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Linux VPS (Docker)

We will be using Docker software to make running a Minima node simple.

If you prefer not to use Docker, you can create a script to run Minima as a service.

Once your node is set up, you will be able to use Minima's decentralized applications.

What is Docker?

Docker is an open-source software platform that simplifies the process of running, testing and managing applications. It uses the operating system of the computer on which it’s installed to provide an independent computing environment for an application to run on.

Start a new Minima node​

Remove nodes installed using the old script​

If you have been running a node using the install script provided, please remove these nodes following the instructions below.

If you are a new user, continue to Start your node.

  1. Logon to your server as a non root user with sudo (admin) rights.
Check running nodes

To check which nodes you currently have running, use the command systemctl list-units --type=service.

VPS_checknodes

  1. To remove nodes which were installed using our install script, run the uninstall script below (all one line).

sudo wget -O minima_remove.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/minima-global/Minima/master/scripts/minima_remove.sh && sudo chmod +x minima_remove.sh && sudo ./minima_remove.sh -p 9001 -x

Multiple nodes?

If you started multiple nodes, run the uninstall script for each node changing the port number each time.

  1. Remove all existing folders: 
sudo rm -r /home/minima/
  1. Delete the existing minima user: 
sudo userdel minima
note

If there is an “unable to delete minima user, minima user using process xxxxxxx” error, please reboot the server, log back in as root then do userdel minima immediately on login.

If you are having problems and Minima is the only application on your server, please start with a fresh instance of your server and continue to Start your node.

Start your node​

  1. Log on as a non root user with sudo (admin) rights and add a new minima user, set a password and leave the remaining fields as default : 
sudo adduser minima

Please make a note of the password you set for the minima user, you may have to login as this user later.

VPS_adduser

  1. Confirm the new user with y
  2. Give sudo (admin) permissions to the minima user: 
sudo usermod -aG sudo minima

VPS_adduser2

  1. Switch to minima user: 
su - minima

VPS_loginnewuser

  1. Download the docker install script: 
sudo curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com/ -o get-docker.sh

VPS_getdocker

  1. Give the script permissions and run the installer for docker - this will take a few minutes to finish: 
sudo chmod +x ./get-docker.sh && ./get-docker.sh

VPS_installdocker

  1. Add the minima user to the Docker group: 
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
  1. Exit back to original user: 
exit
  1. Switch to minima user to refresh the groups: 
su - minima

VPS_switchuser

  1. Start your node:
SET YOUR PASSWORD

Make sure to change the password below from INSERTPASSWORD to a long password using A-Z, a-z and 0-9 characters only.
This will be the password to access your Minidapp Hub.

docker run -d -e minima_mdspassword=INSERTPASSWORD -e minima_server=true -v ~/minimadocker9001:/home/minima/data -p 9001-9004:9001-9004 --restart unless-stopped --name minima9001 minimaglobal/minima:latest
What do all the parameters mean?
  • -d: daemon mode, Minima will run in the background
  • -e minima_mdspassword=INSERTPASSWORD : sets the password for your MiniDapp system. YOU MUST USE A LONG SECURE PASSWORD USING UPPERCASE, LOWERCASE LETTERS AND NUMBERS ONLY
  • -e minima_server=true : sets your node type as a server node that receives incoming connections
  • -v ~/minimadocker9001:/home/minima/data : creates a local folder called minimadocker9001 in your home directory and maps it to the /home/minima/data directory in Docker. The minimadocker9001 folder is where the Minima database and is also where your backups will be stored.
  • -p 9001-9004:9001-9004 : the port number mapping from your server to the Docker container
  • --restart unless-stopped : ensures your container automatically restarts unless you stop it
  • --name minima9001 : sets the name of your Minima container to minima9001
  • minimaglobal/minima:latest : specifies where to pull the Minima code from

Optional start up parameters​

Expand to see full list of start up parameters

The following start up parameters can optionally be specified when starting your Docker node.

