How to Set Up a Magma Lava Testnet Node: A User-Friendly Guide

Setting up a Magma Lava testnet node can be an exciting way to contribute to the network’s growth and stability. This guide simplifies the process, ensuring that even those new to node operation can successfully set up their node. Let’s dive in!

Prerequisites:

• Hardware Requirements: Ensure your setup meets the recommended specifications for running a testnet node:
  • RAM: 16GB
  • Storage: 512GB SSD
  • CPU: x64 2.0 GHz 4v CPU
• Operating System: Ubuntu 20 or newer.
• Network Configurations: Open ports 1317 (REST), 26657 (Tendermint RPC), and 26656 (Cosmos).

Step 1: Prepare Your System

1. Update and Install Dependencies
   Open a terminal and execute:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install -y unzip logrotate git jq sed wget curl coreutils systemd

2. Create a Temporary Installation Directory

   temp_folder=$(mktemp -d) && cd "$temp_folder"
   

Step 2: Install Go

1. Download and Install Go
   Set the Go package URL and file name, then download and unpack:

   go_package_url="https://go.dev/dl/go1.20.5.linux-amd64.tar.gz"
   go_package_file_name=${go_package_url##*/}
   wget -q "$go_package_url"
   sudo tar -C /usr/local -xzf "$go_package_file_name"
   

2. Set Up Your Environment
   Add Go to your PATH in ~/.profile:

   echo "export PATH=\$PATH:/usr/local/go/bin" >> ~/.profile
   echo "export PATH=\$PATH:\$(go env GOPATH)/bin" >> ~/.profile
   source ~/.profile
   

Step 3: Install and Configure Your Magma Lava Node

1. Clone the Lava Configuration Repository
   git clone https://github.com/lavanet/lava-config.git
   cd lava-config/testnet-2
   source setup_config/setup_config.sh

2. Set Up Application Configurations
   Copy default config files to your Lava config folder:

   mkdir -p "$lavad_home_folder"
   mkdir -p "$lava_config_folder"
   cp default_lavad_config_files/* "$lava_config_folder"

Step 4: Initialise Your Node

1. Set the Genesis File
   Copy the genesis.json file to your config folder:

   cp genesis_json/genesis.json "$lava_config_folder"/genesis.json

2. Install Cosmovisor for Automated Upgrades
   go install github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/cosmovisor/cmd/[email protected]

   mkdir -p "$lavad_home_folder"/cosmovisor/genesis/bin/
   wget -O "$lavad_home_folder"/cosmovisor/genesis/bin/lavad "https://github.com/lavanet/lava/releases/download/v0.21.1.2/lavad-v0.21.1.2-linux-amd64"
   chmod +x "$lavad_home_folder"/cosmovisor/genesis/bin/lavad
   

Step 5: Configure and Start Cosmovisor

1. Set Environment Variables
   Add the following lines to ~/.profile and reload it:

   echo "# Setup Cosmovisor" >> ~/.profile
   echo "export DAEMON_NAME=lavad" >> ~/.profile
   echo "export CHAIN_ID=lava-testnet-2" >> ~/.profile
   echo "export DAEMON_HOME=\$HOME/.lava" >> ~/.profile
   echo "export DAEMON_ALLOW_DOWNLOAD_BINARIES=true" >> ~/.profile
   echo "export DAEMON_LOG_BUFFER_SIZE=512" >> ~/.profile
   echo "export DAEMON_RESTART_AFTER_UPGRADE=true" >> ~/.profile
   echo "export UNSAFE_SKIP_BACKUP=true" >> ~/.profile
   source ~/.profile
   

2. Initialise and Start Your Node
   Initialise your node with your chosen node name:

   "$lavad_home_folder"/cosmovisor/genesis/bin/lavad init my-node --chain-id lava-testnet-2 --home "$lavad_home_folder" --overwrite
   

   Create and start the Cosmovisor service:

   sudo systemctl daemon-reload
   sudo systemctl enable cosmovisor.service
   sudo systemctl restart systemd-journald
   sudo systemctl start cosmovisor.service
   

Step 6: Verify Your Node

• Check Service Status

  sudo systemctl status cosmovisor
  

• Monitor Logs

  sudo journalctl -u cosmovisor -f
  

• Verify Node Status

  $HOME/.lava/cosmovisor/current/bin/lavad status | jq .SyncInfo.catching_up
  

Congratulations! You’ve successfully set up your Magma Lava testnet node. Engage with the Lava community on Discord for support and stay updated with the latest developments.