Refactor docs into mdbook (#547)

* Refactor documentation, ef_tests makefile * Add makefile to root * Tidy readme * Fix readme badges * Tidy logs * Add terminalize gif * Update readme image * Update readme image * Tidy logs * Update readme image * Update readme * Update readme * Fix book link * Update makefiles * Update book * Fix link in book * Add readme for book * Remove old docs, move api spec YAML * Fix eth2/ dir readme * Add readme for lcli * Add about this book section * Minor formatting improvements * Address mehdi's comments
2026-03-14 18:32:42 +00:00 · 2019-10-02 11:04:56 +10:00
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+# Command-Line Interface (CLI)
+
+Lighthouse a collection of CLI applications. The two primary binaries are:
+
+- `beacon_node`: the largest and most fundamental component which connects to
+	the p2p network, processes messages and tracks the head of the beacon
+	chain.
+- `validator_client`: a lightweight but important component which loads a validators private
+	key and signs messages using a `beacon_node` as a source-of-truth.
+
+There are also some ancillary binaries:
+
+- `account_manager`: generates cryptographic keys.
+- `lcli`: a general-purpose utility for troubleshooting Lighthouse state
+	transitions (developer tool).
+
+## Installation
+
+Presently, we recommend building Lighthouse using the `$ cargo build --release
+--all` command and executing binaries from the
+`<lighthouse-repository>/target/release` directory.
+
+## Documentation
+
+Each binary supports the `--help` flag, this is the best source of
+documentation.
+
+
+```bash
+$ ./beacon_node --help
+```
+
+```bash
+$ ./validator_client --help
+```
+
+```bash
+$ ./account_manager --help
+```
+
+```bash
+$ ./lcli --help
+```
+
+## Beacon Node
+
+The `beacon_node` CLI has two primary tasks:
+
+- **Resuming** an existing database with `$ ./beacon_node`.
+- **Creating** a new testnet database using `$ ./beacon_node testnet`.
+
+## Creating a new database
+
+Use the `$./beacon_node testnet` command (see [testnets](./testnets.md) for more
+information).
+
+## Resuming from an existing database
+
+Once a database has been created, it can be resumed by running `$ ./beacon_node`.
+
+Presently, this command will fail if no existing database is found. You must
+use the `$ ./beacon_node testnet` command to create a new database.