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Updated on January 18, 2021

Teku Command Line

This reference describes the syntax of the Teku Command Line Interface (CLI) options and subcommands.

Important

The command line interface options are currently under development and may change.

Specifying Options

Teku options can be specified:

If an option is specified in multiple places, the order of priority is command line, environment variable, configuration file.

Teku Environment Variables

For each command line option, the equivalent environment variable is:

  • Upper-case
  • - is replaced by _
  • Has a TEKU_ prefix

For example, set --p2p-port using the TEKU_P2P_PORT environment variable.

Options

To start a Teku beacon chain client and validator run:

teku [OPTIONS] [COMMAND]

config-file

--config-file=<FILE>

--config-file=/home/me/me_node/config.yaml

TEKU_CONFIG_FILE=/home/me/me_node/config.yaml

The path to the YAML configuration file. The default is none.

data-base-path, data-path

--data-base-path=<PATH>

--data-base-path=/home/me/me_node

TEKU_DATA_BASE_PATH=/home/me/me_node

data-base-path: "/home/me/me_node"

The path to the Teku data directory. The default directory is OS dependent:

  • macOS: ~/Library/teku
  • Unix/Linux: $XDG_DATA_HOME/teku if $XDG_DATA_HOME is set; otherwise ~/.local/share/teku
  • Windows: %localappdata%\teku.

The default Docker image location is /root/.local/share/teku.

data-beacon-path

--data-beacon-path=<PATH>

--data-beacon-path=/home/me/me_beacon

TEKU_DATA_BEACON_PATH=/home/me/me_beacon

data-beacon-path: "/home/me/me_beaon"

Path to the beacon chain client data. Defaults to <data-base-path>/beacon where <data-base-path> is specified using --data-base-path.

data-storage-archive-frequency

--data-storage-archive-frequency=<NUMBER>

--data-storage-archive-frequency=1028

TEKU_DATA_STORAGE_ARCHIVE_FREQUENCY=1028

data-storage-archive-frequency: 1028

Set the frequency (in slots) at which to store finalized states to disk. Defaults to 2048.

This option is ignored if --data-storage-mode is set to prune.

Note

Specifying a larger number of slots as the archive frequency has a potentially higher overhead for retrieving finalized states since more states may need to be regenerated to get to the requested state. Specifying a lower number of slots as the frequency increases the disk space usage.

For example, --data-storage-archive-frequency=1 uses maximum disk space but has the lowest response time for retrieving a finalized state since each slot state is saved, whereas --data-storage-archive-frequency=2048 uses less disk space, but may need to regenerate the state because every 2048th slot state is saved.

data-storage-mode

--data-storage-mode=<STORAGE_MODE>

--data-storage-mode=archive

TEKU_DATA_STORAGE_MODE=archive

data-storage-mode: "archive"

Set the strategy for handling historical chain data. Valid options are prune and archive. Defaults to prune.

data-validator-path

--data-validator-path=<PATH>

--data-validator-path=/home/me/me_validator

TEKU_DATA_VALIDATOR_PATH=/home/me/me_validator

data-validator-path: "/home/me/me_validator"

Path to the validator client data. Defaults to <data-base-path>/validator where <data-base-path> is specified using --data-base-path.

eth1-deposit-contract-address

--eth1-deposit-contract-address=<ADDRESS>

--eth1-deposit-contract-address=0x77f7bED277449F51505a4C54550B074030d989bC

TEKU_ETH1_DEPOSIT_CONTRACT_ADDRESS=0x77f7bED277449F51505a4C54550B074030d989bC

eth1-deposit-contract-address: "0x77f7bED277449F51505a4C54550B074030d989bC"

Ethereum 1.0 address of the deposit contract. Only required when creating a custom network.

The deposit contract address can also be defined in:

eth1-deposit-contract-max-request-size

--eth1-deposit-contract-max-request-size=<INTEGER>

--eth1-deposit-contract-max-request-size=8000

TEKU_ETH1_DEPOSIT_CONTRACT_MAX_REQUEST_SIZE=8000

eth1-deposit-contract-max-request-size: 8000

The maximum number of blocks to request deposit contract event logs for in a single request. Defaults to 10000.

