Mac users guide¶

This guide upgrades a node on macOS from any v1.12.x release to v1.13.0. Migrating to v1.13.0 explains why, and what changes for every node.

The commands use the default Ethereum Classic data directory on macOS, ~/Library/Ethereum/classic. If you pass --datadir, use yours; for Mordor, use ~/Library/Ethereum/mordor.

Choose how you update¶

uname -m prints arm64 on Apple Silicon and x86_64 on Intel.

Before you start¶

Record what you are running:

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geth version
geth attach --exec 'eth.blockNumber'      ~/Library/Ethereum/classic/geth.ipc
geth attach --exec 'net.peerCount'        ~/Library/Ethereum/classic/geth.ipc
geth attach --exec 'admin.nodeInfo.enode' ~/Library/Ethereum/classic/geth.ipc

Keep that last line. It is your current enode ID, and step 3 changes it.

1. Stop the node cleanly¶

• In a terminal: press Ctrl-C once and wait. A second interrupt does not kill it.
• Under launchd: stop the job you created.

Wait for INFO [..] Blockchain stopped before you continue. It confirms the database is consistent.

2. Install v1.13.0¶

Keep the old binary until the upgrade is verified; step 6 uses it.

Method A: release archive¶

Download the archive for your processor and check it, as Installation, macOS shows, including clearing the quarantine attribute if a browser downloaded it, then verify where it came from. Replace the binary:

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sudo mv /usr/local/bin/geth /usr/local/bin/geth-v1.12
sudo install -m 0755 geth /usr/local/bin/geth
geth version

Method B: build from source¶

Building needs Go 1.26 and the Xcode Command Line Tools (xcode-select --install), which provide the C compiler and make. Build from the release branch, not from main:

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git clone --branch archive-release-v1.13.0 --single-branch https://github.com/ethereumclassic/core-geth.git
cd core-geth
make geth
./build/bin/geth version
sudo mv /usr/local/bin/geth /usr/local/bin/geth-v1.12
sudo install -m 0755 build/bin/geth /usr/local/bin/geth

Do not clone with --recursive. The submodules hold test fixtures of several gigabytes that make geth does not read.

3. Rotate the P2P node key¶

Required. Rotate the P2P node key explains why, and which peer lists to update. With the node stopped:

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mv ~/Library/Ethereum/classic/geth/nodekey ~/Library/Ethereum/classic/geth/nodekey.old-rotated-$(date +%F)

4. Re-check RPC exposure¶

Go through the RPC exposure checklist against the flags you start the node with.

5. Start and verify¶

Start the node the way you always do. Then, in this order:

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geth version                                                                 # Core-Geth 1.13.0
geth attach --exec 'admin.nodeInfo.enode' ~/Library/Ethereum/classic/geth.ipc   # the new ID: send it to your peers
geth attach --exec 'net.peerCount'        ~/Library/Ethereum/classic/geth.ipc   # climbs within minutes
geth attach --exec 'eth.blockNumber'      ~/Library/Ethereum/classic/geth.ipc   # resumes where it stopped

A peer count stuck at zero after ten minutes usually means a peer still lists your old enode ID. Last, compare eth.blockNumber with a block explorer or another node you operate.

6. If you need to roll back¶

The data directory works in both directions. Stop the node, restore the old binary, and start it again:

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sudo mv /usr/local/bin/geth-v1.12 /usr/local/bin/geth

The rotated node key stays rotated: rolling back does not un-expose the old key.