FAQ

Basics

Which operating system is recommended?

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.

Which node should I run to participate in consensus?

Run a Provisioner node.

Which ports does Dusk use?

• 9000/udp: Kadcast (required).
• 8080/tcp: HTTP API (optional, but required if you want to query the node / expose RUES).

You can run on non-default ports as long as you configure them and allow inbound traffic.

How do I know if my node is on the correct chain?

Run ruskquery info and check the chain ID.

How many blocks are there in one epoch?

2160 blocks.

Can I run a node without staking?

Yes. You can run a node for syncing, propagation, and APIs without staking, but it will not participate in consensus or earn rewards.

Staking

What is the minimum amount of DUSK I must stake?

1000 DUSK.

When does my stake become active?

At the epoch boundary after the next one, between roughly 1 and 2 epochs after the staking transaction. Check stake active from block with rusk-wallet stake-info. See Staking on Dusk.

How do I increase stake or compound rewards?

See /learn/guides/staking-basics#adding-to-an-existing-stake.

Keys and Recovery

Are my keys secure on a server/VPS?

Wallet data is stored encrypted at rest, but you should still treat the node as a hot environment:

• Keep your mnemonic backed up offline.
• Consider using a separate owner key (rusk-wallet stake --owner ...) so the consensus key cannot unstake/withdraw.
• Restrict access (firewall, SSH keys only, minimal users, patching).

Can I store keys separately from the machine running the node?

Yes. The node only needs the consensus key file (consensus.keys). Export it from a wallet instance and copy it to the node. See /operator/guides/node-wallet-setup#export-consensus-key.

Example (adjust user/IP):

scp consensus.keys duskadmin@<node-ip>:~/consensus.keys
ssh duskadmin@<node-ip> \
  'sudo install -o root -g dusk -m 640 ~/consensus.keys /opt/dusk/conf/consensus.keys && rm -f ~/consensus.keys'

What if I lose access to my server or keys?

If you still have your mnemonic, you can restore the wallet on a new machine, re-export consensus.keys, and continue. You do not need to stake again.

Common Tasks

How can I stake 3000 DUSK?

rusk-wallet stake --amt 3000

How can I recover my node if the state is corrupted?

For a default mainnet or testnet node, reload from a snapshot and restart:

sudo download_state
sudo systemctl start rusk

For an archive node that requires complete history, follow the archive-specific re-sync guidance.

How can I run a Dusk node on Docker?

We don’t support a production-ready Docker image. For ephemeral (non-persistent) usage:

docker run -p 9000:9000/udp -p 8080:8080/tcp dusknetwork/node

How do I configure Kadcast to use a port other than 9000/udp?

If you’re using the node installer, set overrides in /opt/dusk/services/rusk.conf.user:

KADCAST_PUBLIC_ADDRESS=<MY_WAN_IPV4>:<NEW_PORT>
# Optional (common behind NAT)
KADCAST_LISTEN_ADDRESS=<MY_LAN_IPV4>:<NEW_PORT>

Without the node installer, configure rusk.toml:

[kadcast]
public_address = "<MY_WAN_IPV4>:<NEW_PORT>"
listen_address = "<MY_LAN_IPV4>:<NEW_PORT>" # Optional

Retain the bootstrapping nodes supplied for the selected network.

How do I change the HTTP API port?

In rusk.toml:

[http]
listen = true
listen_address = "127.0.0.1:8081"

The installer regenerates rusk.toml during upgrades, so review and reapply this setting afterward. Bind an external interface only when required, and restrict public API traffic.

How can I get data from testnet or mainnet nodes?

See /developer/integrations/http-api and /developer/integrations/historical_events.

How can I perform a liveness check on my node?

• ruskquery block-height (should increase over time)
• ruskquery peers
• systemctl is-active rusk
• ruskquery info

See Maintain and monitor a node for network-tip comparison, resources, logs, and alerts.