Workshop: PoW Mining on a Private Network with core-geth

Introduction

• Welcome participants and provide an overview of the workshop's goals.
• Briefly introduce Ethereum Classic and core-geth.

Setting Up a Private Network

In this section, we will guide you through setting up a private Ethereum Classic network using the core-geth client. We have prepared a GitHub repository with all the necessary files to make this process easy for you. Follow the steps below:

1. Download Workshop Materials

• Visit our GitHub repository: https://github.com/ETCCooperative/pow-workshop

2. Clone the Repository

• If you have Git installed, open your terminal and run the following command to clone the repository to your local machine:

  git clone https://github.com/ETCCooperative/pow-workshop.git

• Alternatively, you can download the repository as a ZIP file by clicking the "Code" button on the GitHub page and selecting "Download ZIP." Extract the ZIP file to a location of your choice.

3. Download core-geth

• Download the latest core-geth release for your operating system from the core-geth releases page.

Place the geth binary into the pow-workshop directory where you downloaded the repository.

3. Locate the Genesis Configuration File

• Inside the downloaded repository folder, you will find a file named genesis.json. This file contains the configuration for the initial block of your private network. You can customize this file based on your preferences.

4. Initialize Your Private Network

• Open your terminal and navigate to the pow-workshop directory where you downloaded the repository.

• Initialize a new private network using the core-geth client and the genesis.json file. Replace with the path where you want to store your blockchain data.

  ./geth --datadir workshop_datadir --networkid 8932763451 init genesis.json

On command succeed you must see the following output:

INFO [09-19|15:18:31.854] Successfully wrote genesis state         database=lightchaindata hash=edd47b..83806d

NOTE: on MacOS, you may need to trust the geth binary before running it. To do so, run the following command:

  xattr -d com.apple.quarantine geth

Or go to system settings -> security & privacy -> general -> allow geth to run.

5. Start Your Private Node

• After initializing the private network, you can start your core-geth private node with the following command:

  ./geth --datadir workshop_datadir --networkid 8932763451 --http --http.corsdomain "*" --syncmode full --bootnodes enode://4d191f544f993eddf3d0ef7c996d33643822c59995cf72aa1fdcb980f11018d53ffd3c9b66bef42ff5737692fe6600284310e48a0804c010a0f3d9c94c646463@192.168.4.8:30303

• Replace datadir, if needed, with the same path used in the initialization step.

6. You're Ready to Go!

• Your private PoW network is now up and running. You can use this private network for mining and development purposes during this workshop.

Mining

Show participants how to enable mining on their nodes:

• Create a wallet so as to use its address as the etherbase.
• Run geth with the --mine flag to enable mining.

  ./geth --datadir workshop_datadir --networkid 8932763451 --http --http.corsdomain "*" --syncmode full --bootnodes enode://4d191f544f993eddf3d0ef7c996d33643822c59995cf72aa1fdcb980f11018d53ffd3c9b66bef42ff5737692fe6600284310e48a0804c010a0f3d9c94c646463@192.168.4.8:30303 --miner.etherbase "<SET_YOUR_ETHERBASE>" --miner.threads 2 --mine

IMPORTANT: On a mining node, never expose the HTTP or WS APIs. Doing so will allow anyone to control your node and steal your funds. Here we are exposing the HTTP API for demonstration purposes only to see your balance changes in Metamask.

Connecting Metamask

Guide participants on connecting Metamask to your private network:

• From your browser download the Metamask extension.
• Open Metamask and click on the network dropdown.
• Select "Add network."
• Select "Add network manually."
• Provide the following info:
  • Network Name: PoW Workshop
  • New RPC URL: http://127.0.0.1:8545
  • Chain ID: 8932763451
  • Currency Symbol: ETCW
  • Block Explorer URL: leave blank
• Import an account or create a new one using Metamask.

Sending Transfers

Demonstrate how participants can send transactions using Metamask:

• Send a simple transaction between two Metamask accounts on your private network.

Q&A and Conclusion

• Open the floor for questions.
• Provide additional resources and documentation for further learning.
• Thank participants for attending and encourage them to explore Ethereum Classic and core-geth further.