Logos Testnet v0.2 is now live
The latest version of the Logos testnet improves the developer experience and the usability of the stack.
Nasrudin
Logos Testnet v0.2 is now available, bringing a host of improvements to the developer experience and the usability of the stack as a whole.
This major update to the testnet is focused on unifying the node operator experience, as well as making more modules accessible to developers and improving the capabilities they expose through Basecamp.
With the release of Logos Testnet v0.2, nodes can easily run all core capabilities: blockchain, messaging, and storage.
This allows for node operators to play a more active role in the Logos ecosystem by plugging into Blockchain, Messaging, and Storage infrastructure through a single interface – whether that’s Basecamp or a headless CLI deployment.
Now the Logos node supports additional modules, operators can contribute to the privacy of the blockchain’s consensus mechanism by running the Blend protocol directly from their node.
Below is a brief look at the new functionality introduced in Logos Testnet v0.2. You can find the full release notes on GitHub.
Basecamp improvements
Basecamp is the user-facing, unified surface for applications running on the Logos stack. The latest version of the Logos testnet brings a range of improvements to the user and developer experiences when interacting with Basecamp.
A new App Manager makes it easier for users to discover, install, and run core apps, and improvements to the Package Manager UI make it cleaner and more accessible.
An ‘app store’ interface model has been adopted to give both users and developers a clearer picture of how apps, plugins, and modules interact.
There is now an OpenMetrics module available that exposes module metrics to Prometheus -compatible systems, and several improvements have been made that make Basecamp itself and the process of loading and managing plugins or applications more responsive.
Blockchain
The LEZ module is now available through Logos Core, allowing other modules to prove and sign LEZ transactions. A new LEZ indexer module allows other applications to track the LEZ’s state without relying on centralised sequencers, and a new LEZ explorer module is now available through Basecamp.
Bridging capability has been added, allowing funds to be moved between the base layer and LEZ. Multi-owner accounts and private transfers have been enabled on the LEZ.
The Blend Network is now deployed, marking a key step towards the implementation of Private Proof-of-Stake (PPoS), and decentralised sequencing has been implemented.
Messaging
Testnet v0.2 brings a unified library for Delivery, complete with a tiered API. This includes a new Reliable Channel API, currently in a developer preview stage, which has been integrated with SDS and a persistence layer.
Decentralised group chats are now enabled through de-MLS integration, and one-to-one chats have been rebuilt to use this implementation to provide multi-device support.
Identity and conversation states now persist, and reliability has been improved due to better synchronisation.
The Logos Chat and Delivery modules have been integrated and deployed to testnet, available through Logos Core and Basecamp.
Storage
The Storage module has been deployed to testnet and is available to developers and other modules.
The module features OpenMetrics support, as well as anonymity-preserving DHT queries over mixnet, and a more efficient block protocol.
Logos Core and P2P
The Logos Core CLI is now a daemon/client split with remote communication over TCP, and a python wrapper is available.
Module and UI developers have type-safe access to module APIs and generated boilerplate code. There is also now a standard for building and publishing modules and UI plugins for Basecamp.
Peerstore management and capability discovery have been exposed, and modules can now be notified when data is available on custom protocol streams.
What we’re still working on
The Logos stack is constantly evolving, and being clear about the challenges we are working on both aligns with our ethos of open-source transparency and gives contributors an opportunity to share their expertise and participate in building Logos.
Work is still in the early stages on anonymous downloads over mixnet. Private retrieval is one of the hardest problems in decentralised storage, and we're still in the research phase.
LEZ programs are functional, but Basecamp interfaces for this functionality will be provided after the launch of Testnet v0.2.
As this is still an early testnet for a blockchain under active development, the LEZ sequencer is not yet decentralised, but the infrastructure allowing it to run this way is implemented.
What you need to do next
If you're already running a node (from v0.1): Your old setup won't carry over. As testnet v0.2 runs the blockchain as a Logos Core module, this requires a clean install. Retire your old node and follow the Node Operator Guide.
If you'd like to start running a node: Follow the Node Operator Guide, run it headless on a server (or load the same modules in Basecamp), choose the capabilities you want to host, and join the Blend Network.
Get started with the Node Operator Guide.
If you built something on Testnet v0.1: Expect breaking changes. The Execution Zone is now a module you call through, and the messaging layer has been rebuilt — point your app at the new module APIs and re-test on v0.2.
Read the builder documentation.
If you're new and want to build: Start with Basecamp and the Node Operator Guide, then build on the Execution Zone through the LEZ module.
It’s important to note that following this release, a further upgrade is planned at the end of July which will require you to reload the blockchain module and restart your node. We will send out an announcement before this upgrade takes place.
Logos is currently a testnet, and things will move, break, and improve in the open. Any kind of feedback is always highly appreciated.
Build the parallel. Prove it in practice. Keep it human.
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