Freedom-Gemini (v4.0) is the next major release of the node software for the OriginTrail protocol. It will be released on the mainnet of the OriginTrail Decentralized Network (ODN) on December 26th, 2019.

In this blog post, you can find instructions on how to prepare for the Freedom-Gemini release if you are running a node on the ODN or if you are developing software based on the OriginTrail protocol.

How to Prepare for Freedom-Gemini as a Node Holder

If you are already running a node on the OriginTrail Vostok Mainnet, which is the current version of the OriginTrail Decentralized Network (ODN) mainnet, we made the update as easy as possible for you.

The hardware requirements for the Freedom-Gemini update will remain the same, so you don’t need to make any changes to your existing server’s configuration.

1) Backup Your Node

Before the new release goes live (December 26th), backup the key files and settings for your node. You can do that by running the following commands:

mkdir ~/Node_2_0_59_backup/ docker cp otnode:/ot-node/data/ ~/Node_2_0_59_backup/

2) Update Your Node

The update can be carried out both automatically and manually.

A: Auto-Update (Recommended)

If you have auto-update enabled on your node (set to true in the config file of your node under the autoUpdater settings), your node will be automatically updated within a couple of hours as the new software becomes available. You don’t need to perform any update operations, just be careful to check if your node is operational after the update is completed.

To verify that the update is complete, log in to your node and make sure that the latest version is 4.0.0, as written in the node logs. Additionally, you can try to access the node API, through an example route “https://your_node_ip_address:8900/api/latest/info.” A valid response will contain the following:

B: Manual (Advanced)

If you’re running your node locally and don’t use the auto-update function, here are the steps you should follow:

Update ArangoDB version to 3.5. You can find the steps on how to do this based on your operating system here.

Backup your node by saving the following files from your configuration folder:

kademlia.crt kademlia.key system.db erc725_identity.json

Download the latest code from the OriginTrail GitHub. You can do so by running the following commands:

git pull

git checkout release/mainnet

Edit the following variable in the .env file:

NODE_ENV=mainnet

Copy the files from step 4 to ot-node/.origintrail_noderc/mainnet/ folder (or the folder you’re using as the configDir when starting the node).

Run the following commands inside the ot-node project folder:

npm install

npm run setup

Start the node by running this command:

npm start

If you’re running your node inside a docker container you created using our guide, you can migrate to the new version by running the commands in this gist.

3) Use the New Houston App to Manage Your Node

A new version of Houston app will also be launched as a standalone web application, allowing you to connect to your node from your local computer.

Houston will now include functionalities that are currently enabled through the “node-profile” page, so you will be able to manage everything node-related from one place. The new Houston, which will continue to be an open-source app, will also introduce more control over the pricing of your jobs. You will be able to tune one factor that will adjust the price based on the file size and data life span. By default, the price that nodes set for their compensation will include an estimate of the token withdrawal cost.

Screens from the new Houston

How to Prepare as a Developer

If you are developing software based on the OriginTrail protocol or manage a Data Creator (DC) node, you should also start by backing up your node and updating it as soon as the update is ready according to the instructions from the previous section.

Furthermore, get familiar with new features of the protocol, which can now power an even wider set of use cases. The protocol now supports much larger files, while litigation and reputation mechanisms contribute to a more robust network. For more details, check out this blog post or explore the code on GitHub.

Please note that the new release introduces breaking changes in the data layer API. You can find all the resources for the new API on Swagger.

How to Prepare as a TRAC Token Holder

In short, you don’t have to do anything.

There is no token swap planned, and TRAC will remain an ERC-20 token. The ODN mainnet is not a blockchain, but a layer-2 decentralized network that utilizes TRAC as a means of compensation for the utility provided to the network. No action is required if you are holding TRAC tokens either in your own wallets or on an exchange.

Other Key Updates

Freedom-Gemini is an important update that ushers in a new stage for OriginTrail, a year after the mainnet was launched. It includes numerous new features, such as litigation, reputation, and parametric pricing, enabling more control over the ROI for your node.

The application process will be removed with the launch of Freedom-Gemini on December 26th, so new nodes will be immediately able to join the mainnet.

For more information about Freedom-Gemini features, read this blog post.

OriginTrail is an open-source project. For all node-related discussions, join the conversation on the OriginTrail Discord server. If you want to dive deeper into the tech, the core development team welcomes any feedback to requests for comments (RFCs) that are part of the documentation.