Implementation of a https://polkadot.network node in Rust based on the Substrate framework.
The README provides information about installing the polkadot binary and developing on the codebase. For more specific
guides, like how to run a validator node, see the Polkadot Wiki.
If you just wish to run a Polkadot node without compiling it yourself, you may either run the latest binary from our releases page, or install Polkadot from one of our package repositories.
Currently supports Debian 10 (Buster) and Ubuntu 20.04 (Focal), and derivatives. Run the following
commands as the root user.
# Import the security@parity.io GPG key
gpg --recv-keys --keyserver hkps://keys.mailvelope.com 9D4B2B6EB8F97156D19669A9FF0812D491B96798
gpg --export 9D4B2B6EB8F97156D19669A9FF0812D491B96798 > /usr/share/keyrings/parity.gpg
# Add the Parity repository and update the package index
echo 'deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/parity.gpg] https://releases.parity.io/deb release main' > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/parity.list
apt update
# Install the `parity-keyring` package - This will ensure the GPG key
# used by APT remains up-to-date
apt install parity-keyring
# Install polkadot
apt install polkadot
Installation from the Debian repository will create a systemd service that can be used to run a
Polkadot node. This is disabled by default, and can be started by running systemctl start polkadot
on demand (use systemctl enable polkadot to make it auto-start after reboot). By default, it will
run as the polkadot user. Command-line flags passed to the binary can be customized by editing
/etc/default/polkadot. This file will not be overwritten on updating Polkadot. You may also just
run the node directly from the command-line.
Since the Polkadot node is based on Substrate, first set up your build environment according to the Substrate installation instructions.
Make sure you have the support software installed from the Build from Source section below this section.
If you want to install Polkadot in your PATH, you can do so with:
cargo install --git https://github.com/paritytech/polkadot-sdk --tag <version> polkadot --lockedBuild the client by cloning this repository and running the following commands from the root directory of the repo:
git checkout <latest tagged release>
./scripts/init.sh
cargo build --releaseNote: if you want to move the built polkadot binary somewhere (e.g. into $PATH) you will also
need to move polkadot-execute-worker and polkadot-prepare-worker. You can let cargo do all this
for you by running:
cargo install --path . --lockedYou can also build from source using Parity CI docker image:
git checkout <latest tagged release>
docker run --rm -it -w /shellhere/polkadot \
-v $(pwd):/shellhere/polkadot \
paritytech/ci-linux:production cargo build --release
sudo chown -R $(id -u):$(id -g) target/If you want to reproduce other steps of CI process you can use the following guide.
This repo supports runtimes for Polkadot, Kusama, and Westend.
Connect to the global Polkadot Mainnet network by running:
../target/release/polkadot --chain=polkadotYou can see your node on [telemetry] (set a custom name with --name "my custom name").
telemetry: https://telemetry.polkadot.io/#list/Polkadot
Connect to the global Kusama canary network by running:
../target/release/polkadot --chain=kusamaYou can see your node on [telemetry] (set a custom name with --name "my custom name").
telemetry: https://telemetry.polkadot.io/#list/Kusama
Connect to the global Westend testnet by running:
../target/release/polkadot --chain=westendYou can see your node on [telemetry] (set a custom name with --name "my custom name").
telemetry: https://telemetry.polkadot.io/#list/Westend
If you want to do anything on Polkadot, Kusama, or Westend, then you'll need to get an account and some DOT, KSM, or WND tokens, respectively. Follow the instructions on the Wiki to obtain tokens for your testnet of choice.
If you'd actually like to hack on Polkadot, you can grab the source code and build it. Ensure you have Rust and the support software installed.
Then, grab the Polkadot source code:
git clone https://github.com/paritytech/polkadot-sdk.git
cd polkadotThen build the code. You will need to build in release mode (--release) to start a network. Only
use debug mode for development (faster compile times for development and testing).
cargo buildYou can run the tests if you like:
cargo test --workspace --profile testnet
# Or run only the tests for specified crated
cargo test -p <crate-name> --profile testnetYou can start a development chain with:
cargo run --bin polkadot -- --devDetailed logs may be shown by running the node with the following environment variables set:
RUST_LOG=debug RUST_BACKTRACE=1 cargo run --bin polkadot -- --devYou can run a simple single-node development "network" on your machine by running:
cargo run --bin polkadot --release -- --devYou can muck around by heading to https://polkadot.js.org/apps and choose "Local Node" from the Settings menu.
If you want to see the multi-node consensus algorithm in action locally, then you can create a local testnet. You'll need two terminals open. In one, run:
polkadot --dev --alice -d /tmp/aliceAnd in the other, run:
polkadot --dev --bob -d /tmp/bob --bootnodes '/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/30333/p2p/ALICE_BOOTNODE_ID_HERE'Ensure you replace ALICE_BOOTNODE_ID_HERE with the node ID from the output of the first terminal.
Once you set this up you can take a look at the Polkadot Grafana dashboards that we currently maintain.
Polkadot is GPL 3.0 licensed.