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Fullnode

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for setting up a NEAR Protocol full node on Mainnet. A full node keeps a complete copy of the blockchain and is essential for network health and decentralization.

Step 1: Prepare Your Environment​

Hardware Requirements​

Ensure your server meets the recommended hardware specifications for a reliable node.

Install Dependencies & Rust​

Update your system and install the necessary packages for building nearcore.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y git cmake gcc g++ python3 protobuf-compiler libssl-dev pkg-config clang llvm jq ccze

Next, install Rust and Cargo. When prompted, select the default installation option.

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh
source $HOME/.cargo/env

Step 2: Install NEAR CLI​

Install the NEAR Command Line Interface (CLI), which is used to interact with the NEAR network.

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -LsSf https://github.com/near/near-cli-rs/releases/latest/download/near-cli-rs-installer.sh | sh
source $HOME/.cargo/env

Step 3: Compile the NEAR Node Software​

Clone the nearcore repository, check out the latest stable version, and compile the binary. This process is resource-intensive and may take some time.

cd ~
git clone https://github.com/near/nearcore
cd nearcore
NEARCORE_VERSION=$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/near/nearcore/releases/latest | jq -r .tag_name)
git checkout $NEARCORE_VERSION
make release

Set your shell environment to use mainnet by default for all subsequent commands.

echo 'export NEAR_ENV=mainnet' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Step 4: Initialize the Node​

Run the initialization command to create the necessary configuration files and directory structure (~/.near).

cd ~/nearcore
./target/release/neard init --chain-id mainnet --download-genesis --download-config

Step 5: Run the Node as a Service​

To ensure your node runs continuously, set it up as a systemd service.

  1. Create the service file:

    sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/neard.service

  2. Paste the following configuration. Remember to replace [USER] with your actual Linux username.

    [Unit]
    Description=NEARd Daemon Service

    [Service]
    Type=simple
    User=[USER]
    WorkingDirectory=/home/[USER]/.near
    ExecStart=/home/[USER]/nearcore/target/release/neard run
    Restart=on-failure
    RestartSec=30
    KillSignal=SIGINT
    TimeoutStopSec=45
    KillMode=mixed

    [Install]
    WantedBy=multi-user.target

  3. Enable and start the service:

    sudo systemctl enable neard
    sudo systemctl start neard

Step 6: Sync the Node​

Your node will now begin syncing with the network using the recommended Epoch Sync method. This can take several hours.

You can monitor the sync progress by watching the logs:

journalctl -n 100 -f -u neard | ccze -A

The node is fully synced when the last block number in your logs matches the latest block height on a network explorer like NearBlocks.

Congratulations! You now have a fully synced Mainnet full node. To become a validator and earn rewards, proceed to the Validator Setup Guide.