# Baremetal Authors: \[man4ela | catapulta.eth] ## System Requirements
CPUOSRAMDISK
8+ cores CPUDebian 12/Ubuntu 22.04=> 16 GB RAM1,5TB+ (SSD or NVMe)
{% hint style="info" %} *Unichain Mainnet archive node has a size of 1,3TB on August 20th, 2025* {% endhint %} ## Unichain {% hint style="success" %} Unichain operates within Optimism *Superchain* ecosystem. It is powered by the [OP Stack](https://stack.optimism.io/), in collaboration with Optimism, leveraging the scalability and security of Optimism's Layer 2 infrastructure. In this guide, we are walking through the process of setting up a Unichain Mainnet archive node using Optimism's `op-geth and op-node`. {% endhint %} {% hint style="warning" %} Before you start, make sure that you have your own synced Ethereum L1 RPC URL (e.g. Erigon) and L1 Consensus Layer Beacon endpoint with **`all historical blobs data`** (e.g. Lighthouse) ready. A beacon endpoint meeting this criteria is essential for syncing to start. {% endhint %} ## Pre-Requisites {% code overflow="wrap" %} ```bash sudo apt update -y && sudo apt upgrade -y && sudo apt autoremove -y sudo apt install -y git make wget aria2 gcc pkg-config libusb-1.0-0-dev libudev-dev jq gcc g++ curl libssl-dev screen apache2-utils build-essential pkg-configv ``` {% endcode %} ### Setting up Firewall Set explicit default UFW rules ```bash sudo ufw default deny incoming sudo ufw default allow outgoing ``` Allow SSH ```bash sudo ufw allow 22/tcp ``` Allow remote RPC connections with Mode Node ```bash sudo ufw allow from ${REMOTE.HOST.IP} to any port 3545 ``` Allow remote P2P connections with Mode Node ```bash sudo ufw allow 9222 sudo ufw allow 30303 ``` {% hint style="warning" %} Not advised to allow all or unknown IP address to RPC port {% endhint %} Enable Firewall 
sudo ufw enable
To check the status of UFW and see the current rules ```bash sudo ufw status verbose ``` ## Install dependencies #### Required Software Dependencies
DependencyVersionVersion Check Command
go^1.23go version
docker^28docker version
### Install GO 
sudo rm -rf /usr/local/go

wget https://go.dev/dl/go1.23.9.linux-amd64.tar.gz

sudo tar -xzf go1.23.9.linux-amd64.tar.gz -C /usr/local/

rm -f go1.23.9.linux-amd64.tar.gz

#Setup Go language export paths:

sudo tee /etc/profile.d/golang.sh > /dev/null <<EOT
export GOROOT=/usr/local/go
export GOPATH=\$HOME/go
export PATH=\$PATH:\$GOROOT/bin:\$GOPATH/bin

EOT

#Load Go environment variables into the current shell session:

