docs: testnet 5 documentation for Babylon validators

README.md

@@ -1,3 +1,36 @@
-# Networks
+# Babylon Networks
 
-This repository contains information about networks launched by Babylon Labs.
+Welcome to the Babylon Networks repository. This is your central hub 
+for network participation information, whether you're running a node, 
+operating as a validator, providing finality services, or participating 
+in the covenant committee.
+
+
+## Network Participants
+
+### Node Operators
+Run a Babylon node to participate in the network
+- [Node Setup Guide](babylon-node/README.md)
+
+### Validators
+Help secure the network by running a validator node and participating in consensus.
+- [Validator Setup Guide](babylon-validators/README.md)
+
+### Finality Providers
+Provide finality services for the Babylon network.
+- [Registration and Phase 2 Guide](https://github.com/babylonlabs-io/finality-provider/blob/sam/docs-fp/docs/finality-provider-phase2.md)
+- [Network Information](finality-providers/README.md)
+- [Finality Provider Registry](finality-providers/registry/) 
+- [Finality Provider Signatures](finality-providers/sigs/)
+<!-- add the registry and sigs in when we have it -->
+
+### Covenant Committee
+Information for the Babylon Bitcoin Covenant Committee.
+- [Committee Overview](covenant-committee/README.md)
+
+## Additional Resources
+- [Documentation](https://docs.babylonlabs.io)
+- [Discord Community](https://discord.gg/babylonchain)
+- [GitHub Repository](https://github.com/babylonlabs-io)
+
+<!-- update links when we have them -->

