Why is it necesary the step 2 during the node install

Node Operators getting started
1

Hi everyone,

I can’t see the reason why it is necesary, during the installation of Storage Node, the “Step 2. Set up the Storage Node”:

docker run --rm -e SETUP=“true”
–user $(id -u):$(id -g)
–mount type=bind,source=“”,destination=/app/identity
–mount type=bind,source=“”,destination=/app/config
–name storagenode storjlabs/storagenode:latest

What’s effects cause this instruction and why is necesary?

Thanks in advanced.

Rafa

2

This step generates identity among other things.

It is done as an explicitly separate step avoid possibility of destroying a node in corner cases where storage may not be full available during start up.

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3

^ this is correct

It is not just corner cases. It also protects the node from a lot of user errors. The most likely user error is a change in the storage path. Just a typo and the node would start up and create an empty directory and start accepting uploads. A few days later it will get disqualified because the data that was previously uploaded is still located somewhere on disk but the node doesn’t know about it.

Solution for these kind of user errors: Make sure only the setup command creates the nesessary files. Same user error will now get detected by the node. It will understand the difference between first execution aka setup and normal operation. If it detects a missing file during normal operations it will error out in order to prevent disqualification.

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4

Thanks for your answers.

But, I continue in doubt.

Is it possible skip this step? For your answers I understand that this step is only necesary to check parameter for normal operations.

Thanks,

5

No, setup step creates node identity among other things. You cannot skip it.

1 Like
6

Why? If you don’t believe it there are 2 options:

  1. Try to run the node without executing setup first. (It will fail to run)
  2. Execute the command and check after what additional folders and files you have afterwards. At least some of them you probably could create manually but that sounds like a rather unnecessary and tedious task. Running the setup command seems to be much more simple.
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