Hyperledger Besu command line
This reference describes the syntax of the Hyperledger Besu Command Line Interface (CLI) options and subcommands.
Specifying options
You can specify Besu options:
- On the command line
- As an environment variable
- In a configuration file.
If you specify an option in more than one place, the order of priority is command line, environment variable, configuration file.
Besu environment variables
For each command line option, the equivalent environment variable is:
- Upper-case
_replaces-- Has a
BESU_prefix
For example, set --miner-coinbase using the BESU_MINER_COINBASE environment variable.
Options
To start a Besu node run:
besu [OPTIONS] [COMMAND]
api-gas-price-blocks
--api-gas-price-blocks=<INTEGER>
--api-gas-price-blocks=50
BESU_API_GAS_PRICE_BLOCKS=50
api-gas-price-blocks=50
Number of blocks back from the head block to examine for eth_gasPrice. The default is 100.
api-gas-price-max
--api-gas-price-max=<INTEGER>
--api-gas-price-max=20000
BESU_API_GAS_PRICE_MAX=20000
api-gas-price-max=20000
Maximum gas price to return for eth_gasPrice, regardless of the percentile value measured. The default is 500000000000 (500 GWei).
api-gas-price-percentile
--api-gas-price-percentile=<DOUBLE>
--api-gas-price-percentile=75
BESU_API_GAS_PRICE_PERCENTILE=75
api-gas-price-percentile=75
Percentile value to measure for eth_gasPrice. The default is 50.0.
For eth_gasPrice, to return the:
- Highest gas price in
--api-gas-price-blocks, set to100. - Lowest gas price in
--api-gas-price-blocks, set to0.
auto-log-bloom-caching-enabled
--auto-log-bloom-caching-enabled=false
BESU_AUTO_LOG_BLOOM_CACHING_ENABLED=false
auto-log-bloom-caching-enabled=false
Enables or disables automatic log bloom caching. APIs such as eth_getLogs and eth_getFilterLogs use the cache for improved performance. The default is true.
If automatic log bloom caching is enabled and a log bloom query reaches the end of the cache, Besu performs an uncached query for logs not yet written to the cache.
Automatic log bloom caching has a small impact on performance. If you are not querying logs blooms for a large number of blocks, you might want to disable automatic log bloom caching.
banned-node-ids
--banned-node-ids=<bannedNodeId>[,<bannedNodeId>...]...
--banned-nodeids=0xc35c3...d615f,0xf42c13...fc456
BESU_BANNED_NODEIDS=0xc35c3...d615f,0xf42c13...fc456
banned-nodeids=["0xc35c3...d615f","0xf42c13...fc456"]
A list of node IDs with which this node will not peer. The node ID is the public key of the node. You can specify the banned node IDs with or without the 0x prefix.
Tip
The singular --banned-node-id and plural --banned-node-ids are available and are two names for the same option.
bootnodes
--bootnodes[=<enode://id@host:port>[,<enode://id@host:port>...]...]
--bootnodes=enode://c35c3...d615f@1.2.3.4:30303,enode://f42c13...fc456@1.2.3.5:30303
BESU_BOOTNODES=enode://c35c3...d615f@1.2.3.4:30303,enode://f42c13...fc456@1.2.3.5:30303
bootnodes=["enode://c35c3...d615f@1.2.3.4:30303","enode://f42c13...fc456@1.2.3.5:30303"]
A list of comma-separated enode URLs for P2P discovery bootstrap.
When connecting to MainNet or public testnets, the default is a predefined list of enode URLs.
In private networks defined using --genesis-file or when using --network=dev, the default is an empty list of bootnodes.
color-enabled
--color-enabled=false
BESU_COLOR_ENABLED=false
color-enabled=false
Enables or disables color output to console. The default is true.
config-file
--config-file=<FILE>
--config-file=/home/me/me_node/config.toml
BESU_CONFIG_FILE=/home/me/me_node/config.toml
The path to the TOML configuration file. The default is none.
data-path
--data-path=<PATH>
--data-path=/home/me/me_node
BESU_DATA_PATH=/home/me/me_node
data-path="/home/me/me_node"
The path to the Besu data directory. The default is the directory you installed Besu in, or /opt/besu/database if using the Besu Docker image.
discovery-enabled
--discovery-enabled=false
BESU_DISCOVERY_ENABLED=false
discovery-enabled=false
Enables or disables P2P discovery. The default is true.
fast-sync-min-peers
--fast-sync-min-peers=<INTEGER>
--fast-sync-min-peers=2
BESU_FAST_SYNC_MIN_PEERS=2
fast-sync-min-peers=2
The minimum number of peers required before starting fast sync. The default is 5.
Note
If synchronizing in FAST mode, most historical world state data is unavailable. Any methods attempting to access unavailable world state data return null.
genesis-file
Use the genesis file to create a custom network.
Tip
To use a public Ethereum network such as Rinkeby, use the --network option. The network option defines the genesis file for public networks.
--genesis-file=<FILE>
--genesis-file=/home/me/me_node/customGenesisFile.json
BESU_GENESIS_FILE=/home/me/me_node/customGenesisFile.json
genesis-file="/home/me/me_node/customGenesisFile.json"
The path to the genesis file.
