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Gensyn Node Installation

This guide will walk you through setting up your Gensyn RL Swarm node step by step. Don't worry if you're new to this - we'll explain everything!

System Requirements​

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

  • CPU: 4 cores (x86/arm64)
  • RAM: 32 GB
  • Storage: 50 GB SSD
  • Network: Stable internet connection

Recommended Requirements

  • CPU: 8 cores + GPU (RTX 3090/4090 or A100/H100)
  • RAM: 32 GB+
  • Storage: 100 GB SSD
  • Network: Stable internet connection

Prerequisites​

Before we start, make sure you have:

  • Operating System: Linux (Ubuntu 20.04+), macOS, or Windows with WSL2
  • Administrative Access: Sudo/root privileges for installation
  • Internet Connection: Stable connection for downloading and syncing
  • Email Address: Required for registration with Gensyn network

Installation Steps​

Step 1: Install Docker​

Docker is required to run the Gensyn node. Follow the instructions for your operating system:

For Ubuntu/Debian:​

# Update package index
sudo apt update

# Install required packages
sudo apt install apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl gnupg lsb-release

# Add Docker's official GPG key
curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg

# Add Docker repository
echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

# Install Docker
sudo apt update
sudo apt install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-compose-plugin

# Add your user to docker group
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

# Log out and back in, then test Docker
docker --version

For macOS:​

  1. Download Docker Desktop from docker.com
  2. Install and start Docker Desktop
  3. Verify installation: docker --version

For Windows:​

  1. Install WSL2 if not already installed
  2. Download Docker Desktop from docker.com
  3. Install with WSL2 backend enabled

Step 2: Configure Docker Memory​

Gensyn requires adequate memory allocation for Docker:

# Check current Docker memory limit
docker system info | grep -i memory

# For Linux, ensure Docker has access to system memory
# For Docker Desktop (Mac/Windows), increase memory allocation:
# - Open Docker Desktop Settings
# - Go to Resources > Memory
# - Set to at least 32GB if available

Step 3: Clone Gensyn Repository​

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/gensyn-ai/rl-swarm
cd rl-swarm

# Check available options
ls -la

Step 4: Initial Setup​

Before running your first node, you need to set up your environment:

# Make sure you're in the rl-swarm directory
cd rl-swarm

# Check docker-compose files
ls *.yml *.yaml

Step 5: Choose Your Setup Mode​

Gensyn supports both CPU and GPU modes. Choose based on your hardware:

Option A: CPU Mode (Good for Testing)​

# Run CPU-based training
docker-compose run --rm --build -Pit swarm-cpu

Option B: GPU Mode (Better Performance)​

First, ensure you have NVIDIA Docker support:

# Install NVIDIA Container Toolkit (for Ubuntu/Debian)
distribution=$(. /etc/os-release;echo $ID$VERSION_ID)
curl -s -L https://nvidia.github.io/nvidia-docker/gpgkey | sudo apt-key add -
curl -s -L https://nvidia.github.io/nvidia-docker/$distribution/nvidia-docker.list | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nvidia-docker.list

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y nvidia-container-toolkit
sudo systemctl restart docker

# Test GPU access
docker run --rm --gpus all nvidia/cuda:11.0-base nvidia-smi

Then run the GPU mode:

# Run GPU-based training
docker-compose run --rm --build -Pit swarm-gpu

Step 6: First Run and Registration​

When you first run the node, you'll be prompted to register:

  1. Email Registration: Enter your email address when prompted
  2. Identity Generation: The system will create a swarm.pem file for your node
  3. Network Connection: Your node will connect to the Gensyn testnet
# Example first run output
Starting Gensyn RL Swarm...
Please enter your email for registration: your-email@example.com
Generating peer identity...
Identity saved to swarm.pem
Connecting to Gensyn testnet...
Node started successfully!

Verification​

After installation, verify your node is working:

Check Node Status​

# View running containers
docker ps

# Check logs (replace container_name with actual name)
docker logs <container_name>

# Monitor resource usage
docker stats

Visit Dashboard​

  1. Open your browser and go to dashboard.gensyn.ai
  2. Look for your node in the network statistics
  3. Monitor your training contributions

File Structure​

After installation, you'll have:

rl-swarm/
├── docker-compose.yml          # Main Docker configuration
├── swarm.pem                   # Your node identity (keep safe!)
├── logs/                       # Training logs
├── models/                     # AI models directory
└── config/                     # Configuration files

Important Files​

  • swarm.pem: Your node's identity - keep this file safe and backed up!
  • logs/: Contains training logs and debugging information
  • docker-compose.yml: Main configuration for running the node

Next Steps​

  1. Monitor Your Node: Check out our Monitoring Guide
  2. Troubleshooting: If you run into issues, see Troubleshooting Guide
  3. Join Community: Connect with other node operators

Security Notes​

Keep Your Identity Safe

The swarm.pem file contains your node's identity. Back it up securely and never share it publicly!

Resource Monitoring

Keep an eye on your system resources. AI training can be intensive, so monitor CPU, memory, and GPU usage regularly.

Congratulations! Your Gensyn node should now be up and running. Welcome to the distributed AI training network!