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Solana Clusters

Solana operates multiple clusters for different purposes:
  • Mainnet Beta - Production network with real economic value
  • Testnet - Stable testing network with public access
  • Devnet - Development network for developers and validators to test
  • Localhost - Local test validator for development
For detailed information about each cluster, see the Solana documentation on available clusters.

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Check Current Configuration

View the CLI’s current cluster configuration: 
solana config get
Output: 
Config File: /home/solana/.config/solana/cli/config.yml
RPC URL: https://api.devnet.solana.com
WebSocket URL: wss://api.devnet.solana.com/ (computed)
Keypair Path: /home/solana/.config/solana/id.json
Commitment: confirmed
The RPC URL field shows which cluster the CLI is currently targeting.

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Set Cluster Target

Use solana config set --url to change the target cluster. After setting a cluster, all subsequent commands will interact with that cluster.

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Devnet

Connect to Devnet (recommended for development): 
solana config set --url https://api.devnet.solana.com
Devnet is ideal for:
  • Testing applications
  • Learning Solana development
  • Obtaining free test tokens via airdrop
  • Validator testing

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Testnet

Connect to Testnet: 
solana config set --url https://api.testnet.solana.com
Testnet provides:
  • More stable environment than Devnet
  • Testing before mainnet deployment
  • Public validator participation

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Mainnet Beta

Connect to Mainnet Beta (production network): 
solana config set --url https://api.mainnet-beta.solana.com
Mainnet Beta involves real SOL with real economic value. Test thoroughly on Devnet or Testnet before deploying to Mainnet.

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Localhost

Connect to a local test validator: 
solana config set --url http://localhost:8899
Useful for:
  • Local development
  • Fast iteration without network latency
  • Testing without network constraints

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Cluster Monikers

The CLI supports short moniker names for clusters: 
solana config set --url mainnet-beta
# or just
solana config set --url m

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Custom RPC Endpoints

You can connect to custom RPC endpoints: 
solana config set --url https://your-custom-rpc.com
This is useful for:
  • Using private RPC providers
  • Connecting to custom clusters
  • Using high-performance RPC services
Many projects use dedicated RPC providers for improved reliability and performance:
  • Helius
  • QuickNode
  • Triton
  • Alchemy
  • Ankr
Some RPC providers require authentication. Check provider documentation for connection details.

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WebSocket Configuration

The CLI automatically computes the WebSocket URL from the RPC URL. To set a custom WebSocket endpoint: 
solana config set --ws wss://your-custom-ws.com
View current WebSocket URL: 
solana config get websocket_url

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Version Compatibility

Ensure your CLI version matches or exceeds the cluster version for best compatibility.
1

Check local CLI version

solana --version
Output:
solana-cli 2.0.0 (src:00000000; feat:123456789, client:Agave)
2

Check cluster version

solana cluster-version
Output:
2.0.0
3

Compare versions

The local CLI version should be greater than or equal to the cluster version.If your CLI is outdated, update it:
agave-install update
While not strictly required, version mismatches can cause compatibility issues or prevent access to newer features.

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Verify Connectivity

After configuring a cluster, verify connectivity:

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Get Cluster Version

solana cluster-version
Successful connection returns the version: 
2.0.0

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View Cluster Nodes

solana cluster-nodes
Displays all validators in the cluster: 
IP Address      | Identity                                     | Version | Vote Account
----------------+----------------------------------------------+---------+---------------------------------------------
192.0.2.1:8001  | 8nP3jDvPwhTzv8VpE4pRi8pJGhhtC5T9kB8aU9Ltzfsg | 2.0.0   | 9QU2QSxhb24FUX3Tu2FpczXjpK3VYrvRudywSZaM29mF

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Get Epoch Info

solana epoch-info
Shows current epoch information: 
Block height: 123456789
Slot: 98765432
Epoch: 456
Transaction Count: 123456789012
Epoch Slot Range: [98765000..98820000]
Epoch Completed Percent: 45.12%
Epoch Completed Slots: 55432/55000 (100.79%)
Epoch Completed Time: 2d 3h 45m 12s / 4d 8h 0m 0s

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Check Slot

solana slot
Returns current slot number: 
98765432

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Per-Command Cluster Override

Override the configured cluster for a single command using the --url flag: 
solana balance <ADDRESS> --url devnet
This doesn’t change your configuration: 
# Check balance on devnet
solana balance <ADDRESS> --url devnet

# Check balance on mainnet (without changing config)
solana balance <ADDRESS> --url mainnet-beta

# Current config remains unchanged
solana config get
Useful for:
  • Comparing data across clusters
  • One-off operations on different clusters
  • Scripts that need to query multiple clusters

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Configuration Profiles

Manage multiple configurations using separate config files.