source /etc/profile.d/golang.sh
### Install Docker ```bash sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install ca-certificates curl sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings sudo curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc echo \ "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu \ $(. /etc/os-release && echo "$VERSION_CODENAME") stable" | \ sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin ``` ### Check if Go and all dependencies are installed ```bash go version docker version ``` ## Build the Rollup Node (op-node) #### Create working directory ```bash mkdir unichain && cd unichain ``` #### Install Op-node ```bash docker pull us-docker.pkg.dev/oplabs-tools-artifacts/images/op-node:v1.13.5 CONTAINER_ID=$(docker create us-docker.pkg.dev/oplabs-tools-artifacts/images/op-node:v1.13.5) docker cp $CONTAINER_ID:/usr/local/bin/op-node ./op-node docker rm $CONTAINER_ID chmod +x ./op-node ``` ## Build the Execution Engine (op-geth) #### Build op-geth ```bash git clone https://github.com/ethereum-optimism/op-geth.git cd op-geth git checkout v1.101511.1 make geth ``` #### Download genesis.json and create jwt.hex into database directory: ```bash mkdir -p /root/data/unichain/unichain-op-geth/ && cd /root/data/unichain/unichain-op-geth/ openssl rand -hex 32 | tr -d "\n" > /root/data/unichain/unichain-op-geth/jwt.hex wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Uniswap/unichain-node/refs/heads/main/chaincon ``` ### Create systemd service for op-node ```bash sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/unichain-op-node.service ``` {% hint style="warning" %} #### Paste the following configs replacing `{L1 RPC},{L1 BEACON RPC},{SERVER IP}` with own values {% endhint %} Save by entering `ctrl+X` and `Y+ENTER` ```bash [Unit] Description=Unichain OP Node Service After=network.target StartLimitIntervalSec=60 StartLimitBurst=3 [Service] Type=simple Restart=on-failure RestartSec=5 TimeoutSec=900 User=root Nice=0 LimitNOFILE=200000 WorkingDirectory=/root/unichain/ Environment=OP_NODE_L2_ENGINE_AUTH=/root/data/unichain/unichain-op-geth/jwt.hex Environment=OP_NODE_L2_ENGINE_RPC=http://0.0.0.0:8551 Environment=OP_NODE_NETWORK=unichain-mainnet Environment=OP_NODE_LOG_LEVEL=info Environment=OP_NODE_LOG_FORMAT=logfmt Environment=OP_NODE_METRICS_ADDR=0.0.0.0 Environment=OP_NODE_METRICS_ENABLED=true Environment=OP_NODE_METRICS_PORT=7007 Environment=OP_NODE_P2P_LISTEN_IP=0.0.0.0 Environment=OP_NODE_P2P_LISTEN_TCP_PORT=9222 Environment=OP_NODE_P2P_LISTEN_UDP_PORT=9222 Environment=OP_NODE_RPC_ADDR=0.0.0.0 Environment=OP_NODE_RPC_PORT=6545 Environment=OP_NODE_P2P_ADVERTISE_IP={SERVER IP} Environment=OP_NODE_SNAPSHOT_LOG=/tmp/op-node-snapshot-log Environment=OP_NODE_VERIFIER_L1_CONFS=4 ExecStart=/root/unichain/op-node \ --network=unichain-mainnet \ --l1={L1 RPC} \ --l1.beacon={L1 BEACON RPC} \ --l2=http://0.0.0.0:8551 \ --l1.trustrpc=true \ --syncmode=execution-layer KillSignal=SIGTERM [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target ``` ### Create systemd service for op-geth ```bash sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/unichain-op-geth.service ``` #### Paste the following configs: ```bash [Unit] Description=Unichain OP GETH Service After=network.target StartLimitIntervalSec=60 StartLimitBurst=3 [Service] Type=simple Restart=on-failure RestartSec=5 TimeoutSec=900 User=root Nice=0 LimitNOFILE=200000 WorkingDirectory=/root/unichain/op-geth/ Environment=GETH_OP_NETWORK=unichain-mainnet Environment=GETH_ROLLUP_SEQUENCERHTTP=https://mainnet-sequencer.unichain.org Environment=GETH_LOG_FORMAT=logfmt Environment=GETH_ROLLUP_DISABLETXPOOLGOSSIP=true Environment=GETH_TXPOOL_NOLOCALS=true Environment=GETH_GCMODE=archive Environment=OP_NODE_L2_ENGINE_AUTH=/root/data/unichain/unichain-op-geth/jwt.hex ExecStart=/root/unichain/op-geth/build/bin/geth \ --datadir=/root/data/unichain/unichain-op-geth/ \ --verbosity=3 \ --op-network=unichain-mainnet \ --state.scheme=hash \ --http \ --http.corsdomain="*" \ --http.vhosts="*" \ --http.addr=0.0.0.0 \ --http.port=3545 \ --http.api=eth,net,web3,debug,txpool,engine,admin,rpc \ --authrpc.addr=0.0.0.0 \ --authrpc.port=8551 \ --authrpc.vhosts="*" \ --authrpc.jwtsecret=/root/data/unichain/unichain-op-geth/jwt.hex \ --ws \ --ws.addr=0.0.0.0 \ --ws.port=3546 \ --ws.origins="*" \ --ws.api=eth,net,web3,debug,txpool,engine,admin,rpc \ --metrics \ --metrics.addr=0.0.0.0 \ --metrics.port=7900 \ --syncmode=full \ --gcmode=archive \ --maxpeers=100 \ --port=33303 KillSignal=SIGTERM [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target ``` #### Initialize the node: ```bash /root/unichain/op-geth/build/bin/geth init --datadir=/root/data/unichain/unichain-op-geth --state.scheme hash /root/data/unichain/unichain-op-geth/genesis-l2.json ``` ## Launch Unichain #### Start op-geth {% hint style="info" %} It's usually simpler to begin with starting`op-geth` before you start `op-node`. You can start `op-geth` even if `op-node` isn't running yet, but `op-geth` won't get any blocks until `op-node` starts. {% endhint %} ```bash sudo systemctl daemon-reload #refresh systemd configuration when changes made sudo systemctl enable unichain-op-geth.service #enable unichain-op-geth service at system startup sudo systemctl start unichain-op-geth.service #start unichain-op-geth sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/unichain-op-geth.service #make changes in unichain-op-geth.service file ``` #### Start op-node {% hint style="info" %} Once you've started `op-geth`, you can start `op-node`. `op-node` will connect to `op-geth` and begin synchronizing the Mode network. `op-node` will begin sending block payloads to `op-geth` when it derives enough blocks from Ethereum {% endhint %} ```bash sudo systemctl daemon-reload #refresh systemd configuration when changes made sudo systemctl enable unichain-op-node.service #enable unichain-op-node service at system startup sudo systemctl start unichain-op-node.service #start unichain-op-node sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/unichain-op-node.service #make changes in unichain-op-node.service file ``` ### Monitor the logs for errors ```bash sudo journalctl -fu unichain-op-node.service #follow logs of unichain-op-node.service sudo journalctl -fu unichain-op-geth.service #follow logs of unichain-op-geth.service ``` You are expected to get following log messages from `op-node` {% code overflow="wrap" %} ```log Aug 15 13:05:58 Dawon op-node[3778198]: t=2025-08-15T13:05:58+0200 lvl=info msg="Optimistically queueing unsafe L2 execution payload" id=0x23309a24f044324a8af64eaaa823c04c9c8bc3e17826073adc62639aa7f03e8c:24507584 Aug 15 13:05:58 Dawon op-node[3778198]: t=2025-08-15T13:05:58+0200 lvl=info msg="Inserted new L2 unsafe block (synchronous)" hash=0x23309a24f044324a8af64eaaa823c04c9c8bc3e17826073adc62639aa7f03e8c number=24507584 newpayload_time=12.952ms fcu2_time=1.140ms total_time=14.093ms mgas=6.736009 mgasps=477.94030990442695 Aug 15 13:05:58 Dawon op-node[3778198]: t=2025-08-15T13:05:58+0200 lvl=info msg="Sync progress" reason="new chain head block" l2_finalized=0x7595a2fe9f3f2bb1ed9dc51ac704acff353f190b38ebf9ec3c5a1a3d037c6ba7:24465143 l2_safe=0x7595a2fe9f3f2bb1ed9dc51ac704acff353f190b38ebf9ec3c5a1a3d037c6ba7:24465143 l2_pending_safe=0x7595a2fe9f3f2bb1ed9dc51ac704acff353f190b38ebf9ec3c5a1a3d037c6ba7:24465143 l2_unsafe=0x23309a24f044324a8af64eaaa823c04c9c8bc3e17826073adc62639aa7f03e8c:24507584 l2_backup_unsafe=0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000:0 l2_time=1755255943 Aug 15 13:05:58 Dawon op-node[3778198]: t=2025-08-15T13:05:58+0200 lvl=info msg="successfully processed payload" ref=0x23309a24f044324a8af64eaaa823c04c9c8bc3e17826073adc62639aa7f03e8c:24507584 txs=12 ``` {% endcode %} The expected log messages from `op-geth:` ```log Aug 15 14:49:52 Dawon geth[3778023]: t=2025-08-15T14:49:52+0200 lvl=info msg="Imported new potential chain segment" number=24513817 hash=0x09a4bb509b2dec55d9d836f898c97e0231df024af5ebaf261ef6a309ced179d4 blocks=1 txs=9 mgas=1.306784 elapsed=9.150ms mgasps=142.81143064971036 snapdiffs="1.62 MiB" triedirty="0.00 B" Aug 15 14:49:52 Dawon geth[3778023]: t=2025-08-15T14:49:52+0200 lvl=info msg="Chain head was updated" number=24513817 hash=0x09a4bb509b2dec55d9d836f898c97e0231df024af5ebaf261ef6a309ced179d4 root=0x1189a2de7dc35f1e11d7e9e95b5fd202d36406bd49fa2e685b965ec0e1aec12c elapsed=331.435µs Aug 15 14:49:52 Dawon geth[3778023]: t=2025-08-15T14:49:52+0200 lvl=info msg="Imported new potential chain segment" number=24513818 hash=0x236968614141c40e8983b3513fdf00c3cc1c948fa98d778ea01e15836a47a7ea blocks=1 txs=9 mgas=1.1686 elapsed=6.441ms mgasps=181.41939954929248 snapdiffs="1.62 MiB" triedirty="0.00 B" ``` ### Run *`curl`* command in the terminal to check the status of your node ```bash curl -H "Content-type: application/json" -X POST --data '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"eth_syncing","params":[],"id":1}' http://localhost:3545 ``` If it returns `false` then your node is fully synchronized with the network #### Sync speed depends on your L1 node, as the majority of the chain is derived from data submitted to the L1. #### You can check your syncing status using the `optimism_syncStatus` RPC on the `op-node` ```bash command -v jq &> /dev/null || { echo "jq is not installed" 1>&2 ; } echo Latest synced block behind by: \ $((($( date +%s )-\ $( curl -s -d '{"id":0,"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"optimism_syncStatus"}' -H "Content-Type: application/json" http://localhost:6545 | jq -r .result.unsafe_l2.timestamp))/60)) minutes ``` ## References {% embed url="" %} {% embed url="" %} {% embed url="" %}