To add/remove parameters after a node has been started, you must stop and remove your minima9001 Docker container, then start it again, adding/removing the required parameters in front of -v ~/minimadocker9001:/home/minima/data. As long as you use the same minimadocker8001 folder, your previous node will be preserved but will use different parameters.

General​

  • -e minima_clean=true : CAREFUL! Clears existing data, starts a new fresh node. All coins will be lost.
  • -e minima_host=ipaddress : specify the host IP
  • -e minima_dbpassword=yourdbpassword : Main Wallet / SQL AES password - MUST be specified on first launch. CANNOT be changed later.
  • -e minima_allowallip=true : Allow all IPs for Maxima / Networking. Local IPs won't be allowed otherwise.
  • -e minima_archive=true : Run an Archive node - store all archive data / the cascade to allow for resyncs from this node
  • -e minima_isclient=true : Tells the P2P System that this node can't accept incoming connections
  • -e minima_server=true : Use Server settings - this node can accept incoming connections
  • -e minima_desktop=true : Use Desktop settings - this node can't accept incoming connections

MiniDapp System (mds)​

  • -e minima_mdsenable=true/false : enable the MiniDapp System (default port 9003). Enabled by default.
  • -e minima_mdspassword=yourmdspassword : specify the mds login password

RPC​

  • -e minima_rpcenable=true/false : enable remote procedure call. Enabled by default.
  • -e minima_rpcssl=true : use Self Signed SSL cert to run RPC
  • -e minima_rpcpassword=yourrpcpassword : set Basic Auth password for RPC calls ( Use with SSL / stunnel ). Only secure if used with SSL.
  • -e minima_rpcclrf=true : use CRLF at the end of the RPC headers (NodeJS)

Help​

  • -e minima_showparams=true : Show relevant startup params on launch
  • -e minima_help=true : print help for the start up parameters

VPS_startminima

  1. Ensure Docker starts up automatically when the server starts 
sudo systemctl enable docker.service
sudo systemctl enable containerd.service

Congratulations! Your Node is up and running. Continue to install the Watchtower to automatically update Minima.

Automate updates with Watchtower​

  1. Start a Watchtower container to automatically update Minima when a new version is available.
docker run -d --restart unless-stopped --name watchtower -e WATCHTOWER_CLEANUP=true -e WATCHTOWER_TIMEOUT=60s -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock containrrr/watchtower

Every 24 hours, the Watchtower will check whether there is a new version of Minima and will update if so.

VPS_startwatchtower

  1. Check Minima and the Watchtower containers are running
docker ps

Continue to secure your node.

Secure your node​

Before using your node for the first time, you must:

  1. Write down your Seed Phrase
  2. Take a backup
  3. Set a Vault password to encrypt your Keys (optional)

Please visit the Secure your Node page to learn how.

Access your MiniDapp hub​

The first time accessing your MiniDapp hub, you may need to pass through the security warning - see below - as the MiniDapp system currently uses self-signed certificates.

  1. Go to https://YourServerIP:9003/ in your web browser

Click on Advanced, then Proceed. Or in Google Chrome, you may have to click anywhere on the page and type thisisunsafe to proceed. Details for other browsers can be found here.

trouble accessing MDS?

If you are having trouble accessing https://YourServerIP:9003/, please first go to https://YourServerIP:9004/ and accept the security warning. Then return to https://YourServerIP:9003/.

You will see your MiniDapp System (MDS) login page.

mds_login

  1. Enter your password to login, if you don't remember, you can check here.

  2. You will see your MiniDapp hub!

FAQ​

Useful Docker commands​

The following commands can be run from your server command line, logged in as the minima user.

