Skip to content

Commit

Permalink
docs: new validator docs (+ updated docs for gnoland cli) (gnolang#2285)
Browse files Browse the repository at this point in the history 
<!-- please provide a detailed description of the changes made in this
pull request. -->

This PR adds the `validator` docs and updates old `gnoland` cli docs.
Closes gnolang#1820 

<details><summary>Contributors' checklist...</summary>

- [x] Added new tests, or not needed, or not feasible
- [x] Provided an example (e.g. screenshot) to aid review or the PR is
self-explanatory
- [x] Updated the official documentation or not needed
- [x] No breaking changes were made, or a `BREAKING CHANGE: xxx` message
was included in the description
- [x] Added references to related issues and PRs
- [ ] Provided any useful hints for running manual tests
- [ ] Added new benchmarks to [generated
graphs](https://gnoland.github.io/benchmarks), if any. More info
[here](https://github.com/gnolang/gno/blob/master/.benchmarks/README.md).
</details>

---------

Co-authored-by: adr-sk <[email protected]>
Co-authored-by: Milos Zivkovic <[email protected]>
  • Loading branch information
@r3v4s @adr-sk
@zivkovicmilos @gfanton
3 people authored and gfanton committed Jul 23, 2024
1 parent 403b7d4 commit 0ab304c
Show file tree
Hide file tree
Showing 9 changed files with 845 additions and 77 deletions.
2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion docs/gno-infrastructure/premining-balances.md
View file
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ have ample funds to interact with the chain and facilitate contract deployments.

## Prerequisites

- **`gnoland` set up. Reference the [Setting up a local chain](setting-up-a-local-chain.md#installation) guide for steps**
- **`gnoland` set up. Reference the [Setting up a local chain](validators/setting-up-a-local-chain.md#installation) guide for steps**
- **`gnokey` set up. Reference the [Installation](../getting-started/local-setup/installation.md#2-installing-the-required-tools-) guide
for steps**

Expand Down
110 changes: 110 additions & 0 deletions docs/gno-infrastructure/validators/connect-to-existing-chain.md
View file
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
---
id: validators-connect-to-and-existing-gno-chain
---

# Connect to an Existing Gno Chain

## Overview

In this tutorial, you will learn how to start a local Gno node and connect to an existing Gno chain (like a testnet).

## Prerequisites

- **Git**
- **`make` (for running Makefiles)**
- **Go 1.21+**
- **Go Environment Setup**: Ensure you have Go set up as outlined in
the [Go official installation documentation](https://go.dev/doc/install) for your environment

## 1. Initialize the node directory

To initialize a new Gno.land node working directory (configuration and secrets), make sure to
follow [Step 1](setting-up-a-new-chain#1-generate-the-node-directory-secrets--config) from the
chain setup tutorial.

## 2. Obtain the `genesis.json` of the remote chain

The genesis file of target chain is required in order to initialize the local node.

:::info

The genesis file will
be [easily downloadable from GitHub](https://github.com/gnolang/gno/issues/1836#issuecomment-2049428623) in the future.

For now, obtain the file by

1. Sharing via scp or ftp
2. Fetching it from `{chain_rpc:26657}/genesis` (might result in time-out error due to large file sizes)

:::

## 3. Confirm the validator information of the first node.

```bash
gnoland secrets get node_id

{
"id": "g17h5t86vrztm6vuesx0xsyrg90wplj9mt9nsxng",
"p2p_address": "[email protected]:26656"
}
```

### Public IP of the Node

You need the IP information about the network interface that you wish to connect from external nodes.

If you wish to only connect from nodes in the same network, using a private IP should suffice.

However, if you wish to connect from all nodes without any specific limitations, use your public IP.

```bash
curl ifconfig.me/ip # GET PUBLIC IP

# 1.2.3.4 # USE YOUR OWN PUBLIC IP
```

## 4. Configure the `persistent_peers` list

We need to configure a list of nodes that your validators will always retain a connection with.
To get the local P2P address of the current node (these values should be obtained from remote peers):

```bash
gnoland secrets get node_id.p2p_address

"[email protected]:26656"
```

We can use this P2P address value to configure the `persistent_peers` configuration value

```bash
gnoland config set p2p.persistent_peers "[email protected]:26656"
```

## 5. Configure the seeds

We should configure the list of seed nodes. Seed nodes provide information about other nodes for the validator to
connect with the chain, enabling a fast and stable initial connection. These seed nodes are also called _bootnodes_.

