Running BLAST Testnet from Source

Please follow these steps first if you have not done so already.

Create a shared secret between op-geth and bl-node

  1. Navigate into your op-geth directory and run these commands:

openssl rand -hex 32 > jwt.txt
cp jwt.txt ../blast/bl-node

Scripts to start the different components

In the root of your working directory create a new directory: scripts.

# op-geth

  1. Create a new file: 

    touch run-op-geth.sh

  2. Make it executable: 

    chmod +x run-op-geth.sh

  3. Insert this snippet of code into run-op-geth.sh and modify the path to the op-geth directory.

    #! /usr/bin/bash
SEQUENCER_URL=https://goerli-sequencer.blastblockchain.com/
cd <>
./build/bin/geth
--datadir=./datadir
--http
--http.port=8545
--http.addr=0.0.0.0
--authrpc.addr=localhost
--authrpc.jwtsecret=./jwt.txt
--verbosity=3
--rollup.sequencerhttp=$SEQUENCER_URL
--nodiscover
--syncmode=full
--maxpeers=0

Other Sequencer URLs can be found here: Networks, Public RPC Endpoints, & APIs.

  1. Run the following command to start op-geth:

    ./run-op-geth.sh

op-node

  1. Navigate to the scripts directory you created.

  2. Create a new file:

    touch run-bl-node.sh

  3. Make it executable:

    chmod +x run-bl-node.sh

  4. Insert this snippet of code into run-bl-node.sh: 

    #!/usr/bin/bash

L1URL=<< L1 RPC URL >>
L1KIND=basic

cd <<Path to bl-node directory>>


./bin/bl-node \
    --l1=$L1URL  \
    --l1.rpckind=$L1KIND \
    --l2=ws://localhost:8551 \
    --l2.jwt-secret=./jwt.txt \
    --network=$NET \
    --rpc.addr=0.0.0.0 \
    --rpc.port=8547 \
    --rollup.config=./rollup.json

  • Change << L1 RPC URL >> to your local L1 node or a service provider's URL for the L1 node (L1 Ethereum). E.g. for Infura, https://goerli.infura.io/v3/API_KEY.

  • Set L1KIND to the network provider you are using (options: alchemy, quicknode, infura, parity, nethermind, debug_geth, erigon, basic, any).

  1. Run the following command to start op-node:

    ./run-op-node.sh

The initial synchronization

The datadir provided by Blast is not updated continuously, so before you can use the node you need a to synchronize it.

During that process you get log messages from bl-node, and nothing else appears to happen.

INFO [06-26|13:31:20.389] Advancing bq origin                      origin=17171d..1bc69b:8300332 originBehind=false

That is normal - it means that bl-node is looking for a location in the batch queue. After a few minutes it finds it, and then it can start synchronizing.

While it is synchronizing, you can expect log messages such as these from bl-node:

INFO [06-26|14:00:59.460] Sync progress                            reason="processed safe block derived from L1" l2_finalized=ef93e6..e0f367:4067805 l2_safe=7fe3f6..900127:4068014 l2_unsafe=7fe3f6..900127:4068014 l2_time=1,673,564,096 l1_derived=6079cd..be4231:8301091
INFO [06-26|14:00:59.460] Found next batch                         epoch=8e8a03..11a6de:8301087 batch_epoch=8301087 batch_timestamp=1,673,564,098
INFO [06-26|14:00:59.461] generated attributes in payload queue    txs=1  timestamp=1,673,564,098
INFO [06-26|14:00:59.463] inserted block                           hash=e80dc4..72a759 number=4,068,015 state_root=660ced..043025 timestamp=1,673,564,098 parent=7fe3f6..900127 prev_randao=78e43d..36f07a fee_recipient=0x4200000000000000000000000000000000000011 txs=1  update_safe=true

And log messages such as these from op-geth:

INFO [06-26|14:02:12.974] Imported new potential chain segment     number=4,068,194 hash=a334a0..609a83 blocks=1         txs=1         mgas=0.000  elapsed=1.482ms     mgasps=0.000   age=5mo2w20h dirty=2.31MiB
INFO [06-26|14:02:12.976] Chain head was updated                   number=4,068,194 hash=a334a0..609a83 root=e80f5e..dd06f9 elapsed="188.373µs" age=5mo2w20h
INFO [06-26|14:02:12.982] Starting work on payload                 id=0x5542117d680dbd4e

#How long will the synchronization take?

To estimate how long the synchronization will take, you need to first find out how many blocks you synchronize in a minute. You can use this Foundry (opens new window)script to get an estimated sync time.

  1. Navigate to your scripts directory

  2. Create a new file:

    touch run-estimate.sh

  3. Make it executable:

    chmod +x run-estimate.sh

  4. Insert this snippet of code into run-estimate.sh:

#!/usr/bin/bash

export ETH_RPC_URL=http://localhost:8545
CHAIN_ID=`cast chain-id`
echo Chain ID: $CHAIN_ID
echo Please wait

if [ $CHAIN_ID -eq 238 ]; then
  L2_URL=https://rpc.blastblockchain.com
fi


if [ $CHAIN_ID -eq 23888 ]; then
  L2_URL=https://testnet-rpc.blastblockchain.com
fi


T0=`cast block-number --rpc-url $ETH_RPC_URL` ; sleep 60 ; T1=`cast block-number --rpc-url $ETH_RPC_URL`
PER_MIN=`expr $T1 - $T0`
echo Blocks per minute: $PER_MIN


if [ $PER_MIN -eq 0 ]; then
    echo Not synching
    exit;
fi

# During that minute the head of the chain progressed by thirty blocks
PROGRESS_PER_MIN=`expr $PER_MIN - 30`
echo Progress per minute: $PROGRESS_PER_MIN


# How many more blocks do we need?
HEAD=`cast block-number --rpc-url $L2_URL`
BEHIND=`expr $HEAD - $T1`
MINUTES=`expr $BEHIND / $PROGRESS_PER_MIN`
HOURS=`expr $MINUTES / 60`
echo Hours until sync completed: $HOURS

if [ $HOURS -gt 24 ] ; then
   DAYS=`expr $HOURS / 24`
   echo Days until sync complete: $DAYS
fi

  1. Run the following command to get an estimate:

    ./run-estimate.sh

#Operations

It is best to start op-geth first and shut it down last.

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