Getting Started
For those who prefer a visual guide, we have prepared installation videos to assist you. The videos will help you to set up the Space Acres farming application in under 10 minutes. Please follow the installation videos to use SubWallet to create a compatible Substrate account and refer to the detailed guide on downloading and configuring Autonomys' farming application, Space Acres.
Operating System
| Application | Minimum Supported Version* | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| CLI | 🐧 Ubuntu 22.04 | 🪟 Windows 11 | 🍎 macOS 14 (Sonoma) |
| Space Acres | 🐧 Ubuntu 24.04 | 🪟 Windows 11 | 🍎 macOS 14 (Sonoma) |
* Note that these are the officially supported minimum versions. For example, Windows 10 will not be officially supported but is likely to work. Team will not prioritise supporting issues that are only present on Windows 10.
Hardware
| Hardware | CPU | RAM | Node Storage | Farm Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum ¹ | 4 Cores+ | 8GB | 100GB ² | 100GB |
| Recommended | Intel Core i7-6700 or equivalent | 16GB+ | 256GB | ♾️ ³ |
² While 100GB is sufficient for running a farming node, a domain node will require more than 100GB of storage.
³ Storage contribution impacts block and vote rewards on the Autonomys Network. More plotted sectors will lead to faster and more frequent rewards. You can start with as little as 100 GB, but allocating more will maximize your reward potential.
Operating a node and farmer can be data intensive. It is advisable to have a stable and unlimited internet connection.
Reference Hardware
Our benchmarking tests were performed using the Intel Core i7-6700 CPU. We calibrated the transaction weights to ensure that a full block does not contain more transactions than this CPU can handle within the 2-second block execution time limit. This guarantees that nodes with hardware equivalent to or better than the Intel Core i7-6700 can process blocks at full capacity without performance issues.
While farmers using hardware below this specification may function effectively under most conditions, they could face challenges during peak network activity. If blocks consistently fill with transactions, nodes with lower specifications might struggle to keep pace, which could impact farming performance and rewards.
You can see detailed machine information used for the reference hardware.
Storage
Hard disk drives are not supported. The use of smart caching, tiered storage, raid, or other acceleration methods will not be effective due to the significant random read IOPS required for the proving process.
SSD storage is required. High end models are not necessary and a mid range SSD from a reputable manufacturer with adequate endurance should be sufficient. Be cautious with lesser known brands as they may face issues with maintaining consistent read performance. You can also use NVMe SSDs but this is not required.
File Systems (Linux)
Linux systems may have a default file descriptor limit, which can vary based on distribuition. Exceeding this limit could cause errors. For detailed information, visit our Tips & Tricks guide.
- ☑️ ext4
- ❌ XFS
- ❌ CoW
- ❌ RAID
- ❌ SWAP
This file system maximizes usable space for the farmer.
sudo mkfs.ext4 -m 0 -T largefile4 -C 16384 -O bigalloc /dev/sdX
Resizing a plot when the drive is nearly full (98% or more) will render the plot unfarmable unless sufficient additional space is freed up through other means. Full disk utilization can only be achieved during the plot's initial creation and will yield less usable space compared to ext4.
Copy-on-Write file systems (ReFS, BTRFS, ZFS, bcachefs, HAMMER) are not recommended due to increased latency and reduced write speeds associated with managing unnecessary data copies.
sudo chattr +C /path/to/farm
The farmer employs checksums for data integrity and can recover from corrupted blocks. Striping provides no benefits and raises the risk of needing to replot multiple drives instead of just one.
Only necessary if your system has limited RAM.
Blockchain Insights
Explore the Autonomys Network in depth with our variety of telemetry tools and block explorers. Whether you're monitoring network activity or exploring blockchain data, these resources provide comprehensive insights into the network's performance and transactions.
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Telemetry Server: Get real-time insights into network activity and performance metrics. Ideal for monitoring the overall health and status of the Autonomys Network.
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Astral Block Explorer: Our primary tool for viewing blocks, transactions, and network activity on the Autonomys Network. This explorer offers an intuitive interface and detailed information.
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Subscan Block Explorer: An alternative block explorer providing detailed views of blocks, transactions, and network events. Subscan is known for its user-friendly interface and additional data analytics features.
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Polkadot.js Block Explorer: For users familiar with the Polkadot ecosystem, this explorer offers a seamless experience for exploring the Autonomys Network using the Polkadot.js interface.
Dependencies
If you face an error where the node outputs nothing and no error code is given it is likely you just need to install the latest Visual C++ Redistributable package here
Networking
For detailed information on network configurations, including port forwarding requirements and firewall settings, please refer to our Port Forwarding & Firewall guide.
Security Considerations
For detailed information, visit our Safety and Security guide.
Ensure your system is regularly updated, configure port forwarding, set up your firewall, and follow best practices for network safety. For comprehensive security guidelines, please refer to our Safety and Security guide.
Wallet
For detailed information, visit our SubWallet or Polkadot.JS guide.
Before you begin, make sure you have a wallet to receive rewards. We recommend using SubWallet, but PolkadotJS is also available. Install one of these wallets as a browser extension and create a new account. Your account address will be required during the setup process.