Cosmos Validator Node Setup Guide

This guide explains how to set up a pruned Cosmos Validator node, and manage it using systemd.

1. Install Go

chmod +x install_go.sh
./install_go.sh

This installs Go from go1.21.0.linux-amd64.tar.gz and sets up the environment.

2. Install Gaia

chmod +x install_gaia.sh
./install_gaia.sh

This installs gaiad and its dependencies.

3. Initialize the Gaia Node

chmod +x init_gaia_node.sh
./init_gaia_node.sh

This initializes the Gaia node, sets up configuration, and downloads required files without starting gaiad.

4. Set Up a Pruned Gaia Snapshot

chmod +x setup_pruned_gaia_snapshot.sh
./setup_pruned_gaia_snapshot.sh

This downloads and sets up a pruned snapshot for faster sync.

5. Set Up Systemd for Gaia

Copy the gaiad.service file to the correct location:

sudo cp gaiad.service /etc/systemd/system/
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable gaiad

6. Start and Manage Gaia with Systemd

• Start Gaia:

  sudo systemctl start gaiad

• Check Gaia Status:

  sudo systemctl status gaiad

• View Logs:

  journalctl -fu gaiad

• Restart Gaia:

  sudo systemctl restart gaiad

• Stop Gaia:

  sudo systemctl stop gaiad

Troubleshooting

If gaiad fails to start, ensure:

• The binary exists and is executable: ls -l /home/ubuntu/go/bin/gaiad
• Permissions are correct: chmod +x /home/ubuntu/go/bin/gaiad
• The gaiad.service file has the correct ExecStart path.

For persistent errors, check logs using:

journalctl -xeu gaiad