Install and manage a node on Ubuntu#

This article explains how to run a Concordium node on Linux (Ubuntu) on mainnet or testnet, and how to set up your node as a validator node.

An account is not required to run a node, but you will need one if you want to become a validator.

You can also watch the video to learn how to run a node with Ubuntu OS.

Prerequisites#

  • Ubuntu 20.04, 22.04, 24.04 or 25.04 must be installed on the server that is running the node.

  • The server must be running around the clock.

  • Meet the minimum system requirements for running a node.

Installing and running Concordium Node on Ubuntu#

Note

The dollar sign ($) in a codeblock means that you should run the command that follows the $ in a terminal.

Mainnet

To run the node, you must install a Debian package. After installation, the concordium-mainnet-node and concordium-mainnet-node-collector services will be started. The services are also enabled to start automatically on system start.

  1. Download the Debian package

  2. Install the package:

    $sudo apt install /path-to-downloaded-package

    Where path-to-downloaded-package is the location of the downloaded .deb file.

    The path should be absolute, e.g., ./concordium-mainnet-node.deb, otherwise apt will assume that you want to install a package from the registry.

  1. Enter a node name when prompted. The node name is visible on the network dashboard. When you have installed the services, the concordium-mainnet-node will be running automatically.

  2. To verify that the node is running, go to the nodes page on CCDScan and look for a node with the name you provided.

The concordium-mainnet-node service that you just installed will be running around the clock, except if you’re going to restart the node with validator keys.

Note

If you want more detailed information about building and maintaining a node, or if your node is not running, see the Building .deb packages for ubuntu distributions README from Concordium

Testnet

To run the node, you must install a Debian package. After installation, the concordium-testnet-node and concordium-testnet-node-collector services will be started. The services are also enabled to start automatically on system start.

  1. Download the Debian package

  2. Install the package:

    $sudo apt install /path-to-downloaded-package

    Where path-to-downloaded-package is the location of the downloaded .deb file.

    The path should be absolute, e.g., ./concordium-testnet-node.deb, otherwise apt will assume that you want to install a package from the registry.

  1. Enter a node name when prompted. The node name is visible on the network dashboard. When you have installed the services, the concordium-testnet-node will be running automatically.

  2. To verify that the node is running, go to the nodes page on CCDScan for testnet and look for a node with the name you provided.

The concordium-testnet-node service that you just installed will be running around the clock, except if you’re going to restart the node with validator keys.

Note

If you want more detailed information about building and maintaining a node, or if your node is not running, see the Building .deb packages for ubuntu distributions README from Concordium

Upgrading Concordium Node Version on Ubuntu#

Note

When upgrading your Concordium node, it is generally possible to upgrade directly to the latest version without upgrading through each intermediate version. However, if you wish to download previous node versions, see Previous node versions.

To upgrade to a newer version of the concordium-node package you need to:

On the Mainnet, you can install the new package with:

$sudo apt install ./concordium-mainnet-node_(version)_amd64.deb

On the Testnet, you can install the new package with:

$sudo apt install ./concordium-testnet-node_(version)_amd64.deb

This step performs automatic database migration, so that the new node doesn’t have to catch up from scratch. After installation is completed, the node and the collector are started as before.

Uninstall Concordium Node on Ubuntu#

To fully remove Concordium Node and all its data from your system:

  1. Uninstall the node package:

    $sudo apt purge concordium-mainnet-node

  2. Delete the database directories for Mainnet and Testnet:

    The node stores data in the following default directories (accessible only to root):

    • Mainnet: /var/lib/private/concordium-9dd9ca4d19e9393877d2c44b70f89acbfc0883c2243e5eeaecc0d1cd0503f478

    • Testnet: /var/lib/private/concordium-4221332d34e1694168c2a0c0b3fd0f273809612cb13d000d5c2e00e85f50f796

    You may also find matching symbolic links in /var/lib/.

    Remove them with:

    $sudo -i
$rm -rf /var/lib/concordium-* /var/lib/private/concordium-*
$exit

Warning

Deleting these directories is irreversible and will remove all blockchain data and node state on your machine.

Run a validator node on Ubuntu#

For information about how to configure a node to run as a validator, see Import validator keys on Ubuntu.

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