1. Install

Use our script for a quick installation:

wget -q -O subsocial.sh https://api.nodes.guru/subsocial.sh && chmod +x subsocial.sh && sudo /bin/bash subsocial.sh

Set a name for your node and wait for the installation to complete.

You can check the node logs with the following command:

journalctl -u subsociald -f

2. Creating a validator

2.1. Install Polkadot extension

Go to the website and download the version for your browser:

2.2. Creating Accounts

First, go to the site and allow access to the extension in the popup window:

We need to create an account(s) (you can use existing accounts), to do this click Add account:

Then we enter the name of the wallet (in our case it is stash), save the mnemonic (highlighted in the screenshot), enter the password and click “Next”:

After that, confirm the creation of the account by clicking on Save and download the json file with the key (the download will start automatically):

2.3. Faucet

First, copy our account address by clicking on the wallet icon:

Now you need to fill out the google form, in the form specify the wallet address copied above.

After a while, check your wallet, the tokens should appear on your account.

2.4. Session keys

We need to get a session key for our account, to do this run the following command:

curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"id":1, "jsonrpc":"2.0", "method": "author_rotateKeys", "params":[]}' http://127.0.0.1:9933 | jq .result | sed 's/"//g'

The output should looks like this:

Copy this value (you can use double left mouse click for quick selection) by pressing Enter or by right-clicking the mouse.

2.5. Validating

To become a validator, go to Account actions and click Validator:

Set the desired amount of your bond (it is not recommended to bond the full amount, it will automatically be set to a normal value including commissions):

Enter your session key (from step 2.4) and set the desired commission rate:

Confirm the transaction in the pop-up window.

Congratulations, you are now a validator candidate (you can see your account under Waiting)! You need to wait for the next era to become a full validator, you can check active validator set here.