Implementation of a https://polkadot.network node in Rust based on the Substrate framework.

NOTE: In 2018, we split our implementation of "Polkadot" from its development framework "Substrate". See the Substrate repo for git history prior to 2018.

This repo contains runtimes for the Polkadot, Kusama, and Westend networks. The README provides information about installing the polkadot binary and developing on the codebase. For more specific guides, like how to be a validator, see the Polkadot Wiki.

If you want to connect to one of the networks supported by this repo, you can go to the latest release and download the binary that is provided.

If you want to install Polkadot in your PATH, you can do so with with:

cargo install --git https://github.com/paritytech/polkadot --tag <version> polkadot

If you'd like to build from source, first install Rust. You may need to add Cargo's bin directory to your PATH environment variable. Restarting your computer will do this for you automatically.

curl https://sh.rustup.rs -sSf | sh

If you already have Rust installed, make sure you're using the latest version by running:

rustup update

Once done, finish installing the support software:

sudo apt install build-essential git clang libclang-dev pkg-config libssl-dev

Build the client by cloning this repository and running the following commands from the root directory of the repo:

git checkout <latest tagged release>
./scripts/init.sh
cargo build --release

This repo supports runtimes for Polkadot, Kusama, and Westend.

Connect to the global Polkadot Mainnet network by running:

./target/release/polkadot --chain=polkadot

You can see your node on telemetry (set a custom name with --name "my custom name").

Connect to the global Kusama canary network by running:

./target/release/polkadot --chain=kusama

You can see your node on telemetry (set a custom name with --name "my custom name").

Connect to the global Westend testnet by running:

./target/release/polkadot --chain=westend

You can see your node on telemetry (set a custom name with --name "my custom name").

If you want to do anything on Polkadot, Kusama, or Westend, then you'll need to get an account and some DOT, KSM, or WND tokens, respectively. See the claims instructions for Polkadot if you have DOTs to claim. For Westend's WND tokens, see the faucet instructions on the Wiki.

If you'd actually like hack on Polkadot, you can grab the source code and build it. Ensure you have Rust and the support software installed. This script will install or update Rust and install the required dependencies (this may take up to 30 minutes on Mac machines):

curl https://getsubstrate.io -sSf | bash -s -- --fast

Then, grab the Polkadot source code:

git clone https://github.com/paritytech/polkadot.git
cd polkadot

Then build the code. You will need to build in release mode (--release) to start a network. Only use debug mode for development (faster compile times for development and testing).

./scripts/init.sh   # Install WebAssembly. Update Rust
cargo build # Builds all native code

You can run the tests if you like:

cargo test --all

You can start a development chain with:

cargo run -- --dev

Detailed logs may be shown by running the node with the following environment variables set:

RUST_LOG=debug RUST_BACKTRACE=1 cargo run -- --dev

You can run a simple single-node development "network" on your machine by running:

polkadot --dev

You can muck around by heading to https://polkadot.js.org/apps and choose "Local Node" from the Settings menu.

If you want to see the multi-node consensus algorithm in action locally, then you can create a local testnet. You'll need two terminals open. In one, run:

polkadot --chain=polkadot-local --alice -d /tmp/alice

And in the other, run:

polkadot --chain=polkadot-local --bob -d /tmp/bob --port 30334 --bootnodes '/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/30333/p2p/ALICE_BOOTNODE_ID_HERE'

Ensure you replace ALICE_BOOTNODE_ID_HERE with the node ID from the output of the first terminal.

Using Docker

Shell Completion

Contribution Guidelines

Code of Conduct

Polkadot is GPL 3.0 licensed.

https://polkadot.network/testnetdisclaimer