Solana Chain Configuration in Starship

Solana support in Starship allows users to deploy Solana validator nodes using simple configurations. This section details how to configure Solana-based chains within Starship.

Solana Chain

The Solana chain runs a Solana validator node that can handle transactions and maintain the blockchain state.

Basic Config

chains:
  - id: solana
    name: solana
    numValidators: 2
    ports:
      rpc: 8899
      ws: 8900
      exposer: 8001
      faucet: 9900
    resources:
      cpu: 2000m
      memory: 2048Mi

Lite Configuration (CI/Testing)

For CI environments or testing scenarios where you need minimal resource usage, you can use the lite configuration:

chains:
  - id: solana
    name: solana
    numValidators: 1
    ports:
      rpc: 8899
      ws: 8900
      exposer: 8001
      faucet: 9900
    resources:
      cpu: 1500m
      memory: 1500Mi
 
exposer:
  resources:
    cpu: 100m
    memory: 100Mi
 
faucet:
  resources:
    cpu: 200m
    memory: 200Mi

Configuration Options

Chain Properties

• id: The chain identifier (can be string or number)
• name: Must be "solana" for Solana chains
• numValidators: Number of validator nodes to deploy (minimum: 1)

Ports

• rpc: JSON RPC port (default: 8899)
• ws: WebSocket port (default: 8900)
• exposer: Exposer service port for chain information
• faucet: Faucet service port for requesting test tokens

Resources

You can specify CPU and memory resources for the Solana validators:

resources:
  cpu: 2000m      # 2 CPU cores
  memory: 2048Mi  # 2GB RAM

For lighter deployments (like CI), you can reduce these requirements:

resources:
  cpu: 1500m      # 1.5 CPU cores  
  memory: 1500Mi  # 1.5GB RAM

Default Configuration

Starship uses the following defaults for Solana chains:

• Image: ghcr.io/hyperweb-io/starship/solana-agave:v2.3.4
• Binary: solana-validator
• Home Directory: /root/.solana
• Denomination: lamports (base unit), sol (display unit)
• HD Path: m/44'/501'/0'/0'
• Coin Type: 501
• Faucet: Enabled by default with Solana-specific faucet

Registry Integration

When using the registry service, Solana chains are automatically registered with the following asset information:

registry:
  enabled: true
  ports:
    rest: 8081
  resources:
    cpu: "0.1"
    memory: "100M"

Usage Examples

Full Development Environment

For a complete development setup with multiple validators:

name: solana-dev
version: 1.10.0
 
chains:
  - id: solana
    name: solana
    numValidators: 2
    ports:
      rpc: 8899
      ws: 8900
      exposer: 8001
      faucet: 9900
    resources:
      cpu: 2000m
      memory: 2048Mi
 
registry:
  enabled: true
  ports:
    rest: 8081

CI/Testing Environment

For continuous integration or testing environments where resources are limited:

name: solana-ci
version: 1.10.0
 
chains:
  - id: solana
    name: solana
    numValidators: 1
    ports:
      rpc: 8899
      ws: 8900
      exposer: 8001
      faucet: 9900
    resources:
      cpu: 1500m
      memory: 1500Mi
 
exposer:
  resources:
    cpu: 100m
    memory: 100Mi
 
faucet:
  resources:
    cpu: 200m
    memory: 200Mi

This lite configuration is perfect for CI pipelines where you need to test Solana functionality with minimal resource overhead.