Config files explained

1Two nodes, two files

Each node reads one settings file when it starts. It looks for it in its data folder unless you name another file with -conf (C++ node) or --conf (IronDivi).

On Windows the C++ node uses %APPDATA%\DIVI\divi.conf. IronDivi has no Windows build.

The C++ node keeps one divi.conf for both networks: testnet=1 inside it sends the node to testnet and its data to a testnet3 folder next to the file. IronDivi keeps each network in its own folder with its own irondivi.conf, and the network normally comes from the command line (--testnet). Since version 0.2.6 it also obeys testnet = true in the file: with that line in ~/.irondivi/irondivi.conf and no --testnet, our node started on testnet, kept reading that same file and put its data in ~/.irondivi/testnet. Version 0.2.5 ignored the line. If you pass --datadir, IronDivi uses that folder exactly as given and looks for the file inside it.

2The format is different

This is the slip people make most when they have used both nodes.

Here is what each node does with the other one's habits. IronDivi 0.2.6 reads a file as TOML when the whole file is valid TOML. If it is not, it reads it line by line the way the C++ node does: one key=value per line, the line repeated for several values, and quotes around a value dropped. So each of these started our 0.2.6 node with a working password, where 0.2.5 refused to start:

# a divi.conf-style file
rpcuser=tutf
rpcpassword=the-random-password
addnode=127.0.0.1:1
addnode=127.0.0.1:2

# TOML with the quotes forgotten
rpcuser = tutf
rpcpassword = the-random-password

# TOML with a setting written twice
addnode = "127.0.0.1:1"
addnode = "127.0.0.1:2"

With the first and last file the node tried both addnode peers. IronDivi 0.2.5 stopped at once on each of them, with TOML parse error … invalid string, or duplicate key `addnode` in document root.

The C++ node is stricter about quotes: it starts happily with them, but keeps them as part of the value. With rpcuser="tutf" in divi.conf, our node turned down the name tutf and accepted only "tutf", quotes included:

divi-cli -rpcuser=tutf getblockcount
error: incorrect rpcuser or rpcpassword (authorization failed)

An unknown or misspelt setting is the quiet failure. The C++ node ignores a line like foo=bar without a word. IronDivi logs one line and carries on:

WARN irondivid: Unknown configuration key in config file: maxconnections

If a setting seems to do nothing, check the spelling and then check the log.

3A safe starter file for each

Both files hold the name and password that protect the node's command port. divi-cli and irondivi-cli read the same file, so you never type the password. Make it long and random, from letters and digits only:

openssl rand -hex 24

Paste the result in as the password. Then make the file readable by you alone, because anyone who can read it can spend from the node's wallet:

chmod 600 ~/.divi/divi.conf
chmod 600 ~/.irondivi/testnet/irondivi.conf

A testnet divi.conf:

# ~/.divi/divi.conf
testnet=1
rpcuser=pick-a-name
rpcpassword=the-random-password
daemon=1
staking=0

A testnet irondivi.conf:

# ~/.irondivi/testnet/irondivi.conf
rpcuser = "pick-a-name"
rpcpassword = "the-random-password"
addnode = "app.irondivi.com:51474"
staking = false

For the real network, drop testnet=1 from divi.conf, and put IronDivi's file in ~/.irondivi/ instead. Leave staking out, or set it to on, once the wallet holds coins you mean to stake.

INFO irondivid: RPC cookie authentication: "/home/you/.irondivi/testnet/.cookie"
WARN irondivid: Only one of rpcuser/rpcpassword is set; using cookie authentication

4Every divi.conf line

Any option the C++ node takes on its command line can also go in the file, without the leading dash. These are the ones worth knowing. Defaults come from divid -help for version 3.0.0.

On testnet the C++ node's command port is 51475 while IronDivi's is 51473. The peer port is 51474 for both. Running both on one computer works once you give one of them its own port and rpcport.

5Every irondivi.conf line

IronDivi version 0.2.6 acts on the settings below. Anything else gets the "Unknown configuration key" warning. The rows marked new did not exist in 0.2.5.

With staking = false the log says Staking disabled at startup (staking=false); use RPC setstaking true to start it. You can turn it on later without a restart, as shown in A tour of irondivi-cli.

6What 0.2.5 ignored in the file

IronDivi 0.2.5 read some settings from the file but did nothing with them: the network, daemon, printtoconsole, the indexes and the log size. Only the command line worked. Version 0.2.6 obeys all of them. We tried each one on 0.2.6, with nothing for it on the command line:

• The network. With regtest = true in the file the node reported "chain": "regtest", and with testnet = true it reported "chain": "test". 0.2.5 still said "chain": "main".
• Running in the background and logging to the screen. With daemon = true the node went to the background and gave the terminal back. With printtoconsole = true the log came to the screen and no debug.log was written.
• The indexes. With txindex = false the log had no Transaction index enabled line. With spentindex = true it said Spent index enabled. In 0.2.5 the command line's values always won, even when it gave none.
• Log size. With maxlogsize = 3 and maxlogfiles = 9 the log said max 3145728 bytes per file, 9 files kept. 0.2.5 said max 1048576 bytes per file, 5 files kept whatever the file held.

7The command line wins

When the same setting is in the file and on the command line, both nodes use the command line. We put rpcport in each file and a different one on the command line. Each node listened only on the command-line port, and the port from the file gave couldn't connect to server.

That makes the command line handy for a one-off change, such as a different port for a test, without editing the file. There is one exception: IronDivi adds an --addnode from the command line to the file's list instead of replacing it.

The command-line tools follow the same rule. If you start a node with --rpcport on its command line, pass the same --rpcport to irondivi-cli or divi-cli, because the file still has the old one.

Changes to either file take effect only when the node restarts. Stop the C++ node with divi-cli stop. Stop IronDivi 0.2.6 with irondivi-cli stop, or with a signal as Install IronDivi shows. (The stop command of IronDivi 0.2.5 answers but does not exit; on 0.2.5 use the signal.)

If something goes wrong

Next: run your node as a service so it restarts by itself, or compare the two nodes in full.