# Run a node with MyTonCtrl (https://docs-dmpho5eos-ton-core-docs.vercel.app/llms/ecosystem/nodes/cpp/setup-mytonctrl/content.md)



<Callout type="caution" title="Handle validator keys like production secrets.">
  Keep recovery phrases offline, restrict shell access, and rehearse new procedures on testnet before touching wallets that hold real stake.
</Callout>

## Plan the environment [#plan-the-environment]

### Supported operating systems [#supported-operating-systems]

MyTonCtrl is highly recommended to install on the following distributions:

* Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
* Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

### Hardware sizing by role [#hardware-sizing-by-role]

| Role               | CPU                                       | RAM    | Storage                                  | Network         | Traffic                              | Notes                                                            |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------------------- | ------ | ---------------------------------------- | --------------- | ------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Validator node     | 16 dedicated cores (32 threads preferred) | 128 GB | ≥1 TB NVMe SSD or provisioned 64k+ IOPS  | ≥1 Gbps up/down | 64 TB/month typical (peaks \~100 TB) | Leave headroom for elections and snapshots.                      |
| Liteserver         | 16 cores                                  | 128 GB | ≥1 TB NVMe SSD                           | ≥1 Gbps         | \~16 TB/month peaks                  | Hetzner/OVH are acceptable for liteservers (not for validators). |
| Archive liteserver | 16 cores                                  | 128 GB | ≥20 TB NVMe or ZFS pool with compression | ≥1 Gbps         | ≥16 TB/month                         | Plan for continuous growth; monitor ZFS capacity.                |

> Disk latency is the common bottleneck. Benchmark storage before going live (`MyTonCtrl> benchmark`).

### Network and ports [#network-and-ports]

* Obtain a static public IPv4 address for each node.
* Forward a single UDP port from the internet to the node and leave all outbound ports open. The port is assigned randomly during MyTonCtrl installation but can be set before via the `VALIDATOR_PORT` environment variable. To check the port after installation, refer to the `Node ports` field on `status` command output.

### Prepare the operator account [#prepare-the-operator-account]

If you still need a dedicated operator, create and switch to it before installing MyTonCtrl:

```bash
sudo adduser <USERNAME>
sudo usermod -aG sudo <USERNAME>
# reconnect as the new user
ssh <USERNAME>@<SERVER_IP>
```

## Install MyTonCtrl [#install-mytonctrl]

Run the installer from the operator account with `sudo` so it can create system users and services:

```bash
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ton-blockchain/mytonctrl/master/scripts/install.sh
sudo bash install.sh
```

The interactive wizard walks through:

1. Selecting mainnet vs. testnet (or supplying a custom network config).
2. Choosing the initial mode (`validator` or `liteserver`).
3. Optionally downloading blockchain dumps via TON Storage (recommended for archive builds).
4. Whether to run post-download tasks in the background (useful when pulling large dumps).

Refer to the [MyTonCtrl overview](/llms/ecosystem/nodes/cpp/mytonctrl/overview/content.md) for installer flags and environment variables when you need unattended deployments.

### Verify services and synchronization [#verify-services-and-synchronization]

After installation, launch MyTonCtrl console via `mytonctrl` command and check the status:

```bash
mytonctrl

MyTonCtrl> status
```

Wait until the node is synchronized: verify that `Local validator out of sync` and `Masterchain out of sync` both show ≤3 seconds.

### Baseline maintenance tasks [#baseline-maintenance-tasks]

* `MyTonCtrl> create_backup` creates a snapshot of the current state (private keys and configs). It is highly recommended to make a backup of the node and store it in a secure space.
* `MyTonCtrl> update` updates MyTonCtrl CLI.
* `MyTonCtrl> upgrade` updates Node software.

### Operational discipline [#operational-discipline]

For all nodes:

* Track network announcements via [`@tonstatus`](https://t.me/tonstatus) and enable notifications.
* Keep hardware aligned with the [minimum system requirements](#hardware-sizing-by-role); upgrade storage promptly if metrics show saturation.

