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Install and Setup

Installation

pchain_client is an available tool for users on Unix/Linux, MacOS, and Windows operating systems. Simply download the pre-built binary corresponding to your platform and install the pchain_client.

Windows

  1. Download the latest release as a compressed file from Assets of ParallelChain Lab's GitHub release page.
  2. Unzip the file to extract the executable pchain_client.exe.
  3. Open Powershell by pressing WIN+R and typing powershell.
  4. Navigate to the directory where pchain_client.exe is located using the cd command. For example, if the executable is located at C:\Development, type cd C:\Development.
  5. Follow the instructions in Section Prepare Environment to get ready for interacting with the blockchain.

Linux / macOS

The installation process for Linux and macOS is similar. To install pchain_client:

  1. Download the latest release as a compressed file from Assets of ParallelChain Lab's GitHub release page.

  2. Head to the directory where the downloaded file is located and extract it using tar. For example:

    tar -xvf pchain_client_linux_v0.4.3.tar.gz 

    tar -xvf pchain_client_mac_v0.4.3.tar.gz

  3. Follow the instructions in Section Prepare Environment to get ready for interacting with the blockchain.

Tips

  • If you're using macOS and encounter a GateKeeper message when trying to run pchain_client, you can remove macOS' "GateKeeper" attributes from pchain_client using the following command: 

    sudo xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine ./pchain_client
    This is an elevated action, so you will need to enter your password to continue. pchain_client can now be used as normal.

  • You might want to store pchain_client in a directory of your choice so that it is easier to follow the commands in the tutorial. For example, we created a folder in our home directory called parallelchain_client: 

    $ mkdir -p /home/my_user/parallelchain_client
$ cp pchain_client /home/my_user/parallelchain_client/
$ cd /home/my_user/parallelchain_client
$ ./pchain_client

Note

If this is your first time using pchain_client, you need to set up $PCHAIN_CLI_HOME in environment variables to specify the home path. See more here.

Running pchain_client

Creating Password

For the first time to use pchain_client, you need to create your password for using it. The terminal should prompt you as follows:

First time using ParallelChain Client CLI. Please set up a password to protect your keypairs.
Your password:

This password is only used by the CLI, and NOT associated with the blockchain. It is used for encryption and decryption of your keypairs so that the keypairs are stored in your computer more securely. Alternatively, you can skip the password protection by simply pressing Enter.

You will be required to enter your password twice. If your password is set successfully, you will see a return message with the pchain_client version shown on the console.

./pchain_client --version

./pchain_client.exe --version

Warning

The password is not sent and saved anywhere. You won't be able to recover the password if you lose it. Please keep your password safe. You will be required to provide this password to submit transactions and manage keypairs later.

Prepare Environment

Setting Environmental Variables

Specify the location of the directory for storing your config and keypair by setting the environmental variable PCHAIN_CLI_HOME.

Always remember the location that you set, if you forget the location, it means you forget where your keypair is being placed.

Tips

For security reasons, you may want to set environmental temporarily, so that after you close the terminal session, it will forget the keypair location.

For convenience reasons, you may alternatively want to set environmental permanently. Even in that case, we still suggest you remember the storage location.

The following command will set the environmental variable temporarily:

# For example, "/home/user/pchain_cli_home"
export PCHAIN_CLI_HOME="<PATH_TO_DIRECTORY>"

# For example, "C:\Users\user\pchain_cli_home"
$Env:PCHAIN_CLI_HOME="<PATH_TO_DIRECTORY>"

The following command will set the environmental variable permanently:

##########################################################
## Append this line to $Home/.bashrc and $Home/.profile ##
##########################################################
export PCHAIN_CLI_HOME="<PATH_TO_DIRECTORY>"

setx PCHAIN_CLI_HOME "<PATH_TO_DIRECTORY>"

Setting Endpoint Interacting with Parallelchain

After installation of pchain_client, you had to update the Mainnet / Testnet endpoint to communicate with the Mainnet / Testnet. 

# Mainnet
./pchain_client config setup --url https://pchain-main-rpc02.parallelchain.io

# Testnet
./pchain_client config setup --url https://pchain-test-rpc02.parallelchain.io

# Mainnet
./pchain_client.exe config setup --url https://pchain-main-rpc02.parallelchain.io

# Testnet
./pchain_client.exe config setup --url https://pchain-test-rpc02.parallelchain.io

This would check the status of your chosen provider. If pchain_client cannot connect to your provider, a warning message will be shown, and the setup fails. You need to set up another URL with the above command again.

A config.toml file will be created in the folder specified by the environment variable PCHAIN_CLI_HOME upon success. It only needs to be executed once.

Now you can start the journey to play around with pchain_client!