Getting Started
For those who prefer a visual guide, we have prepared installation videos to assist you. The videos will help you to set up the Space Acres Recommended farming application in under 10 minutes. Please follow the installation videos to use SubWallet to create a compatible Substrate account and refer to the detailed guide on downloading and configuring Autonomys' farming application, Space Acres.
Choosing Your Farming Method
Before reviewing system requirements, it's important to choose the right farming method for your needs. Autonomys offers two primary options for farming: Space Acres (GUI) and the CLI.
Space Acres Recommended
Space Acres is a user-friendly, multi-platform GUI application that simplifies getting started with farming. Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, it offers the most common set of configuration options in an intuitive visual interface, making it perfect for beginners and most farming scenarios across all major operating systems.
Why choose Space Acres:
- Multi-platform support: Native applications for Windows, macOS, and Linux
- Beginner-friendly: Visual setup wizard guides you through the entire process
- Simplified configuration: Most common farming options available through easy-to-use interface
- Real-time monitoring: Visual dashboard shows farming progress, sector status, and rewards
- Automatic updates: Built-in update mechanism keeps your farming software current
- Error handling: Clear error messages and troubleshooting guidance
- No command line knowledge required: Everything managed through the graphical interface
Perfect for:
- First-time farmers getting started with the Autonomys Network
- Users who prefer visual interfaces over command-line tools
- Standard farming setups with typical configuration requirements
- Anyone wanting a "set it and forget it" farming experience
CLI
The CLI is designed for users seeking additional configuration options, advanced setups, or specialized farming scenarios.
Why choose CLI:
- Advanced configuration: Access to all available farming parameters and fine-tuning options
- Multiple farms with single node: Efficiently manage multiple farm locations from one node instance
- Farming clusters: Support for large to massive farming operations with distributed architecture
- Automation & scripting: Easy integration with automation tools and custom scripts
- Resource optimization: Granular control over system resource allocation
- Headless operation: Run on servers without graphical interfaces
Perfect for:
- Experienced users comfortable with command-line interfaces
- Users needing specific configuration parameters not available in Space Acres
- Farming clusters and enterprise deployments with distributed components (node, controller, cache, plotter, farmer) across multiple servers to optimize load distribution and accelerate plotting
- Automation and integration with existing infrastructure
- Headless server environments
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Space Acres | CLI |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | Beginner-friendly | Requires command-line knowledge |
| Setup Time | Quick visual setup | Manual configuration |
| Configuration Options | Most common options | All available options |
| Multiple Farms | Not supported | Full multi-farm support |
| Scale Support | Small to medium farms | All scales including clusters |
| Monitoring | Visual dashboard | Log-based monitoring |
| Resource Control | Not configurable | Granular optimization |
Getting Started:
- Space Acres Installation Guide - Step-by-step visual setup
- CLI Installation Guide - Command-line setup instructions
Operating System
| Application | Ubuntu | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLI | 22.04 | 11 | 14 (Sonoma) |
| Space Acres | 24.04 | 11 | 14 (Sonoma) |
* Note that these are the officially supported minimum versions. For example, Windows 10 will not be officially supported but is likely to work. The team will not prioritize supporting issues that are only present on Windows 10.
Hardware
| Hardware | CPU | RAM | Node Storage | Farm Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum ¹ | 4 Cores+ | 8GB | 100GiB ² | 100GiB |
| Recommended | Intel Core i7-6700 or equivalent | 16GB+ | 256GB | ³ |
¹ Nodes that meet minimum requirements should be able to farm and sync with the network under normal conditions. However, performance may decline during periods of heavy network load, such as when blocks are filled with numerous transactions.
² While 100GiB is sufficient for running a farming node, a domain node will require more than 100GiB of storage.
³ Storage contribution impacts block and vote rewards on the Autonomys Network. More farmed sectors will lead to faster and more frequent rewards. You can start with as little as 100GiB, but allocating more will maximize your reward potential.
Operating a node and farmer can be data intensive. It is advisable to have a stable and unlimited internet connection.
Reference Hardware
Our benchmarking tests were performed using the Intel Core i7-6700 CPU. We calibrated the transaction weights to ensure that a full block does not contain more transactions than this CPU can handle within the 2-second block execution time limit. This guarantees that nodes with hardware equivalent to or better than the Intel Core i7-6700 can process blocks at full capacity without performance issues.
While farmers using hardware below this specification may function effectively under most conditions, they could face challenges during peak network activity. If blocks consistently fill with transactions, nodes with lower specifications might struggle to keep pace, which could impact farming performance and rewards.
You can see detailed machine information used for the reference hardware.
Storage
Hard disk drives are not supported. The use of smart caching, tiered storage, RAID, or other acceleration methods will not be effective due to the significant random read IOPS required for the proving process.
SSD storage is required. High end models are not necessary and a mid range SSD from a reputable manufacturer with adequate endurance should be sufficient. Be cautious with lesser known brands as they may face issues with maintaining consistent read performance. You can also use NVMe SSDs but this is not required.
File Systems (Linux)
Linux systems may have a default file descriptor limit, which can vary based on distribution. Exceeding this limit could cause errors. For detailed information, visit our Tips & Tricks guide.
- ext4
- XFS
- CoW
- RAID
- SWAP
This file system maximizes usable space for the farmer.
sudo mkfs.ext4 -m 0 -T largefile4 -C 16384 -O bigalloc /dev/sdX
Resizing a farm when the drive is nearly full (98% or more) will render the farm unfarmable unless sufficient additional space is freed up through other means. Full disk utilization can only be achieved during the farm's initial creation and will yield less usable space compared to ext4.
Copy-on-Write file systems (ReFS, BTRFS, ZFS, bcachefs, HAMMER) are not recommended due to increased latency and reduced write speeds associated with managing unnecessary data copies.
sudo chattr +C /path/to/farm
The farmer employs checksums for data integrity and can recover from corrupted blocks. Striping provides no benefits and increases the risk of requiring replotting across multiple drives instead of just one.
Only necessary if your system has limited RAM.
Blockchain Insights
Explore the Autonomys Network in depth with our variety of telemetry tools and block explorers. Whether you're monitoring network activity or exploring blockchain data, these resources provide comprehensive insights into the network's performance and transactions.
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Telemetry Server: Get real-time insights into network activity and performance metrics. Ideal for monitoring the overall health and status of the Autonomys Network.
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Subscan Block Explorer: Our primary tool for viewing blocks, transactions, and network activity on the Autonomys Network. Subscan is known for its user-friendly interface and additional data analytics features.
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Polkadot.js Block Explorer: For users familiar with the Polkadot ecosystem, this explorer offers a seamless experience for exploring the Autonomys Network using the Polkadot.js interface.
Dependencies
If you face an error where the node outputs nothing and no error code is given it is likely you just need to install the latest Visual C++ Redistributable package here
Networking
For detailed information on network configurations, including port forwarding requirements and firewall settings, please refer to our Port Forwarding & Firewall guide.
Security Considerations
For detailed information, visit our Safety and Security guide.
Ensure your system is regularly updated, configure port forwarding, set up your firewall, and follow best practices for network safety. For comprehensive security guidelines, please refer to our Safety and Security guide.
Wallet
For detailed information, visit our SubWallet or Polkadot.JS guide.
Before you begin, make sure you have a wallet to receive rewards. We recommend using SubWallet, but PolkadotJS is also available. Install one of these wallets as a browser extension and create a new account. Your account address will be required during the setup process.