> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/buildonviction/victionchain/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Running a Full Node

> Learn how to run a Viction full node on mainnet or testnet

A full node is a node that fully validates transactions and blocks. Running a full node helps secure the network and allows you to interact with the blockchain without relying on third parties.

## Prerequisites

Before running a full node, ensure you have:

* A server with at least 4GB RAM and 200GB disk space
* Go 1.18 or higher installed (for binary build)
* Docker installed (for Docker deployment)
* Stable internet connection

## Account Setup

Viction requires an account when running the node, even for full nodes. You need to either create a new account or import an existing one.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a new account">
    If you don't have an existing account, create a new one:

    ```bash theme={null}
    tomo account new --password /path/to/password_file --keystore /path/to/keystore_dir
    ```

    This will generate a new account and store it in the specified keystore directory.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Import an existing account">
    If you already have a private key, import it:

    ```bash theme={null}
    tomo account import /path/to/privatekey_file --password /path/to/password_file --keystore /path/to/keystore_dir
    ```

    The private key file should contain your private key in plain text.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Running the Node

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Basic Setup">
    To run a full node with default settings:

    ```bash theme={null}
    tomo --datadir /path/to/data_dir --keystore /path/to/keystore_dir --password /path/to/password_file --unlock 0
    ```

    This command will:

    * Connect to the Viction mainnet (network ID 88)
    * Sync in full mode
    * Use the first account in your keystore
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Advanced Setup">
    For more control over your node configuration:

    ```bash theme={null}
    tomo --datadir /path/to/data_dir \
      --keystore /path/to/keystore_dir \
      --password /path/to/password_file --unlock 0 \
      --identity my-full-node \
      --networkid 88 \
      --gasprice 250000000 \
      --rpc --rpcaddr 0.0.0.0 --rpcport 8545 --rpcvhosts "*" --rpccorsdomain "*" \
      --rpcapi "eth,debug,net,db,personal,web3" \
      --ws --wsaddr 0.0.0.0 --wsport 8546 --wsorigins "*" \
      --mine \
      --port 30303 \
      --syncmode "full" --gcmode "full" \
      --ethstats my-full-node:getty-site-pablo-auger-room-sos-blair-shin-whiz-delhi@stats.viction.xyz \
      --verbosity 3
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Testnet">
    To run a full node on the Viction testnet:

    ```bash theme={null}
    tomo --datadir /path/to/data_dir \
      --keystore /path/to/keystore_dir \
      --password /path/to/password_file --unlock 0 \
      --tomo-testnet \
      --networkid 89 \
      --rpc --rpcaddr 0.0.0.0 --rpcport 8545 \
      --ws --wsaddr 0.0.0.0 --wsport 8546 \
      --syncmode "full" --gcmode "full" \
      --verbosity 3
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Key Parameters Explained

<ResponseField name="datadir" type="string" required>
  Path to your data directory where blockchain data will be stored
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="keystore" type="string" required>
  Path to your account's keystore directory
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="password" type="string" required>
  Path to file containing your account's password
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="unlock" type="string" required>
  Account index or address to unlock (use "0" for the first account)
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="identity" type="string">
  Custom name for your node (appears in network stats)
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="networkid" type="number">
  Network identifier (88 for mainnet, 89 for testnet)
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="syncmode" type="string">
  Blockchain sync mode: "fast", "full", or "light". Default is "full"
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="gcmode" type="string">
  Blockchain garbage collection mode: "full" or "archive"
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="mine" type="boolean">
  Enable staking (required if you want to register as a masternode candidate)
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="port" type="number">
  P2P network listening port (default: 30303)
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="rpc" type="boolean">
  Enable the HTTP-RPC server
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="rpcaddr" type="string">
  HTTP-RPC server listening address (use "0.0.0.0" to allow external connections)
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="rpcport" type="number">
  HTTP-RPC server listening port (default: 8545)
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="ws" type="boolean">
  Enable the WebSocket-RPC server
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="wsaddr" type="string">
  WebSocket-RPC server listening address
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="wsport" type="number">
  WebSocket-RPC server listening port (default: 8546)
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="verbosity" type="number">
  Logging verbosity level (1-5, where 5 is most verbose)
</ResponseField>

## Network Stats Reporting

To report your node statistics to the Viction network stats dashboard:

```bash theme={null}
--ethstats "your-node-name:secret@stats.viction.xyz"
```

Replace `your-node-name` with your desired node name. The secret is:

```
getty-site-pablo-auger-room-sos-blair-shin-whiz-delhi
```

## Sync Modes

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Fast Sync" icon="bolt">
    Downloads blocks and verifies only the most recent state. Faster initial sync but less secure validation.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Full Sync" icon="check">
    Downloads and validates all blocks from genesis. Slower but fully validates the entire chain.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Light Sync" icon="moon">
    Downloads only block headers. Requires trust in full nodes. Not recommended for production.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Garbage Collection Modes

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Full Mode" icon="broom">
    Prunes old state data to save disk space. Suitable for most full nodes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Archive Mode" icon="database">
    Keeps all historical state data. Required for:

    * Running an archive node
    * Using `--store-reward` flag
    * Providing historical state queries
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Monitoring Your Node

Once your node is running, you can:

1. **Check sync status** via RPC:
   ```bash theme={null}
   curl -X POST --data '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"eth_syncing","params":[],"id":1}' -H "Content-Type: application/json" http://localhost:8545
   ```

2. **View logs** to monitor node activity (verbosity level affects log detail)

3. **Check peer count**:
   ```bash theme={null}
   curl -X POST --data '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"net_peerCount","params":[],"id":1}' -H "Content-Type: application/json" http://localhost:8545
   ```

4. **View network stats** at [https://stats.viction.xyz](https://stats.viction.xyz) if you configured `--ethstats`

<Note>
  Initial sync can take several hours depending on your hardware and network connection. The node must download and verify the entire blockchain.
</Note>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Node won't sync">
    * Check your internet connection
    * Verify that port 30303 is not blocked by firewall
    * Try adding bootnodes manually with `--bootnodes` flag
    * Ensure you have enough disk space
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="RPC connection refused">
    * Verify RPC is enabled with `--rpc` flag
    * Check that `--rpcaddr` is set to `0.0.0.0` for external access
    * Ensure firewall allows connections to RPC port
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Account unlock failed">
    * Verify password file is correct
    * Check keystore path is valid
    * Ensure account exists in keystore directory
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Out of memory errors">
    * Increase system RAM
    * Use `--cache` flag to adjust memory allocation
    * Consider using fast sync instead of full sync
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Configuration" icon="gear" href="/nodes/configuration">
    Learn about all available configuration options
  </Card>

  <Card title="Run a Masternode" icon="server" href="/nodes/running-masternode">
    Upgrade your full node to a masternode
  </Card>
</CardGroup>