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Use prysmctl

prysmctl is a command-line utility for common and one-off Ethereum proof-of-stake tasks, like helping users with validator exits or withdrawals. Most prysmctl commands require access to a fully synced beacon node.

Run via binaries#

Binaries for the latest prysmctl tool can be found on the latest prysm release page. Each binary is a unique version with its own set of features. New releases may include new features for prysmctl that will need to be downloaded separately.

The binaries can be run through a terminal directly and won't need installation. Please refer to the list commands section for additional information.

Install via source#

Dependencies:

  • Bazelisk - this will automatically manage the version of Bazel required.
  • golang installed
  • The cmake package installed
  • The git package installed
  • libssl-dev installed
  • libgmp-dev installed
  • libtinfo5 installed
  • libprotoc version 3.14 installed

Install Bazelisk#

caution
Windows users should run through binaries as some users may have issues building through bazel.

Bazelisk is a launcher for Bazel which automatically downloads and installs the version of Bazel that you need. There are several ways to install Bazelisk:

  • Using a binary release for Linux, macOS, or Windows
  • Using npm: npm install -g @bazel/bazelisk
  • Using Homebrew on macOS: brew install bazelisk
  • By compiling from source using Go: go install github.com/bazelbuild/bazelisk@latest

Clone the Prysm project locally#

Clone Prysm's main repository. Switch to the latest version (the latest version number can be found on the releases page). Once cloned, enter the directory:

git clone https://github.com/prysmaticlabs/prysm && cd prysm

Build prysmctl#

bazel build //cmd/prysmctl --config=release

Bazel will automatically pull and install any dependencies as well, including Go and necessary compilers.

List commands#

./prysmctl --help

Using Docker

docker run -it gcr.io/prysmaticlabs/prysm/cmd/prysmctl:latest --help

The —help flag will provide a list of commands, subcommands, and flags to use.

Commands can also be found in our Prysm parameter documentation

Frequently asked questions#

Q: One of the Prysm guides tells me to use a prysmctl command that isn't available. What do I do?

A: You may be using an older version of prysmctl and are required to download a newer version.

Q: Is prysmctl accessible from prysm.sh, prysm.s1, or prysm.bat?

A: No. This utility will only be accessible by building from source or by downloading binaries for specific versions of Prysm.