Important
You cannot use the --genesis-file and --network options at the same time.
graphql-http-cors-origins
--graphql-http-cors-origins=<graphQLHttpCorsAllowedOrigins>
--graphql-http-cors-origins="http://medomain.com","https://meotherdomain.com"
BESU_GRAPHQL_HTTP_CORS_ORIGINS="http://medomain.com","https://meotherdomain.com"
graphql-http-cors-origins=["http://medomain.com","https://meotherdomain.com"]
A list of comma-separated origin domain URLs for CORS validation. The default is none.
graphql-http-enabled
--graphql-http-enabled
BESU_GRAPHQL_HTTP_ENABLED=true
graphql-http-enabled=true
Enables the GraphQL HTTP service. The default is false.
The default GraphQL HTTP service endpoint is http://127.0.0.1:8547/graphql if set to true.
graphql-http-host
--graphql-http-host=<HOST>
# to listen on all interfaces
--graphql-http-host=0.0.0.0
# to listen on all interfaces
BESU_GRAPHQL_HTTP_HOST=0.0.0.0
graphql-http-host="0.0.0.0"
Host for GraphQL HTTP to listen on. The default is 127.0.0.1.
To allow remote connections, set to 0.0.0.0
graphql-http-port
--graphql-http-port=<PORT>
# to listen on port 6175
--graphql-http-port=6175
# to listen on port 6175
BESU_GRAPHQL_HTTP_PORT=6175
graphql-http-port="6175"
The GraphQL HTTP listening port (TCP). The default is 8547. Ports must be exposed appropriately.
help
-h, --help
Show the help message and exit.
host-allowlist
--host-allowlist=<hostname>[,<hostname>...]... or "*"
--host-allowlist=medomain.com,meotherdomain.com
BESU_HOST_ALLOWLIST=medomain.com,meotherdomain.com
host-allowlist=["medomain.com", "meotherdomain.com"]
A comma-separated list of hostnames to allow access to the JSON-RPC API. By default, Besu accepts access from localhost and 127.0.0.1.
Note
If using Prometheus to pull metrics from a node, you must specify all the other nodes you want to pull metrics from in the list of allowed hostnames.
Tip
To allow all hostnames, use "*". We don’t recommend allowing all hostnames for production environments.
identity
--identity=<String>
--identity=MyNode
BESU_IDENTITY=MyNode
identity="MyNode"
The name for the node. If specified, it’s the second section of the client ID provided by some Ethereum network explorers. For example, in the client ID besu/MyNode/v1.3.4/linux-x86_64/oracle_openjdk-java-11, the node name is MyNode.
If a name is not specified, the name section is not included in the client ID. For example, besu/v1.3.4/linux-x86_64/oracle_openjdk-java-11.
key-value-storage
--key-value-storage=<keyValueStorageName>
--key-value-storage=rocksdb
BESU_KEY_VALUE_STORAGE=rocksdb
key-value-storage="rocksdb"
The key-value storage to use. Use this option only if using a storage system provided with a plugin. The default is rocksdb.
logging
-l, --logging=<LEVEL>
--logging=DEBUG
BESU_LOGGING=DEBUG
logging="DEBUG"
Sets logging verbosity. Log levels are OFF, FATAL, ERROR, WARN, INFO, DEBUG, TRACE, ALL. The default is INFO.
max-peers
--max-peers=<INTEGER>
--max-peers=42
BESU_MAX_PEERS=42
max-peers=42
The maximum number of P2P connections you can establish. The default is 25.
metrics-category
--metrics-category=<metrics-category>[,metrics-category...]...
--metrics-category=BLOCKCHAIN,PEERS,PROCESS
BESU_METRICS_CATEGORY=BLOCKCHAIN,PEERS,PROCESS
metrics-category=["BLOCKCHAIN","PEERS","PROCESS"]
A comma-separated list of categories for which to track metrics. The defaults are BLOCKCHAIN, ETHEREUM, EXECUTORS, JVM, NETWORK, PEERS, PERMISSIONING, PROCESS, PRUNER, RPC, SYNCHRONIZER, and TRANSACTION_POOL.
Other categories are KVSTORE_ROCKSDB, KVSTORE_PRIVATE_ROCKSDB, KVSTORE_ROCKSDB_STATS, and KVSTORE_PRIVATE_ROCKSDB_STATS.
Categories containing PRIVATE track metrics when you enable private transactions.
metrics-enabled
--metrics-enabled
BESU_METRICS_ENABLED=true
metrics-enabled=true
Enables the metrics exporter. The default is false.
You cannot specify --metrics-enabled with --metrics-push-enabled. That is, you can enable either Prometheus polling or Prometheus push gateway support, but not both at once.
metrics-host
--metrics-host=<HOST>
--metrics-host=127.0.0.1
BESU_METRICS_HOST=127.0.0.1
metrics-host="127.0.0.1"
The host on which Prometheus accesses Besu metrics. The metrics server respects the --host-allowlist option.
The default is 127.0.0.1.
metrics-port
--metrics-port=<PORT>
--metrics-port=6174
BESU_METRICS_PORT=6174
metrics-port="6174"
The port (TCP) on which Prometheus accesses Besu metrics. The default is 9545. Ports must be exposed appropriately.
metrics-push-enabled
--metrics-push-enabled[=<true|false>]
--metrics-push-enabled
BESU_METRICS_PUSH_ENABLED=true
metrics-push-enabled=true
Enables or disables push gateway integration.
