Validator study path
A recommended sequence for UK learners moving from documentation literacy to supervised validator practice. Adjust pace to your schedule — most people complete the path over eight to twelve weeks.
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Consensus foundations
Join two or three Consensus Reading Group sessions covering Tower BFT, fork choice, and epoch boundaries. Complete the pre-reads and bring one question each week.
Outcome: You can explain vote lockouts and read explorer epoch transitions without guessing.
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Hardware & lab planning
Read our field note on home lab hardware and complete the pre-workshop checklist. Decide whether you will use Logic Node Hub lab machines or your own kit for the intensive.
Outcome: A shopping or allocation list that meets ledger and accounts storage separation guidance.
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Validator Setup Intensive
Attend the full-day workshop in Consett. Configure identity and vote keys, walk through snapshot catch-up, and document your devnet validator state.
Outcome: A working devnet validator plus a mainnet readiness checklist you completed with tutor sign-off.
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Operate & observe
Run your lab validator for at least one epoch. Track skip rate, peer count, and disk metrics using the worksheet from our skip-rate field note.
Outcome: A baseline metrics journal you can share if you book a clinic later.
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Network Health Clinic (optional)
If metrics drift or migrations change your environment, book a clinic with logs and skip-rate exports ready.
Outcome: Prioritised fixes and a written summary within 48 hours.