wiki/validator-not-aws.md

Exchange your initial keys for mining, payout and voting keys

1. Start Chrome
2. Connect to the network in MetaMask - click on the network name in the top left corner of plugin's window and in the dropdown list select "Custom RPC", enter URL that was provided to you by the Master of Ceremony (For Core network: https://core.poa.network for Sokol testnet https://sokol.poa.network). Wait till the MetaMask connects to the network
3. Open Keys DApp: for Core network: https://core-ceremony.poa.network/, for Sokol testnet: https://sokol-ceremony.poa.network/
4. Upload your initial key to MetaMask
5. Click "Generate keys", confirm transaction.
6. Be sure to copy address, password and download keystore file for each key (mining, payout, voting) without closing browser's tab. There is no way to get this data once you close the tab. Keep it in a safe place.

How to setup validator's node on hosting other than AWS

0. make sure you have Python 2 (versions 2.6 or 2.7) or Python 3 (versions 3.5 and higher) installed on your local machine (Windows isn't supported for the control machine) and Ansible v2.3+

1. setup an Ubuntu 16.04 server

2. to run playbook you will need a user on the server, who can execute sudo wihout password and who can be logged in via SSH public key. By default it is assumed that this user is called ubuntu. If you already have a user with different name who satisfies these requirements, at the top of site.yml in -hosts: all section change line user: ubuntu to the name you have

---
- hosts: all
  user: another-user
  become: True
...

NOTE: playbook will additionally create a new unprivileged user named validator and add your ssh public key to root account.

3. clone repository with ansible playbooks and checkout branch with the network name you want to join (e.g. core for mainnet and sokol for testnet)

git clone https://github.com/poanetwork/deployment-playbooks.git
cd deployment-playbooks
# for core mainnet
git checkout core
# OR for sokol testnet
git checkout sokol
# check that you ended up on a correct branch (look where the `*` is)
git branch

4. put ssh public keys (in format "ssh AAA...") that need access to the server to both files

files/admins.pub
files/ssh_validator.pub

(one key per line)

5. create configuration file

cat group_vars/all.network group_vars/validator.example > group_vars/all

6. edit the group_vars/all file and comment out parameters corresponding to aws:

#access_key
#secret_key
#awskeypair_name
#vpc_subnet_id

7. set values for the following parameters in group_vars/all:

• NODE_FULLNAME - your real name (will be visible to other mebers of the network)
• NODE_ADMIN_EMAIL - your public email address (will be visible to other members of the network)
• MINING_KEYFILE - insert content of your mining keystore json file. Resulting value should be enclosed in single quotes and look similar to this: MINING_KEYFILE: '{"address":"..."}'
• MINING_ADDRESS - insert your mining key address, e.g. MINING_ADDRESS: "0x..."
• MINING_KEYPASS - insert your mining key password

8. set values given to you by Master of Ceremony for the following parameters in group_vars/all:

• NETSTATS_SERVER
• NETSTATS_SECRET

9. set the following options as follows in group_vars/all:

allow_validator_ssh: true
allow_validator_p2p: true
associate_validator_elastic_ip: false

Double check that allow_validator_ssh is true otherwise you won't be able to connect to the node.

10. create file hosts with the server's ip address (e.g. 192.0.2.1):

[validator]
192.0.2.1

11. run ansible playbook

ansible-playbook -i hosts site.yml

12. open NETSTATS_SERVER url in the browser and check that the node named NODE_FULLNAME appeared in the list

Obtaining enode uri for Master of Ceremony

Login to the node and get enode from parity logs:

ssh root@192.0.2.1
grep enode /home/validator/logs/parity.log

copy enode uri and send it to Master of Ceremony. If this line is not found, restart parity

systemctl restart poa-parity

and try again. If enode uri is still not found, use the commands below to restart all services.

NOTE if after parity restart you notice that on NETSTATS_SERVER url your node starts to fall behind other nodes (block number is less than on other nodes), try to restart statistics service (assuming you are connected as root):

su validator
pm2 restart all

after that refresh NETSTATS_SERVER url and check again your node's block number. If your node is still not active or missing enode, log in to root account and reboot the OS.

su 
shutdown -r now