You cannot specify --metrics-push-enabled with --metrics-enabled. That is, you can enable either Prometheus polling or Prometheus push gateway support, but not both at once.
metrics-push-host
--metrics-push-host=<HOST>
--metrics-push-host=127.0.0.1
BESU_METRICS_PUSH_HOST=127.0.0.1
metrics-push-host="127.0.0.1"
The host of the Prometheus Push Gateway. The default is 127.0.0.1. The metrics server respects the --host-allowlist option.
Note
When pushing metrics, ensure you set --metrics-push-host to the machine on which the push gateway is. Generally, this is a different machine to the machine on which Besu is running.
metrics-push-interval
--metrics-push-interval=<INTEGER>
--metrics-push-interval=30
BESU_METRICS_PUSH_INTERVAL=30
metrics-push-interval=30
The interval, in seconds, to push metrics when in push mode. The default is 15.
metrics-push-port
--metrics-push-port=<PORT>
--metrics-push-port=6174
BESU_METRICS_PUSH_PORT=6174
metrics-push-port="6174"
The port (TCP) of the Prometheus Push Gateway. The default is 9001. Ports must be exposed appropriately.
metrics-push-prometheus-job
--metrics-prometheus-job=<metricsPrometheusJob>
--metrics-prometheus-job="my-custom-job"
BESU_METRICS_PROMETHEUS_JOB="my-custom-job"
metrics-prometheus-job="my-custom-job"
The job name when in push mode. The default is besu-client.
miner-coinbase
--miner-coinbase=<Ethereum account address>
--miner-coinbase=fe3b557e8fb62b89f4916b721be55ceb828dbd73
BESU_MINER_COINBASE=fe3b557e8fb62b89f4916b721be55ceb828dbd73
--miner-coinbase="0xfe3b557e8fb62b89f4916b721be55ceb828dbd73"
The account you pay mining rewards to. You must specify a valid coinbase when you enable mining using the --miner-enabled option or the miner_start JSON-RPC API method.
miner-enabled
--miner-enabled
BESU_MINER_ENABLED=true
miner-enabled=true
Enables mining when you start the node. The default is false.
miner-extra-data
--miner-extra-data=<Extra data>
--miner-extra-data=0x444F4E27542050414E4943202120484F444C2C20484F444C2C20484F444C2021
BESU_MINER_EXTRA_DATA=0x444F4E27542050414E4943202120484F444C2C20484F444C2C20484F444C2021
miner-extra-data="0x444F4E27542050414E4943202120484F444C2C20484F444C2C20484F444C2021"
A hex string representing the 32 bytes included in the extra data field of a mined block. The default is 0x.
miner-stratum-enabled
--miner-stratum-enabled
BESU_MINER_STRATUM_ENABLED=true
miner-stratum-enabled=true
Enables a node to perform stratum mining. The default is false.
miner-stratum-host
--miner-stratum-host=<HOST>
--miner-stratum-host=192.168.1.132
BESU_MINER_STRATUM_HOST=192.168.1.132
miner-stratum-host="192.168.1.132"
The host of the stratum mining service. The default is 0.0.0.0.
miner-stratum-port
--miner-stratum-port=<PORT>
--miner-stratum-port=8010
BESU_MINER_STRATUM_PORT=8010
miner-stratum-port="8010"
The port of the stratum mining service. The default is 8008. You must expose ports appropriately.
min-gas-price
--min-gas-price=<minTransactionGasPrice>
--min-gas-price=1337
BESU_MIN_GAS_PRICE=1337
min-gas-price=1337
The minimum price a transaction offers to include it in a mined block. The minimum gas price is the lowest value eth_gasPrice can return. The default is 1000 Wei.
In a free gas network, set to zero.
nat-method
--nat-method=UPNP
nat-method="UPNP"
Specify the method for handling NAT environments. The options are:
The default is AUTO. NONE disables NAT functionality.
Tip
UPnP support is often disabled by default in networking firmware. If disabled by default, explicitly enable UPnP support.
Notes
Specifying UPNP might introduce delays during node startup, especially on networks without a UPnP gateway device.
You must specify DOCKER when using the Besu Docker image.
network
--network=<NETWORK>
--network=rinkeby
BESU_NETWORK=rinkeby
network="rinkeby"
The predefined network configuration. The default is mainnet.
Possible values are:
| Network | Chain | Type | Default Sync Mode | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
mainnet | ETH | Production | FAST | The main network |
ropsten | ETH | Test | FAST | A PoW network similar to the current main Ethereum network |
rinkeby | ETH | Test | FAST | A PoA network using Clique |
goerli | ETH | Test | FAST | A PoA network using Clique |
dev | ETH | Development | FULL | A PoW network with a low difficulty to enable local CPU mining |
classic | ETC | Production | FAST | The main Ethereum Classic network |
mordor | ETC | Test | FAST | A PoW network |
kotti | ETC | Test | FAST | A PoA network using Clique |
Tip
Values are case insensitive, so either mainnet or MAINNET works.
Important
You cannot use the --network and --genesis-file options at the same time.
network-id
--network-id=<INTEGER>
--network-id=8675309
BESU_NETWORK_ID=8675309
network-id="8675309"
Use this option to override the default network ID. The default value is the same as the chain ID defined in the genesis file.
node-private-key-file
--node-private-key-file=<FILE>
--node-private-key-file=/home/me/me_node/myPrivateKey
BESU_NODE_PRIVATE_KEY_FILE=/home/me/me_node/myPrivateKey
node-private-key-file="/home/me/me_node/myPrivateKey"
The private key file for the node. The default is the key file in the data directory. If no key file exists, Besu creates a key file containing the generated private key, otherwise, the existing key file specifies the node private key.