bbn-test-5/babylon-node/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,196 @@
+# Babylon Node Setup
+
+# Babylon Node Setup
+
+## Table of Contents
+
+1. [Install Babylon Binary](#install-babylon-binary)
+2. [Setup Node Home Directory and Configuration](#setup-your-node-home-directory-and-configuration)
+3. [Sync Node](#sync-node)
+4. [Monitoring Your Node](#monitoring-your-node)
+5. [Security Recommendations](#security-recommendations)
+6. [Next Steps](#next-steps)
+
+## Install Babylon Binary 
+
+1. Install [Golang 1.23](https://go.dev/dl)
+2. Verify installation:
+
+```shell
+go version
+```
+
+3. Clone and build Babylon:
+```shell
+git clone [email protected]:babylonlabs-io/babylon.git
+cd babylon
+git checkout bbn-test-5  
+make install
+```
+<!-- TODO: testnet tag to be defined -->
+This command does the following:
+- Builds the daemon
+- Compiles all the Go packages in the project
+- Installs the binary 
+- Makes the `babylond` command globally accessible from your terminal
+
+Now that the binary has been successfully installed, 
+let's check the available actions through the `babylond` command:
+
+```shell
+babylond
+Available Commands:
+  add-genesis-account Add a genesis account to genesis.json
+  collect-gentxs      Collect genesis txs and output a genesis.json file
+  comet               CometBFT subcommands
+  config              Utilities for managing application configuration
+  ...
+```
+
+If the `babylond` command isn't found, ensure `$GOPATH/bin` is in your shell's 
+`$PATH`. Add it with:
+
+ ```shell 
+ echo 'export PATH=$HOME/go/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.profile 
+ ```
+
+## Setup your node, home directory, and configuration
+
+Initialize your node and create the necessary configuration directory. 
+This command will generate several important configuration files 
+including `app.toml`, `client.toml`, and `genesis.json`:
+
+```shell
+babylond init <moniker> --chain-id bbn-test-5 --home <path>
+```
+
+The `<moniker>` is a unique identifier for your node (e.g. `node0`).
+The `--home` flag specifies the directory where your node files will be stored (e.g. `--home ./nodeDir`).
+
+After initialization, you'll need to modify the following configuration files:
+
+1. First, open `app.toml` and update these the following settings:
+
+```shell
+# Base configuration
+minimum-gas-prices = "0.005ubbn"
+iavl-cache-size = 0
+iavl-disable-fastnode=true
+
+[btc-config]
+
+# Configures which bitcoin network should be used for checkpointing
+# valid values are: [mainnet, testnet, simnet, signet, regtest]
+network = "signet" # The Babylon testnet connects to the signet Bitcoin network
+```
+
+Navigate to `config.toml`. Add in your seed, as shown below:
+
+```shell
+ #P2P Configuration Options    
+
+# Comma separated list of seed nodes to connect to
+seeds = "[email protected]:26656" # This is only an example of the testnet seed and should be replaced with the actual seed node.
+```
+Please head to [Nodes.Guru](https://nodes.guru) for the latest seed node.
+<!-- update with link to seed node when available -->
+
+Next, you'll need to obtain the network's genesis file. This file contains 
+the initial state of the blockchain and is crucial for successfully syncing 
+your node. You can get it from:
+
+1. The official Babylon Networks repository: [bbn-test-5](https://github.com/babylonlabs-io/networks/tree/main/bbn-test-5)
+
+2. Or download directly using these commands:
+
+```shell
+wget https://github.com/babylonlabs-io/networks/raw/main/bbn-test-5/genesis.tar.bz2 # TODO: update this file name if necessary
+tar -xjf genesis.tar.bz2 && rm genesis.tar.bz2
+mv genesis.json <path>/config/genesis.json #insert your --home <path>
+```
+
+>Note: Verify that the `chain-id` in the genesis file matches the one used in 
+your initialization command (`bbn-test-5`). This ensures your node connects 
+to the correct network.
+
+## Sync Node
+
+We are now ready to sync the node.
+
+```shell
+babylond start --chain-id bbn-test-5 --home <path> --x-crisis-skip-assert-invariants
+```
+
+Lets go through the flags of the above command:
+
+- `start`: This is the command to start the Babylon node.
+- `--chain-id`: Specifies the ID of the blockchain network you're connecting to.
+- `--home`: Sets the directory for the node's data and configuration files and 
+is dependant on where the files were generated for you from the initialization (e.g. `--home ./nodeDir`)
+
+### Options for Syncing
+<!-- TODO: update accordingly with the new sync method when available -->
+
+You have two options for syncing your node:
+
+1. **Sync through Network Peers**
+   - Use the seed node configuration mentioned earlier in `config.toml`
+   - Additional peers can be added under the `persistent_peers` setting
+   <!-- Add peer list when available -->
+
+2. **Sync from Snapshot**
+   - For faster syncing, you can use a snapshot instead of syncing from genesis
+   - Snapshots are periodic backups of the chain state
+   - Find available snapshots at: <!-- Add link when available -->
+
+>Note: Always verify snapshot sources and checksums before using them to ensure security.
+
+## Monitoring Your Node
+
+Your Babylon node exposes metrics through two Prometheus endpoints:
+- `Port 1317`: API metrics
+- `Port 26660`: CometBFT metrics
+
+To enable metric collection, modify your `app.toml`:
+```
+[telemetry]
+enabled = true
+prometheus-retention-time = 600 # 10 minutes
+[api]
+enable = true
+address = "0.0.0.0:1317"
+```
+
+Basic health monitoring should check:
+- Node synchronization status
+- Block height compared to network
+- Connected peers count
+- System resource usage (CPU, RAM, Disk)
+
+## Security Recommendations
+
+1. **Secure Key Management**
+   - Store keys in a separate, encrypted storage system
+   - Currently no secure keyring backend is supported for production use
+   - Offline backups
+
+2. **Network Security**
+   - Only expose necessary gRPC, REST, and CometBFT Endpoints in app.toml and config.toml
+   as seen [here](https://docs.cosmos.network/main/learn/advanced/grpc_rest)
+   - Configure rate limiting in your reverse proxy (nginx/caddy) for public endpoints
+   - Use SSL/TLS certificates when exposing endpoints externally
+
+3. **System Security**
+   - Keep the host system updated
+   - Monitor system logs for suspicious activity
+
+4. **Performance Considerations**
+   - The node handles approximately 2,500 RPS on the native Cosmos SDK RPC endpoints
+   - Monitor resource usage during peak periods
+   - Ensure adequate disk space for chain growth
+   - Set up alerts for resource thresholds
+
+## Next Steps
+
+For information about becoming a Finality Provider in the Babylon network, 
+see our [Finality Provider Guide](../babylon-validators/README.md).