Running a Local GOAT Node

This guide will help you set up and run a local GOAT node for development and testing purposes. Running a local node provides a controlled environment for smart contract development and testing without incurring network costs.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have the following installed:

• Go (version 1.22 or later)
• Git
• Make (for Unix-based systems) or equivalent build tools
• Docker Desktop (optional, for containerized deployment)

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

• CPU with 2+ cores
• 8GB RAM
• 100GB free disk space
• 8 MBit/sec internet connection

Recommended Requirements

• CPU with 4+ cores
• 16GB+ RAM
• High-performance SSD with at least 1TB free space
• 25+ MBit/sec internet connection

Installation Steps

1. Clone the GOAT-GETH repository:

git clone https://github.com/goat-network/go-ethereum.git
cd go-ethereum

2. Build the GOAT node:

make geth

For all utilities:

make all

Running a Local Development Node

Method 1: Direct Execution

Start a local node with development settings:

geth --dev --http --http.api eth,net,web3,debug --http.corsdomain "*" --http.addr 0.0.0.0 --http.port 8545

Method 2: Docker Deployment

docker run -d --name goat-node \
  -v ${HOME}/goat-node:/root \
  -p 8545:8545 -p 30303:30303 \
  goat-network/client-go \
  --dev --http --http.api eth,net,web3,debug \
  --http.corsdomain "*" --http.addr 0.0.0.0

Configuring Your Development Environment

Network Configuration

Your local node will use these default development settings:

const localNetwork = {
  name: 'GOAT Local',
  chainId: 1337,
  network: 'development',
  rpc: 'http://localhost:8545'
}

Connecting with MetaMask

1. Open MetaMask
2. Add a new network with these parameters:

{
  "chainId": "0x539", // 1337 in hexadecimal
  "chainName": "GOAT Local",
  "nativeCurrency": {
    "name": "Bitcoin",
    "symbol": "BTC",
    "decimals": 18
  },
  "rpcUrls": ["http://localhost:8545"]
}

Testing Smart Contracts

Using ethers.js

import { ethers } from 'ethers';
 
const provider = new ethers.JsonRpcProvider('http://localhost:8545');
const signer = await provider.getSigner();
 
// Deploy a contract
const Contract = await ethers.getContractFactory("YourContract");
const contract = await Contract.deploy();
await contract.deployed();
 
console.log("Contract deployed to:", contract.address);

Using Hardhat

1. Configure hardhat.config.js:

module.exports = {
  networks: {
    local: {
      url: "http://localhost:8545",
      chainId: 1337
    }
  }
};

2. Deploy and test:

npx hardhat run scripts/deploy.js --network local

Moving to Testnet

Once you've tested your contracts locally, you can deploy to the GOAT Testnet:

Common Operations

Check Node Status

geth attach http://localhost:8545
> eth.blockNumber
> eth.syncing

Create New Account

geth account new

Start Mining (Local Development)

geth --dev --mine --miner.threads=1

For additional configuration options and advanced usage, refer to our full documentation (opens in a new tab).