Step-by-Step Guide: Installing and Running POP Node in a tmux Session

System Requirements

1. Linux
2. Minimum 4GB RAM (configurable), more the better for higher rewards
3. At least 100GB free disk space (configurable). 200-500GB is a sweet spot
4. Internet connectivity available 24/7

Step 1: Install tmux

Before starting the node setup, install tmux to ensure the process runs even after SSH disconnection.

For Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y tmux

For CentOS/RHEL:

sudo yum install -y tmux

For macOS (using Homebrew):

brew install tmux

Step 2: Start a New tmux Session

Create a new tmux session named pop-node to run the node inside it.

tmux new-session -s pop-node

Step 3: Download and Set Up the POP Binary

# Download the compiled pop binary
curl -L -o pop "https://dl.pipecdn.app/v0.2.4/pop"

# Assign executable permission to the pop binary
chmod +x pop

# Create a folder to be used for the download cache
mkdir download_cache

Step 4: Run the POP Node Inside tmux

./pop

Optional: Use Referral Code

If you'd like to use a referral, here is one you can use:

referral=62a43039f81528cc

Running POP Node as a Systemd Service

If you prefer running the node as a background service managed by systemd, follow these steps:

Create a Service User and Required Directories

sudo useradd -r -m -s /sbin/nologin pop-svc-user -d /home/pop-svc-user 2>/dev/null || true
sudo mkdir -p /opt/pop /var/lib/pop /var/cache/pop/download_cache

Move the POP Binary and Set Permissions

sudo mv -f ~/pop /opt/pop/
sudo chmod +x /opt/pop/pop 2>/dev/null || true

Handle Existing node_info.json

sudo mv -f ~/node_info.json /var/lib/pop/ 2>/dev/null || true

Set Ownership

sudo chown -R pop-svc-user:pop-svc-user /var/lib/pop
sudo chown -R pop-svc-user:pop-svc-user /var/cache/pop
sudo chown -R pop-svc-user:pop-svc-user /opt/pop

Create a Systemd Service File

 sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/pop.service << 'EOF'
[Unit]
Description=Pipe POP Node Service
After=network.target
Wants=network-online.target

[Service]
User=pop-svc-user
Group=pop-svc-user
ExecStart=/opt/pop/pop \
    --ram=12 \
    --pubKey 7ugorwsqWvT6fwHoZhejAUPGWxK4fJtE9W8f8vebVh2S \
    --max-disk 175 \
    --cache-dir /var/cache/pop/download_cache \
    --no-prompt
Restart=always
RestartSec=5
LimitNOFILE=65536
LimitNPROC=4096
StandardOutput=journal
StandardError=journal
SyslogIdentifier=pop-node
WorkingDirectory=/var/lib/pop

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF

Replace the pubkey with your SOL wallet address.

Modify pop.service: Customize the parameters (such as --ram, --max-disk, --pubKey) based on your preferences.

Set Config File Symlink and Create a POP Alias

ln -sf /var/lib/pop/node_info.json ~/node_info.json
grep -q "alias pop='cd /var/lib/pop && /opt/pop/pop'" ~/.bashrc || echo "alias pop='cd /var/lib/pop && /opt/pop/pop'" >> ~/.bashrc && source ~/.bashrc

Set Up Alias for Easy Access

echo "alias pop='/opt/pop/pop'" >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Enable and Start the Service

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemd-analyze verify pop.service && sudo systemctl enable pop.service && sudo systemctl start pop.service

Verify the Service Status

sudo systemctl status pop

Monitoring and Using POP Commands

View Metrics

./pop --status

Check Points

./pop --points-route

Generate a Referral Code

./pop --gen-referral-route

Sign Up Using a Referral Code

./pop --signup-by-referral-route <CODE>

Backup Your Node

To prevent data loss, back up the node_info.json file and store it offline.

If Running as a Service:

cp /var/lib/pop/node_info.json ~/node_info.backup2-4-25

If Running Quickstart:

cp ~/node_info.json ~/node_info.backup2-4-25

You can download the backup file off your machine using SCP or other methods.

Important Notes:

1. Detach from the tmux Session

To keep the process running while exiting the SSH session, detach from tmux using:

Ctrl + B, then press D

To reattach to the session later, use:

tmux attach-session -t pop-node

2. Modify pop.service: Customize the parameters (such as --ram, --max-disk, --pubKey) based on your preferences.

3. Running POP Commands:

Change to the working directory first: cd /var/lib/pop && /opt/pop/pop [command]

OR use the provided alias: pop [command] (recommended).

4. Reattaching to tmux: If you used tmux, reattach anytime with:

tmux attach-session -t pop-node

Refer to pipe docs for more info:

https://docs.pipe.network/devnet-2

Update

Download the compiled pop binary

curl -L -o pop "https://dl.pipecdn.app/v0.2.4/pop"

Assign executable permission to the pop binary

chmod +x pop

Troubleshooting Common Issues

1️⃣ "No such file or directory" when running pop

If you see this error:

-bash: ./pop: No such file or directory

Try running:

/opt/pop/pop --status

If that works, set up the alias as mentioned above.

2️⃣ Checking if the service is running

To confirm the node is active:

sudo systemctl status pop.service

3️⃣ Verifying if POP is listening on the correct port

ss -tulnp | grep 8003

Expected output:

tcp LISTEN 0 128 0.0.0.0:8003 0.0.0.0:* users:("pop",pid=XXXX,fd=XX)

4️⃣ Enabling Port Forwarding for Remote Access

If external access is required, open port 8003:

For UFW (Ubuntu/Debian):

sudo ufw allow 8003/tcp

For Firewalld (CentOS/RHEL):

sudo firewall-cmd --add-port=8003/tcp --permanent
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

If behind a router, forward port 8003 (TCP) to your machine.

5️⃣ Testing External Access

From another machine:

telnet <your-server-ip> 8003

If you get:

Connected to . HTTP/1.1 408 Request Timeout

This means your node is reachable. 🎉

6️⃣ Restarting the Service

If needed, restart the service:

sudo systemctl restart pop.service

7️⃣ Checking Logs for Errors

journalctl -u pop.service -f

Your node should now be up and running! 🚀