fiftysix/reth repository overview

⁠Fiftysix Reth Docker Image

Maintainer: [email protected]⁠

⁠Overview

This Docker image provides a fully functional Reth client built using the Fiftysix base image. Reth (short for "Rust Ethereum") is an Ethereum execution engine maintained by Paradigm that processes transactions, executes smart contracts, and maintains the Ethereum state — it's also the execution client Base's own node image is built on. It is ideal for developers, blockchain enthusiasts, and institutions looking to participate in the Ethereum network. The code can be viewed on the Fiftysix Github⁠.

⁠Tags

• latest: Points to the latest version of Reth.
• <version>: Points to a specific version of Reth. For example, 2.6.0.

⁠What is Reth?

Reth is an Ethereum execution client implemented in Rust, built and maintained by Paradigm. It operates as an execution engine in Ethereum's Proof of Stake (PoS) network, handling transaction processing, smart contract execution, and maintaining the state of the Ethereum blockchain. Following the merge⁠, Reth works in tandem with Ethereum consensus clients to manage the blockchain's consensus mechanism.

⁠Usage

⁠Prerequisites

To run Reth effectively as an execution engine, you'll need a system with sufficient storage and memory to handle the Ethereum blockchain. Reth is designed to work alongside Ethereum consensus clients, such as Lighthouse, Prysm, Teku, Lodestar, and Nimbus, to form a complete Ethereum node.

⁠Basic Usage

To run a Reth node:

docker pull fiftysix/reth
docker run --name reth -d fiftysix/reth

This command will start the Reth container, exposing the default RPC and P2P ports.

Note: Reth requires an Ethereum consensus client alongside, such as Lighthouse, Prysm, Teku, Lodestar, or Nimbus, to properly sync. Example Reth compose files can be found here⁠.

⁠Directory Structure

In this Docker image, the following directories are used:

• Data Directory (/node/reth/data): This is where Reth stores the Ethereum blockchain data and other related files, including the shared jwt.hex secret used to authenticate with a paired consensus client. This directory is specified in the Dockerfile and should be mounted if you want to persist data across container restarts.
• Scripts Directory (/node/reth/scripts): This directory contains the entrypoint script (reth-entrypoint.sh) and any other scripts that may be needed for starting or managing Reth.

⁠Mounting Directories

You can mount host directories to the container's data and scripts directories to customize the behavior of the Reth software.

Mounting the Data Directory: To persist Reth data across container restarts, you can mount a host directory to the container's data directory:

docker run --name reth -v /path/to/local/data:/node/reth/data -d fiftysix/reth

This command mounts the /path/to/local/data directory on your host to /node/reth/data in the container, ensuring that blockchain data is preserved between container instances.

Mounting the Scripts Directory: If you have custom scripts you want to include, you can mount them to the scripts directory. For example, to replace the entrypoint script:

docker run --name reth -v /path/to/local/scripts:/node/reth/scripts -d fiftysix/reth

This command mounts your local scripts directory to /node/reth/scripts in the container, allowing you to customize the startup behavior.

⁠Logging Reth

docker logs reth --tail 100

⁠Using Reth

⁠Starting Reth with Custom Options

To start Reth with custom options, such as specifying network parameters, you can pass additional flags to the reth node command:

docker run --name reth -d \
  -p 8545:8545 -p 8546:8546 -p 8551:8551 -p 30303:30303 -p 30303:30303/udp \
  fiftysix/reth \
  node --chain mainnet --http --http.addr "0.0.0.0" --http.port 8545 --ws --ws.addr "0.0.0.0" --ws.port 8546

This command starts Reth with HTTP and WS RPC enabled, listening on ports 8545 and 8546, and connected to the Ethereum mainnet.

⁠Exposing Ports

The following ports are commonly used by Reth and are exposed in this Docker image:

• 8545: HTTP-RPC server
• 8546: WebSocket-RPC server
• 8551: Engine API server (used for communication between the execution engine and consensus client)
• 30303: P2P communication (TCP and UDP)

⁠Docker Compose

Reth can also be run using Docker Compose. Various Docker Compose files are available to run Reth as the execution engine alongside different Ethereum consensus clients, such as Lighthouse, Prysm, Teku, Lodestar, and Nimbus. These setups enable a complete Ethereum node configuration, with Reth handling execution and the chosen client managing consensus. Examples of these Docker Compose files can be found on the Fiftysix Github⁠.

⁠Support

For support, please contact [email protected]⁠.

⁠About Fiftysix

Fiftysix is committed to making blockchain technology accessible, efficient, and reliable through robust decentralization. Learn more at fiftysix.tech⁠.