Setting a smaller max size may help if your ETH1 node is slow at loading deposit event logs, or when receiving warnings that the ETH1 node is unavailable.

eth1-endpoint

--eth1-endpoint=<URL>

--eth1-endpoint=http://localhost:8545

TEKU_ETH1_ENDPOINT=http://localhost:8545

eth1-endpoint: "http://localhost:8545"

The JSON-RPC URL of Ethereum 1.0 node.

If not specified, then provide an initial state using the --initial-state option, or start Teku from an existing database using --data-path, which provides the initial state to work from.

If using a cloud-based service such as Infura, then set the endpoint to the supplied URL. For example, https://goerli.infura.io/v3/<Project_ID>

help

-h, --help

Show the help message and exit.

initial-state

--initial-state=<FILE>

--initial-state=/home/me/genesis.ssz

TEKU_INITIAL_STATE=/home/me/genesis.ssz

initial-state: "/home/me/genesis.ssz"

Path or URL to an SSZ-encoded state file. The state file can be used to specify the genesis state, or a recent finalized checkpoint state from which to sync.

Note

If overriding the initial state in a custom network. You will need to supply the initial state file at each restart.

This option does not need to be specified if the genesis state is provided by the network specified using the --network option.

logging

-l, --logging=<LEVEL>

--logging=DEBUG

TEKU_LOGGING=DEBUG

logging: "DEBUG"

Sets the logging verbosity. Log levels are OFF, FATAL, ERROR, WARN, INFO, DEBUG, TRACE, ALL. Default is INFO.

log-color-enabled

--log-color-enabled[=<BOOLEAN>]

--log-color-enabled=false

TEKU_LOG_COLOR_ENABLED=false

log-color-enabled: false

Specify whether status and event log messages include a console color display code. Defaults to true.

log-destination

--log-destination=<LOG_DESTINATION>

--log-destination=CONSOLE

TEKU_LOG_DESTINATION=CONSOLE

log-destination: "CONSOLE"

Specify where to output log information. Valid options are:

  • BOTH
  • CONSOLE
  • DEFAULT_BOTH
  • FILE

Defaults to DEFAULT_BOTH. When using BOTH or DEFAULT_BOTH, system updates such as blockchain events are displayed on the console, and errors and other information are logged to a file. Specify the log file with the --log-file command-line option.

For production systems we recommend using the CONSOLE or FILE options to ensure all log information is available in one place.

Note

Use DEFAULT_BOTH when using a custom Log4J2 configuration file. Any other option applies the custom logging changes on top of its default settings.

log-file

--log-file=<FILENAME>

--log-file=teku_2020-01-01.log

TEKU_LOG_FILE=teku_2020-01-01.log

log-file: "teku_2020-01-01.log"

Relative or absolute location, and filename of the log file.

The default directory is OS dependent:

  • macOS: ~/Library/teku/logs
  • Unix/Linux: $XDG_DATA_HOME/teku/logs if $XDG_DATA_HOME is set; otherwise ~/.local/share/teku/logs
  • Windows: %localappdata%\teku\logs

The default Docker image location is /root/.local/share/teku/logs.

log-file-name-pattern

--log-file-name-pattern=<REGEX>

--log-file-name-pattern=tekuL_%d{yyyy-MM-dd}.log

TEKU_LOG_FILE_NAME_PATTERN=tekuL_%d{yyyy-MM-dd}.log

log-file-name-pattern: "tekuL_%d{yyyy-MM-dd}.log"

Filename pattern to apply when creating log files.

log-include-events-enabled

--log-include-events-enabled[=<BOOLEAN>]

--log-include-events-enabled=false

TEKU_LOG_INCLUDE_EVENTS_ENABLED=false

log-include-events-enabled: false

Specify whether to log frequent update events. For example every slot event with validators and attestations. Defaults to true.

log-include-validator-duties-enabled

--log-include-validator-duties-enabled[=<BOOLEAN>]

--log-include-validator-duties-enabled=false

TEKU_LOG_INCLUDE_VALIDATOR_DUTIES_ENABLED=false

log-include-validator-duties-enabled: false

Specify whether to log details of validator event duties. Defaults to true.

