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🔴ARCHIVED(2025)
Obsolete, kept for reference
Project Shutdown

Pipe Network has discontinued operations. This guide is archived for historical reference only. Do not attempt to set up new nodes - the network infrastructure is no longer maintained.

🔥 Pipe Network Firestarter - Manual Installation

Node briefing

Pipe Network Firestarter

Pipe Network is building a decentralized CDN on Solana that redefines data delivery with faster bandwidth, lower latency, and quantum-resistant encryption. The Firestarter node enables participation in decentralized file storage, upload/download operations, and public link sharing.

NetworkSolana DevNet
Setup time30-45 minutes
Difficulty🟡 Medium

System checklist

CPU
2 vCPU cores (4+ recommended)
RAM
4GB RAM (8GB recommended)
Storage
20GB free space (50GB+ recommended)
Network
Stable internet connection (100Mbps+ preferred)
OS
Ubuntu 20.04+ (or any Linux with package manager)

Launch prerequisites

  • Root or sudo access to the system
  • Basic command line knowledge
  • Solana DevNet address for token faucet
  • Discord account for community roles

Key features

  • Decentralized file storage with hyperlocal distribution
  • Quantum-resistant encryption for future-proof security
  • Public link generation for easy file sharing
  • Token economics with PIPE tokens on Solana DevNet
  • Educational installation process for technical learning

🎯 Why Manual Installation?​

This guide teaches you the complete process step-by-step, helping you:

  • Understand each component and its purpose
  • Troubleshoot issues with full knowledge of the system
  • Customize settings for your specific needs
  • Learn decentralized storage architecture hands-on

🚀 Quick Start (For Experienced Users)​

# One-command installation
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/karine001/Firestarter-pipe-storage/main/scripts/install.sh | sudo bash

For detailed understanding, follow the manual installation below.

💫 Step 1: System Preparation​

Update Your System​

# Update package lists and upgrade system
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Install essential dependencies
sudo apt install -y curl wget git build-essential pkg-config libssl-dev htop screen unzip ca-certificates jq

✅ Verify System Requirements​

# Check CPU cores (should show 2+)
nproc

# Check available RAM (should show 4GB+)
free -h

# Check free disk space (should show 20GB+)
df -h /

💫 Step 2: Create Dedicated User Account​

Why a Dedicated User?​

  • Security isolation - separates node from your main account
  • Permission control - limited access scope
  • Easier management - all files in one location

Create the User​

# Create firestarter user with home directory
sudo useradd -m -s /bin/bash firestarter

# Add to sudo group (for installation only)
sudo usermod -aG sudo firestarter

# Switch to the new user
sudo su - firestarter

You should now see: firestarter@your-server:~$

💫 Step 3: Install Rust Programming Language​

Why Rust?​

Pipe Network CLI is written in Rust and must be compiled from source for security and compatibility.

Installation Commands​

# Download and install Rust
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

# When prompted, choose option 1 (default installation)
# Press Enter to proceed

# Load Rust environment
source ~/.cargo/env

# Update to latest version
rustup update

✅ Verify Installation​

# Check Rust version
rustc --version

# Check Cargo (package manager) version  
cargo --version

Both commands should return version information.

💫 Step 4: Download and Compile Pipe Network CLI​

Clone the Official Repository​

# Clone from GitHub
git clone https://github.com/PipeNetwork/pipe.git

# Enter the directory
cd pipe

# Verify you have the source code
ls -la

Compile from Source​

# Compile and install the CLI (this takes 5-10 minutes)
cargo install --path .

# The binary will be installed to ~/.cargo/bin/pipe

✅ Verify Installation​

# Test the pipe command
~/.cargo/bin/pipe --version

# Should display version information

💫 Step 5: Environment Configuration​

Configure Shell Environment​

# Add Cargo to PATH permanently
echo '' >> ~/.bashrc
echo '# Pipe Network Environment' >> ~/.bashrc
echo 'source $HOME/.cargo/env' >> ~/.bashrc
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.cargo/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc

# Reload configuration
source ~/.bashrc

# Test pipe command (should work without full path now)
pipe --version

💫 Step 6: Create Your Pipe Network Account​

Initialize Account​

# Create new user account
pipe new-user

When prompted:

  • Enter username: Choose something memorable (e.g., "your-name-firestarter")
  • Confirm creation: Press Enter

This creates ~/.pipe-cli.json containing your account credentials.

✅ Verify Account Creation​

# Check your account information
pipe check-token

Expected output:

Token Balance for user: [your-user-id]
Pubkey: [your-solana-address]
Mint: 35mhJor7qTD212YXdLkB8sRzTbaYRXmTzHTCFSDP5voJ
Amount: 0

📋 Copy your Pubkey address - you'll need it for the next step.