:::warn

The option to activate the Seed Mode from the node is currently missing.

:::

```bash
gnoland config set p2p.seeds "[email protected]:26656"
```

## 6. Start the node

Now that we've set up the local node configuration, and added peering info, we can start the Gno.land node:

```shell
gnoland start \
--genesis ./genesis.json \
--data-dir ./gnoland-data
```

That's it! 🎉

Your new Gno node should be up and running, and syncing block data from the remote chain.
182 changes: 182 additions & 0 deletions docs/gno-infrastructure/validators/faq.md
View file
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,182 @@
---
id: validators-faq
---

# Validators FAQ

## General Concepts

### What is a Gno.land validator?

Gno.land is based on [Tendermint2](https://docs.gno.land/concepts/tendermint2) that relies on a set of validators
selected based on [Proof of Contribution](https://docs.gno.land/concepts/proof-of-contribution) (PoC) to secure the
network. Validators are tasked with participating in consensus by committing new blocks and broadcasting votes.
Validators are compensated with a portion of transaction fees generated in the network. In Gno.land, the voting power of
all validators are equally weighted to achieve a high nakamoto coefficient and fairness.

### What is Tendermint2?

[Tendermint2](https://docs.gno.land/concepts/tendermint2) (TM2) is the consensus protocol that powers Gno.land. TM2 is a
successor of [Tendermint Core](https://github.com/tendermint/tendermint2), a de facto consensus framework for building
Proof of Stake blockchains. The design philosophy of TM2 is to create “complete software” without any vulnerabilities
with development focused on minimalism, dependency removal, and modularity.

### What is Proof of Contribution?

[Proof of Contribution](https://docs.gno.land/concepts/proof-of-contribution) (PoC) is a novel consensus mechanism that
secures Gno.land. PoC weighs expertise and alignment with the project to evaluate the contribution of individuals or
teams who govern and operate the chain. Unlike Proof of Stake (PoS), validators are selected via governance of
Contributors based on their reputation and technical proficiency. The voting power of the network is equally distributed
across all validators for higher decentralization. A portion of all transaction fees paid to the network are evenly
shared between all validators to provide a fair incentive structure.

### How does Gno.land differ from the Cosmos Hub?

In Cosmos Hub, validators are selected based on the amount of staked `ATOM` tokens delegated. This means that anyone
with enough capital can join as a validator only to seek economic incentives without any alignment or technical
expertise. This system leads to an undesirable incentive structure in which validators are rewarded purely based on the
capital delegated, regardless of the quality of their infrastructure or service.

On the contrary, validators in Gno.land must be reviewed and verified to have made significant contributions in order to
join the validator set. This property resembles the validator selection mechanism
in [Proof of Authority](https://openethereum.github.io/Proof-of-Authority-Chains). Furthermore, all validators are
evenly rewarded to ensure that the entire validator set is fairly incentivized to ensure the sustainability of the
network.

### What stage is the Gno.land project in?

Gno.land is currently in Testnet 3, the single-node testnet stage. The next version, Testnet 4, is scheduled to go live
in Q2 2024, which will include a validator set implementation for a multinode environment.

## Becoming a Validator

### How do I join the testnet as a validator?

Out of many official Gno testnets, Testnet4 (`test4`) is the purpose-built network for testing the multi-node validator
environment prior to mainnet launch. Testnet4 is scheduled to go live in Q2 2024 with genesis validators consisting of
the Gno Core Team, partners, and external contributors.

For more information about joining testnet4,
visit [the relevant issue](https://github.com/gnolang/hackerspace/issues/69). For more information about different
testnets, visit [Gno Testnets](https://docs.gno.land/concepts/testnets).

### What are the incentives for running a validator?

Network transaction fees paid on the Gno.land in `GNOT` are collected, from which a portion is directed to reward
validators for their work. All validators fairly receive an equal amount of rewards.

### How many validators will there be in mainnet?

The exact plans for mainnet are still TBD. Based on the latest discussions between contributors, the mainnet will likely
have an inital validator set size of 20~50, which will gradually scale with the development and decentralization of the
Gno.land project.

### How do I make my first contribution?

Gno.land is in active development and external contributions are always welcome! If you’re looking for tasks to begin
with, we suggest you visit
the [Bounties &](https://github.com/orgs/gnolang/projects/35/views/3) [Worx](https://github.com/orgs/gnolang/projects/35/views/3)
board and search for open tasks up for grabs. Start from small challenges and work your way up to the bigger ones. Every
contribution is acknowledged and highly regarded in PoC. We look forward to having you onboard as a new Contributor!

