XOLANA Validator Guide

Install The Solana CLI (Linux)

Open your favorite Terminal application

Install the Solana release v1.18.15 on your machine by running:


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sh -c "$(curl -sSfL https://release.solana.com/v1.18.15/install)"

The following output indicates a successful update:


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downloading v1.18.15 installer
Configuration: /home/solana/.config/solana/install/config.yml
Active release directory: /home/solana/.local/share/solana/install/active_release
* Release version: v1.18.15
* Release URL: https://github.com/solana-labs/solana/releases/download/v1.18.15/solana-release-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.bz2
Update successful

Depending on your system, the end of the installer messaging may prompt you to


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Please update your PATH environment variable to include the solana programs:

If you get the above message, copy and paste the recommended command below it to update PATH

You can do this by adding the following line to your $HOME/.profile or /etc/profile (for a system-wide installation):


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export PATH="/home/ubuntu/.local/share/solana/install/active_release/bin:$PATH"

Note: Changes made to a profile file may not apply until the next time you log into your computer. To apply the changes immediately, just run the shell commands directly or execute them from the profile using a command such as source $HOME/.profile.

Confirm you have the desired version of solana installed by running:


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solana --version

After a successful install, solana-install update may be used to easily update the Solana software to a newer version at any time.

System Tuning (Linux)

Your system will need to be tuned in order to run properly. Your validator may not start without the settings below.

Optimize sysctl knobs


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sudo bash -c "cat >/etc/sysctl.d/21-solana-validator.conf <<EOF
# Increase UDP buffer sizes
net.core.rmem_default = 134217728
net.core.rmem_max = 134217728
net.core.wmem_default = 134217728
net.core.wmem_max = 134217728

# Increase memory mapped files limit
vm.max_map_count = 1000000

# Increase number of allowed open file descriptors
fs.nr_open = 1000000
EOF"


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sudo sysctl -p /etc/sysctl.d/21-solana-validator.conf

Increase systemd and session file limits

Add


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LimitNOFILE=1000000

to the [Service] section of your systemd service file, if you use one, otherwise add


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DefaultLimitNOFILE=1000000

to the [Manager] section of /etc/systemd/system.conf.


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sudo systemctl daemon-reload


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sudo bash -c "cat >/etc/security/limits.d/90-solana-nofiles.conf <<EOF
# Increase process file descriptor count limit
* - nofile 1000000
EOF"

Close all open sessions (log out then, in again) ###

Building (Optional)

(If not trying to run solana-validator from the source code, then just skip the following building steps)

1. Install rustc, cargo and rustfmt.


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curl https://sh.rustup.rs -sSf | sh
source $HOME/.cargo/env
rustup component add rustfmt

When building the master branch, please make sure you are using the latest stable rust version by running:


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rustup update

On Linux systems you may need to install libssl-dev, pkg-config, zlib1g-dev, protobuf etc.

On Ubuntu:


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sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install libssl-dev libudev-dev pkg-config zlib1g-dev llvm clang cmake make libprotobuf-dev protobuf-compiler

2. Download the source code.


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git clone https://github.com/jacklevin74/xolana.git
cd xolana
git checkout xolana

3. Build.


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cargo build --release

Check version


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./target/release/solana-validator -V

It should be shown like this:


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solana-validator 1.18.15 (src:00000000; feat:4215500110, client:SolanaLabs)

Running

4. Create key-pairs

Create a new wallet


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solana-keygen new --no-passphrase

Create identity.json


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solana-keygen new --no-passphrase -o identity.json

Create vote.json


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solana-keygen new --no-passphrase -o vote.json

Create withdrawer.json


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solana-keygen new --no-passphrase -o  withdrawer.json

Create stake.json


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solana-keygen new --no-passphrase -o stake.json

5. Airdrop testing SOL

Config


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solana config set -u http://xolana.xen.network:8899

Airdrop SOL


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solana airdrop 100

6. Run Validator

If running solana-validator from installed solana cli directly:


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nohup solana-validator --identity identity.json --limit-ledger-size 50000000 --rpc-port 8899 --entrypoint xolana.xen.network:8001 --full-rpc-api --log - --vote-account vote.json --max-genesis-archive-unpacked-size 1073741824 --no-incremental-snapshots --require-tower --enable-rpc-transaction-history --enable-extended-tx-metadata-storage --skip-startup-ledger-verification --rpc-pubsub-enable-block-subscription &

If running solana-validator from the bianry built through xolana source code:


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nohup ./target/release/solana-validator --identity identity.json --limit-ledger-size 50000000 --rpc-port 8899 --entrypoint xolana.xen.network:8001 --full-rpc-api --log - --vote-account vote.json --max-genesis-archive-unpacked-size 1073741824 --no-incremental-snapshots --require-tower --enable-rpc-transaction-history --enable-extended-tx-metadata-storage --skip-startup-ledger-verification --rpc-pubsub-enable-block-subscription &

Check normal logs


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tail -f nohup.out

Check catch up status


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solana catchup --our-localhost

Should be shown info like this:


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<IDENTITY_PUBKEY> has caught up (us: 74487 them: 74488)

Check validator status


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solana gossip

and


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solana validators

Check ledger status


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./target/release/solana-validator --ledger ./ledger monitor

7. Transfer 100 SOL to identity account


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solana transfer <IDENTITY_PUBKEY> 100 --allow-unfunded-recipient

8. Create Stake Account


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solana create-stake-account stake.json 10

9. Create Vote Account


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solana create-vote-account vote.json identity.json <WITHDRAWER_PUBKEY> --commission 10

10. Stake

Transfer some SOL (eg. 1000) to public address of stake.


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solana transfer <STAKE_PUBKEY> 1000

Do delegate stake operation.


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solana delegate-stake stake.json vote.json

Do stake operation.


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solana stake-account stake.json

11. Check status

Normal logs


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tail -f nohup.out

Check leader schedule


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solana leader-schedule | grep <IDENTITY_PUBKEY>


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tail -f nohup.out | grep -i "My next leader slot"

Check validator status


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solana gossip

and


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solana validators

Check block production


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solana block-production

Check epoch information


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solana epoch-info

12. Kill Validator Process

Check validator process


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ps aux | grep solana-validator

Kill validator process


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pkill -f solana-validator

Check validator process again, make sure it has been killed properly


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ps aux | grep solana-validator