Attention
The private key is not encrypted.
This option is ignored if --security-module is set to a non-default value.
p2p-enabled
--p2p-enabled=<true|false>
--p2p-enabled=false
BESU_P2P_ENABLED=false
p2p-enabled=false
Enables or disables all P2P communication. The default is true.
p2p-host
--p2p-host=<HOST>
# to listen on all interfaces
--p2p-host=0.0.0.0
# to listen on all interfaces
BESU_P2P_HOST=0.0.0.0
p2p-host="0.0.0.0"
The host on which P2P listens. The default is 127.0.0.1.
p2p-interface
--p2p-interface=<HOST>
--p2p-interface=192.168.1.132
BESU_P2P_INTERFACE=192.168.1.132
p2p-interface="192.168.1.132"
The network interface on which the node listens for P2P communication. Use the option to specify the required network interface when the device that Besu is running on has multiple network interfaces. The default is 0.0.0.0 (all interfaces).
p2p-port
--p2p-port=<PORT>
# to listen on port 1789
--p2p-port=1789
# to listen on port 1789
BESU_P2P_PORT=1789
p2p-port="1789"
The P2P listening ports (UDP and TCP). The default is 30303. You must expose ports appropriately.
permissions-accounts-config-file
--permissions-accounts-config-file=<FILE>
--permissions-accounts-config-file=/home/me/me_configFiles/myPermissionsFile
BESU_PERMISSIONS_ACCOUNTS_CONFIG_FILE=/home/me/me_configFiles/myPermissionsFile
permissions-accounts-config-file="/home/me/me_configFiles/myPermissionsFile"
The accounts permissions configuration file. The default is the permissions_config.toml file in the data directory.
Tip
--permissions-accounts-config-file and --permissions-nodes-config-file can use the same file.
permissions-accounts-config-file-enabled
--permissions-accounts-config-file-enabled[=<true|false>]
--permissions-accounts-config-file-enabled
BESU_PERMISSIONS_ACCOUNTS_CONFIG_FILE_ENABLED=true
permissions-accounts-config-file-enabled=true
Enables or disables file-based account level permissions. The default is false.
permissions-accounts-contract-address
--permissions-accounts-contract-address=<ContractAddress>
--permissions-accounts-contract-address=xyz
BESU_PERMISSIONS_ACCOUNTS_CONTRACT_ADDRESS=xyz
permissions-accounts-contract-address=xyz
The contract address for onchain account permissioning.
permissions-accounts-contract-enabled
--permissions-accounts-contract-enabled[=<true|false>]
--permissions-accounts-contract-enabled
BESU_PERMISSIONS_ACCOUNTS_CONTRACT_ENABLED=true
permissions-accounts-contract-enabled=true
Enables or disables contract-based onchain account permissioning. The default is false.
permissions-nodes-config-file
--permissions-nodes-config-file=<FILE>
--permissions-nodes-config-file=/home/me/me_configFiles/myPermissionsFile
BESU_PERMISSIONS_NODES_CONFIG_FILE=/home/me/me_configFiles/myPermissionsFile
permissions-nodes-config-file="/home/me/me_configFiles/myPermissionsFile"
The nodes permissions configuration file. The default is the permissions_config.toml file in the data directory.
Tip
--permissions-nodes-config-file and --permissions-accounts-config-file can use the same file.
permissions-nodes-config-file-enabled
--permissions-nodes-config-file-enabled[=<true|false>]
--permissions-nodes-config-file-enabled
BESU_PERMISSIONS_NODES_CONFIG_FILE_ENABLED=true
permissions-nodes-config-file-enabled=true
Enables or disables file-based node level permissions. The default is false.
permissions-nodes-contract-address
--permissions-nodes-contract-address=<ContractAddress>
--permissions-nodes-contract-address=xyz
BESU_PERMISSIONS_NODES_CONTRACT_ADDRESS=xyz
permissions-nodes-contract-address=xyz
The contract address for onchain node permissioning.
permissions-nodes-contract-enabled
--permissions-nodes-contract-enabled[=<true|false>]
--permissions-nodes-contract-enabled
BESU_PERMISSIONS_NODES_CONTRACT_ENABLED=true
permissions-nodes-contract-enabled=true
Enables or disables contract-based onchain node permissioning. The default is false.
permissions-nodes-contract-version
--permissions-nodes-contract-version=<ContractVersion>
--permissions-nodes-contract-version=2
BESU_PERMISSIONS_NODES_CONTRACT_VERSION=2
permissions-nodes-contract-version=2
Version of the EEA node permissioning interface. The default is 1.
privacy-enabled
--privacy-enabled[=<true|false>]
--privacy-enabled=false
BESU_PRIVACY_ENABLED=false
privacy-enabled=false
Enables or disables private transactions. The default is false.
