Linux Installation (Automated) ​

This guide describes how to install, configure, manage, and troubleshoot a DAC Blockchain Node on Linux using the official automated installer script.

INFO

This guide focuses on the automated installation script. If you prefer to manually download and run the node binary, please see the Manual Installation guide.

Features ​

The automated installer handles the entire setup process, including:

  • Architecture Auto-detection: Supports amd64 (x86_64), arm64 (aarch64), and arm7 (Raspberry Pi/SCMs).
  • Service Configuration: Installs the node as a systemd background service that auto-starts on boot.
  • Node Configurations:
    • Standard Node: Configured for Mainnet (stable channel) with standard resources.
    • Developer Node: Allows choosing between Mainnet (stable) and Testnet (dev), enabling HTTP JSON-RPC APIs (eth, net, web3), and selecting node storage types (Standard/Light, Full, or Archive).
  • Wallet & Mining Setup: Walks through creating a new mining wallet, password protection, keystore backups, and configuring the miner (--mine, --unlock, --miner.etherbase).
  • Global Status Utility: Installs dacnode-status in /usr/local/bin for real-time node monitoring.

Prerequisites ​

  • Operating System: Any systemd-based Linux distribution (Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, AlmaLinux, etc.).
  • Permissions: Root privileges (sudo or root terminal).
  • Dependencies: wget or curl.

Installation Steps ​

  1. Download and Run the Installer Execute the wrapper script using curl or wget:

    bash
    curl -o dac-install.sh https://repo.dachain.tech/installer/install.sh && sudo bash dac-install.sh

  2. Select Installation Mode

    • 1) Standard Install (Recommended): Installs a Mainnet node.
    • 2) Developer / Advanced Install: Enables advanced network and API choices.

  3. Select Node Storage Type (Developer Mode + Mainnet only)

    • Standard / Light Node: Low storage footprint, fast synchronization.
    • Full Node: Full verification of all transactions (requires more storage).
    • Archive Node: Stores all historical state (huge storage requirements).

  4. Enable JSON-RPC API (Developer Mode only)

    • Offers to enable the HTTP RPC endpoint (http://0.0.0.0:8545).

    RPC Port Exposure

    Enabling RPC allows external apps to interact with your node. Secure your port 8545 using a firewall and do not expose it to the public internet.

  5. Configure Wallet & Mining (Mainnet only, and only if RPC is disabled)

    • If you choose to enable mining, the installer prompts you to set a password.
    • It writes the password securely to /home/dac/password.txt (owner dac:dac, permissions 600).
    • It creates a new account and outputs the public address (e.g., 0x...).

    ::: important Backup Keystore Back up the generated keystore file located in /home/dac/.dac/keystore/ immediately. :::

  6. System Service & Status Monitor

    • Confirm to install as a systemd background service (highly recommended).
    • Confirm to install the global dacnode-status command.

Managing an Existing Installation ​

When you run the installer script on a machine where a DAC Node is already installed, it detects the service and prompts you with a management menu:

1) Update Binary ​

  • Stops the dac-node service.
  • Backs up the current binary to dacnode.bak.
  • Detects your current network/channel and downloads the latest matching executable.
  • Updates the status script and restarts the service.

2) Reconfigure ​

  • Reruns the interactive configuration wizard.
  • Allows you to rename your node, switch network mode (Mainnet <-> Testnet), change node storage types, toggle RPC settings, or adjust mining parameters.
  • Restarts the service with the new settings.

3) Uninstall ​

  • Safely stops and disables the dac-node systemd service.
  • Deletes the dacnode executable, the systemd unit file, and the status command.
  • Renames the data directory /home/dac to a timestamped backup folder (e.g., /home/dac_backup_20260626120000/) to prevent data loss.

4) Check Node Status ​

  • Invokes the status monitor tool to inspect sync state and peer connections.

Post-Installation File Structure ​

  • Service Executable: /usr/local/bin/dacnode
  • User Home: /home/dac/ (the node service runs as the system user dac)
  • Environment Settings: /home/dac/environment (defines starting flags like MINER_FLAGS and RPC_FLAGS)
  • Startup Launcher: /home/dac/start-dacnode.sh
  • Keystore Directory: /home/dac/.dac/keystore/
  • Systemd Unit File: /etc/systemd/system/dac-node.service

Verification & Troubleshooting ​

  • Monitor Node Logs:
    bash
    journalctl -u dac-node -f
  • Verify Service Status:
    bash
    systemctl status dac-node
  • Check Sync Status:
    bash
    dacnode-status
    For more details on the status monitor, see the Status Monitor guide.