ez-docker-zcash

This just might be the easiest way to get a Zcash node/wallet running!

Includes Docker configuration for building & running Zcash node in Docker. No need to install any extra build tools into your OS.

The zk-SNARK proofs are baked into the image rather than shared through a volume. This suits very well for those who just want a single Zcash wallet running as fast as possible.

Prequisites

Build requires multi-stage support from Docker, so version >= 17.05 is required.

Install docker-compose if you want to use it to set up your node. Useful for all the lazy people.

Building

First clone this repository:

$ git clone https://github.com/vtorhonen/ez-docker-zcash.git
$ cd ez-docker-zcash

Use docker-compose if you want things blazing fast.

$ sudo docker-compose build
$ sudo docker-compose up -d

Build with docker build:

$ sudo docker build -t my-docker-zcash .

It takes quite a while to build the app. Grab a beer or two while waiting.

Using pre-built images

If you trust me (note: you shouldn't) you can use pre-built images from my Dockerhub: https://hub.docker.com/r/vtorhonen/ez-docker-zcash/

This is obviously the fastest way. Just start the node with docker-compose:

$ sudo docker-compose up -d

This downloads the image from Dockerhub and starts the container. Compressed image size is about about 990 MB.

Data directory called data is created to the working directory upon startup. It is then mounted to the container by default. You won't lose your wallet if you destroy the container.

Since Dockerhub doesn't support multi-stage builds yet (see issue #1) the builds are probably not as transparent as they should be. Will be fixed.

Accessing your wallet

You can interact with your wallet by using zcash-cli.sh wrapper script. Note that blockchain syncing takes 4-5 hours to complete after container startup and it is wise to wait.

Check current sync status:

$ ./zcash-cli.sh getinfo

Run it a couple of times to see if the value of blocks is changing.

Check your wallet balance:

$ ./zcash-cli.sh getbalance
0.00000000

Generate new Z-type address:

$ ./zcash-cli.sh z_getnewaddress
zcTQgjnCDsmgSK64EACpsJy3QoQSpaCP8NbDeCF8xTyG5q5KFujjdaDSKVDcs2JtDpN7vCFL9rEPPY4tETYHZtt5iasYkjo

Run ./zcash-cli.sh help to get full command reference.

Running a Zcash node manually

This container uses /zcash/data by default as the data directory for Zcash. Needless to say, you should use some sort of persistent storage to store the blockchain and your wallet.

Container supports the following environment variables for configuration:

Environment variable	Default value	Description
ZCASH_RPCUSER	32 char long random string	Username for RPC access. Randomized on startup, if not set.
ZCASH_RPCPASSWORD	32 char long random string	Password for RPC access. Randomized on startup, if not set.
ZCASH_ADDNODE	mainnet.z.cash	Target network. Uses zcash main network by default.
ZCASH_DATADIR	/zcash/data	Data directory for storing blockchain and wallet.

Run the following command to run a Zcash node by using local volume mounts in interactive mode:

$ mkdir data
$ sudo docker run \
	--name zcash-node -dit \
	-v $(pwd)/data:/zcash/data \
	vtorhonen/ez-docker-zcash

If you want to attach to the process to see where blockchaing sync is at you can run:

$ sudo docker attach zcash-node

Use ^C-p-^C-q to detach. Do not use ^C-c or you will exit the shell and kill your node.

You can also use the wrapper script by defining a custom CONTAINER_NAME environment variable.

$ export CONTAINER_NAME="zcash-node"
$ ./zcash-cli.sh getbalance
0.00000000

Backing up your wallet

Your data directory is super important. Take backups by following instructions from Zcash documentation.

Feedback

Feedback is more than welcome! If you have any questions, feedback or improvements just create a Github issue.

You can also send your feedback as $ZEC to zcVufj8Mr72R3hkimB982RSpZPsrUQHW7eHJHq9jhuF7SxsN5bZJsHjM8AxLuQCZkQu43mwhigqkMuBPen8A2MH9ipdjaop. :)