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Create Multiple Configs

solana config set --url devnet --keypair ~/wallet-dev.json
cp ~/.config/solana/cli/config.yml ~/.config/solana/cli/config-devnet.yml

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Switch Configs

Use the -C flag to specify a config file: 
# Use devnet config
solana -C ~/.config/solana/cli/config-devnet.yml balance

# Use mainnet config
solana -C ~/.config/solana/cli/config-mainnet.yml balance

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Set Default Config

Symlink your preferred config: 
ln -sf ~/.config/solana/cli/config-devnet.yml ~/.config/solana/cli/config.yml

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Commitment Levels

Configure the commitment level for transaction confirmation: 
solana config set --commitment <LEVEL>
Available commitment levels:
  • processed - Fastest, query the most recent block
  • confirmed - Balance between speed and finality (default)
  • finalized - Slowest, maximum finality guarantee
solana config set --commitment processed

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Per-Command Commitment

Override for a single command: 
solana balance <ADDRESS> --commitment finalized

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Common Cluster Operations

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Get Cluster Stats

solana validators
Displays detailed validator information: 
Identity                                     | Vote Account                                 | Commission | Last Vote    | Stake
---------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+------------+--------------+-------------------
8nP3jDvPwhTzv8VpE4pRi8pJGhhtC5T9kB8aU9Ltzfsg | 9QU2QSxhb24FUX3Tu2FpczXjpK3VYrvRudywSZaM29mF | 10%        | 98765432     | 1234567.890000000 SOL

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Get Leader Schedule

solana leader-schedule
Shows upcoming leader slots for validators.

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Get Transaction Count

solana transaction-count
Returns total transactions processed: 
123456789012

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Get Block Production

solana block-production
Displays block production statistics for current epoch.

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Request Airdrops (Devnet/Testnet)

On Devnet and Testnet, request free test tokens: 
solana airdrop 1
Request larger amounts: 
solana airdrop 5
Specify recipient: 
solana airdrop 1 <ADDRESS>
Airdrops are rate-limited. If requests fail, wait a few minutes and try again.
Airdrops are not available on Mainnet Beta. SOL must be purchased or transferred from another account.

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Cluster-Specific Considerations

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Devnet

  • Resets: May reset periodically
  • Stability: Less stable than Testnet or Mainnet
  • Airdrops: Available (rate-limited)
  • Features: May include experimental features

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Testnet

  • Resets: Infrequent
  • Stability: More stable than Devnet
  • Airdrops: Available (rate-limited)
  • Features: Similar to Mainnet

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Mainnet Beta

  • Resets: Never (production network)
  • Stability: Highest stability
  • Airdrops: Not available
  • Features: Production-ready features only
  • Cost: Real SOL required for transactions

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Localhost

  • Control: Full control over network
  • Speed: Fastest for development
  • Isolation: Completely isolated
  • Features: Configure as needed

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Troubleshooting

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Connection Timeout

If commands timeout:
  1. Check internet connectivity
  2. Verify RPC endpoint is correct
  3. Try a different RPC provider
  4. Increase RPC timeout:
solana config get --url <URL> --rpc-timeout 60

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Invalid URL

Ensure the URL is properly formatted: 
# Correct
solana config set --url https://api.devnet.solana.com

# Incorrect
solana config set --url api.devnet.solana.com  # Missing https://

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Version Mismatch Errors

Update your CLI to match cluster version: 
agave-install update

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Best Practices

  1. Development: Always use Devnet or Localhost
  2. Testing: Use Testnet for final testing before mainnet
  3. Production: Only use Mainnet Beta for production deployments
  4. Separate Keypairs: Use different keypairs for each cluster
  5. Version Management: Keep CLI version updated
  6. Config Profiles: Maintain separate configs for each cluster
  7. Verify Cluster: Always verify which cluster you’re connected to before operations

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Quick Reference

solana config get

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Next Steps

Stake Accounts

Manage stake accounts and delegate tokens

Vote Accounts

Create and manage validator vote accounts

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