Deployment

This guide is about the code as it exists now. It is interactive, so the deployment story is simpler than a service-daemon story.

Deployment modes

Local dev

Run bootstrap and one or more peers from terminals on the same machine.

LAN test

Put the bootstrap node on a reachable host and point peers at the printed multiaddr.

Release binary

Use the Windows executables in Releases/ or build your own from source.

Desktop client

Ship gui-v1.1.exe as the current UI-facing build.

Local setup

1. Start the bootstrap node.
2. Keep the terminal open so the process stays alive.
3. Run one or more peer nodes in separate terminals.
4. Open the GUI if you want a windowed view of the same network state.

Because peer nodes listen on port 0, you can run several peers on the same machine without manually choosing ports.

What needs to be reachable

For another machine to join the network, the bootstrap node must be reachable at the printed multiaddr.

That usually means:

• using a real LAN or public IP address
• allowing the bootstrap port through the firewall
• keeping the bs-nodes file together with the binaries when you move them

Automation caveat

The current binaries are interactive:

• the bootstrap node asks for a name
• the peer node asks for a name
• the GUI asks for a name before turning the node on

If you want a daemon-style deployment, you need to wrap or modify the startup path so that the name comes from configuration instead of standard input.

Monitoring the current app

There is no built-in metrics endpoint yet. Use the terminal output and the commands already in the node package:

• peers
• discovered
• the printed Peer ID
• the printed multiaddrs

For the GUI, watch the running state label and the peer list in the window.

Files that matter in deployment

• bs-nodes - bootstrap address file written by the bootstrap process
• Releases/ - current published Windows binaries
• Network/cmd/* - the entrypoints you actually run

A realistic production shape

If you move beyond local testing, the simplest layout is:

1. one public bootstrap node
2. multiple peers pointed at that bootstrap node
3. the GUI only on user-facing machines
4. a shared process for copying or distributing bs-nodes

That is enough for the current codebase.

Next pages

• Downloads - the current release artifacts and build commands
• How to Use - exact runtime behavior
• FAQ - answers to the questions people will ask first