Introducing Algorand Node for Windows
Discover the native Windows version of Algorand participation node.
It is pretty clear that Linux has become a fundamental operating system in the blockchain ecosystem. Openness, transparency, flexibility, a wide range of development tools and community support are major reasons for decentralized projects to choose this platform. It is expected that the influence of Linux -and its derivatives such as Android- will continue to grow in the foreseeable future.
However, Windows remains the dominant force with a sustained user base across the world. According to data at time of this writing, it has a desktop-OS global market share exceeding 75%. As we want Algorand to reach all potential end-users and developers, novice and experts alike, a native and easy-to-install Windows version of the Algorand Node and it’s companion tools was indeed necessary.
There was no support for building native Windows Algorand node and tools and therefore we at Rand Labs researched and developed a build process under a MSYS2 environment. And now, thanks to the support of the Algorand Foundation, we are excited to release our new installer package that users can get from the “Releases” section in our Github repository so that anyone can setup Algorand on Windows in a seamless manner.
Algorand as a first-class citizen
In our aim to make Algorand a first-class citizen, we want to give an experience for Windows users and developers honoring the tradition of UI-centric system management and desktop applications. Let’s explore the features of our first release:
- A wizard-mode installer which allows easy deployment, including essential configuration setup, minimizing the need for manual file edit for starting node synchronization:
- A native Windows service that controls the node; it can be stopped, resumed, and configured to start on demand or at system boot.
- As any proper service should, it writes events to the system’s Event Log.
- A set of shortcuts for easy access to the configuration file, the home directory of the Algorand tools, and a sync status monitor of the node.
- Frictionless side-by-side installations. This means one can install and start nodes in parallel for different networks (e.g: mainnet and testnet) on the same Windows machine effortlessly; and upgrade each one independently.
In the repository we have in Github for the project you will find the main README file with instructions on how to install the product, prerequisites and advice. Additionally, a section on how to build the service and installer binaries by hand is available.
What’s next
We have plans to achieve top-notch usability for users and developers of the Algorand ecosystem in Windows platforms. In particular, to offer desktop UI applications for administration of common tasks and monitoring without the need to access the command line.
We encourage everyone interested to use our installer product and collaborate by reporting issues and recommendations for improving it. We believe this is a major step for increasing adoption of Algorand in Windows machines.
Thanks for reading and have fun.