View the logs: docker logs minima9001

Stop Minima: docker stop minima9001

Remove your Minima container: docker rm minima9001

Start the Minima container: docker start minima9001

Restart the Minima container: docker restart minima9001

List all containers (Running and stopped): docker ps -a

List containers (Running only): docker ps

Stop containers listed: docker stop minima9001 minima8001 minima7001

Remove listed containers: docker rm minima9001 minima8001 minima7001

Help: docker --help

How to check the Status of your node​

To check the status of your node, you can either use the Minima Terminal via Docker (shown above) or log on to your MiniDapp hub and open the Minima Terminal minidapp.

With the Minima Terminal open, run the status command to see the latest status of your node including version, last block and chain details.

VPS_dockerterminal

checking your node is in sync

Having a recent block time is not a guarantee that you are on the right chain.
Consider cross checking your latest block with another node or checking the samechain response of your Maxima Contacts by running the maxcontacts command.

warning

If the time shown is significantly behind, you should restart your node to resync to the chain.
If you have been offline for a long time or do not have a recent backup you may need to perform a chain resync from an Archive node.

How to check your MiniDapp System password​

You can use the Docker CLI/Terminal to interact with your node, for example to check your status, balance, password, incentive program setup or to create a backup.

The mds command will show details about the MiniDapp System (MDS) including your password and the MiniDapps installed on your node.

  1. Log on to your server as the minima user (if not already logged in)
  2. Start the Minima Terminal by running the command
docker exec -it minima9001 minima

VPS_dockerterminal

  1. Type mds to see your password

VPS_dockerterminal

Useful commands:
status - see the status of your node including version and chain details
help - show all commands

How to change your MiniDapp System password​

To change the password to login to your MiniDapp System (MDS), you must stop and remove your minima9001 container and restart it with a different password.

  1. Stop the minima9001 container
docker stop minima9001
  1. Remove the minima9001 container
docker rm minima9001
  1. Repeat step 10 from Start your node, with a different password. Your password should be long using A-Z, a-z, 0-9 only.
important

Deleting the container will not delete the minimadocker9001 data folder so your coins will be safe during this process.

When starting the new container, you must use the same minimadocker9001 folder to ensure your coins and data are restored.

How to take a backup of your node​

Before backing up your node, consider encrypting your private keys. For more information, see Vault.

  1. Login to your Minima Hub at https://yourserverIP:9003/
  2. Open the Terminal MiniDapp
  3. Enter the backup command with a password containing uppercase and lowercase letters and numbers only
backup password:
warning

This password cannot be retrieved at a later date, so remember it or write it down somewhere secure.

Auto backups​

You can create automatic backups every 24 hours however these backups cannot be password protected so we recommend encrypting your private keys before enabling auto backups.

backup auto:true

Your backups will go to the minimadocker9001 folder in your home directory.

backup parameters

password: set a password for your backup lowercase letters and numbers only, this will be required when restoring it

file: (optional) backup name

auto: (optional) true or false. Will set the backup to repeat every 24 hours.

How to restore your node from a backup​

Your backup must be in the minimadocker9001 folder in your home directory (as specified at start up).

  1. Login to your Minima Hub
  2. Open the Terminal MiniDapp
  3. Enter the restore or restoresync command, completing the parameters

The restore command will restore your backup and then attempt to catch up to the top block by syncing from your peers. If your backup is older than 1 month, we recommend using restoresync instead. 

restore file: password:

The restoresync command will restore your backup and then attempt to catch up to the top block by syncing from a default archive node. If your backup is not recent, restoresync may be more effective for ensuring your node returns to the top block.

restoresync file: password:
restore parameters

file: the name of the backup to restore, e.g. mybackup.bak

password: (optional) the password of the backup. Can be left blank if restoring an auto backup or non password protected backup.

If successful, you will need to log out/log in from your Minima hub for the restore to take effect.

warning

If you encrypted your private keys before taking the backup that you are now restoring, your private keys will still be encrypted and you will be required to decrypt them or enter your Vault password when sending funds

How to start a second node in Docker​

To run a second node in Docker, you can create another container using different port numbers, file path and name.

