1.8 KiB
description: Pantheon private and public key used to identify node
Node Keys
Each node has a node key pair consisting of a node private key and node public key.
Node Private Key
If a key file does not exist in the data directory and the --node-private-key-file
option is not specified when Pantheon is started, a node private key is generated and written to the key file.
If Pantheon is stopped and restarted without deleting the key file, the same private key is used when Pantheon is restarted.
If a key file exists in the data directory when Pantheon is started, the node is started with the private key in the key file.
!!!info The private key is not encrypted.
Node Public Key
The node public key is displayed in the log after starting Pantheon. Use the public-key subcommand to export the public key to a file.
The node public key is also referred to as the node ID. The node ID forms part of the enode URL for a node.
Specifying a Custom Node Private Key File
Use the --node-private-key-file option to specify a custom key file in any location.
If the key file exists, the node is started with the private key in the custom key file. If the custom key file does not exist,
a node private key is generated and written to the custom key file.
For example, the following command either reads the node private key from the privatekeyfile or writes the generated private key to the privatekeyfile:
!!! example
bash pantheon --node-private-key-file="/Users/username/privatekeyfile"