Becoming a Baker

This guide covers setting up a baker with Octez Manager. We’ll use Shadownet as an example.

For detailed information about baking on Tezos, see the Octez documentation on running a delegate.

Prerequisites

1. Running Node: A synced Tezos node (e.g., your Shadownet node). See Setting Up a Node to get started.
2. Staked Tez: Minimum 6,000 tez staked to your baker address (use the faucet on testnets)
3. Baker Key: Your baker’s secret key imported into the client

Set Up Baker Directory

Before installing the baker with Octez Manager, you need to create a base directory and import your baker key. This directory holds your baker’s configuration and keys.

Note: Future versions of Octez Manager may automate this setup.

# Create a base directory for your baker
mkdir -p ~/.tezos-client

# Import your key (see Octez docs for details)
octez-client import secret key my-baker unencrypted:edsk...

Or use a Ledger hardware wallet:

octez-client import secret key my-baker "ledger://..."

See the Octez documentation for detailed instructions on key management and delegate setup.

Using a Remote Signer (Signatory)

For enhanced security, you can use Signatory as a remote signer instead of storing keys locally. This separates key management from your baker and supports hardware security modules (HSMs) and cloud KMS backends.

For detailed Signatory setup instructions, backend options, security best practices, and troubleshooting, see the Signatory Setup Guide.

Installation via TUI

1. Launch octez-manager
2. Select [ Install new instance ] → Baker
3. Configure:
   • Node: Select your Shadownet node
   • Instance name: Auto-suggested as baker-shadownet
   • Delegates: Your baker address(es)
   • Liquidity baking vote: on, off, or pass
   • DAL node: For DAL attestations

Press ? at any time to see available actions.

Installation via CLI

octez-manager install-baker \
  --instance baker-shadownet \
  --node-instance shadownet \
  --delegate tz1... \
  --liquidity-baking-vote pass

With Remote Signer (Signatory)

octez-manager install-baker \
  --instance baker-shadownet \
  --node-instance shadownet \
  --delegate tz1... \
  --liquidity-baking-vote pass \
  --remote-signer dev-signer

Multiple Delegates

octez-manager install-baker \
  --instance multi-baker \
  --node-instance my-node \
  --delegate tz1abc... \
  --delegate tz1def... \
  --delegate tz1ghi...

With DAL Attestations

octez-manager install-baker \
  --instance my-baker \
  --node-instance my-node \
  --delegate tz1... \
  --dal-endpoint my-dal-node

Liquidity Baking Vote

Option	Description
on	Vote to continue liquidity baking
off	Vote to stop liquidity baking
pass	Abstain from voting

Monitoring

Check Baker Status

octez-manager instance my-baker show

View Baking Rights

octez-client get baking rights for tz1... --cycle <current_cycle>

View Logs

# TUI: press Enter on instance, then select logs
# CLI:
octez-manager instance my-baker logs

Security Considerations

• Key Management: Use Signatory as a remote signer with HSM/cloud KMS for production, or a Ledger hardware wallet
• Firewall: Only expose necessary ports
• Monitoring: Set up alerts for missed blocks/attestations

Troubleshooting

Baker not producing blocks

1. Check node is synced
2. Verify baker key is properly imported
3. Check you have baking rights for current cycle
4. Review baker logs for errors

Missed attestations

1. Check network latency to node
2. Ensure sufficient system resources
3. Consider using a closer/faster node