0. Server Environment Setup

0.1. Configure Environment Variables

Before you begin, you must set some key environment variables. In particular, configure your home directory for Aizel (the location where node configuration and data are stored). For example, add the following lines to your shell profile (e.g. ~/.bash_profile, ~/.bashrc, or ~/.zshrc):

# Base directory for Aizel node configurations
export AIZELHOME=$HOME/.cosmos/aizeld

# (Optional) Set your chain ID if you want to override the default in scripts:
export CHAIN_ID=aizel_2015-3333

Then reload your shell configuration:

source ~/.bash_profile

0.2. Install Go

1. Download and Install Go

   Visit golang.org/dl and download the latest stable version for your OS. For example, on Linux you can run:

   wget https://go.dev/dl/go1.23.6.linux-amd64.tar.gz
   sudo tar -C /usr/local -xzf go1.23.6.linux-amd64.tar.gz
   

2. Set Up Go Environment Variables

   Add these lines to your shell profile (if not already present):

   # Go installation paths
   export GOROOT=/usr/local/go
   export GOPATH=$HOME/go
   export PATH=$PATH:$GOROOT/bin:$GOPATH/bin
   

   Reload your shell configuration:

   source ~/.bash_profile
   

3. Verify Go Installation

   Check that Go is installed and the environment is configured:

   go version
   echo $GOROOT
   echo $GOPATH
   

0.3. Install Additional Dependencies

If you run into issues (for example, an error about OpenBLAS linker flags), unset the conflicting environment variables before building:

unset LDFLAGS
unset CFLAGS

1. Build the Customized Blockchain Binary

We now build our customized blockchain based on our forked repository.

1. Clone the Repository

   Clone our forked repository:

   git clone [email protected]:AizelNetwork/CosmEvm.git
   cd CosmEvm
   

2. Build and Install the Binary

   Use the provided Makefile to build and install the binary:

   make install
   

   Tip: If you run into issues related to linker flags, run the unset LDFLAGS and unset CFLAGS commands before make install.

2. Configure Node1

2.1. Generate Bech32 Format Addresses from EVM Cold Wallets

Your chain uses Bech32‑formatted addresses. For any external (cold wallet) EVM address you want to fund, convert the EVM hex address into Bech32 with the following command:

aizeld debug addr [evm-address]

For example:

aizeld debug addr 0xaaafB3972B05630fCceE866eC69CdADd9baC2771

This outputs something like:

Address bytes: [170 175 179 151 43 5 99 15 204 238 134 110 198 156 218 221 155 172 39 113]
Bech32 Acc: aizel142hm89etq43sln8wsehvd8x6mkd6cfm35279kg
Bech32 Val: aizelvaloper142hm89etq43sln8wsehvd8x6mkd6cfm3k9mj49

Use the Bech32 Acc address (starting with aizel1) for allocating genesis coins to your external wallets. Update the addresses for USER1, USER2, USER3, and USER4 in your production script (prod_node1.sh) accordingly.

2.2. Customize Validator Mnemonics

In your production initialization script (prod_node1.sh), you will see variables such as VAL1_MNEMONIC and VAL2_MNEMONIC. These are sample mnemonics provided for testing purposes only.
For production, customize these values with your own secure mnemonic phrases:

VAL1_MNEMONIC="your secure mnemonic for validator1 goes here"
VAL2_MNEMONIC="your secure mnemonic for validator2 goes here"

Make sure to keep these mnemonics safe and never share them publicly.

2.3. Initialize Node1

Run your production initialization script for node1:

./prod_node1.sh

Your prod_node1.sh should perform tasks such as:

• Setting client configuration (chain-id, keyring, etc.)
• Importing validator keys using your custom mnemonics
• Initializing the node (aizeld init)
• Adjusting denominations in the genesis file
• Allocating genesis accounts (using your Bech32 addresses)
• Generating a gentx for validator1

After running the script, verify the genesis file:

aizeld validate-genesis --home $AIZELHOME/node1

3. Configure Node2

Your production script for node2 (prod_node2.sh) creates a second node by copying the node1 folder and then modifying settings. It also signs a gentx for validator2.

• Deleting any existing node2 folder
• Copying node1’s folder to node2
• Changing file ownership (so your user can modify them)
• Updating ports, node name, and persistent peers
• Signing validator2’s gentx
• Copying the gentx files from node2 back into node1

./prod_node2.sh

Reminder: Update your validator mnemonics in your production scripts (e.g. in prod_node1.sh and any related configuration files) with your own secure values.

4. Collect Genesis Transactions

After node1 and node2 have signed their gentxs, run the genesis collection script to aggregate all gentx files and update the genesis file.

Create a script called collect-gentxs.sh (or update your existing one) with the following content:

./collect-gentxs.sh

5. Start the Nodes

Create a start script (start-nodes.sh) that starts both nodes. For example:

./start-nodes.sh

6. Test Your Chain

After the nodes have started, test your blockchain by retrieving the current block number via the JSON‑RPC endpoint:

curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"eth_blockNumber","params":[],"id":1}' \
  http://localhost:18545

You should receive a JSON response with the block number (in hexadecimal).

FAQ

Q: I encountered an issue when running make install regarding OpenBLAS linker flags.
A: Unset the conflicting environment variables before building:

unset LDFLAGS
unset CFLAGS