Important
Using private transactions with pruning and/or Fast Sync is not supported.
privacy-marker-transaction-signing-key-file
--privacy-marker-transaction-signing-key-file=<FILE>
--privacy-marker-transaction-signing-key-file=/home/me/me_node/myPrivateKey
PANTHEON_PRIVACY_MARKER_TRANSACTION_SIGNING_KEY_FILE=/home/me/me_node/myPrivateKey
privacy-marker-transaction-signing-key-file="/home/me/me_node/myPrivateKey"
<FILE> is the name of the private key file used to sign Privacy Marker Transactions. If you do not specify this option, Besu signs each transaction with a different randomly generated key.
If using account permissioning and privacy, you must specify a private key file and the signing key included in the accounts allowlist.
privacy-multi-tenancy-enabled
--privacy-multi-tenancy-enabled[=<true|false>]
--privacy-multi-tenancy-enabled=false
BESU_PRIVACY_MULTI_TENANCY_ENABLED=false
privacy-multi-tenancy-enabled=false
Enables or disables multi-tenancy for private transactions. The default is false.
privacy-onchain-groups-enabled
--privacy-onchain-groups-enabled[=<true|false>]
--privacy-onchain-groups-enabled=true
BESU_PRIVACY_ONCHAIN_GROUPS_ENABLED=true
privacy-onchain-groups-enabled=true
Set to enable flexible privacy groups. Default is false.
privacy-public-key-file
--privacy-public-key-file=<privacyPublicKeyFile>
--privacy-public-key-file=Orion/nodeKey.pub
BESU_PRIVACY_PUBLIC_KEY_FILE=Orion/nodeKey.pub
privacy-public-key-file="Orion/nodeKey.pub"
The public key of the Orion node.
Important
You cannot specify privacy-public-key-file when --privacy-multi-tenancy-enabled is true
privacy-tls-enabled
--privacy-tls-enabled[=<true|false>]
--privacy-tls-enabled=false
BESU_PRIVACY_TLS_ENABLED=false
privacy-tls-enabled=false
Enables or disables TLS on communication with the Private Transaction Manager. The default is false.
privacy-tls-keystore-file
--privacy-tls-keystore-file=<FILE>
--privacy--keystore-file=/home/me/me_node/key
BESU_PRIVACY_TLS_KEYSTORE_FILE=/home/me/me_node/key
privacy-tls-keystore-file="/home/me/me_node/key"
The keystore file (in PKCS #12 format) containing the private key and the certificate presented during authentication.
You must specify privacy-tls-keystore-file if --privacy-tls-enabled is true.
privacy-tls-keystore-password-file
--privacy-tls-keystore-password-file=<FILE>
--privacy-tls-keystore-password-file=/home/me/me_node/password
BESU_PRIVACY_TLS_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD_FILE=/home/me/me_node/password
privacy-tls-keystore-password-file="/home/me/me_node/password"
The path to the file containing the password to decrypt the keystore.
privacy-tls-known-enclave-file
--privacy-tls-known-enclave-file=<FILE>
--privacy-tls-known-enclave-file=/home/me/me_node/knownEnclave
BESU_PRIVACY_TLS_KNOWN_ENCLAVE_FILE=/home/me/me_node/knownEnclave
privacy-tls-known-enclave-file="/home/me/me_node/knownEnclave"
The path to the file containing the hostnames, ports, and SHA256 certificate fingerprints of the authorized privacy enclave.
privacy-url
--privacy-url=<privacyUrl>
--privacy-url=http://127.0.0.1:8888
BESU_PRIVACY_URL=http://127.0.0.1:8888
privacy-url="http://127.0.0.1:8888"
The URL on which the Orion node is running.
pruning-block-confirmations
--pruning-block-confirmations=<INTEGER>
--pruning-block-confirmations=5
BESU_PRUNING_BLOCK_CONFIRMATIONS=5
pruning-block-confirmations=5
The minimum number of confirmations on a block before marking of newly-stored or in-use state trie nodes that cannot be pruned. The default is 10.
Important
Using pruning with private transactions is not supported.
pruning-blocks-retained
--pruning-blocks-retained=<INTEGER>
--pruning-blocks-retained=10000
BESU_PRUNING_BLOCKS_RETAINED=10000
pruning-blocks-retained=10000
The minimum number of recent blocks to keep the entire world state for. The default is 1024.
Important
Using pruning with private transactions is not supported.
pruning-enabled
--pruning-enabled
--pruning-enabled=true
BESU_PRUNING_ENABLED=true
pruning-enabled=true
Enables pruning to reduce storage required for the world state.
Important
Using pruning with private transactions is not supported.
random-peer-priority-enabled
--random-peer-priority-enabled[=<true|false>]
--random-peer-priority-enabled=true
BESU_RANDOM_PEER_PRIORITY_ENABLED=true
random-peer-priority-enabled=true
Allows for incoming connections to be prioritized randomly. Enable in small, stable networks to prevent impenetrable peer groups forming. The default is false.
remote-connections-limit-enabled
--remote-connections-limit-enabled[=<true|false>]
--remote-connections-limit-enabled=false
BESU_REMOTE_CONNECTIONS_LIMIT_ENABLED=false
remote-connections-limit-enabled=false
Enables or disables limiting the percentage of remote P2P connections initiated by peers. The default is true.
Tip
In private networks with a level of trust between peers, disabling the remote connection limits may increase the speed at which nodes can join the network.