## Technical Guides

### What are the different types of keys?

1. **Tendermint ( Tendermint2 ) Key :** A unique key used for voting in consensus during creation of blocks. A
Tendermint Key is also often called a Validator Key. It is automatically created when running
the `gnoland secrets init` command. A validator may check their Tendermint Key by running
the `gnoland secrets get validator_key` command.

2. **User-owned keys :** A key that is generated when a new account is created using the `gnokey` command. It is used to
sign transactions.

3. **Node Key :** A key used for communicating with other nodes. It is automatically created when running
the `gnoland secrets init` command. A validator may check their Node Key by running the `gnoland secrets get node_id`
command.

### What is a full node and a pruned node?

A full node fully validates transactions and blocks of a blockchain and keeps a full record of all historic activity. A
pruned node is a lighter node that processes only block headers and does not keep all historical data of the blockchain
post-verification. Pruned nodes are less resource intensive in terms of storage costs. Although validators may run
either a full node or a pruned node, it is important to retain enough blocks to be able to validate new blocks.

## Technical References

### How do I generate `genesis.json`?

`genesis.json` is the file that is used to create the initial state of the chain. To generate `genesis.json`, use
the `gnoland genesis generate` command. Refer
to [this section](../../gno-tooling/cli/gnoland.md#gnoland-genesis-generate-flags) for various flags that allow you to
manipulate the file.

:::warn

Editing generated genesis.json manually is extremely dangerous. It may corrupt chain initial state which leads chain to
not start

:::

### How do I add or remove validators from `genesis.json`?

Validators inside `genesis.json` will be included in the validator set at genesis. To manipulate the genesis validator
set, use the `gnoland genesis validator` command with the `add` or `remove` subcommands. Refer
to [this section](../../gno-tooling/cli/gnoland.md#gnoland-genesis-validator-flags) for flags that allow you to
configure the name or the voting power of the validator.

### How do I add the balance information to the `genesis.json`?

You may premine coins to various addresses. To modify the balances of addresses at genesis, use
the `gnoland genesis balances` command with the `add` or `remove` subcommands. Refer
to [this section](../../gno-tooling/cli/gnoland.md#gnoland-genesis-balances-add-flags) for various flags that allow you
to update the entire balance sheet with a file or modify the balance of a single address.

:::info

Not only `ugnot`, but other coins are accepted. However, be aware that coins other than `ugnot` may not work(send, and
etc.) properly.

:::

### How do I initialize `gno secrets`?

The `gno secrets init` command allows you to initialize the private information required to run the validator, including
the validator node's private key, the state, and the node ID. Refer
to [this section](../../gno-tooling/cli/gnoland.md#gnoland-secrets-init-flags) for various flags that allow you to
define the output directory or to overwrite the existing secrets.

### How do I get `gno secrets`?

To retrieve the private information of your validator node, use the `gnoland-secrets-get` command. Refer
to [this section](../../gno-tooling/cli/gnoland.md#gnoland-secrets-get-flags) for a flag that allows you to define the
output directory.

### How do I initialize the gno node configurations?

To initialize the configurations required to run a node, use the `gnoland config init` command. Refer
to [this section](../../gno-tooling/cli/gnoland.md#gnoland-config-init-flags) for various flags that allow you to define
the path or to overwrite the existing configurations.

### How do I get the current gno node configurations?

To retrieve the specific values the current gno node configurations, use the `gnoland config get` command. Refer
to [this section](../../gno-tooling/cli/gnoland.md#gnoland-config-get) for a flag that allows you to define the path to
the configurations file.

### How do I edit the gno node configurations?

To edit the specific value of gno node configurations, use the `gnoland-config set` command. Refer
to [this section](../../gno-tooling/cli/gnoland.md#gnoland-config-set) for a flag that allows you to define the path to
the configurations file.

### How do I initialize and start a new gno chain?

To start an independent gno chain, follow the initialization process available
in [this section](./start-a-new-gno-chain-and-validator.md).

### How do I connect to an existing gno chain?

To join the validator set of a gno chain, you must first establish a connection. Refer
to [this section](./connect-to-an-existing-gno-chain.md) for a step-by-step guide on how to connect to an existing gno
chain.
Loading

0 comments on commit 0ab304c

Please sign in to comment.