Overview

This quick start section will help you install Raiden and run a Raiden node on the Ethereum mainnet using the Raiden Wizard. We will walk through the steps to:

Note

If you want to try out Raiden on a testnet before running it on mainnet, the Quick start on Görli page will help you.

Prerequisites

In order to use the Raiden Wizard and Raiden you’ll need:

  • A computer running Linux or macOS

  • MetaMask and an account with at least 0.13 ETH (optional)

  • An Infura ID

Get MetaMask (optional)

Instead of using MetaMask you can buy ETH directly in the Raiden Wizard via fiat money.

Install MetaMask

MetaMask is an in-browser Ethereum wallet. It allows us to send and sign transactions on the Ethereum blockchain.

To install MetaMask:

  1. Visit the MetaMask website.

  2. Follow the instructions to add MetaMask as a browser extension.

  3. Restart your browser. You should now see the MetaMask icon in the top right corner of your browser.

Create an Ethereum account

With the newly installed MetaMask extension click the icon in your browser. This will open up MetaMask with a setup guide for creating a new account (wallet).

After following the instructions you should see a screen with information about your newly created Ethereum account.

../../_images/metamask_welcome.png

Get an Infura ID

Note

Why do I need Infura?

The Raiden Wizard aims to make installing Raiden as easy as possible. By using Infura you don’t have to worry about layer 1, that is running your own synced Ethereum node. You can simply access all testnets and the Ethereum mainnet through the API endpoints provided by Infura.

To get an Infura project ID:

  1. Visit infura.io and sign up for a new account.

  2. Create a new project.

  3. View your project and you’ll find the project ID under the KEYS tab.

How to get an Infura project ID

How to get an Infura project ID

Download and run the Raiden Wizard

Download the Raiden Wizard

Download the Raiden Wizard for:

  • MacOS

  • Linux

Run the Raiden Wizard

Warning

You need an internet connection to run the Raiden Wizard. The Wizard will launch in your default browser.

The setup process can take up to five minutes, make sure not to close the browser.

  1. Extract and click the raiden_wizard program to run the installer.

  2. Your web browser should open a new window with the Raiden Wizard. If not, you can manually type http://localhost:1994 to access the Wizard.

The installation steps of the Raiden Wizard will let you:

  • Create a new Ethereum Account (the “Raiden Account”) specifically for using with the Wizard.

  • Fund this new Raiden Account with ETH, either from your MetaMask account or by buying ETH via fiat money.

  • Acquire RDN tokens for using the pathfinding and monitoring services.

  • Acquire DAI tokens for making payments in the Raiden Network.

../../_images/raiden_wizard.gif

When you have finished the steps of the Wizard, you can LAUNCH Raiden and start interacting with the Raiden Webinterface.

Handle Limitations

Internal Server Error

The Raiden Wizard will display an Internal Server Error if an invalid project ID is provided. To solve this you have to manually delete the configuration file that got created.

Stop Raiden from running

The Wizard does not provide a way of shutting down the Raiden node. You have to cancel the process to stop Raiden.

MacOS: Use the activity monitor for cancelling Raiden.

Linux: Use any Linux process manager for stopping Raiden.

Delete configuration files

You might want to delete configuration files if the wizard is taking a long time to start or if an invalid project ID has been provided and the wizard won’t start at all.

Navigate to the following folder:

MacOS: /Users/<username>/.local/share/raiden/
Linux: /home/<username>/.local/share/raiden/

Delete desired .toml file/files.

Need help?

If you run into problems or discover bugs, you can: