Support light client syncing

[timjrobinson]

I'd like to run a local base node that I can use as my RPC to submit transactions and read the latest state. I have good internet and hardware but don't have a huge SSD. Is there some way to sync just the state without historical data so I can run this minimal node at home? I'd be ok downloading history from now onwards as long as there's some way to prune it over time.

I know it's not as secure as downloading all history but I'm ok with this tradeoff.

[meyer9]

Not yet, but it's something that's being considered! Currently, you need to have all historical blocks at least. You can keep only the latest state, but still need the block data. This can be downloaded as one of our full node snapshots.

Light clients (only syncing up the state you need) aren't quite ready for Base, but definitely on our roadmap!

[wearedood]

Light Client Syncing - Current State & Interim Solutions

@timjrobinson Great question! As @meyer9 mentioned, light clients aren't quite ready for Base yet, but there are some practical interim approaches worth documenting.

Current Options Analysis

1. Snapshot-Based Approach (Recommended)

• Download latest full node snapshot (as meyer9 suggested)
• Significantly reduces initial sync time
• Still requires substantial storage but much faster than full sync
• Can be automated with Docker Compose setups

2. Pruned Node Configuration

• Configure node to keep minimal historical data
• Retain only recent blocks (configurable retention period)
• Balance between storage efficiency and functionality

3. Archive Node with Selective Pruning

• Keep full state but prune older transaction receipts
• Maintains RPC functionality while reducing storage

Documentation Contribution Offer

I'd be happy to create comprehensive documentation covering:

• Snapshot deployment guides (manual + automated)
• Storage optimization configurations for different use cases
• Docker Compose templates for space-constrained setups
• Migration strategies from full nodes to optimized configurations
• Performance benchmarks comparing different approaches

This would complement the existing Docker Compose work I've been contributing (#536) and provide immediate value while we wait for native light client support.

Roadmap Connection

Once light clients are available, the documentation framework would easily extend to cover:

• Light client setup and configuration
• Migration from snapshot-based to light client
• Hybrid deployment scenarios

@meyer9 Would this type of documentation be valuable for the community? I can start with snapshot-based deployment guides and expand from there.

Timeline: Could deliver initial documentation within 1-2 weeks, building on the Docker infrastructure work already in progress.

[github-actions[bot]]

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