General Darknode Management FAQ
General & Technical FAQ
Q. How do I see my Darknode and where can the Command Center (CC) be located?
A: https://mainnet.renproject.io/
Q: How are the Darknode Fees distributed? It seems total fees are cut in half by 50% and then distributed?
A: Correct, Darknode earnings for each Epoch are split 50/50. First 50% goes to the current Darknodes that are active during that Epoch and are claimable. This is why you see The remaining 50% are distributed in subsequent Epoch.
Example: If $10,000 in fees are earned during an Epoch. $ 5,000 are distributed, and the remaining 50% ($5,000) is rolled over into the next epoch. This process is repeated in perpetuity. This is explained in more detail in the Earning rewards section of the User Manual.
Q. Does my Darknode auto-claim rewards?
A: Yes. The rewards your Darknode earns each epoch are collected by Ren and placed in a reward contract in Ren itself. At the end of each epoch, your Darknode will automatically claim its share of the rewards.
Q. Does my Darknode NEED to have Gas (ETH) in it at all times?
A: Not anymore, this requirement has been removed as no ETH is needed to claim rewards anymore.
Q: What are the Darknode rewards withdrawal criteria?
A: Once the rewards are claimable, there is no criteria except that the rewards must exceed the minimum blockchain mining fee. This depends on the blockchain but in general, it is not encouraged to withdraw less than 10$ USD or a good majority of it will be eaten by fees.
Q: What are the Gas, Blockchain Mining, and Ren fees for withdrawing rewards?
A: These fees apply to any Ren based transaction, including reward withdrawal.
- Ren = variable amount depending on governance
- Gas (ETH) = Depends on congestion but typically around 5-15 USD.
- Blockchain Mining = Depends on congestion but typically around 1-20 USD.
Q. Do Darknodes Auto Update?
A. No, it is a security risk. If there is a mandatory update needed we will let the Ren Community know via the Telegram Announcement Channel: https://t.me/renprojectann
Q: If my Darknode’s VPS has downtime for maintenance, will it get slashed?
A: No, the downtime has to exceed 12 + hours for action to be taken.
Q. What version of Linux is supported for Darknode CLI?
A: AMD64
Q. What version of Windows is supported for Darknode CLI?
A: Windows 10 and newer
Q. What happens to my bond if I deactivate my droplet/AWS instance before deregistering my node?
A: You must use the CLI tool to destroy your node. It will not let you destroy your node until the deregistration and bond refunding process is complete. However if you have done this, your funds are safe, but you need to destroy the node using the CLI to ensure all resources are terminated correctly, your node can lose its rewards if it is offline while registered.
Q. Can I use a Hardware Wallet to interact with the Command Center (CC)?
A. Yes, if using a Hardware wallet you can utilize it via MetaMask. Make sure it is up to date and set to “contract data => yes” in the ledger Ethereum application settings on your device.
Q. Is the private key of the Darknode on the local system encrypted?
A: No, but it will be possible to add this at a later date.
Q: Once I’ve launched my Darknode, what can I do while I wait for the next Epoch to begin?
A: We recommend immediately backing up your Darknode folder that is created on your machine when you install the Darknode software via your Command Line Interface/Terminal. For more information on how to do this, read on. After this feel free to engage with the Ren community and jump into Ren governance here: https://forum.renproject.io/
What is the Darknode CLI?
The Darknode Command Line Interface (CLI) is how your physical computer interacts with Darknode that is hosted on a VPS.
How do backup my Darknode? Do I need to do anything else besides storing my keys in a safe place?
It is recommended you keep a safe copy of your “~/.darknode” folder in addition to storing the keys in a safe place. Directions | Back up your Darknode file by inputting this into your Terminal and pressing enter:
MAC OS
cp -r ~/.darknode ~/Desktop/darknode-backup-2019XXXX(Note: XXXX= A date of your choice). A backup folder will appear on your desktop/documents folder. Save this folder somewhere safe!
Windows OS via Ubuntu
cp -r .darknode/ /mnt/c/Users/Administrator/Desktop/2019xx
(Note: Replace ‘Administrator’ with their windows username). A backup folder will appear on your desktop/documents folder. Save this folder somewhere safe!
Linux
cp -r ~/.darknode ~/Documents/darknode-backup-2019XXXX(Note: XXXX= A date of your choice). A backup folder will appear on your desktop/documents folder. Save this folder somewhere safe!
How do I restore my Darknode from a backup folder?
Find your Darknode folder. Once found, swap the following folder: “~/.darknode/darknodes”
Put your old backup folder in the place of the new one. Close the folder and open the CC via a web browser to confirm all information has been ported over correctly.
How To Tell If Your Darknode Is Running Properly?
To ensure you Darknode is functioning properly, please run the following command on your computer’s terminal (CLI):
darknode listYour Darknode name will appear, IP address, etc. in the terminal if running properly. You can also check on the Command Center once registered!
Tips and Reminders
1) Keep your AWS, DO, and GC accounts locked down as securely as possible. Use 2FA to login and make sure your password is long. The machine that you used to run the Darknode CLI has all of the access keys that you will need to continue to manage your Darknode. You must not lose these keys.
2) Do NOT send REN to your Darknode, you need to register it using the Command Center (CC). You are interacting with a smart contract, the easiest way to make this interaction with a smart contract is through MetaMask.
3) MetaMask is the only way to interact with the Command Center (CC). We encourage you to get familiar with the product if you are not already: https://metamask.io/