Guide: How to Set Up a Cardano Stake Pool
On Ubuntu/Debian, this guide will illustrate how to install and configure a Cardano stake pool from source code on a two-node setup with 1 block producer node and 1 relay node.
👍Your GitHub Contributions Welcome
The How to Set Up a Cardano Stake Pool guide is fully open source and fully powered by stake pool operators like you.
Pull requests or issues can be submitted on github:
🔧 About This Guide
Available since 2021 and one of the first resources available online to support Cardano stake pool operations, the How to Set Up a Cardano Stake Pool guide provides free educational content that continues to play an essential role in welcoming newcomers to the Cardano ecosystem while also serving as a valuable resource for experienced Cardano community members. The level of detail and accuracy that the guide presents supporting operation of Cardano nodes in practical, real-world stake pool configurations, as well as procedures explaining specific Cardano node upgrade paths, uniquely differentiates the guide amongst Cardano technical documentation.
Change Pool is the official stake pool of the How to Set Up a Cardano Stake Pool guide available on CoinCashew. Created in 2021 using the CoinCashew Guide, Change Pool commits to informing regular updates and improvements to CoinCashew Guide content based on the practical and tested day-to-day operating procedures used to administer the pool. Change Pool also commits to sharing a representative portion of pool fees received with CoinCashew.
As an alternative to contributing content or making a one-time donation, if you want to receive rewards for your stake while offering financial support in perpetuity to the ongoing development and maintenance of the How to Set Up a Cardano Stake Pool CoinCashew Guide, then please delegate to Change Pool (ticker CHG)
🎉 Introduction
The How to Set Up a Cardano Stake Pool guide aims to give you complete, step-by-step instructions to implement a secure Cardano stake pool using the currently recommended software versions.
The guide also aims to give you the understanding and skills you need to perform administrative tasks related to managing and maintaining a stake pool successfully over time.
The guide includes the following parts:
Part I - Installation describes how to secure the Linux computers hosting your Cardano stake pool, as well as how to install Cardano node software and dependent software packages.
Part II - Configuration explains how to set up Cardano nodes to create a stake pool.
Part III - Operation discusses how to create your stake pool.
Part IV - Administration & Maintenance provides procedures that you need to manage your stake pool.
Part V - Tips contains additional procedures to simplify managing your stake pool.
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📄 Change Log
April 10, 2024
Adding contributions by (Change Pool)
Incorporating updates for Cardano Node 8.9.1
Creating the Enabling Peer-to-peer Network Topology topic
Adapting existing content to reflect peer-to-peer network topology
February 3, 2024
Adding contributions by (Change Pool)
Creating the Cardano Resource Index
Removing out-of-date information related to delegation strategies that founding entities no longer use
Distinguishing between legacy and peer-to-peer topologies
Updating system requirements
Incorporating miscellaneous minor improvements to procedures
Updating broken hyperlinks
January 2, 2024
Adding contributions by (Change Pool)
Updating prerequisites and procedures for Cardano Node 8.7.2
Updating information on Reducing Missed Slot Leader Checks and Improving Cardano Node Performance
June 29, 2023
Adding contributions by [FRADA] pool
May 18, 2023
Improving details on issuing a new operational certificate for stake pools prior to minting a first block
May 9, 2023
Updating procedures for Cardano Node 8.0.0
January 27, 2023
Updating procedures for Cardano Node 1.35.5
August 22, 2022
Updating procedures for Cardano Node 1.35.3 (Change Pool)
June 8, 2022
Testing and revising procedures in Part I - Installation and Part II - Configuration (Change Pool)
April 23, 2022
Updating Cardano Node installation procedures to reflect current software versions (Change Pool)
March 22, 2022
Updating the Upgrading a Node topic to reflect current software versions (Change Pool)
Re-organizing content to improve loading speed
Improving Table of Contents (massive contribution by Change Pool)
November 10, 2021
Adding high-level explanation of Topology API
Increasing the cardano-node service unit file timeout from 2 to 300 seconds
Adding a collection of Community Inspired Projects built by this amazing community
Adding cardano-node RTS flags to reduce chance of missed slot leader checks
Adding Leaderlog changes and improvements
Increasing minimum RAM requirements to 12GB
August 27, 2021
Updating guide for Alonzo release 1.29.0.
Incorporating various fixes to testnet / alonzo / storage requirements / cli commands
Adding the section Running Leaderlog Using the stake-snapshot Command
Adding the section Installing CNCLI
May 13, 2021
Updating guide for release cardano-node/cli v1.27.0 changes
Adding Stake Pool Operator's Best Practices Checklist
Adding the topic Monitoring Node Security Using OSSEC Server and Slack (contribution by Billionaire Pool)
Adding the topic how to Securing Your Stake Pool Using a Hardware Wallet