How to easily help decentralize Farcaster with your node
Farcaster is a sufficiently decentralized social network built on Ethereum.
You can build Farcaster hub to help to decentralisation
This article can be read in French or English.
To access the French version, follow this link.
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Introduction
Farcaster is a public social network similar to Twitter and Reddit. Users can create profiles, post “casts” and follow others. They own their accounts and relationships with other users and are free to move between different apps.
Hubs (nodes) are a distributed network of servers that store and validate Farcaster data.
A computer can run software to become a Farcaster hub. It will download onchain Farcaster data from Ethereum and offchain Farcaster data from other Hubs. Each Hub stores a copy of all Farcaster data which can be accessed over an API.
Hubble creates a private instance of the Farcaster network on your machine. It stores a copy of every message from every user and syncs with other hubs to stay up to date. Messages uploaded to Hubble will be broadcast to other Hubs.
We recommend running your own instance of Hubble if you are building an application, need access to the latest data or want to help decentralize the network.
The project’s momentum is underscored by a successful $150 million funding round, positioning it as a pivotal player in blockchain innovation for decentralized social network.
1- VPS Configuration
To deploy your node, you have two options: hosting it on your own computer or setting it up on a Virtual Private Server (VPS), the latter being perfect for hosting websites, applications, or nodes.
Personally, I chose Contabo, a renowned VPS provider, for its reliability and performance.
The required configuration to run a Farcaster node demands an intermediaire level of setup.
Therefore, I recommend the Cloud VPS 2.
If you wish to run additional nodes on your VPS, consider moving to the next tier up.
Now it’s your turn…
To order your Contabo VPS, you can click on this link.
It’s an affiliate link, with no additional cost to you, which allows me to support my work and provide valuable content.
Opt for a 400 GB storage capacity and select the Ubuntu 22.04 image for your configuration.
Once you have completed the payment process, you will receive an order confirmation email. Please wait to receive a second email containing information about your VPS, including your login credentials.
To connect to your VPS, I recommend following this detailed tutorial. You will need to download the Putty software, which will allow you to establish a secure connection with your VPS and access its features.
2- API Service
Now it’s time to create an account on an API service dedicated to the Ethereum Mainnet blockchain and Optimism blockcahin. Since Farcaster operates as a Layer 2 network on the Ethereum blockchain and Optimism, your node needs to be able to communicate with both blockchain to ensure its proper functioning.
In the process, you will be using the Alchemy service. It’s now time to create your account. To guide you through this step, I recommend checking out the Alchemy Quickstart Guide.
Click on “Create new app”, and name it Farcaster :
You will be able to find all your RPCs by clicking on “Network”
3- Installation of Essential Components
Before diving into setting up your node, it’s crucial to update your VPS.
To do this, simply execute the following command in your VPS terminal:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y
Download Screen
apt-get install screen -y
4- Farcaster ID
If you don’t have a Farcaster account yet, visit far.quest.
You can use my referral link: https://far.quest/referral?invite=91338956 or simply visit this site https://far.quest/ to claim your Farcaster ID on the website (0.001 ETH).
Alternatively, visit https://warpcast.com/ to download the mobile app and create your Farcaster ID ($5/year).
You can find your Farcaster ID by following these screens :
5- Installation of Farcaster Hub
Open your screen session, to install your node inside :
screen -S farcasterThen deploy your node inside :
curl -sSL https://download.thehubble.xyz/bootstrap.sh | bashThat will install all necessary dependencies and prompt you for some information.
You will be asked for your Alchemy RPCs for Ethereum and Optimism (step 2) , as well as your Farcaster ID.
The installation will take between 30 minutes and 2 hours.
Thank you for taking the time to read my article.
If you have any additional questions or would like to discuss further, feel free to find me on Discord. You can also check out my videos on YouTube!
Don’t forget to subscribe to my Medium to stay informed about my new publications.
You can follow me on Twitter.
If you wish to support my work, I’ve created a dedicated wallet for this purpose:
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You can also join the social media channels of the projects :
- Farcaster Twitter : https://x.com/farcaster_xyz