Note

Logs could become noisy when running many validators.

metrics-enabled

--metrics-enabled[=<BOOLEAN>]

--metrics-enabled=true

TEKU_METRICS_ENABLED=true

metrics-enabled: true

Set to true to enable the metrics exporter. The default is false.

metrics-host-allowlist

--metrics-host-allowlist=<hostname>[,<hostname>...]... or "*"

--metrics-host-allowlist=medomain.com,meotherdomain.com

TEKU_METRICS_HOST_ALLOWLIST=medomain.com,meotherdomain.com

metrics-host-allowlist: ["medomain.com", "meotherdomain.com"]

A comma-separated list of hostnames to allow access to the Teku metrics. By default, Teku accepts access from localhost and 127.0.0.1.

Tip

To allow all hostnames, use "*". We don’t recommend allowing all hostnames for production environments.

metrics-categories

--metrics-categories=<CATEGORY>[,<CATEGORY>...]...

--metrics-categories=BEACON,JVM,PROCESS

TEKU_METRICS_CATEGORIES=BEACON,JVM,PROCESS

metrics-categories: ["BEACON", "JVM", "PROCESS"]

Categories for which to track metrics. Options are JVM, PROCESS, BEACON, EVENTBUS, EXECUTOR, LIBP2P, NETWORK, STORAGE, STORAGE_HOT_DB, STORAGE_FINALIZED_DB, REMOTE_VALIDATOR, VALIDATOR, VALIDATOR_PERFORMANCE. All categories are enabled by default.

metrics-interface

--metrics-interface=<HOST>

--metrics-interface=192.168.10.101

TEKU_METRICS_INTERFACE=192.168.10.101

metrics-interface: "192.168.10.101"

Host on which Prometheus accesses Teku metrics. The default is 127.0.0.1.

metrics-port

--metrics-port=<PORT>

--metrics-port=6174

TEKU_METRICS_PORT=6174

metrics-port: 6174

Specifies the port (TCP) on which Prometheus accesses Teku metrics. The default is 8008.

network

--network=<NETWORK>

--network=mainnet

TEKU_NETWORK=mainnet

network: "mainnet"

Predefined network configuration. Accepts a predefined network name, or file path or URL to a YAML configuration file. The default is mainnet.

Possible values are:

Network Chain Type Description
mainnet Eth 2.0 Production Main network.
minimal Eth 2.0 Test Used for local testing and development networks.
pyrmont Eth 2.0 Test Multi-client testnet.

Predefined networks can provide defaults such the initial state of the network, bootnodes, and the address of the Ethereum 1.0 deposit contract.

p2p-advertised-ip

--p2p-advertised-ip=<IP_ADDRESS>

--p2p-advertised-ip=192.168.1.132

TEKU_P2P_ADVERTISED_IP=192.168.1.132

p2p-advertised-ip: "192.168.1.132"

Advertised peer-to-peer IP address. Default is 127.0.0.1.

p2p-enabled

--p2p-enabled[=<BOOLEAN>]

--p2p-enabled=false

TEKU_P2P_ENABLED=false

p2p-enabled: false

Enables or disables all P2P communication. The default is true.

p2p-interface

--p2p-interface=<HOST>

--p2p-interface=192.168.1.132

TEKU_P2P_INTERFACE=192.168.1.132

p2p-interface: "192.168.1.132"

Specifies the network interface on which the node listens for P2P communication. The default is 0.0.0.0 (all interfaces).

p2p-peer-lower-bound

--p2p-peer-lower-bound=<INTEGER>

--p2p-peer-lower-bound=25

TEKU_P2P_PEER_LOWER_BOUND=25

p2p-peer-lower-bound: 25

Lower bound on the target number of peers. Teku will actively seek new peers if the number of peers falls below this value. The default is 64.

p2p-peer-upper-bound

--p2p-peer-upper-bound=<INTEGER>

--p2p-peer-upper-bound=40

TEKU_P2P_PEER_UPPER_BOUND=40

p2p-peer-upper-bound: 40

Upper bound on the target number of peers. Teku will refuse new peer requests that would cause the number of peers to exceed this value. The default is 74.