For validator nodes:

* Monitor RAM, disk, CPU, and bandwidth dashboards. Contact [`@validators_help_bot`](https://t.me/validators_help_bot) if metrics or efficiency drop below target.
* Rerun `check_ef` or consult the [efficiency API](https://toncenter.com/api/qos/index.html#/) when diagnosing performance.

## Liteserver quickstart [#liteserver-quickstart]

### Activate liteserver services [#activate-liteserver-services]

If the node was not installed with `liteserver` mode enabled, activate it via `enable_mode liteserver`:

```bash
MyTonCtrl> enable_mode liteserver
MyTonCtrl> status_modes
```

### Configure endpoints and proxies [#configure-endpoints-and-proxies]

Print the local liteserver configuration — its IP, port, and public key:

```bash
MyTonCtrl> installer plsc
```

Create a new network config:

```bash
MyTonCtrl> installer clcf
```

The command writes a `/usr/bin/ton/local.config.json` file with the full network configuration, ready for clients to connect to the local liteserver.

### Open the liteserver port [#open-the-liteserver-port]

1. Update security groups or configure `ufw` on bare-metal hosts:

   ```bash
   sudo apt install -y ufw
   sudo ufw allow ssh
   sudo ufw allow <port>
   sudo ufw enable
   sudo ufw status
   ```

2. Confirm connectivity by initializing a lite-client using the generated config.

## Archive liteserver quickstart [#archive-liteserver-quickstart]

**You need:** liteserver mode enabled, ≥12 TB of fast storage, and ZFS installed for handling compressed dumps.

### Prepare storage with ZFS [#prepare-storage-with-zfs]

```bash
sudo apt install -y zfsutils-linux
sudo zpool create data <disk>
sudo zfs set compression=lz4 data
sudo zfs create data/ton-work
sudo zfs set mountpoint=/var/ton-work data/ton-work
```

Use a dedicated SSD-backed pool and monitor free space—archive size grows continually (check the [archive dump index](https://archival-dump.ton.org/)).

### Install and download archive data [#install-and-download-archive-data]

[Run the installer](#install-mytonctrl), choose `liteserver` mode, and answer &#x2A;*Yes (1)** when prompted to download archive blocks via TON Storage. Allow the job to continue in the background—the download may take days.

Track progress in MyTonCtrl logs and wait for `status` → `Local validator out of sync` field to become green number before serving traffic.

### Troubleshooting imports [#troubleshooting-imports]

Increase verbosity temporarily to review archive import logs, then revert:

```bash
MyTonCtrl> installer set_node_argument --verbosity 3
tail -f /var/ton-work/log*
# ...review output...
MyTonCtrl> installer set_node_argument --verbosity 1
```

If you see repeated `Importing archive ... from net` messages, investigate storage latency—IOPS may be insufficient.

### Snapshot and recovery tips [#snapshot-and-recovery-tips]

* Use ZFS snapshots (`zfs snapshot data/ton-work@<label>`) for fast rollbacks.
* To restore, stop services before `zfs rollback`: `sudo systemctl stop validator`.
* Keep off-site backups of `/var/ton-work/keys` and `create_backup` archives.

## Monitoring and support [#monitoring-and-support]

* Subscribe to [`@tonstatus`](https://t.me/tonstatus) and [`@tonstatus_notifications`](https://t.me/tonstatus_notifications) for real-time validator alerts.
* Use the private alert bot once your node is stable: `MyTonCtrl> enable_mode alert-bot` then configure credentials per the [alerting guide](/llms/ecosystem/nodes/cpp/mytonctrl/alerting/content.md).
* Contact validator support via [`@validators_help_bot`](https://t.me/validators_help_bot); regular node operators can use [`@ton_node_help`](https://t.me/ton_node_help).
* Audit node health weekly: `status_fast`, `check_ef`, disk usage (`du -sh /var/ton-work/db`), and snapshot consistency.

Once comfortable with these workflows, dive into the [detailed command references](/llms/ecosystem/nodes/cpp/mytonctrl/overview/content.md) for advanced automation.