Important
To prevent eclipse attacks, ensure you enable the remote connections limit when connecting to any public network, and especially when using --sync-mode and --fast-sync-min-peers.
remote-connections-max-percentage
--remote-connections-max-percentage=<DOUBLE>
--remote-connections-max-percentage=25
BESU_REMOTE_CONNECTIONS_MAX_PERCENTAGE=25
remote-connections-max-percentage=25
The percentage of remote P2P connections you can establish with the node. Must be between 0 and 100, inclusive. The default is 60.
reorg-logging-threshold
--reorg-logging-threshold=<INTEGER>
--reorg-logging-threshold=3
BESU_REORG_LOGGING_THRESHOLD=3
reorg-logging-threshold=3
Minimum depth of chain reorganizations to log. The default is 6.
required-block
--required-block, --required-blocks[=BLOCK=HASH[,BLOCK=HASH...]...]
--required-block=6485846=0x43f0cd1e5b1f9c4d5cda26c240b59ee4f1b510d0a185aa8fd476d091b0097a80
BESU_REQUIRED_BLOCK=6485846=0x43f0cd1e5b1f9c4d5cda26c240b59ee4f1b510d0a185aa8fd476d091b0097a80
required-block="6485846=0x43f0cd1e5b1f9c4d5cda26c240b59ee4f1b510d0a185aa8fd476d091b0097a80"
Requires a peer with the specified block number to have the specified hash when connecting, or Besu rejects that peer.
revert-reason-enabled
--revert-reason-enabled[=<true|false>]
--revert-reason-enabled=true
BESU_REVERT_REASON_ENABLED=true
revert-reason-enabled=true
Enables including the revert reason in the transaction receipt. The default is false.
Caution
Enabling revert reason may use a significant amount of memory. We do not recommend enabling revert reason when connected to public Ethereum networks.
rpc-http-api
--rpc-http-api=<api name>[,<api name>...]...
--rpc-http-api=ETH,NET,WEB3
BESU_RPC_HTTP_API=ETH,NET,WEB3
rpc-http-api=["ETH","NET","WEB3"]
A comma-separated list of APIs to enable on the HTTP JSON-RPC channel. When you use this option you must also specify the --rpc-http-enabled option. The available API options are: ADMIN, CLIQUE, DEBUG, EEA, ETH, IBFT, MINER, NET, PERM, PLUGINS, PRIV, TRACE, TXPOOL, and WEB3. The default is: ETH, NET, WEB3.
Tip
The singular --rpc-http-api and plural --rpc-http-apis are available and are two names for the same option.
rpc-http-authentication-credentials-file
--rpc-http-authentication-credentials-file=<FILE>
--rpc-http-authentication-credentials-file=/home/me/me_node/auth.toml
BESU_RPC_HTTP_AUTHENTICATION_CREDENTIALS_FILE=/home/me/me_node/auth.toml
rpc-http-authentication-credentials-file="/home/me/me_node/auth.toml"
The credentials file for JSON-RPC API authentication.
rpc-http-authentication-enabled
--rpc-http-authentication-enabled
--rpc-http-authentication-enabled
BESU_RPC_HTTP_AUTHENTICATION_ENABLED=true
rpc-http-authentication-enabled=true
Enables authentication for the HTTP JSON-RPC service.
rpc-http-authentication-jwt-public-key-file
--rpc-http-authentication-jwt-public-key-file=<FILE>
--rpc-http-authentication-jwt-public-key-file=publicKey.pem
BESU_RPC_HTTP_AUTHENTICATION-JWT-PUBLIC-KEY-FILE="publicKey.pem"
rpc-http-authentication-jwt-public-key-file="publicKey.pem"
The JWT provider’s public key file used for JSON-RPC HTTP authentication with an external JWT.
rpc-http-cors-origins
--rpc-http-cors-origins=<url>[,<url>...]... or all or "*"
$# You can allow one or more domains with a comma-separated list.
--rpc-http-cors-origins="http://medomain.com","https://meotherdomain.com"
BESU_RPC_HTTP_CORS_ORIGINS="http://medomain.com","https://meotherdomain.com"
rpc-http-cors-origins=["http://medomain.com","https://meotherdomain.com"]
$# The following allows Remix to interact with your Besu node.
--rpc-http-cors-origins="http://remix.ethereum.org"
A list of domain URLs for CORS validation. You must enclose the URLs in double quotes and separate them with commas.
Listed domains can access the node using JSON-RPC. If your client interacts with Besu using a browser app (such as Remix or a block explorer), add the client domain to the list.
The default value is "none". If you do not list any domains, browser apps cannot interact with your Besu node.
Note
To run a local Besu node as a backend for MetaMask and use MetaMask anywhere, set --rpc-http-cors-origins to "all" or "*". To allow a specific domain to use MetaMask with the Besu node, set --rpc-http-cors-origins to the client domain.
Tip
For testing and development purposes, use "all" or "*" to accept requests from any domain. We don’t recommend accepting requests from any domain for production environments.
rpc-http-enabled
--rpc-http-enabled
BESU_RPC_HTTP_ENABLED=true
rpc-http-enabled=true
Enables the HTTP JSON-RPC service. The default is false.
rpc-http-host
--rpc-http-host=<HOST>
# to listen on all interfaces
--rpc-http-host=0.0.0.0
BESU_RPC_HTTP_HOST=0.0.0.0
rpc-http-host="0.0.0.0"
Specifies the host on which HTTP JSON-RPC listens. The default is 127.0.0.1.
