proxmox/docs/06-besu/BESU_OFFICIAL_UPDATES.md

Besu Official Repository Updates

Last Updated: 2026-01-31
Document Version: 1.0
Status: Active Documentation

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Date: $(date)
Source: Hyperledger Besu GitHub
Documentation: Besu User Documentation

Updates Applied Based on Official Repository

1. Documentation References

All documentation has been updated to reference the official Hyperledger Besu repository and documentation:

• Repository: https://github.com/hyperledger/besu
• Documentation: https://besu.hyperledger.org
• Latest Release: 25.12.0 (as of Dec 2025)

2. Key Generation Methods

Updated key generation methods to use official Besu CLI commands:

Official Besu Commands

# Export public key from private key
besu public-key export --node-private-key-file=<path-to-nodekey>

# Export address from private key
besu public-key export-address --node-private-key-file=<path-to-nodekey>

Reference: https://besu.hyperledger.org/Reference/CLI/CLI-Subcommands/#public-key

3. File Structure Standards

Confirmed compatibility with Besu's expected file structure:

Node Keys (P2P)

• Location: /data/besu/nodekey
• Format: 64 hex characters (32 bytes)
• Auto-generation: Besu auto-generates if not provided

Validator Keys (QBFT)

• Location: Configurable in config.toml
• Format: Hex-encoded or PEM format (both supported)
• Usage: Block signing in QBFT consensus

4. Configuration File Locations

Standard Besu configuration file locations:

/etc/besu/
├── genesis.json              # Network genesis block
├── config.toml               # Main Besu configuration
├── permissions-nodes.toml    # Node allowlist
└── permissions-accounts.toml # Account allowlist

/data/besu/
├── nodekey                   # P2P node private key
└── database/                 # Blockchain database

5. Consensus Protocol Documentation

References updated to official Besu consensus documentation:

• QBFT: https://besu.hyperledger.org/HowTo/Configure/Consensus-Protocols/QBFT
• IBFT 2.0: https://besu.hyperledger.org/HowTo/Configure/Consensus-Protocols/IBFT
• Clique: https://besu.hyperledger.org/HowTo/Configure/Consensus-Protocols/Clique

6. Key Management Best Practices

From official Besu documentation:

1. Node Key Generation:

   # Auto-generated on first startup, or generate manually:
   openssl rand -hex 32 > nodekey
   

2. Validator Key Generation:

   # Using OpenSSL (standard)
   openssl ecparam -name secp256k1 -genkey -noout -out key.priv
   
   # Extract address using Besu
   besu public-key export-address --node-private-key-file=key.priv > address.txt
   

3. Key Format Support:

   • Hex-encoded keys (64 hex characters)
   • PEM format (base64 encoded)
   • Besu auto-detects format

7. Repository Information

Hyperledger Besu Repository Stats:

• Stars: 1.7k
• Forks: 992
• Language: Java 99.7%
• License: Apache 2.0
• Status: Active development
• Latest Release: 25.12.0 (Dec 12, 2025)

8. Community Resources

• GitHub: https://github.com/hyperledger/besu
• Documentation: https://besu.hyperledger.org
• Wiki: https://wiki.hyperledger.org/display/besu
• Discord: Besu channel for community support
• Issues: https://github.com/hyperledger/besu/issues

Files Updated

1. docs/QUORUM_GENESIS_TOOL_REVIEW.md - Added official Besu references
2. docs/VALIDATOR_KEY_DETAILS.md - Updated with official key generation methods
3. docs/BESU_OFFICIAL_REFERENCE.md - New comprehensive reference document
4. docs/BESU_OFFICIAL_UPDATES.md - This update log

Next Steps

1. ✅ Update documentation with official repository links
2. ✅ Update key generation methods to use official Besu commands
3. ✅ Verify compatibility with Besu's expected file structure
4. ⏳ Review and update any deprecated methods in scripts
5. ⏳ Update Docker image references to use latest stable version

Verification

To verify compatibility with official Besu:

# Check key generation
besu public-key export-address --node-private-key-file=key.priv

# Verify nodekey format
test -f /data/besu/nodekey && [ $(wc -c < /data/besu/nodekey) -eq 65 ]

# Check Besu version compatibility
docker run --rm hyperledger/besu:latest besu --version