Rootstock Development Prerequisites

This guide provides clear instructions for developers on the supported Solidity versions and the necessary configurations needed to ensure your smart contracts are deployed on the Rootstock network.

Hackathons & Workshops

• Participating in a Rootstock Hackathon or Workshop?

• Visit the Hackathon Resources section for details.

• Resources:

  • Explore the Developer Tools section for a full list of tools and resources.

Software Requirements:

Set up the necessary software for a seamless development experience:

• Solidity Version:

  • Supported compiler version: solc 0.8.19.
  • Use compatible versions to avoid deployment errors.

• Node RPC Access:

  • Interact with Rootstock using its RPC API.
  • Get an API Key and configure it in your applications.

• Hardhat:

  • Install Hardhat to streamline contract development and testing:

    npm install --save-dev hardhat
    Recommended

    For added convenience, install shorthand globally

    • Install hh autocomplete to use hh shorthand globally.

    npm i -g hardhat-shorthand

    • Use the Hardhat Starter Kit

    • Learn how to write, interact, deploy, and test smart contracts on Rootstock using Hardhat or Foundry.

• Foundry (Optional):

  • Install Foundry as an alternative to Hardhat for building, deploying, and testing contracts:

    curl -L https://foundry.paradigm.xyz | bash
  • Run foundryup to install tools like forge, cast, chisel and anvil.

Wallet Configuration:

Set up your wallet to connect with Rootstock networks:

• MetaMask Integration:

  • Configure MetaMask with the necessary values to connect to the Rootstock Mainnet or Testnet.
  • Refer to the MetaMask Wallet Configuration guide for detailed steps.

• Derivation Paths:

  • Use these paths for BIP-44-compatible wallets:
    • Mainnet: m/44'/137'/0'/0/N
    • Testnet: m/44'/37310'/0'/0/N

See the Account-Based Addresses section for guidance on address verification.

Info

See Account based addresses section for more information or how to verify address ownership.

Contract Addresses

Understand and reference key contract addresses for development:

• Access the full list of Rootstock Contract Addresses.

Development Environments:

Choose one of the following environments to build and deploy your contracts:

• Hardhat:

  • A popular framework for managing smart contract development and testing.
  • Use the Hardhat Starter Kit to jumpstart your project.

• Foundry:

  • A lightweight, fast alternative to Hardhat.

  • Install and manage using foundryup.

Development Environments

Learn how to write, interact, deploy, and test smart contracts on Rootstock using Hardhat or Foundry.

💡 You don’t need to use both (Hardhat and Foundry); pick the one that suits your workflow.

Command Line Tools

Boost productivity with these CLI tools:

POSIX Compliant Shell

Windows

Standard terminals like cmd or PowerShell may not support some commands. We recommended installing Git for Windows for Git Bash, which provides a more UNIX-like experience.

Here's a tutorial on Git Bash.

MacOS

Standard terminal.

Linux

Standard terminal.

Installing Node.js and NPM

NVM

• Node v18 or later.
  • For installation, use NVM install script.

Windows

1. Download the Node.js Installer from Node.js Downloads.
2. Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions.
3. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell and check versions with node -v and npm -v.
   • See Posix Compliant Shell.

MacOS

1. Install Homebrew (if not installed):

   /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)
2. Install Node.js and npm with brew install node
3. Check versions in Terminal with node -v and npm -v

Linux

1. Open a terminal.
2. Update package manager with sudo apt update
3. Install Node.js and npm with sudo apt install nodejs npm
4. Check versions in the terminal with node -v and npm -v