p2p-port

--p2p-port=<PORT>

# to listen on port 1789
--p2p-port=1789

# to listen on port 1789
TEKU_P2P_PORT=1789

p2p-port: 1789

Specifies the P2P listening ports (UDP and TCP). The default is 9000.

p2p-discovery-enabled

--p2p-discovery-enabled[=<BOOLEAN>]

--p2p-discovery-enabled=false

TEKU_P2P_DISCOVERY_ENABLED=false

p2p-discovery-enabled: false

Enables or disables P2P peer discovery. If disabled, p2p-static-peers defines the peer connections. The default is true.

p2p-discovery-bootnodes

--p2p-discovery-bootnodes=<ENR_ADDRESS>[,<ENR_ADDRESS>...]...

--p2p-discovery-bootnodes=enr:-Iu4QG...wgiMo,enr:-Iu4QL...wgiMo

TEKU_P2P_DISCOVERY_BOOTNODES=enr:-Iu4QG...wgiMo,enr:-Iu4QL...wgiMo

p2p-discovery-bootnodes: ["enr:-Iu4QG...wgiMo",
                          "enr:-Iu4QL...wgiMo"]

List of comma-separated Ethereum Node Records (ENRs) for P2P discovery bootstrap.

p2p-advertised-port

--p2p-advertised-port=<PORT>

--p2p-advertised-port=1789

TEKU_P2P_ADVERTISED_PORT=1789

p2p-advertised-port: 1789

The advertised P2P port. The default is the port specified in --p2p-port

p2p-private-key-file

--p2p-private-key-file=<PATH_TO_FILE>

--p2p-private-key-file=/home/me/me_node/key

TEKU_P2P_PRIVATE_KEY_FILE=/home/me/me_node/key

p2p-private-key-file: "/home/me/me_node/key"

File containing the node’s private key.

p2p-static-peers

--p2p-static-peers=<ADDRESS>[,<ADDRESS>...]...

--p2p-static-peers=/ip4/151.150.191.80/tcp/9000/p2p/16Ui...aXRz,/ip4/151.150.191.80/tcp/9000/p2p/16Ui...q6f1

TEKU_P2P_STATIC-PEERS=/ip4/151.150.191.80/tcp/9000/p2p/16Ui...aXRz,/ip4/151.150.191.80/tcp/9000/p2p/16Ui...q6f1

p2p-static-peers: ["/ip4/151.150.191.80/tcp/9000/p2p/16Ui...aXRz",
                   "/ip4/151.150.191.80/tcp/9000/p2p/16Ui...q6f1"]

List of comma-separated multiaddresses of static peers.

p2p-subscribe-all-subnets-enabled

--p2p-subscribe-all-subnets-enabled=<BOOLEAN>

--p2p-subscribe-all-subnets-enabled=true

TEKU_P2P_SUBSCRIBE_ALL_SUBNETS_ENABLED=true

p2p-subscribe-all-subnets-enabled: true

Forces the beacon node to stay subscribed to all subnets regardless of the number of validators. Defaults to false.

When set to true and running a low number of validators, Teku subscribes and unsubscribes from subnets as needed for the running validators.

This option is primarily for users running an external validator client and load balancing it across multiple beacon nodes. Without this flag, depending on how requests are load balanced, the beacon nodes may not have subscribed to the required subnets and be unable to produce aggregates.

Important

When set to true, Teku uses more CPU and bandwidth, and for most users there’s no need to use this option.

rest-api-cors-origins

--rest-api-cors-origins[=<url>[,<url>...]...] or "*"

--rest-api-cors-origins="http://medomain.com","https://meotherdomain.com"

TEKU_REST_API_CORS_ORIGINS="http://medomain.com","https://meotherdomain.com"

rest-api-cors-origins: ["http://medomain.com","https://meotherdomain.com"]

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 HTTP REST API calls. If your client interacts with Teku using a browser app (such as a block explorer), add the client domain to the list.

The default value is “none.” If you don’t list any domains, browser apps can’t interact with your Teku node.

Tip

For testing and development purposes, use * to accept requests from any domain. We don’t recommend accepting requests from any domain for production environments.

rest-api-docs-enabled

--rest-api-docs-enabled[=<BOOLEAN>]

--rest-api-docs-enabled=true

TEKU_REST_API_DOCS_ENABLED=true

rest-api-docs-enabled: true

Set to true to enable the REST API documentation. The default is false.

