own fortress, this is what this guide about. Also there a psychological event that i realize, when you run it on your rig, you’ll see a diagram of data, that you can’t make it drop, you’ll give attention to your node.
But when you run it remotely, you’ll not take attention that much, you’ll be careless, even you monitor it with your app(s)., your phone is not be with you every time, so you can miss when it shut off by the host, and your auto runner unreliable when it happens.
//Conclusion
Best decision is to Buidl your own fortress for backup and also have that 4 Star(s) Server. Don’t be with the sucks of course, but i don’t forbid you to be with that 4 Star(s) Server.
//Tips For This Prestaking Phase
If you decide to use Contabo as your provider, choose Contabo VPS S SSD Package for 3mo, it’s about $21.02, u’ll got 1 EUR Setup fee discount
For register in the first time, in any VPS Provider you can borrow your brother or sister data, because of what i tell you before, some time the 1st price that bill to you is not the real price, but the discounted price, because now is still Prestaking Phase, so if that the discounted price, next on Mainnet you still can get the discount price on that VPS Provider by registering it again this time with your name
The Rate do by me is for Mainnet, you can use the 2 Star(s) Server (that in average is $10 more expensive), if the competition takes place in a short time and with a gift that is greater than what you have spent, for short time competition the 2 Star(s) Server Equal to 4 Star(s) Server, but maybe you must add an additional HDD / SSD for that
The 2 Star(s) Server contain Machine with high speed bandwidth, that could make you lead the Race, if the short time is about to get a rank
G. Pre-mainnet Announcement
//You can find it on separated article here;
https://medium.com/elrondnetwork/the-elrond-bootstrapping-process-2f2a7ea7cd89
There were 3 Phases before Mainnet, Phase 1 start 23 Dec, so make sure you follow Elrond Social Media for further referenced here;
Btw if you like my writing here, you can show me some Holiday Spirit;
59ec5e404c15ece1d3702aab0641b51fce3bb75378b9326332e90b0c97a3ba28
Happy Holiday All~
“With the following proverb I try to end my writing, there is no writing without error, because perfection belongs to God alone, Thank you for reading”