  1. To create a node on port 8001:

docker run -d -e minima_mdspassword=INSERTPASSWORD -e minima_server=true -v ~/minimadocker8001:/home/minima/data -p 8001-8004:9001-9004 --restart unless-stopped --name minima8001 minimaglobal/minima:latest

  1. To access your MiniDapps on the second node, go to https://YourServerIP:8003/ (8003 instead of 9003) and repeat the steps in Access your MiniDapp hub.

How to start a test node as a developer​

To create a private test node from Genesis on ports 10001-10004, use the following start up command:

docker run -d -e minima_mdspassword=INSERTPASSWORD -e minima_server=true -e minima_genesis=true -e minima_test=true -e minima_nop2p=true -v ~/minimadocker10001_dev:/home/minima/data -p 10001-10004:9001-9004 --restart unless-stopped --name minima10001_dev minimaglobal/minima:latest

test parameters

The additional test parameters used are:

-p 10001-10004:9001-9004 : Local ports 10001-10004 will be forwarded to 9001-9004 on Docker.
You can change 10001-10004 to another set of unused ports however the Docker ports must remain as 9001-9004.

-e minima_genesis=true : Start a node from the Genesis block

-e minima_test=true : Use test parameters e.g. blocks are automined and block times are faster

-e minima_nop2p=true : Do not start the p2p system

How to enable RPC (advanced users)​

warning

If enabling RPC by opening the 9005 port, you must ensure you use the following additional parameters and set an RPC password for connecting over RPC on the start up line.

-e minima_rpcpassword=INSERTRPCPASSWORD -p 9001-9004:9001-9004 -p 127.0.0.1:9005:9005

You will only be able to use RPC commands if SSH'd into the server.

Example:

docker run -d -e minima_mdspassword=INSERTPASSWORD -e minima_rpcpassword=INSERTRPCPASSWORD -e minima_server=true -v ~/minimadocker9001:/home/minima/data -p 9001-9004:9001-9004 -p 127.0.0.1:9005:9005 --restart unless-stopped --name minima9001 minimaglobal/minima:latest

On a second node running on ports 8001-8005, this would be: 

docker run -d -e minima_mdspassword=INSERTPASSWORD -e minima_rpcpassword=INSERTRPCPASSWORD -e minima_server=true -v ~/minimadocker8001:/home/minima/data -p 8001-8004:9001-9004 -p 127.0.0.1:8005:9005 --restart unless-stopped --name minima8001 minimaglobal/minima:latest

RPC commands​

By default Minima is installed on ports 9001-9005. The default RPC port is 9005.

You can send commands to your Minima node using curl to the RPC port.

To install curl: sudo apt install curl then y

For improved formatting: sudo apt install jq then y

Example:

To check the status of your Minima node when logged on to the server:

curl -k -u minima:INSERTRPCPASSWORD 127.0.0.1:9005/status | jq

You will see the current block and other information about your node.

To show the full list of commands:

curl -k -u minima:INSERTRPCPASSWORD 127.0.0.1:9005/help | jq

However, if you wish to check your node from an external computer, you must use SSH with each command. 

ssh root@YourServerIP curl -k -u minima:INSERTRPCPASSWORD 127.0.0.1:9005/status

Each request will also require your server password.

Using the Docker CLI​

To use your Docker CLI, you must add your RPC password:

docker exec -it minima -password YOURRPCPASSWORD

How to remove a node​

important

Removing a node without taking a backup will delete all your coins! Only remove a node if you have taken a backup or are running a test node.

To remove a Docker node:

  1. Login as the minima user to your server
  2. Stop then delete the minima9001 container
docker stop minima9001
docker rm minima9001
  1. Delete the minimadocker9001 folder from your home directory by running
sudo rm -rf minimadocker9001

Next Steps​

Once your node running, see Using MiniDapps to start using Minima's decentralized applications!

Stay up to date​

Check out our MiniDapp store to stay up to date with the latest MiniDapps.

Need help?​

See Using MiniDapps for more information or find us in Discord or Telegram.