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An enterprise-grade Java-based, Apache 2.0 licensed Ethereum client https://wiki.hyperledger.org/display/besu
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37 lines
1.8 KiB
37 lines
1.8 KiB
description: Pantheon private and public key used to identify node
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# Node Keys
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Each node has a node key pair consisting of a node private key and node public key.
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## Node Private Key
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If a `key` file does not exist in the data directory and the [`--node-private-key`](../Reference/Pantheon-CLI-Syntax.md#node-private-key)
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option is not specified when Pantheon is started, a node private key is generated and written to the `key` file.
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If Pantheon is stopped and restarted without deleting the `key` file, the same private key is used when Pantheon is restarted.
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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.
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!!!info
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The private key is not encrypted.
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## Node Public Key
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The node public key is displayed in the log after starting Pantheon. Use the [`export-pub-key`](../Reference/Pantheon-CLI-Syntax.md#export-pub-key) subcommand to export the public key to a file.
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The node public key is also referred to as the node ID. The node ID forms part of the [enode URL](Testing-Developing-Nodes.md#private-networks) for a node.
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## Specifying a Custom Node Private Key File
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Use the [`--node-private-key`](../Reference/Pantheon-CLI-Syntax.md#node-private-key) option to specify a custom `key` file in any location.
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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,
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a node private key is generated and written to the custom `key` file.
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For example, the following command either reads the node private key from the `privatekeyfile` or writes the generated private key to the `privatekeyfile`:
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!!! example
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```bash
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bin/pantheon --node-private-key "/Users/username/privatekeyfile"
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``` |