Getting Started¶

This guide will help you install txpark and deploy your first testnet.

Prerequisites¶

Before using txpark, ensure you have the following installed and configured:

Required Tools¶

kubectl (v1.25+) - Kubernetes command-line tool
gcloud - Google Cloud SDK
GitLab access - For CI artifact fetching (optional)

Access Requirements¶

Access to a GKE cluster with txpark configured
Kubectl context configured to point to the cluster
Sufficient permissions to create namespaces and deploy resources

GitLab CLI (glab)¶

For deploying testnets with sequencer nodes, you'll need the GitLab CLI configured:

# Install glab (if not already installed)
# See: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cli

# Authenticate with GitLab
glab auth login

# Verify authentication
glab auth status

The CLI uses glab to fetch build artifacts from GitLab CI pipelines.

Installation¶

Option 1: Install Script (Recommended)¶

Use the install script to automatically download the correct binary for your platform:

curl -sSL https://doc.txpark.nomadic-labs.com/install.sh | bash

The script will: - Detect your OS and architecture automatically - Download the latest release - Install to /usr/local/bin/txpark (may require sudo) - Verify the installation

Option 2: Build from Source¶

# Clone the repository
git clone https://gitlab.com/tezos-infra/evm/txpark.git
cd txpark

# Build the binary
go build -o bin/txpark cmd/txpark/main.go

# Move to PATH
sudo mv bin/txpark /usr/local/bin/txpark

Verify Installation¶

txpark version

Expected output:

txpark v1.0.0
Commit: abc1234
Built: 2026-03-19
Go: go1.22.0

First Testnet Deployment¶

Let's deploy your first testnet step-by-step.

1. Check Cluster Access¶

Verify you can access the Kubernetes cluster:

kubectl cluster-info
kubectl get nodes

2. Deploy a Basic Testnet¶

Deploy a simple testnet with automatic cleanup after 1 hour:

txpark deploy my-first-testnet

This creates a testnet with:

Blockscout Explorer
TzKT Indexer
Faucet Service
1-hour lifetime (auto-cleanup)

3. Deploy with EVM Sequencer¶

To deploy a full testnet with EVM sequencer node:

Prerequisites

You need to run scripts/setup-sequencer.sh my-first-testnet first to generate required keys and configuration.

# Generate sequencer configuration
./scripts/setup-sequencer.sh my-first-testnet

# Deploy with sequencer and fetch binaries from master branch
txpark deploy my-first-testnet --sequencer --build-branch master

This will:

Trigger a GitLab CI pipeline to build binaries
Create namespace and Kubernetes resources
Deploy EVM sequencer, rollup node, and all services
Configure automatic HTTPS ingress

4. Monitor Deployment¶

Check the status of your testnet:

txpark status my-first-testnet

Example output:

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Testnet: my-first-testnet
Namespace: testnet-my-first-testnet
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Metadata:
  Created:  2026-03-19 14:00:00 UTC (5m ago)
  TTL:      1h0m0s
  Expires:  2026-03-19 15:00:00 UTC (in 55m)

Endpoints:
  Dashboard:           https://my-first-testnet.txpark.nomadic-labs.com/
  Blockscout Explorer: https://my-first-testnet-blockscout.txpark.nomadic-labs.com/
  Faucet:              https://my-first-testnet-faucet.txpark.nomadic-labs.com/
  EVM RPC:             https://my-first-testnet.txpark.nomadic-labs.com/rpc
  Smart Rollup Node:   https://my-first-testnet.txpark.nomadic-labs.com/rollup
  TzKT API:            https://my-first-testnet.txpark.nomadic-labs.com/tzkt

Components:
  NAME                              STATUS    READY    RESTARTS  AGE
  evm-sequencer-xxx                 Running   2/2      0         5m
  my-first-testnet-blockscout-xxx   Running   1/1      0         5m
  my-first-testnet-tzkt-api-xxx     Running   1/1      0         5m

5. View Logs¶

Watch the EVM sequencer logs:

txpark logs my-first-testnet evm-sequencer --follow

6. Access Your Testnet¶

Open the dashboard in your browser:

https://my-first-testnet.txpark.nomadic-labs.com/

7. Clean Up¶

When you're done, destroy the testnet:

txpark destroy my-first-testnet

Tip

If you didn't specify --permanent, the testnet will auto-delete after the lifetime expires.

Basic Commands Overview¶

Here are the essential commands you'll use:

Command	Description
`txpark deploy <name>`	Deploy a new testnet
`txpark list`	List all running testnets
`txpark status <name>`	Show testnet status
`txpark logs <name> <component>`	View component logs
`txpark shell <name>`	Open shell in pod
`txpark upgrade <name>`	Upgrade testnet binaries
`txpark destroy <name>`	Delete testnet

Common Options¶

Lifetime Management¶

# 1-hour testnet (default)
txpark deploy test-1h --lifetime 1h

# 4-hour testnet
txpark deploy test-4h --lifetime 4h

# Permanent testnet (no auto-deletion)
txpark deploy test-perm --permanent

Resource Profiles¶

# Default resources
txpark deploy test-default --profile default

# High-performance (2x resources)
txpark deploy test-highperf --profile high-performance --sequencer --build-branch master

Next Steps¶

Now that you've deployed your first testnet, explore:

Command Reference - Detailed documentation for all commands
Workflows - Real-world usage scenarios
Best Practices - Tips for effective testnet management

Troubleshooting¶

Command not found¶

If txpark command is not found, ensure /usr/local/bin is in your PATH:

echo 'export PATH="/usr/local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Kubectl context not set¶

Ensure your kubectl context is configured:

gcloud container clusters get-credentials txpark-cluster \
  --region europe-west1 \
  --project nl-tezos-x-alpha-infra

CI pipeline fails¶

Check your GitLab authentication:

glab auth status

If not authenticated, run:

glab auth login