> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.krews.xyz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Installation

> Run an Aptos Public Fullnode (PFN) on mainnet or testnet using Docker or from source. This guide follows the official Aptos docs and keeps only the essential steps.

<Note>
  This guide installs a **Public Fullnode (PFN)**. Choose **mainnet** or **testnet** by downloading the matching genesis & waypoint files.
</Note>

## 1) Prerequisites

* Linux x86\_64
* Docker (for the Docker path) **or** Rust toolchain (for source build)
* 1TB+ SSD recommended for longevity; see official requirements page if needed.

## 2) Create a PFN working directory

```bash theme={null}
mkdir -p ~/aptos-pfn && cd ~/aptos-pfn
```

## 3) Download network files (genesis & waypoint)

**Mainnet**:

```bash theme={null}
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/aptos-labs/aptos-networks/main/mainnet/genesis.blob
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/aptos-labs/aptos-networks/main/mainnet/waypoint.txt
```

**Testnet** (use the matching paths under `aptos-networks/testnet/`):

```bash theme={null}
# Example (confirm the exact filenames in the repo):
# https://github.com/aptos-labs/aptos-networks/tree/main/testnet
```

## 4) Create a PFN config

Copy the template and edit paths:

```bash theme={null}
# If building from source, after cloning aptos-core:
# cp config/src/config/test_data/public_full_node.yaml fullnode.yaml

# Alternatively, create a minimal fullnode.yaml and set:
# base:
#   waypoint:
#     from_file: "./waypoint.txt"
#   data_dir: "/var/lib/aptos/data"  # choose your data dir
# execution:
#   genesis_file_location: "./genesis.blob"
```

***

## Path A — Run with Docker

### A1) Prepare a local config file

Place `fullnode.yaml` in `~/aptos-pfn` (as shown above).

### A2) Start the container

```bash theme={null}
docker pull aptoslabs/validator:mainnet

docker run -d --name aptos-pfn   -v $(pwd):/opt/aptos/etc   -p 8080:8080 -p 9101:9101   aptoslabs/validator:mainnet   aptos-node -f /opt/aptos/etc/fullnode.yaml
```

* `-p 8080:8080` exposes the REST API.
* `-p 9101:9101` exposes metrics.

You can swap the image tag to the **testnet** variant if running on testnet.

***

## Path B — Build and run from source

### B1) Clone and build

```bash theme={null}
git clone https://github.com/aptos-labs/aptos-core.git
cd aptos-core
git checkout --track origin/mainnet   # or 'testnet'
cargo build -p aptos-node --release
```

### B2) Copy config and run

```bash theme={null}
cp config/src/config/test_data/public_full_node.yaml ~/aptos-pfn/fullnode.yaml
cd ~/aptos-pfn

# Edit fullnode.yaml so:
# - base.data_dir points to your data dir
# - base.waypoint.from_file points to ./waypoint.txt
# - execution.genesis_file_location points to ./genesis.blob

# Start the node
cargo run -p aptos-node --release -- -f ./fullnode.yaml
```

***

## 5) Verify the node

Once running, check health:

```bash theme={null}
curl -s http://localhost:8080/v1 | jq
```

Or follow the **Verify PFN** guide from Aptos docs.