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❓ Help

General Questions​

What is EthPillar?

EthPillar is an open-source tool for managing Ethereum nodes and validators through a text-based user interface (TUI). It simplifies the process of running Ethereum nodes and participating in staking.

Cost: Is EthPillar free to use?

Yes, EthPillar is completely free and open-source software.

Technical Requirements​

What are the minimum system requirements?

For mainnet:

  • CPU: 4+ cores
  • RAM: 16GB minimum (32GB recommended)
  • Storage: 2TB NVMe SSD
  • OS: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS or compatible Linux distribution
  • Internet: Stable connection with minimum 20 Mbps

For Ephemery or Hoodi testnet:

  • CPU: 1+ cores
  • RAM: 4GB minimum
  • Storage: 30GB NVMe SSD
  • OS: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS or compatible Linux distribution
  • Internet: Stable connection with minimum 20 Mbps
Which operating systems are supported?

Currently, EthPillar officially supports Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. Other Linux Debian-based distributions may work but are not officially supported.

Installation & Setup​

How do I install EthPillar?

Use the following command in your terminal:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/coincashew/EthPillar/main/install.sh)"
How do I update EthPillar?

Upon opening EthPillar,

Navigate to System Administration > Update EthPillar and then quit and relaunch.

How do I uninstall EthPillar?

Go to EthPillar > System Administration > Uninstall node

From a terminal, clean up the remaining files

rm -rf ~/git/ethpillar
sudo rm /usr/local/bin/ethpillar
Migrate or Upgrade Staking Setup: How to switch to EthPillar from a V1 Staking setup or other staking tool

To migrate from a different staking setup, find your most applicable situation:

Cleanest and most problem-free option:

  • 1) Reformat Ubuntu Operating System
  • 2) Install EthPillar
  • 3) Import validator keys

Existing V1 Staking Setup: OGs and genesis stakers :saluting_face:

  • 1) Uninstall V1 Staking Setup
  • 2) Install EthPillar
  • 3) Import validator keys

Other staking automation tools or cloud hosted setups:

  • 1) Uninstall / cancel / existing tool or service provider
  • 2) Install EthPillar
  • 3) Import validator keys

✅ To avoid slashing penalties, ensure your validator keys are deleted from existing staking setups.

Can I access my node's RPC remotely?

Yes, but we recommend using SSH tunneling for security.

Example command: ssh <VPS OR NODE IP> -L 8545:localhost:8545

After adding your node's RPC connection to your wallet, your can send transactions using your own node!

Change Networks: How to switch between testnet and mainnet with EthPillar ?

To switch to mainnet, there are two recommended methods.

  • Cleanest and most problem-free option: Reformat Ubuntu OS and re-install EthPillar.
  • Use EthPillar: Navigate to System Administration > Change Network
How do I configure my BIOS to auto power on after power loss?

Actual steps vary depending on your computer's BIOS. General idea here: https://www.wintips.org/setup-computer-to-auto-power-on-after-power-outage/

Staking​

What's the minimum ETH required to stake?
  • 32 ETH for solo staking
  • 2.4 ETH minimum for Lido CSM staking
Exit Validator: How do I exit a validator?

If you already have VEMs created, skip to step 2.

Step 1: Navigate to EthPillar > Validator > Generate Voluntary Exit Message

Step 2: Broadcast Voluntary Exit Message

Add Validators: I already have validators running. I want to add one more validator. How do I do that?

Navigate to,

EthPillar > Validator Client > Generate / Import Validator Keys

From there you will pick 1 of 2 options.

  • Import validator keys from offline key generation or backup
  • Add new or regenerate existing validator keys from Secret Recovery Phrase
Node Types: What is a failover staking node?

Purpose: To provide high availability, you would run TWO (or more) failover staking nodes on separate machines. Point your validator client to your two failover staking nodes.

What: A failover staking node is made up of an execution client, consensus client and mevboost.

How to: To configure for nimbus validator client, edit your validator client configuration. https://nimbus.guide/validator-client-options.html#multiple-beacon-nodes

Exposing the consensus client RPC port will also be required. You will need to adjust your firewall to allow traffic from your validator client's IP address as well.

Benefit: Running multiple failover staking nodes (or beacon nodes as nimbus refers to it) would allow you to perform maintenance or have an outage on 1 failover staking node.

Withdrawal Address: Can I have different withdraw addresses per validator or only 1 per setup?

Different withdrawal addresses per validator are possible if you run the ./deposit tool separately for each validator.

Generating Keystores: Can I generate 10 validator keystores and activate them one by one at the launchpad?

You can but it would require manual editing as you'll need to change the deposit_data json.

Security​

Is my validator key safe?

Your validator keys are stored locally and encrypted. EthPillar never transmits your keys over the network.

Do I need to open ports on my firewall?

Yes, EthPillar requires specific ports for P2P connectivity:

  • TCP/UDP port 30303 for execution client
  • TCP/UDP port 9000 for consensus client

Go to > Security & Node Checks > UFW Firewall > Enable firewall with default settings

Troubleshooting​

What should I do if my node is not syncing?

Check the following:

  1. Network connectivity
  2. System resources (CPU, RAM, disk space) using Node Checker found under Security & Node Checks
  3. Client logs using Logs and Monitoring
  4. Port accessibility using Node Checker found under Security & Node Checks

Support​

Where can I get help?

You can:

  • Open an issue on GitHub
  • Join our Discord community
  • Check the documentation
How do I report bugs?

Please file an issue on our GitHub repository with:

  • EthPillar version
  • System information
  • Error messages
  • Steps to reproduce the issue

Monitoring​

How can I monitor my node's performance?

EthPillar includes:

  • Using Node Checker found under Security & Node Checks
  • Grafana Dashboarding using Logs and Monitoring
Can I access monitoring remotely?

Yes, you can configure remote access to Grafana dashboards, but we recommend using SSH tunneling for security. Example command: ssh <VPS OR NODE IP> -L 3000:localhost:3000

How do I exit and manage the Logs dashboard?

To exit, press Ctrl+B (at the same time), then D. This is a tmux command. For different layouts, press Ctrl+B, then <space bar> 😄