Operate a Dogecoin Node

Dogecoin:https://ok.b615.com/32/

The Dogecoin network is a peer-to-peer payment network consisting of thousands of computers called nodes. Each of these nodes is running specialized software. Dogecoin Core, Dogecoin’s reference implementation, is the software more commonly used to run a Dogecoin node. It can be downloaded from the official Dogecoin.com website and directly from the Github repository.

Running a full node is a service that volunteers in the network, called node operators, provide to the Dogecoin community. Unlike what happens when mining, operating a node does not lead to direct incentives or rewards, but it makes the Dogecoin network more resilient, thus contributing to utility and adoption.

A full node running on a machine with enough disk space and bandwidth will help to:

Protect against censorship

Protect against network denial of service (DoS) attacks

Provide redundancy to the network by providing more bandwidth, which could be critical during spikes in activity

Establish a baseline for fees and dust limits through setting relay policies (since Dogecoin Core v1.14.4)

You can read more about the Dogecoin blockchain and nodes in these Dogepedia articles:

What is a blockchain?

What is a node?

Since Dogecoin Core 1.14.4, the community has made major efforts to provide a more up-to-date documentation for node operators. The documentation, useful also for advanced users and those planning to build a package for their specific operating system, is included in the Dogecoin Core repository available on Github. You can read it also online here.

Summary

Minimum Requirements

Data Directory

Disclaimer: Security

Deploying a Node

Building from Source

Windows

macOS

Linux

Upgrading Dogecoin Core

Network Configuration

Advanced Configuration

Dogecoin CLI

Help & Support

Minimum Requirements

Running a node is not as complicated as mining Dogecoin, as it does not involve specialized hardware and it does not consume nearly as much electricity. In fact, if you already have a computer turned on 24/24 and an unmetered Internet connection, running a node can be done in the background. The requirements for running a node are:

Currently, at least 60GB of HD space, possibly on a fast drive, for storing a full copy of the blockchain. You will need more disk space as the blockchain grows, so starting with a larger disk is a good idea.

2GB of RAM.

Unmetered Internet connection or at least an internet connection that allows a significant amount of outbound traffic. On an average month, a popular node can consume up to 1TB of data transfer. This increases significantly during periods of high activity in the network.

A multi-core CPU is recommended if you plan to work/use the computer while the node is running.

If you want to provide a valuable service to the network, it is important that the node can stay online for a long period of time - ideally, the node should be running continuously, 24/24.

Many node operators use VPS services for hosting their Dogecoin nodes. Given enough HD space, a modern multi-core CPU, and enough outbound data transfer it is possible to host a website on the same server where a node is running.

Data Directory

The data directory is the location where the blockchain files, alongside log files and wallet files, are stored. You should make sure that this directory is located on a drive with enough disk space. The location of this directory can be changed by using the -datadir= argument when starting your Dogecoin node or using the same setting in the dogecoin.conf file.

This is the default location of the Dogecoin Core Data Directory:

Disclaimer: Security

This guide is focused on providing instructions for running a node for supporting the Dogecoin network.

Running a full node can be also useful for businesses or service providers. In these cases, additional precautions might be needed concerning the security of the machine where the node is running. This is not covered in this article and might require an experienced system administrator.

In general, running a node is not inherently different or less safe than running any other peer-to-peer service on your computer, as long as you keep your Dogecoin Core software updated. Anyhow, the node is a public service: unless you are running it behind some proxy system, your IP, and thus your location, will be broadcasted to the outside world. For this reason, it is often recommended NOT to use the node for holding large amounts of Dogecoin (in fact, Dogecoin Core can be used also as a wallet application). For that, it is recommended you rely on a cold wallet solution, such as a hardware wallet.

Deploying a Node

Installing a node is extremely easy - basically, it is just like installing any other application, provided that your machine meets the requirements listed above.

This is the process for all platforms:

Download Dogecoin Core from the official Dogecoin.com website or from the Dogecoin Github repository. Pick the version for your specific Operating System. At the time of this writing, the Github repository includes builds for Windows, macOS, and Linux machines. Other specialized builds are available and maintained by Dogecoin contributors.

Install Dogecoin Core as you would install any other application.

Start Dogecoin Core (Daemon or GUI version).

Wait for Dogecoin Core to synch with the network: the first time you start Dogecoin Core, this might take more than 24 hours, depending on the conditions of the network and on your internet connection. Patience!

In most cases, you might need to open up port 22556 in your router/firewall to enable incoming connections.

Building Dogecoin Core From Source

The community provides pre-built packages for the most popular operating systems and distributions, with new ones being added regularly. Anyhow, the official documentation coming with Dogecoin Core includes building instructions for several operating systems, including several Linux distributions, which are helpful for all users that need or want to build Dogecoin Core from source.

Build instructions can be found here.

Windows Instructions

After you have downloaded the Dogecoin Core version for Windows, go to your Downloads folder and run the installer by double-clicking on the icon.

Windows will ask you to confirm. Click Yes.

You might receive a warning from your antivirus software concerning malware contained within Dogecoin Core. As long as you have downloaded it from the official Dogecoin.com website or from the Github repository, there is no risk in installing Dogecoin Core - the warning is a false positive. Whitelist Dogecoin Core in the antivirus control panel, then try installing it again.

After the installation, Dogecoin Core should be in your Start menu. Click on the icon, and Dogecoin Core will open.

If everything went fine, Dogecoin Core will start downloading a copy of the blockchain. This might take more than 24 hours - in some cases, days.

To support the Dogecoin network, you need to allow incoming connections by opening port 22556 in your firewall and your router. Go to the Network Configuration section for instructions to do so.

After the initial blockchain download is complete and you have enabled incoming connections, Dogecoin Core is ready to operate as a full node in the network. Anyhow, you might still want to change a couple of settings.

Make sure that incoming connections are enabled in your Dogecoin Core. Go to Settings -> Options. In the Network tab, the “Allow Incoming Connections” option must be checked.