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README: remove private network section from readme #31005

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README: remove private network section from readme #31005

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125 changes: 9 additions & 116 deletions README.md
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Expand Up @@ -54,14 +54,14 @@ on how you can run your own `geth` instance.

Minimum:

* CPU with 2+ cores
* 4GB RAM
* CPU with 4+ cores
* 8GB RAM
* 1TB free storage space to sync the Mainnet
* 8 MBit/sec download Internet service

Recommended:

* Fast CPU with 4+ cores
* Fast CPU with 8+ cores
* 16GB+ RAM
* High-performance SSD with at least 1TB of free space
* 25+ MBit/sec download Internet service
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -138,8 +138,6 @@ export your existing configuration:
$ geth --your-favourite-flags dumpconfig
```

*Note: This works only with `geth` v1.6.0 and above.*

#### Docker quick start

One of the quickest ways to get Ethereum up and running on your machine is by using
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -187,7 +185,6 @@ HTTP based JSON-RPC API options:
* `--ws.api` API's offered over the WS-RPC interface (default: `eth,net,web3`)
* `--ws.origins` Origins from which to accept WebSocket requests
* `--ipcdisable` Disable the IPC-RPC server
* `--ipcapi` API's offered over the IPC-RPC interface (default: `admin,debug,eth,miner,net,personal,txpool,web3`)
* `--ipcpath` Filename for IPC socket/pipe within the datadir (explicit paths escape it)

You'll need to use your own programming environments' capabilities (libraries, tools, etc) to
Expand All @@ -206,118 +203,14 @@ APIs!**
Maintaining your own private network is more involved as a lot of configurations taken for
granted in the official networks need to be manually set up.

#### Defining the private genesis state

First, you'll need to create the genesis state of your networks, which all nodes need to be
aware of and agree upon. This consists of a small JSON file (e.g. call it `genesis.json`):

```json
{
"config": {
"chainId": <arbitrary positive integer>,
"homesteadBlock": 0,
"eip150Block": 0,
"eip155Block": 0,
"eip158Block": 0,
"byzantiumBlock": 0,
"constantinopleBlock": 0,
"petersburgBlock": 0,
"istanbulBlock": 0,
"berlinBlock": 0,
"londonBlock": 0
},
"alloc": {},
"coinbase": "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
"difficulty": "0x20000",
"extraData": "",
"gasLimit": "0x2fefd8",
"nonce": "0x0000000000000042",
"mixhash": "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
"parentHash": "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
"timestamp": "0x00"
}
```

The above fields should be fine for most purposes, although we'd recommend changing
the `nonce` to some random value so you prevent unknown remote nodes from being able
to connect to you. If you'd like to pre-fund some accounts for easier testing, create
the accounts and populate the `alloc` field with their addresses.

```json
"alloc": {
"0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000001": {
"balance": "111111111"
},
"0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000002": {
"balance": "222222222"
}
}
```

With the genesis state defined in the above JSON file, you'll need to initialize **every**
`geth` node with it prior to starting it up to ensure all blockchain parameters are correctly
set:

```shell
$ geth init path/to/genesis.json
```

#### Creating the rendezvous point

With all nodes that you want to run initialized to the desired genesis state, you'll need to
start a bootstrap node that others can use to find each other in your network and/or over
the internet. The clean way is to configure and run a dedicated bootnode:

```shell
# Use the devp2p tool to create a node file.
# The devp2p tool is also part of the 'alltools' distribution bundle.
$ devp2p key generate node1.key
# file node1.key is created.
$ devp2p key to-enr -ip 10.2.3.4 -udp 30303 -tcp 30303 node1.key
# Prints the ENR for use in --bootnode flag of other nodes.
# Note this method requires knowing the IP/ports ahead of time.
$ geth --nodekey=node1.key
```

With the bootnode online, it will display an [`enode` URL](https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/networking-layer/network-addresses/#enode)
that other nodes can use to connect to it and exchange peer information. Make sure to
replace the displayed IP address information (most probably `[::]`) with your externally
accessible IP to get the actual `enode` URL.

*Note: You could previously use the `bootnode` utility to start a stripped down version of geth. This is not possible anymore.*

#### Starting up your member nodes

With the bootnode operational and externally reachable (you can try
`telnet <ip> <port>` to ensure it's indeed reachable), start every subsequent `geth`
node pointed to the bootnode for peer discovery via the `--bootnodes` flag. It will
probably also be desirable to keep the data directory of your private network separated, so
do also specify a custom `--datadir` flag.

```shell
$ geth --datadir=path/to/custom/data/folder --bootnodes=<bootnode-enode-url-from-above>
```
Unfortunately since [the Merge](https://ethereum.org/en/roadmap/merge/) it is no longer possible
to easily set up a network of geth nodes without also setting up a corresponding beacon chain.

*Note: Since your network will be completely cut off from the main and test networks, you'll
also need to configure a miner to process transactions and create new blocks for you.*

#### Running a private miner


In a private network setting a single CPU miner instance is more than enough for
practical purposes as it can produce a stable stream of blocks at the correct intervals
without needing heavy resources (consider running on a single thread, no need for multiple
ones either). To start a `geth` instance for mining, run it with all your usual flags, extended
by:

```shell
$ geth <usual-flags> --mine --miner.threads=1 --miner.etherbase=0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
```
There are three different solutions depending on your use case:

Which will start mining blocks and transactions on a single CPU thread, crediting all
proceedings to the account specified by `--miner.etherbase`. You can further tune the mining
by changing the default gas limit blocks converge to (`--miner.targetgaslimit`) and the price
transactions are accepted at (`--miner.gasprice`).
* If you are looking for a simple way to test smart contracts from go in your CI, you can use the [Simulated Backend](https://geth.ethereum.org/docs/developers/dapp-developer/native-bindings#blockchain-simulator).
* If you want a convenient single node environment for testing, you can use our [Dev Mode](https://geth.ethereum.org/docs/developers/dapp-developer/dev-mode).
* If you are looking for a multiple node test network, you can set one up quite easily with [Kurtosis](https://geth.ethereum.org/docs/fundamentals/kurtosis).

## Contribution

Expand Down