To allow remote connections, set to 0.0.0.0
Caution
Setting the host to 0.0.0.0 exposes the RPC connection on your node to any remote connection. In a production environment, ensure you are using a firewall to avoid exposing your node to the internet.
rpc-http-port
--rpc-http-port=<PORT>
# to listen on port 3435
--rpc-http-port=3435
BESU_RPC_HTTP_PORT=3435
rpc-http-port="3435"
The HTTP JSON-RPC listening port (TCP). The default is 8545. You must expose ports appropriately.
rpc-http-tls-ca-clients-enabled
--rpc-http-tls-ca-clients-enabled[=<true|false>]
BESU_RPC_HTTP_TLS_CA_CLIENTS_ENABLED=true
rpc-http-tls-ca-clients-enabled=true
Enables clients with trusted CA certificates to connect. The default is false.
Note
You must enable client authentication using the ---rpc-http-tls-client-auth-enabled option.
rpc-http-tls-client-auth-enabled
--rpc-http-tls-client-auth-enabled
BESU_RPC_HTTP_TLS_CLIENT_AUTH_ENABLED=true
rpc-http-tls-client-auth-enabled=true
Enables TLS client authentication for the JSON-RPC HTTP service. The default is false.
Note
You must specify --rpc-http-tls-ca-clients-enabled and/or rpc-http-tls-known-clients-file.
rpc-http-tls-enabled
--rpc-http-tls-enabled
BESU_RPC_HTTP_TLS_ENABLED=true
rpc-http-tls-enabled=true
Enables TLS for the JSON-RPC HTTP service. The default is false.
Note
--rpc-http-enabled must be enabled.
rpc-http-tls-keystore-file
--rpc-http-tls-keystore-file=<FILE>
--rpc-http-tls-keystore-file=/home/me/me_node/keystore.pfx
BESU_RPC_HTTP_TLS_KEYSTORE_FILE=/home/me/me_node/keystore.pfx
rpc-http-tls-keystore-file="/home/me/me_node/keystore.pfx"
The Keystore file (in PKCS #12 format) that contains private key and the certificate presented to the client during authentication.
rpc-http-tls-keystore-password-file
--rpc-http-tls-keystore-password-file=<FILE>
--rpc-http-tls-keystore-password-file=/home/me/me_node/password
BESU_RPC_HTTP_TLS_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD_FILE=/home/me/me_node/password
rpc-http-tls-keystore-password-file="/home/me/me_node/password"
The path to the file containing the password to decrypt the keystore.
rpc-http-tls-known-clients-file
--rpc-http-tls-known-clients-file=<FILE>
--rpc-http-tls-known-clients-file=/home/me/me_node/knownClients
BESU_RPC_HTTP_TLS_KNOWN_CLIENTS_FILE=/home/me/me_node/knownClients
rpc-http-tls-known-clients-file="/home/me/me_node/knownClients"
The path to the file used to authenticate clients using self-signed certificates or non-public certificates.
Must contain the certificates’s Common Name, and SHA-256 fingerprint in the format <CommonName> <hex-string>.
Note
You must enable client authentication using the ---rpc-http-tls-client-auth-enabled option.
rpc-tx-feecap
--rpc-tx-feecap=<MAX_FEE>
--rpc-tx-feecap=1200000000000000000
BESU_RPC_TX_FEE=1200000000000000000
rpc-tx-feecap=1200000000000000000
Sets the maximum transaction fee (in Wei) accepted for transactions submitted through the eth_sendRawTransaction RPC. Defaults to 1000000000000000000 (1 ether).
If set to 0, then this option is ignored and no cap is applied.
rpc-ws-api
--rpc-ws-api=<api name>[,<api name>...]...
--rpc-ws-api=ETH,NET,WEB3
BESU_RPC_WS_API=ETH,NET,WEB3
rpc-ws-api=["ETH","NET","WEB3"]
A comma-separated list of APIs to enable on the WebSockets channel. When you use this option you must also specify the --rpc-ws-enabled option. The available API options are: ADMIN, CLIQUE, DEBUG, EEA, ETH, IBFT, MINER, NET, PERM, PLUGINS, PRIV, TRACE, TXPOOL, and WEB3. The default is: ETH, NET, WEB3.
Tip
The singular --rpc-ws-api and plural --rpc-ws-apis options are available and are two names for the same option.
rpc-ws-authentication-credentials-file
--rpc-ws-authentication-credentials-file=<FILE>
--rpc-ws-authentication-credentials-file=/home/me/me_node/auth.toml
BESU_RPC_WS_AUTHENTICATION_CREDENTIALS_FILE=/home/me/me_node/auth.toml
rpc-ws-authentication-credentials-file="/home/me/me_node/auth.toml"
The path to the credentials file for JSON-RPC API authentication.
rpc-ws-authentication-enabled
--rpc-ws-authentication-enabled
--rpc-ws-authentication-enabled
BESU_RPC_WS_AUTHENTICATION_ENABLED=true
rpc-ws-authentication-enabled=true
Enables authentication for the WebSockets JSON-RPC service.
