Run Geth with a configuration file

Question

I've created a config.toml for Ropsten (NetworkId =3) that looks like this: https://pastebin.com/raw/2DxWE1jf

But when I run

geth --config /home/path-to-config

From the cli I get: (Note ChainID:1, should be 3)

INFO [08-27|00:10:34.285] Initialised chain configuration config="{ChainID: 1 Homestead: 1150000 DAO: 1920000 DAOSupport: true EIP150: 2463000 EIP155: 2675000 EIP158: 2675000 Byzantium: 4370000 Constantinople: 7280000 Petersburg: 7280000 Istanbul: 9069000, Muir Glacier: 9200000, YOLO v1: <nil>, Engine: ethash}"

And the clients is stucked looking for peers.

What I'm missing? If I run geth --testnet it works fine.

In Geth the configuration file works differently from bitcoin/parity?

I've also tried to dump the config file from geth --testnet, that works, but if I delete the chaindata I have the same problem. I need to pass the configuration file on the first run of the node

Answer 1

You must specify the --ropsten parameter

geth --ropsten --config /home/path-to-config

If for some reason you don't want to use the ropsten parameter, follow the instructions below.

1. dump the ropsten config with geth --ropsten dumpconfig > ropsten_config.toml
2. change ropsten_config.toml at your will, I suggest to change the datadir
3. dump the ropsten genesis with geth --ropsten dumpgenesis > ropsten_genesis.json
4. init the chain geth --config ropsten_config.toml init ropsten_genesis.json
5. start the chain geth --config ropsten_config.toml

If ropsten is resetted for some reason:

6. download the new geth client (it will have the new genesis embedded)
7. remove the levelDB and ancient DB with: geth --config ropsten_config.toml removedb
8. repeat from step 1)