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HyperBEAM Configuration

HyperBEAM can be configured using a variety of methods and options. This document provides an overview of the configuration system and links to specialized configuration topics.

Configuration System Overview

HyperBEAM is a highly configurable node runtime for decentralized applications. Its configuration system allows operators to:

  • Define connection parameters
  • Set up storage backends
  • Configure routing rules
  • Control execution behavior
  • Optimize performance characteristics
  • Enable debugging features

Configuration Documentation Sections

For detailed information about specific aspects of HyperBEAM configuration, please refer to the following documentation:

Getting Started

If you're new to HyperBEAM, you can start with a simple configuration file for basic settings:

  1. Create a file named config.flat in your project directory
  2. Add only simple configuration values: 
    port: 10000
priv_key_location: /path/to/wallet.json
  3. Start HyperBEAM with rebar3 shell

HyperBEAM will automatically load your configuration and display the active settings in the startup log.

Configuration File Limitations - IMPORTANT

The flat@1.0 format used by config.flat has critical limitations:

  • ONLY use simple atom values and binary values
  • DO NOT include maps, lists, or any complex data structures in config.flat
  • Complex configurations in config.flat will either fail to parse or silently fail to apply correctly

For any non-trivial configuration, especially those with complex data types, use the Erlang API directly:

rebar3 shell --eval "hb:start_mainnet(#{ 
  port => 10001,
  priv_key_location => <<\"./wallet.json\">>, 
  mode => debug,

  http_extra_opts => #{
    force_message => true,
    store => {hb_store_fs, #{ prefix => \"local-storage\" }}
    cache_control => [<<\"always\">>]
  }
})."

This method allows you to use any Erlang data type and structure without limitations and is the recommended approach for production deployments.

Core Configuration Priorities

When multiple configuration methods are used simultaneously, HyperBEAM follows this precedence order:

  1. Command line arguments (highest priority)
  2. Configuration file
  3. Environment variables
  4. Default values (lowest priority)

See Configuration Methods for more details on these approaches.

Configuration Resources