💫 Step 7: Fund Your Wallet with DevNet SOL​

Why DevNet SOL?​

  • Completely free - no real money required
  • Testing network - safe environment to learn
  • Required for operations - pays for network transactions

Get Free Tokens​

  1. Visit the Solana DevNet Faucet: https://faucet.solana.com/
  2. Paste your Pubkey (from Step 6)
  3. Request 1-2 SOL DevNet (click the button)
  4. Wait 30-60 seconds for confirmation

✅ Verify Funding​

# Check your balance
pipe check-token

# Should now show SOL balance > 0

💫 Step 8: Convert SOL to PIPE Tokens​

Why PIPE Tokens?​

PIPE tokens are used to pay for storage operations on the network. Costs are extremely low - perfect for learning and testing.

Perform the Swap​

# Swap 0.1 SOL for PIPE tokens  
pipe swap-sol-for-pipe 0.1

Expected output:

Swap SOL -> PIPE complete!
SOL spent: 0.1
PIPE minted: 1

✅ Verify Token Balance​

# Check your new PIPE balance
pipe check-token

# Should show PIPE token amount > 0

🎯 Step 9: Test Your Installation​

Create Test File​

# Create a simple test file
echo "Hello from my Pipe Firestarter node! $(date)" > test.txt

Upload Test​

# Upload your first file
pipe upload-file test.txt my-first-upload

Expected output:

File uploaded successfully: my-first-upload
💰 Cost: 0.000000069 PIPE tokens
# Make your file publicly accessible
pipe create-public-link my-first-upload

You'll receive a public URL that anyone can use to download your file.

✅ Verify Success​

If you see successful upload and public link creation, your Firestarter node is working perfectly! 🎉

🔧 Essential Operations Guide​

File Upload Operations​

# Simple file upload
pipe upload-file document.pdf my-document

# Encrypted file upload
pipe upload-file sensitive.txt secure-file --encrypt
# You'll be prompted for an encryption password

# Directory upload
pipe upload-directory /path/to/folder

Download Operations​

# Download file
pipe download-file my-document downloaded.pdf

# Download and decrypt
pipe download-file secure-file decrypted.txt --decrypt
# Enter the decryption password when prompted

Advanced Features​

# Get file information
pipe file-info my-document

# List your account info
pipe check-token

# Create encryption keys
pipe key-gen --name my-key --algorithm aes256

💰 Token Economics Understanding​

Real Costs​

File TypeSizePIPE CostReal World Example
Text file1KB~0.000000069Simple note, config file
Photo5MB~0.005Phone camera photo
Document10MB~0.01PDF presentation
Video100MB~0.1Short video clip

Token Management​

# Check current balance
pipe check-token

# View usage breakdown
pipe token-usage

# Get more tokens if needed
pipe swap-sol-for-pipe 0.1

💡 Important: 1 PIPE token enables approximately 1000 small file uploads.

🚨 Troubleshooting Common Issues​

"pipe: command not found"​

# Load Rust environment
source ~/.cargo/env

# Make permanent (add to ~/.bashrc)
echo 'source $HOME/.cargo/env' >> ~/.bashrc

"Insufficient tokens"​

# Get more SOL from faucet: https://faucet.solana.com/
# Then swap for PIPE tokens
pipe swap-sol-for-pipe 0.1

Compilation Errors​

# Update system packages
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Reinstall build dependencies
sudo apt install -y build-essential pkg-config libssl-dev

# Update Rust toolchain
rustup update

# Clean and rebuild
cd ~/pipe
cargo clean
cargo install --path . --force

Network Connectivity Issues​

# Test basic connectivity
ping api.devnet.solana.com

# Test Pipe Network endpoints
curl -s https://us-west-00-firestarter.pipenetwork.com/health

# Check firewall settings
sudo ufw status

🎯 Next Steps​

Discord Community Role​

Now that your Firestarter node is operational, you can pursue the Firestarter Discord role. This involves:

  1. Completing various operations (upload, encrypt, public links)
  2. Creating verification content for the community
  3. Submitting proof in the Discord verification channel

Advanced Operations​

  • Automation scripts for batch operations
  • Performance optimization for your server
  • Integration with other blockchain infrastructure
  • Community contributions and content creation

🛡️ Security Best Practices​

Protect Your Configuration​

# Set proper file permissions
chmod 600 ~/.pipe-cli.json

# Create encrypted backup
gpg -c ~/.pipe-cli.json

Regular Maintenance​

# Update Rust toolchain monthly
rustup update

# Monitor token balance
pipe check-token

# Clean old logs periodically
find ~ -name "*.log" -mtime +30 -delete

💬 Support and Community​

Getting Help​

Contribute to the Network​

  • Run your node consistently for network stability
  • Help newcomers in Discord channels
  • Share your experience on social media
  • Create educational content about decentralized storage

🎉 Congratulations! Your Pipe Network Firestarter node is now operational and ready to participate in the decentralized storage revolution.

This guide is maintained by TokioStack - Node Operations Made Easy

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