TL;DR:
1. The Gnoland Testnet is live!
2. Follow our guide below to create an account on Gnoland.
3. You can receive testnet $GNOTs using the Faucet.
Intro
A testnet is an independent network that runs on the same or a newer version of blockchain software for developers to put new features on trials before deploying them on the mainnet. Due its immutable nature, the addition of new features on a blockchain comes with risks that are often associated with severe consequences that could result in loss of funds. That’s why rigorous experiments on testnets are often good practice in terms of security.
Ahead of its upcoming mainnet release, Gnoland is also in the testnet phase. Despite being open to everyone on the internet, the absence of an intuitive guide to the testnet is blocking Gnomes with little to no technical background from trying out the network.
This blog serves as a simple guide to setting up a wallet on the Gnoland Testnet to receive some testnet $GNOTs using the Faucet. Bear with us for 10~20 minutes, and you’ll be one of the first ones to get some testnet $GNOTs in your hands! If you get stuck in any of these steps, join us at Discord for help! Note that this guide is primarily for a Windows device, but also applicable to Linux machines.
Let’s dive in.
Step 1. Install WSL
The first thing you want to do is to install WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux). WSL is a feature on Windows that enables you to natively run Linux programs on Windows. To install WSL, press the Windows Key on your keyboard to open the Start menu, type Terminal, and click on [Run as administrator] to launch the Command Prompt with admin privileges.
On your Command Prompt, start the WSL installation by typing the following command:
wsl --install(For first-time command-line interface users — be sure to hit Enter at the end of a command to execute it.)
Give your computer a few minutes to process.
Reboot your computer to apply changes.
Upon rebooting your computer, the Ubuntu Shell will open up, prompting you to create a UNIX user account. Create a username and a password. Make sure to only use lowercase letters and numbers for your username. Note that your password input will not be displayed on the Shell for security purposes, but they’re still there.
Step 2. Install Go
Next, we’re going to install Go. First, make sure your working directory is set to the Home directory with the following command:
cd $HOME
Now, we’re going to download Go with wget, a command-line utility to download files on the internet. Before we use the command, we need a link that points to the file containing Go.
Visit the Downloads Page of the Official Go Website, right-click on the Linux distribution, and select Copy link address.
Before we proceed, we’re going to enable a handy feature on Ubuntu that allows you to copy and paste texts into the command-line of the Shell. Right-click on the title bar of the Ubuntu Shell and select Properties to access the Options menu.
Enable Use Ctrl+Shift+C/V as Copy/Paste, and press OK to confirm.
Back in the Shell, type:
wget https://go.dev/dl/go1.18.1.linux-amd64.tar.gz Use the paste feature (Ctrl+Shift+V) to paste the link copied from the Go website. Your Shell will now download the zip file containing Go.
Next, we’re going to unzip the file with the following command:
sudo tar -xvf go1.18.1.linux-amd64.tar.gzThe sudo prefix gives us the superuser permission to run commands. Think of it as Run as administrator in Windows.
Once you unzip the file, we’re going to move Go to the /usr/local directory with the mv command:
sudo mv go /usr/local 
Then, we need to make Go accessible to our command-line by setting a path. Open the Shell configuration file on the GNU nano text editor using the follwing command:
nano ~/.bashrc
Navigate your text cursor to the bottom of the file with Alt + / and append the following:
export GOROOT=/usr/local/go
export GOPATH=$HOME/go
export PATH=$GOPATH/bin:$GOROOT/bin:$PATH
Press Ctrl+O, then Enter to save modifications.
Press Ctrl+X to close your configuration file.
Restart your Shell, and verify that you have the correct version of Go installed with the following command:
go version
You’ve successfully installed Go!
Step 3. Install the make Command
Before we proceed, we need to install the make command, one of the most frequently used commands for compiling and installing programs from the source code. Use the following command:
sudo apt install make
That’s it! You’re all set to enter Gnoland!
Step 4. Build Gnoland
Clone the Gnoland repository with the following command:
git clone https://github.com/gnolang/gno/
Next, move to the gno directory.
cd gno
Build Gnoland using the make command.
make
Step 5. Generate a Mnemonic
A mnemonic (seed phrase) is used to construct a private key that’s used to sign into your wallet. Check out our detailed guide to learn more about mnemonics! Use the following command to randomly generate a mnemonic in the Shell:
./build/gnokey generate
This will automatically generate a 24-word mnemonic for you. You can drag over the mnemonic to select the text and press Ctrl+Shift+C to copy your mnemonic to clipboard.
Step 6. Create an Account
Initiate the account recovery process with the following command:
./build/gnokey add account --recover
Note that the account parameter can be substituted with a name of your choice.
You will be prompted to enter a passphrase and your mnemonic. Set a passphrase that you can remember, and paste the mnemonic generated in Step 5 with Ctrl+Shift+V.
The Shell will return your account address and your public key.
Step 7. Receive Testnet Tokens from the Faucet
Visit the Gnoland Testnet Faucet. Enter your account address from Step 6, and press GO.
Your account will be accredited with 100 $GNOTs.
Step 8. Check Your Account on the Gnoland Testnet
You’re going to request some data from the blockchain using your account address. Enter the command below and make sure to use your address, not the one in the example below (glmc…yhz7).
./build/gnokey query auth/accounts/g1mc3vy7n8lexdf9rre7srhefeyyc9ca5znqyhz7 --remote gno.land:36657
The Shell will display your current balance, account number, etc. Next to the “coins” section, you can see that your account now holds 100 $GNOTs.
Conclusion
That’s it! You’re officially one of the earliest people to enter Gnoland. In the next blog, we’re going to explain how to interact with Gnoland Board.
Until next time!
