# Setting up a ZelNode on a DigitalOcean VPS
**This guide will assist you in setting up a ZelNode on a DigitalOcean VPS running Ubuntu 18.04.5 x 64**
**Use Goose's video guide in conjunction with these steps to help answer any questions by clicking** [**here**](https://youtu.be/afE2hnKR9CQ)
**If you require further assistance contact the support team on** [**Discord**](https://discord.gg/szN9yZ) **or** [**Telegram English**](http://t.me/zelcash) **/** [**Chinese**](http://t.me/zelcashcn) **/** [**Russian**](http://t.me/zelcashru)
### Requirements
1. **ZEL Collateral (10K Basic / 25K Super / 100K BAMF)**
2. **Controller wallet (ZelCore or ZelCash Swing Wallet)**
3. **VPS running Linux Ubuntu 18.04 (benchmark requirements can't be guaranteed for servers that the team hasn't tested)**
4. **SSH client such as** [**Putty**](https://www.putty.org/)
### Contents
* **Section A : Preparing ZelCore Wallet**
* **Section B : Creating** [**DigitalOCean**](https://www.digitalocean.com/) **VPS**
* **Section C : Downloading and Installing** [**Putty**](https://www.putty.org/)
* **Section D : Connecting VPS and Installing ZelNode Script**
* **Section E : Connecting and Starting ZelNode**
### Section A: Preparing ZelCore Wallet
***Step 1 (if necessary)***
* **Download the current ZelCore wallet based on your OS by clicking** [**here**](https://zelcore.io/#download)
***Step 2***
* **First time users of a ZEL full node need to download the bootstrap file to decrease sync time by clicking** [**here**](https://github.com/zelcash/zelcash/wiki/Bootstrap-for-ZelNodes)
***Step 3***
* **Open your ZelCore wallet and choose 'ZelCash' (Click 'My Assets' and add 'ZelCash' if not already displayed in 'Portfolio' screen)**
***Step 4***
* **'Full Node'**
***Step 5***
* **'Launch Full Node'**
***Step 6***
* **'Launch ZelCash' when prompted**
***Step 7***
* **Go into 'Tools' after wallet is 100% synced**
***Step 8***
* **Open ZelNodes Management**
***Step 9***
* **Setup ZelNodes**
***Step 10***
* **'Backup all addresses' (use a text file to save info, and store in multiple secure locations)**
***Step 11***
* **Set automatic logout to 'Never'**
***Step 12***
* **Continue to the next step after zelcash.conf info is generated**
***Step 13***
* **Choose which type of ZelNode you are going to set up**
***Proceed to the next section, leave ZelCore wallet open to continue setting up in future steps***
### Section B: Creating DigitalOcean VPS
***Step 1***
* **Register at** [**DigitalOcean**](https://m.do.co/c/c9c22684c5db) **(use this** [**referral link**](https://m.do.co/c/c9c22684c5db) **to receive a $100 credit that's good for 2 months)**
***Step 2***
* **After you have your account setup go** [**here**](https://cloud.digitalocean.com/droplets?i=8fe2ca\&preserveScrollPosition=false) **to create your ZelNode droplet**
***Step 3***
* **Choose server type: 'Ubuntu 18.04'**
***Step 4***
* **Choose Droplet (Basic/Super/BAMF)**
***Step 5***
***Step 6***
### Section C: Downloading and Installing Putty
***Step 1***
* **Download Putty** [**here**](https://www.putty.org/)
***Step 2***
* **Select the correct installer depending upon your operating system, and follow the install instructions**
### Section D: Connecting VPS and Installing ZelNode Script
***Step 1***
* **Copy your VPS IP (located within Droplets tab)**
***Step 2***
* **Open the Putty terminal and fill in the "Host Name" box with the IP address of your VPS**
***Step 3***
* **Once you hit 'Open' a security alert will open up (click yes)**
***Step 4***
* **Type "root" as the login/username**
***Step 5***
* **Copy the root password that DigitalOcean emailed you**
***Step 6***
* **Paste the password into the Putty terminal by right clicking (it will not show the password so just press enter)**
***Step 7***
* **Enter password for root (UNIX password same as Step 5)**
* **Make new password and confirm**
***Step 8***
**`sudo apt-get update`**
**`sudo apt-get upgrade -y`**
***Step***** 9**
* **Adduser to secure your VPS, by adding a new username so you aren't running everything as root**
* **Run the command below and use a username that you want associated with this server ('whodatbamf1' is an example, you need to generate your own username)**
**`adduser YOURUSERNAME`**
***Step 10***
* **You will then need to make a new password associated with your new username. Hit 'Enter' for the next 5 lines after your new password has been set, then 'Y' to save your information.**
***Step 11***
* **Grant sudo permissions for your adduser by running the command below to activate it**
**`usermod -aG sudo YOURUSERNAME`**
***Step 12***
* **Reboot server with the following command**
**`sudo reboot -n`**
* **Close Putty terminal while server reboots**
### Section E : Connecting and Starting ZelNode (ZelCore and VPS)
***Step 1 (ZelCore)***
* **Go back to your ZelCore wallet and enter your VPS IP address**
***Step 2 (ZelCore)***
* **Name your ZelNode**
***Step 3 (ZelCore)***
* **Save your private key that is generated in ZelCore and enter on VPS when prompted**
***Step 4 (VPS)***
* **Log back into your VPS with the new username and password from Section D: Steps 9 and 10**
***DO NOT RUN THE INSTALL SCRIPT AS ROOT, ONLY RUN IT AS THE NEW USER THAT WAS MADE IN STEP 9!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!***
***Step 5 (VPS)***
* **Paste the code below into the Putty terminal then press enter**
***`wget https://apt.zel.cash/zelnodev4.0.sh && chmod +x zelnodev4.0.sh && ./zelnodev4.0.sh`***
***HUGE SHOUTOUT TO GOOSE, SKYSLAYER AND DK808 FOR PUTTING TOGETHER THIS INSTALL SCRIPT***
***Step 6 (VPS)***
* **Confirm IP and enter** **ZELNODE KEY from Step 3 and hit 'Enter'**
***Step 7***
* **Go to the ZelCash block explorer**
****
***Step 8 (VPS)***
* **Press any key, then CTRL-C when the blocks match explorer in Step *****7***
***Step 9 (VPS)***
* ***Run the following cmd, and proceed to Step 10 when you get 'Synchronization finished'***
***`zelcash-cli znsync status`***
***Step 10 (ZelCore)***
* **Activate your ZelNode**
* **Successfully started will show if everything is done properly ('startzelnode local false' isn't needed)**
***(It will take at least 15 confirms for your ZelNode to show up in 'MY ZELNODES')***
***Step 10***
* **Run the following command in VPS to confirm that your ZelNode is showing 'Status 4' (If VPS does not show successfully started, wait 5 minutes and run the command again. Repeat if necesary)**
**`zelcash-cli getzelnodestatus`**
* **You can also view your ZelNode on the block explorer `https://explorer.zel.cash/zelnodes`**
***(It will show up as 'PRE\_ENABLED' for at least 3-4 hours, and could take up to 48 hrs for 1st reward)***
## ***CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF THE COMMUNITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!***
---
# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.
Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:
```
GET https://zel.gitbook.io/zelnodes/master.md?ask=
```
The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.
Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.