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The Firedancer binary fdctl contains many subcommands which can be run from the command line to manage and operate a Solana validator.

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Available Commands

The fdctl CLI provides the following main command categories:

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Core Operations

run

Run the validator process

monitor

Monitor a running validator’s performance

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Configuration & Setup

configure

Configure the operating system for Firedancer

keys

Manage validator identity keypairs

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Utility Commands

version

Display the current validator version

shred-version

Display the cluster shred version

metrics

Print validator metrics to stdout

set-identity

Change the identity key of a running validator

mem

Display memory requirements and tile layout

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Common Patterns

Most fdctl commands follow these common patterns:

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Configuration File

Many commands accept a --config argument to specify the path to a TOML configuration file: 
fdctl run --config /path/to/config.toml
fdctl monitor --config /path/to/config.toml
fdctl configure init --config /path/to/config.toml
When using commands like monitor or set-identity, you must use the same configuration file that the validator was started with.

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Output Streams

  • stdout: Used for primary command output (results, metrics, versions)
  • stderr: Used for diagnostic messages and logs

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Capabilities and Permissions

Many fdctl commands require elevated privileges or specific Linux capabilities. Common requirements include:
  • root or sudo: For system configuration changes
  • CAP_SYS_ADMIN: For namespace operations and kernel parameter changes
  • CAP_NET_RAW: For raw socket operations (XDP)
  • CAP_SETUID/CAP_SETGID: For switching to sandbox user
  • CAP_SYS_RESOURCE: For memory locking and resource limits
Refer to individual command documentation for specific capability requirements.

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Getting Help

For detailed information about each command, see the individual command documentation pages or run: 
fdctl <command> --help

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