Add information about starting Teku from a recent snapshot. (#262)

* Add CLI option to disable built-in slashing protection for external signers. Signed-off-by: Byron Gravenorst <[email protected]> * Add instructions to connect to mainnet. Signed-off-by: Byron Gravenorst <[email protected]> * updating submodule to latest * Add instructions to connect to mainnet. Signed-off-by: Byron Gravenorst <[email protected]> * Fix markdown issue. Signed-off-by: Byron Gravenorst <[email protected]> * Add information about starting Teku from a recent snapshot. Signed-off-by: Byron Gravenorst <[email protected]> * Fix markdown issues. Signed-off-by: Byron Gravenorst <[email protected]> * Fix markdown issues. Signed-off-by: Byron Gravenorst <[email protected]> * Fix markdown issues. Signed-off-by: Byron Gravenorst <[email protected]> * Address reviewer feedback. Signed-off-by: Byron Gravenorst <[email protected]> * Fix markdown issue. Signed-off-by: Byron Gravenorst <[email protected]> * Update docs/HowTo/Get-Started/Checkpoint-Start.md * Update docs/HowTo/Get-Started/Checkpoint-Start.md
Consensys · Mar 25, 2021 · 3f7aaaf · 3f7aaaf
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diff --git a/docs/HowTo/Get-Started/Checkpoint-Start.md b/docs/HowTo/Get-Started/Checkpoint-Start.md
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+---
+description: How to start Teku using a recent finalized checkpoint state
+---
+
+# Start Teku from a recent state
+
+To get Teku up and running in only a few minutes, you can start Teku from a recent finalized
+checkpoint state rather than syncing from genesis.
+
+When starting from a recent checkpoint, Teku downloads historic chain data in the background.
+
+!!! important
+
+    You need access to a beacon chain client with [REST API enabled] (for example Teku) to download the 
+    finalized checkpoint state file.
+
+The following command downloads a recent finalized checkpoint state from a beacon chain client, and
+starts Teku:
+
+```bash
+teku --eth1-endpoint=http://localhost:8545 \
+--validator-keys=/Users/me/mainnet/validator/keys:/Users/me/mainnet/validator/passwords \
+--initial-state=http://other-node:5051/eth/v1/debug/beacon/states/finalized
+```
+
+The command uses the [`--initial-state`](../../Reference/CLI/CLI-Syntax.md#initial-state) option
+to download the finalized checkpoint state from the
+[`/eth/v1/debug/beacon/states/`](https://consensys.github.io/teku/#operation/getEthV1DebugBeaconStatesWithState_id) endpoint
+on the beacon chain client (for example Teku).
+
+!!! note
+
+    You can also download a finalized checkpoint state file, and specify the location
+    using the [`--initial-state`](../../Reference/CLI/CLI-Syntax.md#initial-state) option. To
+    download the file and name it `state.ssz` run:
+
+    ```bash
+    curl -o state.ssz -H 'Accept: application/octet-stream' http://other-node:5051/eth/v1/debug/beacon/states/finalized
+    ```
+
+<!--links-->
+[REST API enabled]: ../../Reference/CLI/CLI-Syntax.md#rest-api-enabled
diff --git a/docs/Reference/CLI/CLI-Syntax.md b/docs/Reference/CLI/CLI-Syntax.md
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ Show the help message and exit.
     ```
 
 Path or URL to an SSZ-encoded state file. The state file can be used to specify the genesis state,
-or a recent finalized checkpoint state from which to sync.
+or a [recent finalized checkpoint state from which to sync].
 
 !!! note
 
@@ -1813,4 +1813,5 @@ or clear your weak subjectivity settings.
 [weak subjectivity period]: ../../Concepts/Weak-Subjectivity.md
 [BeaconScan chain explorer]: https://beaconscan.com/ws_checkpoint
 [load new validators without restarting Teku]: ../../HowTo/Load-Validators-No-Restart.md
+[recent finalized checkpoint state from which to sync]: ../../HowTo/Get-Started/Checkpoint-Start.md
 [Ethereum 2.0 specification]: https://github.com/ethereum/eth2.0-specs/tree/master/configs
diff --git a/docs/Reference/CLI/Subcommands/Validator-Client.md b/docs/Reference/CLI/Subcommands/Validator-Client.md
@@ -161,7 +161,8 @@ is specified using [`--data-base-path`](#data-base-path-data-path).
     initial-state: "/home/me/genesis.ssz"
     ```
 
-Path or URL to the network genesis file.
+Path or URL to an SSZ-encoded state file. The state file can be used to specify the genesis state,
+or a [recent finalized checkpoint state from which to sync].
 
 This option does not need to be specified if the initial state is provided by the network specified
 using the [`--network`](#network) option.
@@ -788,3 +789,4 @@ Attempts to lock all keystores in a directory if a directory is specified in
 [environment variables or a configuration file]: ../CLI-Syntax.md#specifying-options
 [Web3Signer]: https://docs.web3signer.consensys.net/en/latest/
 [slashing protection]: ../../../Concepts/Slashing-Protection.md
+[recent finalized checkpoint state from which to sync]: ../../../HowTo/Get-Started/Checkpoint-Start.md
diff --git a/mkdocs.yml b/mkdocs.yml
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ nav:
             - Connect to a network:
                 - Connect to Mainnet: HowTo/Get-Started/Connect/Connect-To-Mainnet.md
                 - Connect to a testnet: HowTo/Get-Started/Connect/Connect-To-Testnet.md
+            - Start Teku from a recent state: HowTo/Get-Started/Checkpoint-Start.md
         - External signing:
               - Use an external signer: HowTo/External-Signer/Use-External-Signer.md
         - Load validators without restarting: HowTo/Load-Validators-No-Restart.md