Zen Testnet: Windows Install Guide

Pre-requisites

To ensure you will not run into any issues with running renterd it is recommended your system meets the following requirements:

Network Access: renterd needs a stable internet connection and open network access in order to store and retrieve data on Sia’s Zen Testnet.

Operating System Compatibility: renterd is only compatible with Windows 64bit systems.

Hardware Requirements: A stable setup that meets the following specifications is recommended. Not meeting these requirements may result in preventing slabs from uploading and can lead to a loss of data.

• A dual-core CPU
• 16GB of RAM
• An SSD with at least 128GB of free space.

⚠️ To ensure proper functionality, we are recommending 16GB RAM. This is because renterd will keep full slabs in memory when uploading. A full slab is 120MB, and a single upload may hold two or three slabs in memory. However, it is possible to run renterd with less RAM than this, and it may work fine depending on the use case.

Installing renterd

Press windows key + R to open the run dialog. Type in powershell and press OK to open a Terminal.

Once the Terminal loads, run the following command to download and install the latest testnet version of renterd.

wget https://sia.tech/downloads/latest/renterd_zen_windows_amd64.zip -OutFile "$HOME\Downloads\renterd_zen_windows_amd64.zip"; `
Expand-Archive "$HOME\Downloads\renterd_zen_windows_amd64.zip" -DestinationPath "$HOME\sia\renterd_zen"; `
Move-Item -Path "$HOME\sia\renterd_zen\bin\renterd.exe" -Destination "$HOME\sia\renterd_zen\renterd.exe"; `
Remove-Item -LiteralPath "$HOME\sia\renterd_zen\bin" -Force -Recurse

⚠️When you paste multi-line commands into PowerShell, you will be prompted with a warning. Make sure you have copied the entire command and click Paste anyway to proceed.

Click `Paste anyway` to proceed with install.

Installation of renterd completed successfully.

Creating a wallet

renterd uses BIP-39 12-word recovery phrases. To generate a new wallet recovery phrase, run the following command:

cd $HOME\sia\renterd_zen\; `
.\renterd.exe seed

A new 12-word recovery phrase will be generated. Make sure to store it in a safe place, as you will need this phrase to recover your wallet.

Under $HOME\sia\renterd_zen\bin create a new text document named renterd.yml.

New-Item -Path "$HOME\sia\renterd_zen" -Name "renterd.yml" -ItemType "file"; `
Start-Process "C:\WINDOWS\system32\notepad.exe" "$HOME\sia\renterd_zen\renterd.yml"

Once Notepad loads, enter the following and configure it as needed.

seed: your seed phrase goes here
http:
  password: your_api_password
autopilot:
  heartbeat: 5m
s3:
  enabled: true
  disableAuth: false
  address: "localhost:9885"
  keypairsV4:
    your_access_key: your_private_key

Make sure to add your wallet seed and create an API password. The recovery phrase is the 12-word seed phrase you generated in the previous step. Type it carefully, with one space between each word, or copy it from the previous step. The password is used to unlock the renterd web UI; it should be something secure and easy to remember.

⚠️ your_access_key can be anywhere from 16 to 128 characters long.
your_private_key must be exactly 40 characters long.

Save your renterd.yml configuration using ctrl+s and close Notepad.

Running renterd

Run the following command to start renterd.

cd $HOME\sia\renterd_zen; `
.\renterd.exe

You can now access the Zen Testnet using the renterd web UI by opening a browser and going to http://localhost:9880.

Enter the API password you created in your renterd.yml to unlock the renterd web UI.

✅ Congratulations, you have successfully set up renterd on the Zen Testnet. You can now move on to Configuring your renterd settings.