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Geth Ethereum

Geth is the official Go implementation of the Ethereum protocol.

  • Crypto Currency
  • Other
Geth is the official Go implementation of the Ethereum protocol. It runs a full Ethereum node, syncs chain data, and exposes JSON-RPC (Remote Procedure Call) endpoints for wallets, applications, and staking integrations. It is a solid choice for homelab users who need a mature, actively maintained Ethereum client.

Platform availability

Available on 2 of 6 install platforms

  • Unraid
  • TrueNAS (not listed)
  • Umbrel (not listed)
  • ZimaOS (not listed)
  • Proxmox (not listed)
  • Helm

Also on Docker Hub

Health score

85/100 Excellent

Maintained
100last commit 7 days ago
Popular
9451,374 GitHub stars
Easy to install
452 install platforms, install notes, Docker image
Light to run
No data

Based on 3 of 4 factors.

How is this calculated?

A 0-100 score computed nightly from four factors: maintained (40%: recent commits and steady activity), popular (25%: GitHub stars, log scale), easy to install (20%: platforms, install notes, setup guides, Docker image) and light to run (15%: minimum RAM, ARM support). Factors without data are left out and the rest are rescaled.

Availability: platform listings confirmed today, links checked 8 days ago

GitHub stars
51,374
Open issues
467
Last commit
2026-09-29
Latest release
v1.17.6
License
LGPL-3.0
Activity
declining

Checked 7 days ago - source: GitHub (ethereum/go-ethereum)

Resources & Compatibility

ARM (e.g. Raspberry Pi) is supported.

Checked 7 days ago - source: Docker Hub image tags and published docs

First-install notes

  • Set data folder and network ID first Tell Geth where to store its chain files with --datadir and which network to join with --networkid. Without these settings, it may create a blank database or join the wrong chain, so it will not match your private network or mainnet. source
  • Protect the datadir folder Keep the folder named by --datadir safe and backed up, because it contains the chain database Geth needs to stay in sync. If that folder is deleted or has bad permissions, Geth can start from zero or refuse to run. source
  • Check the RPC port after starting After starting Geth, test its JSON-RPC (RPC) endpoint, a simple port where apps send requests, using a block-number check like the docs. If that endpoint does not answer, apps that need to talk to Geth will get connection failures. source

Fetched 7 days ago - each note links to its source

Alternatives

No alternatives collected yet.

Common questions

Do I need a consensus client in addition to Geth?

Geth is the execution client that handles transactions and smart contract execution. Run it alongside a consensus client to make the machine an Ethereum node.

Which Geth flags should I set first for a private network to avoid joining the wrong chain?

Set --datadir to tell Geth where to store chain files and --networkid to choose the network. Without these settings, Geth may create a blank database or join the wrong chain.

What should I test after starting Geth to make sure external apps can use it?

Check the JSON-RPC endpoint with a block-number request. If it does not answer, apps that need to talk to Geth will get connection failures.

Can Geth keep all historical state instead of pruning old state?

Yes, Geth can run as an archive node that retains all historical state. By default it runs as a full node.

Answers sourced from geth.ethereum.org, geth.ethereum.org, geth.ethereum.org, github.com

Community

Collected 7 days ago - public community threads