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Run Validator: Lighthouse

caution

The Validator requires a Consensus Client (also known as Beacon Node) in order to operate. See See Step 3: Run Beacon Node - Lighthouse for more information.

Option 1: Run as System Process​

Refer to Guide

Option 2: Run using Docker​

1. Folder Structure​

Create new folders:

mkdir /home/$USER/gnosis/consensus/keystores
mkdir /home/$USER/gnosis/consensus/validators

Including the folders from your Execution and Consensus clients, your folder structure should now look like:

/home/$USER/gnosis/
├── jwtsecret/
├── execution/
└── consensus/
    ├── data/
    ├── keystores/
    └── validators/

2. Docker Compose​

Modify your docker-compose file with your favorite text editor and add the validator container. You will also need to add the command --suggested-fee-recipient=$FEE_RECIPIENT to your consensus container. The file should now look like:

/home/$USER/gnosis/docker-compose.yml
version: "3"
services:

  execution:
    # From Step 2
    # ...

  consensus:
    # From Step 3
    # ...

  validator:
    container_name: validator
    image: sigp/lighthouse:latest-modern
    restart: always
    command: |
      lighthouse
      validator_client
      --network=gnosis
      --validators-dir=/data/validators
      --beacon-nodes=http://consensus:4000
      --graffiti=$GRAFFITI
      --debug-level=info
      --suggested-fee-recipient=$FEE_RECIPIENT
      --metrics
      --metrics-address=0.0.0.0
      --metrics-port=5064
    networks:
      - gnosis_net
    ports:
      - 5064:5064/tcp
    volumes:
      - /home/$USER/gnosis/consensus/validators:/data/validators
      - /etc/timezone:/etc/timezone:ro
      - /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro
    logging:
      driver: "local"

networks:
  gnosis_net:
    name: gnosis_net

3. Environment Variables​

Add an .env file with your fee recipient (your Gnosis address) and graffiti in /home/$USER/gnosis/.env.

/home/$USER/gnosis/.env
FEE_RECIPIENT=0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
GRAFFITI=gnosischain/lighthouse

Replace suggested-fee-recipient with your Gnosis address. This fee recipient address will receive tips from user transactions from the block the validator proposed. If not set, the tips will be sent to zero address, that is burnt competely. It is strongly recommended that you configure this value in your setup. Learn more about suggested fee recipient flag in Lighthouse docs.

Replace graffiti with your own graffiti. It is an optional field that can be used to add a message to the block by the proposer.

4. Keystore Location​

Add your keystores in /home/$USER/gnosis/consensus/keystores/ and their password in a file /home/$USER/gnosis/consensus/keystores/password.txt to get this file structure:

note

Note, keystores MUST follow one of these file names

  • keystore-m_12381_3600_[0-9]+_0_0-[0-9]+.json The format exported by the eth2.0-deposit-cli library (source)
  • keystore-[0-9]+.json The format exported by Prysm (source)
/home/$USER/gnosis/
├── docker-compose.yml
├── .env
├── jwtsecret/
├── execution/
└── consensus/
    ├── data/
    ├── keystores/
    │   ├── keystore-001.json
    │   ├── keystore-002.json
    │   └── password.txt
    └── validators/

5. Import Keystores​

Import your validators:

docker run \
  --rm \
  --volume /home/$USER/gnosis/consensus/keystores:/keystores \
  --volume /home/$USER/gnosis/consensus:/data sigp/lighthouse:latest-modern lighthouse account validator import \
  --network gnosis \
  --password-file /keystores/password.txt \
  --reuse-password \
  --directory /keystores \
  --datadir /data

6. Start Containers​

Start the validator service listed in the compose file:

cd /home/$USER/gnosis
docker-compose up -d

7. Monitor Logs​

Check your logs for each service (execution, consensus, or validator) with:

docker logs -f --tail 500 execution

8. Make a Deposit​

Make a deposit once your node is fully synced (this can take a few hours depending on setup).

caution

At this stage you should have your EL and CL fully synced and validators must be imported to your CL.

See section Fund Validator

9. Updating your Node​

To update, just pull the new images, then stop and restart your docker-compose file:

cd /home/$USER/gnosis
docker-compose pull
docker-compose stop
docker-compose up -d