Prerequisites

This page covers the prerequisites for using the Akave CLI (akavecli) including:

• The Go Programming Language
• An Ethereum Compatible Wallet
• A Valid Akave Node Address
• MetaMask and On-Chain Identity (Optional)

Go Programming Language

If you are building the Akave CLI from source, you need Go version 1.23.5 or newer.

For the latest installation instructions, see: https://go.dev/doc/install

Installation Example: macOS (Homebrew)

To install Go on macOS using Homebrew, run:

brew install go
brew upgrade go
go version

If Go was installed successfully, you should see the version number in the output (e.g., go version go1.23.5 darwin/amd64).

Installation Example: Ubuntu

To install Go on Ubuntu, run:

wget https://go.dev/dl/go1.23.5.linux-amd64.tar.gz
sudo rm -rf /usr/local/go && sudo tar -C /usr/local -xzf go1.23.5.linux-amd64.tar.gz

Then, add Go to your PATH in ~/.bashrc:

export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/go/bin

Next, reload your shell:

source ~/.bashrc

Finally, verify that Go was installed successfully by running:

go version

If Go was installed successfully, you should see the version number in the output (e.g., go version go1.23.5 linux/amd64).

Wallet

Akave’s network runs on an EVM blockchain, so you need an Ethereum compatible wallet to manage your Akave address.

To make this process easier, the Akave CLI includes an integrated wallet system, so you do not need to manage raw private keys manually.

Wallets you’ve created or imported are stored locally on your machine at: ~/.akave_wallets

The Akave CLI wallet system allows you to:

• Create a wallet
• Import an existing private key
• List wallets
• Export stored private keys

For more information, see: Wallet Management

Node Address

To interact with the Akave network you need to use the --node-address flag with an RPC address.

• Akave Hot Storage: connect.akave.ai:5500

• Akave Archival Storage with Filecoin: connect.akave.ai:9500

All Akave CLI commands accept the --node-address flag: --node-address=<host:port>

MetaMask and On-Chain Identity (Optional)

You can use MetaMask (or another EVM wallet) to manage your Akave address by:

• Exporting a private key from MetaMask
• Importing it into the Akave CLI using the akavecli wallet import command

For instructions on how to export a private key from MetaMask, see: https://support.metamask.io/configure/accounts/how-to-export-an-accounts-private-key/

Next Steps

Now that you have completed the prerequisites, you can proceed to Install and Build Akave CLI.