The documentation can be accessed at http://<interface>:<port>/swagger-ui where:

rest-api-enabled

--rest-api-enabled[=<BOOLEAN>]

--rest-api-enabled=true

TEKU_REST_API_ENABLED=true

rest-api-enabled: true

Set to true to enable the REST API service. The default is false.

If set to true, then use --rest-api-host-allowlist to limit access to trusted parties.

rest-api-host-allowlist

--rest-api-host-allowlist=<hostname>[,<hostname>...]... or "*"

--rest-api-host-allowlist=medomain.com,meotherdomain.com

TEKU_REST_API_HOST_ALLOWLIST=medomain.com,meotherdomain.com

rest-api-host-allowlist: ["medomain.com", "meotherdomain.com"]

A comma-separated list of hostnames to allow access to the REST API. By default, Teku accepts access from localhost and 127.0.0.1.

Warning

Only trusted parties should access the REST API. Do not directly expose these APIs publicly on production nodes.

We don’t recommend allowing all hostnames ("*") for production environments.

rest-api-interface

--rest-api-interface=<HOST>

# to listen on all interfaces
--rest-api-interface=0.0.0.0

TEKU_REST_API_INTERFACE=0.0.0.0

rest-api-interface: "0.0.0.0"

Specifies the interface on which the REST API listens. The default is 127.0.0.1.

rest-api-port

--rest-api-port=<PORT>

# to listen on port 3435
--rest-api-port=3435

TEKU_REST_API_PORT=3435

rest-api-port: 3435

Specifies REST API listening port (HTTP). The default is 5051.

version

-V, --version

Displays the version and exits.

validator-keys

--validator-keys=<KEY_DIR>:<PASS_DIR> | <KEY_FILE>:<PASS_FILE>[,<KEY_DIR>:<PASS_DIR> | <KEY_FILE>:<PASS_FILE>...]...

--validator-keys=/home/validator/keys:home/validator/passwords

--validator-keys=/home/validator/keys/validator_217179e.json:/home/validator/passwords/validator_217179e.txt

TEKU_VALIDATOR_KEYS=/home/validator/keys:home/validator/passwords

validator-keys: "/home/validator/keys:home/validator/passwords"

Directory or file to load the encrypted keystore file(s) and associated password file(s) from. Keystore files must use the .json file extension, and password files must use the .txt file extension.

When specifying directories, Teku expects to find identically named keystore and password files. For example validator_217179e.json and validator_217179e.txt.

When specifying file names, Teku expects that the files exist.

Note

The path separator is operating system dependent, and should be ; in Windows rather than :.

validators-external-signer-keystore

--validators-external-signer-keystore=<FILE>

--validators-external-signer-keystore=teku_client_keystore.p12

TEKU_VALIDATORS_EXTERNAL_KEYSTORE=teku_client_keystore.p12

validators-external-signer-keystore: "teku_client_keystore.p12"

The keystore that Teku presents to the external signer for TLS authentication. Teku can use PKCS12 or JKS keystore types.

Use the PKCS12 keystore type if connecting to Web3Signer.

validators-external-signer-keystore-password-file

--validators-external-signer-keystore-password-file=<FILE>

--validators-external-signer-keystore-password-file=keystore_pass.txt

TEKU_VALIDATORS_EXTERNAL_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD_FILE=keystore_pass.txt

validators-external-signer-keystore-password-file: "keystore_pass.txt"

Password file used to decrypt the keystore.

validators-external-signer-public-keys

--validators-external-signer-public-keys=<KEY>[,<KEY>...]

--validators-external-signer-public-keys=0xa99a...e44c,0xb89b...4a0b

TEKU_VALIDATORS_EXTERNAL_SIGNER_PUBLIC_KEYS=0xa99a...e44c,0xb89b...4a0b

validators-external-signer-public-keys: ["0xa99a...e44c","0xb89b...4a0b"]

List of validator public keys used by an external signer (for example, Web3Signer).

validators-external-signer-slashing-protection-enabled

--validators-external-signer-slashing-protection-enabled[=<BOOLEAN>]

--validators-external-signer-slashing-protection-enabled=false

TEKU_VALIDATORS_EXTERNAL_SIGNER_SLASHING_PROTECTION_ENABLED=false

validators-external-signer-slashing-protection-enabled: false

Specify whether to use Teku’s built-in slashing protection when using an external signer such as Web3Signer. Defaults to true.