Note
wscat does not support headers. Authentication requires you to pass an authentication token in the request header. To use authentication with WebSockets, you need an app that supports headers.
rpc-ws-authentication-jwt-public-key-file
--rpc-http-authentication-jwt-public-key-file=<FILE>
--rpc-http-authentication-jwt-public-key-file=publicKey.pem
BESU_RPC_HTTP_AUTHENTICATION-JWT-PUBLIC-KEY-FILE="publicKey.pem"
rpc-http-authentication-jwt-public-key-file="publicKey.pem"
The JWT provider’s public key file used for JSON-RPC Websocket authentication with an external JWT.
rpc-ws-enabled
--rpc-ws-enabled
BESU_RPC_WS_ENABLED=true
rpc-ws-enabled=true
Enables the WebSockets JSON-RPC service. The default is false.
rpc-ws-host
--rpc-ws-host=<HOST>
# to listen on all interfaces
--rpc-ws-host=0.0.0.0
BESU_RPC_WS_HOST=0.0.0.0
rpc-ws-host="0.0.0.0"
The host for Websocket WS-RPC to listen on. The default is 127.0.0.1.
To allow remote connections, set to 0.0.0.0
rpc-ws-port
--rpc-ws-port=<PORT>
# to listen on port 6174
--rpc-ws-port=6174
BESU_RPC_WS_PORT=6174
rpc-ws-port="6174"
The Websockets JSON-RPC listening port (TCP). The default is 8546. You must expose ports appropriately.
security-module
--security-module=<NAME>
--security-module=security_module
BESU_SECURITY_MODULE=security_module
security-module="security_module"
Name of the security module plugin to use. For example, a Hardware Security Module (HSM) or V3 filestore plugin
Defaults to using the nodes’s local private key file specified using --node-private-key-file.
sync-mode
--sync-mode=FAST
--sync-mode=FAST
BESU_SYNC_MODE=FAST
sync-mode="FAST"
The synchronization mode. The options are FAST and FULL.
- The default is
FULLwhen connecting to a private network by not using the--networkoption and specifying the--genesis-fileoption. - The default is
FASTwhen using the--networkoption with named networks, except for thedevdevelopment network.FASTis also the default if Ethereum mainnet is being connected to by not specifying the--networkand--genesis-fileoptions.
Note
When running Besu on some cloud providers, a known RocksDB issue causes fast sync to fail occasionally. The following error is displayed repeatedly:
...
EthScheduler-Services-1 (importBlock) | ERROR | PipelineChainDownloader | Chain download failed. Restarting after short delay.
java.util.concurrent.CompletionException: org.hyperledger.besu.plugin.services.exception.StorageException: org.rocksdb.RocksDBException: block checksum mismatch:
....
The failure has been seen on AWS and Digital Ocean. A full restart of the AWS VM is required to restart the fast sync. Fast sync is not currently supported on Digital Ocean.
Important
Using fast sync with private transactions or on Digital Ocean Droplets is not supported.
target-gas-limit
--target-gas-limit=<INTEGER>
--target-gas-limit=8000000
BESU_TARGET_GAS_LIMIT=8000000
target-gas-limit="8000000"
The gas limit toward which Besu will gradually move on an existing network, if enough miners are in agreement. To change the block gas limit set in the genesis file without creating a new network, use target-gas-limit. The gas limit between blocks can change only 1/1024th, so the target tells the block creator how to set the gas limit in its block. If the values are the same or within 1/1024th, Besu sets the limit to the specified value. Otherwise, the limit moves as far as it can within that constraint.
If a value for target-gas-limit is not specified, the block gas limit remains at the value specified in the genesis file.
tx-pool-max-size
--tx-pool-max-size=<INTEGER>
--tx-pool-max-size=2000
BESU_TX_POOL_MAX_SIZE=2000
tx-pool-max-size="2000"
The maximum number of transactions kept in the transaction pool. The default is 4096.
tx-pool-hashes-max-size
--tx-pool-hashes-max-size=<INTEGER>
--tx-pool-hashes-max-size=2000
BESU_TX_POOL_HASHES_MAX_SIZE=2000
tx-pool-hashes-max-size="2000"
The maximum number of transaction hashes kept in the transaction pool. The default is 4096.
tx-pool-price-bump
--tx-pool-price-bump=<INTEGER>
--tx-pool-price-bump=25
BESU_TX_POOL_PRICE_BUMP=25
tx-pool-price-bump=25
The price bump percentage to replace an existing transaction. The default is 10.
tx-pool-retention-hours
--tx-pool-retention-hours=<INTEGER>
--tx-pool-retention-hours=5
BESU_TX_POOL_RETENTION_HOURS=5
tx-pool-retention-hours=5
The maximum period, in hours, to hold pending transactions in the transaction pool. The default is 13.
Xdns-enabled
--Xdns-enabled=[<true|false>]
--Xdns-enabled=true
BESU_XDNS_ENABLED=true
Xdns-enabled=true
Enables DNS support. The default is false.
Important
Use domain names in private networks only because public networks require using IP addresses. This is an early access feature. Some functionality may be updated before the feature is fully released.
Use DNS with a trusted DNS provider in private networks because of limitations where IP addresses can change. For example, when using Kubernetes pods.
Xdns-update-enabled
--Xdns-update-enabled=[<true|false>]
--Xdns-update-enabled=true
BESU_XDNS_UPDATE_ENABLED=true
Xdns-update-enabled=true
Allow Besu to continuously query the DNS to ensure updates to IP addresses are automatically detected. The default is false.
Xdns-enabled must be set to true.
Important
This is an early access feature. Some functionality may be updated before the feature is fully released.
version
-V, --version
Print version information and exit.