Run a Testnet Node

Nervos has introduced the Pudge Testnet for developers to experiment with integrations and Scripts. This is ideal for exploring functionalities in a risk-free environment. Due to hash rate fluctuations, expect periodic resets. We suggest allocating 200GB for experimentation.

Step 1: Download CKB Binary

info

We will use ckb_v0.115.0 for this guide. Please ensure you download the latest version corresponding to your operating system.

Get the latest CKB binary from Github releases.

Step 2: Navigate to CKB Directory

Unzip the downloaded file to an easily accessible folder, e.g., C:\ckb for Windows, ~/Documents for Mac. Open your terminal/command line and navigate to your CKB directory using the following command:

Mac

  cd /Users/(NAME)/Documents/ckb_v0.115.0-rc3_aarch64-apple-darwin-portable/ckb

Windows

  cd C:/ckb_v0.115.0_x86_64-pc-windows-msvc

Step 3: Verify versions

Command

  ckb --version
  ckb-cli --version

Result

  ckb 0.115.0 (d845cbf 2024-04-01)
  ckb-cli 1.8.0-rc1 (cf4159b 2024-03-28)

Step 4: Connect to Pudge Testnet

Initialize your CKB node:

Command

  ckb init --chain testnet

Result

  WARN: Mining feature is disabled because of lacking the block assembler config options.
  Initialized CKB directory in /PATH/0.115.0
  create ckb.toml
  create ckb-miner.toml

Step 5: Start the CKB Testnet Node

ckb run

After these steps, your CKB Testnet node will be up and running, allowing you to experiment and develop with the Nervos blockchain.

Track Your Node

Track your node using CKB Node Probe and view the global distribution of active CKB nodes.