Set this option to false if using the slashing protection implemented by an external signer.

Warning

Ensure the external signer has slashing protection enabled before disabling Teku slashing protection, otherwise a validator may get slashed.

Built-in slashing protection can only be disabled for validators using external signers. Validators using Teku to sign blocks and attestations always uses its built-in slashing protection.

validators-external-signer-timeout

--validators-external-signer-timeout=<INTEGER>

--validators-external-signer-timeout=2000

TEKU_VALIDATORS_EXTERNAL_SIGNER_TIMEOUT=2000

validators-external-signer-timeout: 2000

Timeout in milliseconds for requests to the external signer. Default is 1000.

validators-external-signer-truststore

--validators-external-signer-truststore=<FILE>

--validators-external-signer-truststore=websigner_truststore.p12

TEKU_VALIDATORS_EXTERNAL_TRUSTSTORE=websigner_truststore.p12

validators-external-signer-truststore: "websigner_truststore.p12"

PKCS12 or JKS keystore used to trust external signer’s self-signed certificate or CA certificate which signs the external signer’s certificate.

validators-external-signer-truststore-password-file

--validators-external-signer-truststore-password-file=<FILE>

--validators-external-signer-truststore-password-file=truststore_pass.txt

TEKU_VALIDATORS_EXTERNAL_TRUSTSTORE_PASSWORD_FILE=truststore_pass.txt

validators-external-signer-truststore-password-file: "truststore_pass.txt"

Password file used to decrypt the keystore.

validators-external-signer-url

--validators-external-signer-url=<URL>

--validators-external-signer-url=http://localhost:9000

TEKU_VALIDATORS_EXTERNAL_SIGNER_URL=http://localhost:9000

validators-external-signer-url: "http://localhost:9000"

URL on which the external signer (for example, Web3Signer) is running.

validators-graffiti

--validators-graffiti=<STRING>

--validators-graffiti="Teku validator"

TEKU_VALIDATORS_GRAFFITI="Teku validator"

validators-graffiti: "Teku validator"

Graffiti to add when creating a block. Gets converted to bytes and padded to Bytes32.

The same graffiti is used for all validators started with this beacon node.

validators-keystore-locking-enabled

--validators-keystore-locking-enabled=<BOOLEAN>

--validators-keystore-locking-enabled=true

TEKU_VALIDATORS_KEYSTORE_LOCKING_ENABLED=true

validators-keystore-locking-enabled: true

Locks the keystore files listed in --validator-keys. Defaults to true.

Attempts to lock all keystores in a directory if a directory is specified in --validator-keys.

ws-checkpoint

--ws-checkpoint=<BLOCK_ROOT>:<EPOCH_NUMBER>

--ws-checkpoint=0x5a642bb8f367e98c0d11426d98d28c465f8988fc960500886cb49faf0372883a:3600

TEKU_WS_CHECKPOINT=0x5a642bb8f367e98c0d11426d98d28c465f8988fc960500886cb49faf0372883a:3600

ws-checkpoint: "0x5a642bb8f367e98c0d11426d98d28c465f8988fc960500886cb49faf0372883a:3600"

A recent checkpoint within the weak subjectivity period.

The weak subjectivity checkpoint is a recent finalized checkpoint on the correct chain. By supplying a weak subjectivity checkpoint, you ensure that nodes that have been offline for a long period follow the correct chain. It protects the node from long-range attacks by malicious actors.

Use the admin weak-subjectivity subcommand to display or clear your weak subjectivity settings.

Tip

The BeaconScan chain explorer provides the most recent weak subjectivity checkpoint from which to safely update your nodes view of the current state.

Questions or feedback? You can discuss issues and obtain free support on Teku Discord channel.
For paid professional support by Consensys, contact us at quorum@consensys.net